Azfishgal New Tank Diary!
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azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
az, keep an eye on the ALK, the pH should remain stable. the alk should drop dramatically, so have a buffer on hand. also , what size QT is it?
Salinity is down to 1.018, and that's after taking out 10% saltwater and replacing with RO water this morning. I just tested my alk and in reading the test card it's right in the middle of normal. I have the Red Sea test kit and and the alk test card has three sections: Low (0-1.6) yellow to light green, Normal (1.7-2.8) light green to light blue, and High (2.9-3.6) light blue to dark blue. My test came out a green/blue color which would be right in the middle of the normal range, so I think 2.1 or so. Funny thing is this is the first times it's been in the middle of the normal range, it's usually in the high end of the normal range. I do have a buffer just in case it drops to the low range. What do you do if the alk gets to high? In my test kit it says what to do if the alk gets low, but doesn't say anything if it gets to high. Also, my QT is a 10 gallon tank. Was advertised as a 12 gallon nano, but after adding water it only holds 10 gallons.
az, keep an eye on the ALK, the pH should remain stable. the alk should drop dramatically, so have a buffer on hand. also , what size QT is it?
Salinity is down to 1.018, and that's after taking out 10% saltwater and replacing with RO water this morning. I just tested my alk and in reading the test card it's right in the middle of normal. I have the Red Sea test kit and and the alk test card has three sections: Low (0-1.6) yellow to light green, Normal (1.7-2.8) light green to light blue, and High (2.9-3.6) light blue to dark blue. My test came out a green/blue color which would be right in the middle of the normal range, so I think 2.1 or so. Funny thing is this is the first times it's been in the middle of the normal range, it's usually in the high end of the normal range. I do have a buffer just in case it drops to the low range. What do you do if the alk gets to high? In my test kit it says what to do if the alk gets low, but doesn't say anything if it gets to high. Also, my QT is a 10 gallon tank. Was advertised as a 12 gallon nano, but after adding water it only holds 10 gallons.
saltn00b
Active Member
ok i have that same test kit , but i am not a big fan of them so much. as everything runs out i will be switching to the good stuff. the alk buffer that came with the test kit wont cut because you are supposed to add x amount of drops but only once a week or something like that. that wont change it enough in brackish water and will cause problems with fish health. this wont happen until the water gets down to close to 1.009, or even sits like that for a while. so i got the kent super buffer, which buffs pH and Alk. just add a Tspoon to some RO water and pour it in every day, as needed.
as for getting the water down, you just need to hone down a little system. i have a 29g, and i simultaneously drain 5g out and 5g back in RO, with vinyl airline tubing. sometimes morning and night i think to get it done in 48 hours. dropping 'fast' is ok, its raising salinity back up that should be done slowly. when the ick dissappears, count three weeks, and then bring it back up over a week. if you see signs again, then reset the 3 week timer.
as for getting the water down, you just need to hone down a little system. i have a 29g, and i simultaneously drain 5g out and 5g back in RO, with vinyl airline tubing. sometimes morning and night i think to get it done in 48 hours. dropping 'fast' is ok, its raising salinity back up that should be done slowly. when the ick dissappears, count three weeks, and then bring it back up over a week. if you see signs again, then reset the 3 week timer.
azfishgal
Active Member
I'll put Kent Super Buffer on my shopping list. As far as getting the salinity down I'm just going to have to do it manually as I only have one drip line and won't have time to go get another. I have a tone of things on my "to do" list before we leave on vaction on Friday morning and now I'm having to worry about my clowns.
Though I have not seen any spots so far today, but I don't have the salinity down yet, so I know the ich is still floating around. On top of that my personal trainer kicked my butt yesterday and I'm moving at a snails pace.
Speaking of snails, how many do I need for my 125 gallon tank. I want Nassarius Snails and Cerith Snails (50 each?). And then I was going to add 6 emerald crabs and 3 cleaner shrimp. I was also thinking of adding a Orange Linckia Starfish, or will that not be a good idea? (I'm adding hermit crabs and a brittle starfish to my sump.)
Edit: You said you were switching to the "good stuff." What test would that be?
Speaking of snails, how many do I need for my 125 gallon tank. I want Nassarius Snails and Cerith Snails (50 each?). And then I was going to add 6 emerald crabs and 3 cleaner shrimp. I was also thinking of adding a Orange Linckia Starfish, or will that not be a good idea? (I'm adding hermit crabs and a brittle starfish to my sump.)
Edit: You said you were switching to the "good stuff." What test would that be?
saltn00b
Active Member
great snail choices, a good starting point, you may need more. i like putting the hermits in the fuge idea, keep your snail population up. i would wait on the linkia until you are 6 months established. Salifert is pretty much the most accurate and best kits on the market.
azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
great snail choices, a good starting point, you may need more. i like putting the hermits in the fuge idea, keep your snail population up. i would wait on the linkia until you are 6 months established. Salifert is pretty much the most accurate and best kits on the market.
OK, I'll wait on the linkia. Yeah for me for making a good choice on the snails. :cheer: I will start with 50 each and see what happens. I wasn't going to get hermits at all because I don't want them killing my snails, but my two girls love them, so sticking them in the sump came to mine.
Is it ok to also add the emerald crabs and cleaner shrimp all at the same time?
Thanks saltnoob for all your help. It's been greatly appreciated. :joy:
great snail choices, a good starting point, you may need more. i like putting the hermits in the fuge idea, keep your snail population up. i would wait on the linkia until you are 6 months established. Salifert is pretty much the most accurate and best kits on the market.
OK, I'll wait on the linkia. Yeah for me for making a good choice on the snails. :cheer: I will start with 50 each and see what happens. I wasn't going to get hermits at all because I don't want them killing my snails, but my two girls love them, so sticking them in the sump came to mine.
Thanks saltnoob for all your help. It's been greatly appreciated. :joy:
katz
Member
Lookin good! You will end up having tons of snails in the future. I started off with 20 and am now up to 100 or more in my 54g. They reproduce like rabbits.
I have a favor to ask of you.
Can you tell me how wide your skimmer is at the 10 inch height. I am having trouble finding one to fit in my sump that does not cost an arm and a leg to purchase.
Katz
I have a favor to ask of you.
Katz
azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by Katz
I have a favor to ask of you.
Can you tell me how wide your skimmer is at the 10 inch height. I am having trouble finding one to fit in my sump that does not cost an arm and a leg to purchase.
Katz
It's about 6" for the body of the skimmer, but you need to add another 4" for the tube where the water comes back out, and then of course you can't forget about the pump. The chamber in my sump that holds the skimmer is 13"x15" and I do have a little wiggle room, but not much. This is the skimmer I purchased:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=6
I purchased it here at SWF and it was $100 less than what I would have paid at my lfs. I have loved it and it's worth the money IMO.
I have a favor to ask of you.
Katz
It's about 6" for the body of the skimmer, but you need to add another 4" for the tube where the water comes back out, and then of course you can't forget about the pump. The chamber in my sump that holds the skimmer is 13"x15" and I do have a little wiggle room, but not much. This is the skimmer I purchased:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=6
I purchased it here at SWF and it was $100 less than what I would have paid at my lfs. I have loved it and it's worth the money IMO.
diablo
Member
Originally Posted by Katz
I have a favor to ask of you.
Can you tell me how wide your skimmer is at the 10 inch height. I am having trouble finding one to fit in my sump that does not cost an arm and a leg to purchase.
Katz
spend the money for a good skimmer dont go the cheapest route.
I have a favor to ask of you.
Katz
spend the money for a good skimmer dont go the cheapest route.
goodwin9
Active Member
Originally Posted by azfishgal
Salinity is down to 1.018, and that's after taking out 10% saltwater and replacing with RO water this morning. I just tested my alk and in reading the test card it's right in the middle of normal. I have the Red Sea test kit and and the alk test card has three sections: Low (0-1.6) yellow to light green, Normal (1.7-2.8) light green to light blue, and High (2.9-3.6) light blue to dark blue. My test came out a green/blue color which would be right in the middle of the normal range, so I think 2.1 or so. Funny thing is this is the first times it's been in the middle of the normal range, it's usually in the high end of the normal range. I do have a buffer just in case it drops to the low range. What do you do if the alk gets to high? In my test kit it says what to do if the alk gets low, but doesn't say anything if it gets to high. Also, my QT is a 10 gallon tank. Was advertised as a 12 gallon nano, but after adding water it only holds 10 gallons.
Your not alone with the alkalinity test. What a big pain. Some one need to create one for dummies. I've also hear Salifert is the best, but if you can figuure out the instructions, let me know. Every time I read them, I think that I have done the test wrong again. I just got in LaMotte's alkalinity test kit and will give it a try tomorrow and let you know if it is easy to use. (I haven't read the directions yet....) :notsure:
Salinity is down to 1.018, and that's after taking out 10% saltwater and replacing with RO water this morning. I just tested my alk and in reading the test card it's right in the middle of normal. I have the Red Sea test kit and and the alk test card has three sections: Low (0-1.6) yellow to light green, Normal (1.7-2.8) light green to light blue, and High (2.9-3.6) light blue to dark blue. My test came out a green/blue color which would be right in the middle of the normal range, so I think 2.1 or so. Funny thing is this is the first times it's been in the middle of the normal range, it's usually in the high end of the normal range. I do have a buffer just in case it drops to the low range. What do you do if the alk gets to high? In my test kit it says what to do if the alk gets low, but doesn't say anything if it gets to high. Also, my QT is a 10 gallon tank. Was advertised as a 12 gallon nano, but after adding water it only holds 10 gallons.
Your not alone with the alkalinity test. What a big pain. Some one need to create one for dummies. I've also hear Salifert is the best, but if you can figuure out the instructions, let me know. Every time I read them, I think that I have done the test wrong again. I just got in LaMotte's alkalinity test kit and will give it a try tomorrow and let you know if it is easy to use. (I haven't read the directions yet....) :notsure:
azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by goodwin9
Your not alone with the alkalinity test. What a big pain. Some one need to create one for dummies. I've also hear Salifert is the best, but if you can figuure out the instructions, let me know. Every time I read them, I think that I have done the test wrong again. I just got in LaMotte's alkalinity test kit and will give it a try tomorrow and let you know if it is easy to use. (I haven't read the directions yet....) :notsure:
:hilarious :hilarious :hilarious
Well, that's a relief to know I'm not alone. I get so confused on the alk and pH and what the connection is supposed to be between the two. I read in one of my books that you don't need to be a chemist to have a sw tank, YEAH RIGHT!
Your not alone with the alkalinity test. What a big pain. Some one need to create one for dummies. I've also hear Salifert is the best, but if you can figuure out the instructions, let me know. Every time I read them, I think that I have done the test wrong again. I just got in LaMotte's alkalinity test kit and will give it a try tomorrow and let you know if it is easy to use. (I haven't read the directions yet....) :notsure:
:hilarious :hilarious :hilarious
Well, that's a relief to know I'm not alone. I get so confused on the alk and pH and what the connection is supposed to be between the two. I read in one of my books that you don't need to be a chemist to have a sw tank, YEAH RIGHT!
azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
ok i have that same test kit ,
I have a question for you regarding the test we have. Have you ever had your Nitrite test come out to "O" (green)? I have a confession, my QT hasn't even been at "0", but after the ammonia was at 0 (after the peak of course) for several days and my Nitrate's were low I decided to go ahead.
My Nitrites went down to 0.05 so I thought it would be fine. I did try my other test that I use for my freshwater tank (the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Nitrites Test is for both saltwater and freshwater) and it came out 0 (very bright blue, no purple at all which is the next color on the chart), but the next level is 0.25, so the Red Sea test has a wider range. Now in testing my DT my ammonia level is 0 but my nitrite is at 0.05 (nitrates are 5) and has been for several days. I tried the other test and it comes out to 0, but again the ppms chart are different. I'm thinking of buying a Salifert Nitrite test just to be sure (just a little worried on how complicated it is - like goodwin said, I need a test for dummies
)
Another idea is when I go to the lfs to buy my clean up crew I'll have them test my water and see what they come up with (without telling them I'm there to buy a clean up crew).
ok i have that same test kit ,
I have a question for you regarding the test we have. Have you ever had your Nitrite test come out to "O" (green)? I have a confession, my QT hasn't even been at "0", but after the ammonia was at 0 (after the peak of course) for several days and my Nitrate's were low I decided to go ahead.
Another idea is when I go to the lfs to buy my clean up crew I'll have them test my water and see what they come up with (without telling them I'm there to buy a clean up crew).
saltn00b
Active Member
dont bother with the LFS testing, they do it as a free service with the cheapest possible strip kits. if there is something big , they can tell you , but i wouldnt trust them with minutia.
Red Sea kits are notorious for having a 'false .05' reading for the ammo, and it probably overflows to some other tests as well. my trite test usually will read zero tho.
Red Sea kits are notorious for having a 'false .05' reading for the ammo, and it probably overflows to some other tests as well. my trite test usually will read zero tho.
azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
dont bother with the LFS testing, they do it as a free service with the cheapest possible strip kits. if there is something big , they can tell you , but i wouldnt trust them with minutia.
Red Sea kits are notorious for having a 'false .05' reading for the ammo, and it probably overflows to some other tests as well. my trite test usually will read zero tho.
Do you think I should still wait? I'm thinking if my QT is still showing nitrites 0.05 and seems to be doing fine then it's probably my test. I think I'll get one of those Salifert tests and see what it says. :thinking:
dont bother with the LFS testing, they do it as a free service with the cheapest possible strip kits. if there is something big , they can tell you , but i wouldnt trust them with minutia.
Red Sea kits are notorious for having a 'false .05' reading for the ammo, and it probably overflows to some other tests as well. my trite test usually will read zero tho.
Do you think I should still wait? I'm thinking if my QT is still showing nitrites 0.05 and seems to be doing fine then it's probably my test. I think I'll get one of those Salifert tests and see what it says. :thinking:
azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
.05 is nothing to worry about anyway. your QT is going to have trouble with the nitrate cycle as your perform Hypo, because a lot of the bacteria dies off. so when the levels rise, have salt water mixed at 1.009 to do water changes as needed.
I started to think about that, worried with me taking all this water out and replacing with RO water it's going to go through another cycle. :scared: Wish I wasn't going to be gone for a week. I'll make some mixed 1.009 water and have it set aside for my sitter to do a water change. Do you think two 10% water changes while I'm gone (for seven days) will be good? I leave tomorrow.
.05 is nothing to worry about anyway. your QT is going to have trouble with the nitrate cycle as your perform Hypo, because a lot of the bacteria dies off. so when the levels rise, have salt water mixed at 1.009 to do water changes as needed.
I started to think about that, worried with me taking all this water out and replacing with RO water it's going to go through another cycle. :scared: Wish I wasn't going to be gone for a week. I'll make some mixed 1.009 water and have it set aside for my sitter to do a water change. Do you think two 10% water changes while I'm gone (for seven days) will be good? I leave tomorrow.
azfishgal
Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
that should be enough, better than nothing.
maybe set up a little powerhead near the surface to keep the water oxygenated while it ages. and keep the temps close to the same as the tank, if you can
I already have a bucket with a powerhead and thermometer, so it should be good.
Just got back from the lfs.
I have 60 snails in my tank now, 30 cerith, and 30 nassarius, and I'm drip acclimating a cleaner shrimp (wanted three but they only had the one) and I also have 10 hermit crabs and 3 emerald crabs (will drip acclimate those as soon as the cleaner shrimp is done). I know I'll need more down the road (especially cerith snails), but at least this way no one should be competing for food as there is penty in the tank for them at this point.
that should be enough, better than nothing.
maybe set up a little powerhead near the surface to keep the water oxygenated while it ages. and keep the temps close to the same as the tank, if you can
I already have a bucket with a powerhead and thermometer, so it should be good.
Just got back from the lfs.