it was dumped on me. please help

R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by mastertech
http:///forum/post/3145223
that sure does help. i kind of thought that the little purple/pink anemones were pest because there are about 20 of those little boggers in there. to many IMO. whats the best way to get rid of them. (just pluck them out?)
No to plucking - you just leave behind the foot for it to grow back. The best way is to shoot JoesJuice, AptaisiaX, lemon juice or some folks even use hot water. I personally use JoesJuice on aiptasia and on a few majanos I got on a piece of rock. Just go to your local drugstore and look for a syringe (without a needle) for children's meds - they cost about $2.00. Then fill it with your favorite pest stuff (from above) and shoot it directly in the mouth of the pest anemone. You have to work pretty fast once you get close before they close up.
they are the only thing i have seen the clownfish host in. he will not touch the long tentacle anemone. should i get some other type the for him to host in?
I wouldn't do anything just yet. The tank needs to settle in and anemones are very particular about water conditions, etc. Perhaps with all the majanos gone, he'll move to the long tip. Give it time and see. Heck, with all those rhodactis mushrooms in there he might host in one of those. Some clowns love the hairy mushrooms.
I'd wait and see what happens after you kill off the majanos, giving the tank time to cycle and settle after the move.
 
mastertech

mastertech

Member
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145229
No to plucking - .
I pulled one off the glass and it came off very clean (will come back from just a few particals or what)
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145229
I'd wait and see what happens after you kill off the majanos, giving the tank time to cycle and settle after the move.
is it ok to have all that decaying matter in there (i dont have a clean up crew of any kind. (there are alot of empty shells and such, as if there once was a cleanup crew)
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by mastertech
http:///forum/post/3145237
I pulled one off the glass and it came off very clean (will come back from just a few particals or what)
Yes, actually they drop new anemones as they are dying sometimes.
is it ok to have all that decaying matter in there (i dont have a clean up crew of any kind. (there are alot of empty shells and such, as if there once was a cleanup crew)
Get a cleanup crew going - peppermint shrimp are cheap and they will (sometimes) eat aiptasia. I'm not sure if they will eat the majanos, but they are good at cleaning up leftover food and can do double duty for you.
 
mastertech

mastertech

Member
sept. 28 2009
pH level.............7.8-7.9
ammonia...............0 ppm
nitrite...................0 ppm
nitrate................10 ppm
phosphate..........0.4 ppm
SG......................1.024
this tank has gone through hell in the past week and a day. i have been doing 5-10 gallon water changes every other day with ro/io water to reduce the SG. when i first got the tank it was around 1.028 and today it is much lower. i could also test for calcium, and carbonate hardess but not tonight. ( im wore out from this last week of trying to keep this tank from crashing)
need input. thanks.
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by mastertech
http:///forum/post/3145622
sept. 28 2009
pH level.............7.8-7.9
ammonia...............0 ppm
nitrite...................0 ppm
nitrate................10 ppm
phosphate..........0.4 ppm
SG......................1.024
this tank has gone through hell in the past week and a day. i have been doing 5-10 gallon water changes every other day with ro/io water to reduce the SG. when i first got the tank it was around 1.028 and today it is much lower. i could also test for calcium, and carbonate hardess but not tonight. ( im wore out from this last week of trying to keep this tank from crashing)
need input. thanks.
Yeah, you just really need to let the tank settle before you go changing a lot more.
You didn't say, but did you use the original sand or replace with new? I ask because it sometimes causes quite an ammonia spike if you disturb an existing sand bed.
I would recommend that you keep an eye on basic water parameters (SG, ammonia, pH, nitrate, nitrite) for now and not worry about additives yet. Let the tank settle in so you can get consistent readings.
These readings are a little high, so let's concentrate on getting them down before you do anything else:
nitrate................10 ppm
phosphate..........0.4 ppm
I suspect these numbers are from a mini cycle from the move. If so, the nitrate number indicates you may be on the tail end of that cycle.
 
mastertech

mastertech

Member
whats the ideal way to bring nitrate and phosphate down.
also... my color charts have gaps. is it ok to estimate if the colors are between the "lines" if so my ammonia was a little inbetween the 0 and the next one.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Originally Posted by mastertech
http:///forum/post/3145696
whats the ideal way to bring nitrate and phosphate down.
also... my color charts have gaps. is it ok to estimate if the colors are between the "lines" if so my ammonia was a little inbetween the 0 and the next one.
The ideal way to bring nitrate down is to have area in the tank where anaerobic bacteria can live and function. They in turn will consume the nitrates and release harmless nitrogen back into the atmosphere. Since most do not have these areas water changes are the way we accomplish this. By doing scheduled water changes, say 10% of tank volume weekly, we can dilute what nitrate is there and keep it to a manageable level. There are other ways that entail more research on your part. A refugium with a good amount of macro algae that can be harvested, denitrators, carbon dosing etc.
Phosphates are normally introduced via change water, if not RODI or Distilled, and food. Again water changes will dilute the phosphates down.
The best control for both is to limit the input side of the equation.
Test kits with the color charts are open to the users estimation on which color the sample matches on the chart.
JMO
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by mastertech
http:///forum/post/3145696
whats the ideal way to bring nitrate and phosphate down.
also... my color charts have gaps. is it ok to estimate if the colors are between the "lines" if so my ammonia was a little inbetween the 0 and the next one.
Spanko gave you excellent answers, but I'll add a couple points....
Hobbyist testing is near guessing - it's certainly not perfect nor accurate. The point of testing is really to watch for changes and alert you to issues which may be multiplying in the tank. Most of us are not a lab and are subjectively reading simplified tests anyway. Close is close enough, you don't have to be precise.
Dilution of pollution (water changes) is the easiest approach, but in your case, I wonder if it isn't just the move and a mini cycle which is why I say leave it be and watch the numbers.
I would run the tests every day and only react if they start to climb from where they are now. Allow your tank to right itself from the move unless ammonia/nitrite/nitrate go high enough to harm the fish.
Plan a 20% water change weekly at a minimum and test, test, test to monitor water conditions in between.
I don't know where you are, but using RO/DI water is the best way to contol what's going into the tank. If you don't have an RO/DI system, you can purchase RO/DI water at your local WalMart or Publix. Just take a container and fill it up - usually somewhere around 0.30 per gallon.
Some freshwater sources are very high in phosphates (mine, for example) so adding that water to a tank with a phosphate issue is making it worse because you are not diluting the pollution with a water change.
 
mastertech

mastertech

Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3145699
The ideal way to bring nitrate down is to have area in the tank where anaerobic bacteria can live and function. They in turn will consume the nitrates and release harmless nitrogen back into the atmosphere. Since most do not have these areas water changes are the way we accomplish this. By doing scheduled water changes, say 10% of tank volume weekly, we can dilute what nitrate is there and keep it to a manageable level. There are other ways that entail more research on your part. A refugium with a good amount of macro algae that can be harvested, denitrators, carbon dosing etc.
are those bacteria in the sump and bio-balls under my aquarium?
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3145699
Phosphates are normally introduced via change water, if not RODI or Distilled, and food. Again water changes will dilute the phosphates down.
i have only used RO/DI water for changes to get the SG down.
 
mastertech

mastertech

Member
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145714
Close is close enough, you don't have to be precise..
good. thanks
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145714
Dilution of pollution (water changes) is the easiest approach, but in your case, I wonder if it isn't just the move and a mini cycle which is why I say leave it be and watch the numbers..
i think this is a large portion of the reason those levels are high. but alot of the problem is a result of the condition the tank was in before i recieved it. (see page one of this post) i am fighting to get it right.
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145714
I would run the tests every day and only react if they start to climb from where they are now. Allow your tank to right itself from the move unless ammonia/nitrite/nitrate go high enough to harm the fish..
how high is cause for alarm. when will fish start dieing, and when will coral and such start dieing?
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145714
Plan a 20% water change weekly at a minimum and test, test, test to monitor water conditions in between..
all at once or can i continue to change it 5-10 gallons every other day?
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145714
I don't know where you are, but using RO/DI water is the best way to contol what's going into the tank. If you don't have an RO/DI system, you can purchase RO/DI water at your local WalMart or Publix. Just take a container and fill it up - usually somewhere around 0.30 per gallon..
that is all i get. but thanks. (its $1.50 per 5 gallons)
Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3145714
Some freshwater sources are very high in phosphates (mine, for example) so adding that water to a tank with a phosphate issue is making it worse because you are not diluting the pollution with a water change.
all the prior owner used was tap water (not filtered) to top off the tank. (and he did not test anything for over a year)
 
mastertech

mastertech

Member
Sept 29 2009
carbonate hardness.....143.2 ppm
calcium........................460 ppm
pH................................7.7-7.8
ammonia..........................0 ppm
nitrite.............................0 ppm
nitrate...........................10 ppm
phosphate.....................0.5 ppm
 
truperc

truperc

Member
IMO your numbers look relatively good.
PH is a little low.
KH - is on the low side of ok (monitor)
Phosphates are a little bit high, but nothing outrageous.
All the rest are excellent or good.
Testing daily will be fine for now, but weekly should be the long term standard.
Nitrate above 20 is when I would consider a water change (outside your normal schedule)
 
oceandude

oceandude

Member
Sounds like you have had a great deal of good advice here. :) I think you have a golden opportunity here. I hope you don't mind me giving my opinion to you on what I would do...
1. Drain all the water into two 50g containers and have another for the L/R. Keep your fish in the containers as well with an air stone and heater, and perhaps a small maxijet, nano power head...something if you can for a little circulation.
2. Take all the sand out and rinse, rinse, rinse in a large container using R/O until the water comes out clean and all the crap is gone...simply strain off the bad water leaving the sand in place. If you don't do this you will probably have phosphates sky rocket and afford the chance for the 2 year crash to happen...IMO...
3. Clean the heck out of the tank with R/O. and lots of vinegar until you are satisfied.
4. Clean the tank with R/O and lots of vinegar until you are satisfied. (can't say that enough...and don't worry vinegar is you friend in an aquarium)
5. Aquascape as desired (you can scrub some hair algae off and rinse with R/O and preferably strain so you can collect any amphipods that will come loose. (you will want them back in the tank or sump/fuge)
6. Add that good clean sand back in the tank and be sure to pack some around the rock in an effort to promote it being secure.
7.Slowly add the water back in with a small maxi jet connected to a aquarium hose letting it pour over the Live Rock to NOT cause a sand storm. When half the water is in, add fish and then continue to SLOWLY add the remaining water in again over the L/R.
8. I would then take the 25g or so missing and add new salt water of about 25g. (That would be your good water change) I would then use a safe buffering solution such as Seachem to have your pH at about 8.3. (you cannot overdose with this stuff, so don't worry). *If you can, add some stress coat too for the critters*
9. Some will disagree because they think it's a chemical, but invest in some "Stability" from Seachem. (USE AS DIRECTED for best results) It has good and bad bacteria which the tank needs. It's cheap and a good product to promote health in either an established tank or new.
10. It will be one fun day IMO. I love doing stuff like that. Then you have learned much and had a good time doing it.
11. Before adding more fish, check to see if they will get along. ;)
***Wahla!!! You have a nice clean, healthy tank that is not going to crash on you. But please, if you are not certain what your waster parameters should be...take a sample to your LFS and get the items you need such as iodide, mag, cal, alk.
Good luck, have fun and enjoy with no fear...your new set up. ;) ...OD
EDITED*** BTW, after a few weeks send some pics of your nice "new Display tank to your friend. His/her mouth will drop in awe. ;)
 
calbert0

calbert0

Member
Originally Posted by oceandude
http:///forum/post/3147247
Sounds like you have had a great deal of good advice here. :) I think you have a golden opportunity here. I hope you don't mind me giving my opinion to you on what I would do...
1. Drain all the water into two 50g containers and have another for the L/R. Keep your fish in the containers as well with an air stone and heater, and perhaps a small maxijet, nano power head...something if you can for a little circulation.
2. Take all the sand out and rinse, rinse, rinse in a large container using R/O until the water comes out clean and all the crap is gone...simply strain off the bad water leaving the sand in place. If you don't do this you will probably have phosphates sky rocket and afford the chance for the 2 year crash to happen...IMO...
3. Clean the heck out of the tank with R/O. and lots of vinegar until you are satisfied.
4. Clean the tank with R/O and lots of vinegar until you are satisfied. (can't say that enough...and don't worry vinegar is you friend in an aquarium)
5. Aquascape as desired (you can scrub some hair algae off and rinse with R/O and preferably strain so you can collect any amphipods that will come loose. (you will want them back in the tank or sump/fuge)
6. Add that good clean sand back in the tank and be sure to pack some around the rock in an effort to promote it being secure.
7.Slowly add the water back in with a small maxi jet connected to a aquarium hose letting it pour over the Live Rock to NOT cause a sand storm. When half the water is in, add fish and then continue to SLOWLY add the remaining water in again over the L/R.
8. I would then take the 25g or so missing and add new salt water of about 25g. (That would be your good water change) I would then use a safe buffering solution such as Seachem to have your pH at about 8.3. (you cannot overdose with this stuff, so don't worry). *If you can, add some stress coat too for the critters*
9. Some will disagree because they think it's a chemical, but invest in some "Stability" from Seachem. (USE AS DIRECTED for best results) It has good and bad bacteria which the tank needs. It's cheap and a good product to promote health in either an established tank or new.
10. It will be one fun day IMO. I love doing stuff like that. Then you have learned much and had a good time doing it.
11. Before adding more fish, check to see if they will get along. ;)
***Wahla!!! You have a nice clean, healthy tank that is not going to crash on you. But please, if you are not certain what your waster parameters should be...take a sample to your LFS and get the items you need such as iodide, mag, cal, alk.
Good luck, have fun and enjoy with no fear...your new set up. ;) ...OD
EDITED*** BTW, after a few weeks send some pics of your nice "new Display tank to your friend. His/her mouth will drop in awe. ;)

DUDE ARE YOU KIDDING??? That will absolutely destroy the small amount of bacterial cycle he has going on in there... Not to mention stress the livestock out even more than it already is!
Do not take your sand out and rinse it,, leave your tank be and let it stable out like everyone else was saying!
And as far as your PH problem... I would check the PH of all that R/O water youve been dumping in there... I bet its pretty low, probably around 4...
If this is the case you need to buffer that R/O water to get the Alk and PH up before you add it to the tank.
 
truperc

truperc

Member
Originally Posted by calbert0
http:///forum/post/3147456
DUDE ARE YOU KIDDING??? That will absolutely destroy the small amount of bacterial cycle he has going on in there... Not to mention stress the livestock out even more than it already is!
Do not take your sand out and rinse it,, leave your tank be and let it stable out like everyone else was saying!

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...e2002/chem.htm
There are plenty of links to other good articles from the above.
That said. Often times I think the best way to stabilize parameters is to do weekly water changes (nothing drastic unless absolutely necessary).
Many people make this more complex by adding buffers, calc reactors, etc...etc.. etc... (there is a place for them, but not as much as they are used) when simple water changes are the answer.
BTW - when I said a little low or a little high...that did not mean you needed to do anything specifically other then monitor that it does not go lower or higher.
As Calbert mentioned, it would probably be good to measure what your fresh mixed water parameters are before you put it in the tank ( this is a one time or infrequent type task, but will give you the values for what you are putting in. Verifying you are not putting low PH water into the tank as your replacement water.)
BTW reef crystals is a good salt IMO.
You should be able to bring your PH and your alk up with a water change BTW. You can dose the tank for alk/ph if the water change is just not doing it.
 
mastertech

mastertech

Member
thank you all for the info. i will continue to research all available options and become an informed aquarist.
but alot of times i dont get direct answers to all the questions throughout this thread. (not to say i dont appreciate all the information shared but i quess i need to simplify the posts)
what about siphoning out some of the trash in the sand?
 
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