Quote:
Originally Posted by
dilan http:///t/396734/helppppp-i-had-another-crash#post_3534860
For the 50% water change i filled it and emptied it numerous times. I filled and emptied 5 times to m
Are it a 50%. I think that. Answers it
I did not know to let the water stay and mix for 24 hr i usually just mix it Nd put it in when i dont feel anymore salt. (More info on the 24 hr waiting would be helpful to my understanding)
I use tap water with a conditioner. I know its bad and i know u can bye ro water at Walmart but i cant drive and my parents are always busy
I meant i left in some media some filter floss and i took out a mixture. I dont know the name of the mixture but it looks like rocks. Srry couldn't be descriptive there.
For a 55 gallon tank you only need to do a 10% (10 gallon) water change (If it's an established tank). If your doing it repeatedly, 5 gallons at a time, in reality you only did about a 30% change. Wasting conditioner and salt and throwing your good money out the window in the process. You need to get a 30 to 50 gallon drum with a lid/cover (Rubbermaid is the best). Fill it, not to the top, and add the right amount of salt. If your using Instant Ocean salt, use 1/2 cup of salt per gallon. Sprinkle it into the water, don't just pour it in, to make sure it doesn't just clump up at the bottom.
Put a power-head in the drum (One rated for at least 400GPH) and then just let it churn the water up for at least 24hrs before you use it. Make sure you test the salinity of the water so that it matches the gravity that's in your tank. If it's not the same as the tank, add water or salt (depending on if it's too high or low) a little at a time and let it mix for at least 10 more hours and test it again. The new salt water should be the same temp as the tank but if it's off by only a couple of degrees it won't be a problem.
When you add it to your tank, don't just pour it in. Add it slowly or you'll disturb the substrate and that could be part of the problem of the crash. In my honest opinion, I think the crash was caused because you put the water in too early. Your tank turned cloudy because the salt wasn't completely dissolved and burned the fishes gills which is why they were gasping for breath. Just because you can't feel the salt, doesn't mean it's completely dissolved. The cloudy water was the undissolved salt.
Don't worry. It's not the end of the world as you know it. We all learn from our mistakes. At least I hope we do. The key is to not repeat those mistakes and trust me, I've made plenty of them.
But.... your in the right place. This site (SWF.com) is the best there is on the web. There are many like it but this one is yours. There are SO many people here that are more than willing to answer any questions you many have and will try to help you with any problems you might encounter. Professors, Biologists, Chemists, Craftsmen, Pure Hobbyists and more
. They're all here. People that have anywhere from 1 to 40 years and more experience in this hobby. And they all started where you are now. All you have to do is ask. And don't forget to add as much info and detail about the problem as you can. If they ask for more information than you provided, don't be offended or get discouraged
. Just take a breath..... and answer.
Welcome to the site. Come on in. The waters great!
BTW: Flower is right. Everything I have for my tank is marked "FISH ONLY!" My wife laughs at me because I use a toothbrush for cleaning and even it's marked "FISH ONLY!" I had to refrain from putting"FISH ONLY!" on my tank. lol. And I don't even have fish. I have an invert tank.
