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sexyshrimp101
Guest
Sounds good, thanks a bunch!
paintballer768
Active Member
No problem. Another alternative to mixing your own water is getting ocean water from your LFS. I at first mixed my own, and then I realized the LFS has great quality water pumped from our ocean, and then its filtered, and it comes with all the trace elements I need already in the right ratios and all. Its great, and no powerhead and bucket required.
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sexyshrimp101
Guest
That would be ideal if I could find a place that had it. Premixed saltwater at the lfs isn't the same thing correct?
paintballer768
Active Member
Well most of the time, its water pumped from the ocean. They put it through filters and under UV sterilizers so ultimately you get water thats from the ocean without the worry of parasites and pollutants.
Mixing the water yourself, you might not (depending on the crystals I think) be adding trace elements to the water, and you would need to regulate the calcium, iodine, and strontium yourself. Because I do 25% water changes every weekend, I dont worry about it because by the time it could get low, most of it gets replaced anyhow.
Plus the water is usually so cheap you dont think twice about it.
Mixing the water yourself, you might not (depending on the crystals I think) be adding trace elements to the water, and you would need to regulate the calcium, iodine, and strontium yourself. Because I do 25% water changes every weekend, I dont worry about it because by the time it could get low, most of it gets replaced anyhow.
Plus the water is usually so cheap you dont think twice about it.
mie
Active Member
Invest in a ro/di unit, this will pay for itself in a hurry, then buy a rubbermaid style plastic can or a food grade plastic drum at the feed store, (20 bucks) mix all your water and store it useing a power head and a heater to keep the water warm and circulating, this is way easier and WAY cheaper than buying water from the lfs.
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sexyshrimp101
Guest
I will eventually buy a RO/DI unit. It will definitely be much easier than hauling 1 gallon jugs back and forth from Walmart. I think that will probably be mine and my fiance's gift to each other for Christmas. I have a feeling a lot of our gifts to each other will be saltwater related...let the obsession begin (and i'm only cycling the tank right now
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stevechouinard
Member
Thought I would chime in so your not worried by it... But sometime in your cycleing process your gonna notice that your tank is gonna look very nasty and brownish muck all over everything dont get worried and dont try to clean it up its part of the process and will fix itself in a day or 2...
You are on a very good track and know that with salt water the best tanks take time alot of people see that the tank is cycled and go crazy stuffing it with stuff.. My rule of thumb was once the tank was cycled wait a week and add your first 2 starter fish which I chose damsels (which are the smallest cheapest MEANEST fish there are) but they get your levels to good points I kept the damsels for 2 months then gave them to a buddy trust me they will pick on anything you put in the tank so you will want them out. Then my rule of thumb which all do not agree with is 1 inch of fish for every 5 gallons of water which gives you 6 inchs of fish in a 30 gallon do not add more than one fish per month and I usually change my rock work up upon every added tankmate... And if you dont know about Acclimation then watch the flash video to the left on the menu bar... You always wanna use the drip acclimation method. It increases the fishes chance if survival by 95%. Also never put water that the fish came in into your tank always net him in... Alot of the time the pet stores tanks have ick and you dont want it... I will walk you through alot of the first months steps if you want, PM me and I will give you my phone # cause I know how helpful it is to have someone to help... But for now alls I can say is read and read alot information is power...
You are on a very good track and know that with salt water the best tanks take time alot of people see that the tank is cycled and go crazy stuffing it with stuff.. My rule of thumb was once the tank was cycled wait a week and add your first 2 starter fish which I chose damsels (which are the smallest cheapest MEANEST fish there are) but they get your levels to good points I kept the damsels for 2 months then gave them to a buddy trust me they will pick on anything you put in the tank so you will want them out. Then my rule of thumb which all do not agree with is 1 inch of fish for every 5 gallons of water which gives you 6 inchs of fish in a 30 gallon do not add more than one fish per month and I usually change my rock work up upon every added tankmate... And if you dont know about Acclimation then watch the flash video to the left on the menu bar... You always wanna use the drip acclimation method. It increases the fishes chance if survival by 95%. Also never put water that the fish came in into your tank always net him in... Alot of the time the pet stores tanks have ick and you dont want it... I will walk you through alot of the first months steps if you want, PM me and I will give you my phone # cause I know how helpful it is to have someone to help... But for now alls I can say is read and read alot information is power...
paintballer768
Active Member
Yea just research what you need and youll do fine. Best thing you can do is sit back and enjoy the tank and give it time.