I need HELP, Weird things going on
- Thread starter sepulatian
- Start date
sepulatian
Moderator
for about 6 weeks, the water quality was a bit questionable, then I did a large change on thursday. The only problem was nitrate, it is now under 40 ppm. is that still too high? The more I think about it and read posts, Urchins are in the star family, so if it is needed high for them, it is probably needed high for urchins. He is doing good, just shedding a bit. Which I was told on a different website means they are going to be dead soon and remove imediately, well he seems fine, I am not going to assume he is going to die and kill him by pulling him out. acts just fine, lost some quills.
sepulatian
Moderator
what are some better quality foods to feed my fish, I cannot do frozen, my salt tank is at my store, which is a music store where I am all day and do not have a freezer there. I know they need more variety than the nutrifin max marine food and the spirulina I am feeding, also some tetra tabs wich are for bottom feeders, the cleaner shrimp and hawaiin tang love them, anything else that is perhapse freeze dried?
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Hypo is when you lower the SG to 1.009 in order to stop the reproduction of ich.
For lingo, look no further then right here:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=42388
wow lion, that is more lingo than I can handle!!!! thanks though!
Hypo is when you lower the SG to 1.009 in order to stop the reproduction of ich.
For lingo, look no further then right here:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=42388
wow lion, that is more lingo than I can handle!!!! thanks though!
lion_crazz
Active Member
If you cannot do frozen, I would recommend a variety of Omega One flake foods, as well as a few different types of freeze dried meats (krill, mysis), and Julian Sprung's Seaweed (which is extremely high in vitamins and vitamin C).
lion_crazz
Active Member
The urchin too needs the higher salinity. Under better water quality, he should start to do better.
sepulatian
Moderator
thanks lion, I have krill but none of my fish are carnivores, krill is big, I have tried breaking it, no one was interested. I will check out omega1 and Julians seaweed. I just got the garlic stuff too, came today. I just want everyone to be happy!!!! thanks for the help
sepulatian
Moderator
I found out the problem with the skimmer not making too many bubbles, it was a hose (tiny as anything) I finaly got it atatched today, the bubbles were going, said I should have foam after a few hours. I left at 8:00pm tonight, still no foam. I will see tomorrow. This kills me because apart from the Angelfish and Koi thing I am actually quite knowledgable about freshwater fish. This makes me feel dumb, because normally people come to me for fish advice. not on a site, but in life. I have been in the hobby since I was a kid and usualy know my stuff. Sometimes surprises that I was unaware of creap up. thanks for the help!
ophiura
Active Member
I haven't read the whole thread....
But the reason that specific gravity is kept unnaturally low is to kill parasites - many of which are invertebrates.
So if it kills the parasites, it will kill many other invertebrates.
A specific gravity below 1.025-1.026 is fatal, IMO, to many invertebrates. Seastars in particular are EXTREMELY sensitive to specific gravity, so much so that a heavy rain can kill them in shallow waters.
Most sites are "traditional" in their suggested specific gravity suggestions, and do not do more research on it. Many do not know better.
I am afraid I had to edit the link. Out of respect to the owner and operator of this site, we do ask that you not post links
But the reason that specific gravity is kept unnaturally low is to kill parasites - many of which are invertebrates.
So if it kills the parasites, it will kill many other invertebrates.
A specific gravity below 1.025-1.026 is fatal, IMO, to many invertebrates. Seastars in particular are EXTREMELY sensitive to specific gravity, so much so that a heavy rain can kill them in shallow waters.
Most sites are "traditional" in their suggested specific gravity suggestions, and do not do more research on it. Many do not know better.
I am afraid I had to edit the link. Out of respect to the owner and operator of this site, we do ask that you not post links
sepulatian
Moderator
I'm sorry, I thought that after I did (the link). That was the site I used to use, and you are very correct that it is generic or "traditional". Ophiura, you know all about stars, and urchins? I am getting so frustraterd. I did the advice of everyone on this site, and raised the salinity to 1.025 with a two gallon bucket, over 5 hrs. my tank is a 55. My Urchin died two days later. My snail is still barely moving, moved 6 inches when I raised it, and he has been in the same spot since. I have 0 amonia, 0 nitrite, less than 40 nitrate, ph, 8.4 temp, 76 . Skimmer working well. what am I doing wrong?
sepulatian
Moderator
BTY the one sea starI have left is doing well still feeding, eats whatever he can grab including flakes. Cute to watch, he has found his home underneath one of the sponge filters. I have one more question. What is the correct way to pluck a snail off of a surface? Last week I had to remove the salt buildup from one of my sponge filters, but the snail was attatched to the hose, so I slowly pulled it off, and he did not move from where he was dropped. two days ago I saw my cleaner shrimp having a feast off of him, He died right where I dropped him. Was this because I had to pry him off the tube? I had to take him off their because he would have been out of the water for awhile. He had a firm grip on there too. I just gently pulled for awhile. I didn't want to hurt him. any thoughts on this?
ophiura
Active Member
Unfortunately, though your salinity was low, raising it so quickly is also bad. I haven't read the whole thread so I am not sure if it was discussed, but the salinity should be raised over many days....the easiest way being to just top off with salt water instead of freshwater.
But urchins, like seastars, are very very senstive to salinity and they can suffer damage but not die from it for up to a month. So it is possible that your urchin was already dying from the lower salinity and just happened to die after you increased the salinity. Many of these issues are not easily to correct I am afraid, once the animal is exposed to those conditions.
Your tank needs time to stabilize from these changes.
What sort of water change schedule are you on? How old is the tank? Again I am sorry if you have covered this already...just don't have a lot of time to catch up
As for the snail...just taking it off is probably not fatal. Some snails are not able to easily right themselves if they fall on their back.
But urchins, like seastars, are very very senstive to salinity and they can suffer damage but not die from it for up to a month. So it is possible that your urchin was already dying from the lower salinity and just happened to die after you increased the salinity. Many of these issues are not easily to correct I am afraid, once the animal is exposed to those conditions.
Your tank needs time to stabilize from these changes.
What sort of water change schedule are you on? How old is the tank? Again I am sorry if you have covered this already...just don't have a lot of time to catch up
As for the snail...just taking it off is probably not fatal. Some snails are not able to easily right themselves if they fall on their back.
sepulatian
Moderator
follow me to a new thread, if you could be so kind, this one is old. Thanks for helping, I realy apreciate it