Help Lots Of Questions & Pics!

[bret61081]

hmmm...considering there was live rock in there and they are still alive...I don't think mine starved! As long as you have some live rock, which you said you did...you'll be fine!

 

[f1shman]

added my dead shrimp today, hope the ammonia spikes soon.

 

[reefman22]

hey thanks for the input. i many add hermits. i picked up a hydrometer from my LFS. i have no idea how to use it :notsure: . please help if you have the same one cause im lost

here is a pic of it if that helps at all:

 

[f1shman]

just put tank water in it, see what it the arrow reads at, and then pour the water back in the tank

 

[reefman22]

but when i put water in it, the pointer shoots up all the way to the top and its always as high as the water level and i doubt the water is that salty because i got it from my LFS.

 

[f1shman]

like bang it against a flat surface like "jingle it" lol to get the arrow to move a lil, otherwise maybe you have really salty water

 

[reefman22]

its like the pointer floats because it is always at the top of the water level

 

[airforceb2]

You have to make sure there are no bubbles touching the arm. You also have to season it before you use it. Read the directions on the package.

 

[reefman22]

nevermind i got it to work

its at salinity - 37 and specific gravity is 1.027

 

[airforceb2]

That is very high. I would take some water out and add plain RO water.

 

[jacknjill]

its not actually that high. you should just bring down to about 1.026, or you could just leave it where it is

 

[f1shman]

its not that high, but it DOES need to be lowered to around 1.025

 

[f1shman]

does that hydrometer test alk too?

 

[f1shman]

nvm ignore that question

 

[ophiura]

(regarding bioballs...)
Originally Posted by fishieness
oo
ithey absorb nitrates and things and can let them seep out into your tank. .

Huh??? :notsure:
I would really encourage everyone to look up some of the recent posts on bioballs (and biowheels). :yes: This is misleading, as is the whole darn "nitrate factory" stuff. But they do not absorb nitrates and let them seep out into your tank. LIKE BITS OF LR, they are surfaces for bacteria to grow. That bacteria, LIKE ON LR, converts ammonia, to nitrite, to nitrate. Same deal. The potential "issues" with them would also occur with bits of LR if you are overfeeding, and do not have any filter floss etc to capture any detritus.
The "problem" is that bioballs are TOO efficient at this conversion to nitrate, and it can be a further issue because nitrate is now thought to be reduced to nitrogen in deep parts of rock and a deep sand bed (which is of marginal use in smaller tanks) and that these bacteria act preferentially on nitrate produced nearby in upper layers of a sand bed and rock.
Bioballs work very very well in many tanks. I don't like people to misunderstand the issue. :yes: I am quite a fan actually of the "insurance" they provide.

 

[f1shman]

oph who said that?

 

[reefman22]

hey fishman, i heard earlier taht it would be ok to put in a few snails and crabs during the cycling process because someone did and they lived and are fine, i also heard that it is not ok. you sound pretty smart, what do you think?

 

[reefman22]

its just really boring now thats y i ask

 

[airforceb2]

That is part of the hobby. Just have some patience. It will be living soon enough.

 

[f1shman]

Well in my oppinon I don't care about hermit crabs as much as I do other fish, so I wouldn't mind sacraficing a few to my triggers. But they really arent that exciting to watch, and they don't create that much waste so it doesn't start the cycle really.