New Tank
- Thread starter blue eye
- Start date
spanko
Active Member
You have had nitrite reading of 0.25 for some time now. I would suspect this reading. Maybe you have a bad tester, maybe it is hard to compare colors on the chart or whatever. I would have it double checked by another tester, LFS will do this for free usually. If this reading is verified as correct then you need to wait a while longer for it to go to zero before adding anything. If it is proven to be wrong, ie. the reading is actually zero, then do a 20% water change to bring nitrates down and go ahead with some CUC buys.
JMO FWIW
JMO FWIW
spanko
Active Member
Not a lot really. And the mix depends on you really. Do you want to have hermit crabs, some people don't because they are very capable snail killers if they want a new home and the snails shell looks good to them.
IMO
5 small Nassarius snails for maintenance and stirring of the sand bed.
5 Astrea or Trochus snails to clen the rocks and glass.
5 Nerite or Cerith snails.
Then if you want some hermits I suggest the red legged reef hermits. A little more expensive but not as "serial killer" type as the blue legs.
JMO FWIW
IMO
5 small Nassarius snails for maintenance and stirring of the sand bed.
5 Astrea or Trochus snails to clen the rocks and glass.
5 Nerite or Cerith snails.
Then if you want some hermits I suggest the red legged reef hermits. A little more expensive but not as "serial killer" type as the blue legs.
JMO FWIW
spanko
Active Member
Originally Posted by Blue Eye
http:///forum/post/2826710
also for the water change i will add salt to the water when filling back up what i take out, only add fresh water with no salt to top off the tank. Am i saying this right.
Water change water is salt water mixed with RO/DI or Distilled water to the same Sg and the same temp as your tank water is. Water should be mixed about 24 hours in advance with a powerhead to ensure mixing and a heater to get the temp where it should be. Just before the change take a turkey baster and lightly blow it on the rocks. You will be surprised at how much detritus blows off of them. This will suspend it in the water so as you are taking out the old water for the change the dirt (detritus) will come out with it. Do this every time you do a water change. (Especially with the algae concern you are fighting)
Top off water is fresh RO/DI or Distilled water.
I think that is what you are saying.
http:///forum/post/2826710
also for the water change i will add salt to the water when filling back up what i take out, only add fresh water with no salt to top off the tank. Am i saying this right.
Water change water is salt water mixed with RO/DI or Distilled water to the same Sg and the same temp as your tank water is. Water should be mixed about 24 hours in advance with a powerhead to ensure mixing and a heater to get the temp where it should be. Just before the change take a turkey baster and lightly blow it on the rocks. You will be surprised at how much detritus blows off of them. This will suspend it in the water so as you are taking out the old water for the change the dirt (detritus) will come out with it. Do this every time you do a water change. (Especially with the algae concern you are fighting)
Top off water is fresh RO/DI or Distilled water.
I think that is what you are saying.
blue eye
Member
Yes thats what i meant. I also did a test on my water again and i looked at the colors better. My
Nitrite is at 0
and my nitrate is at 40 instead of 80. I got my girlfreind to look at it also and she said the same thing.
I was not looking at my colors right on the chart. Does this sound better, and should i still do a 20% water change.
Nitrite is at 0
and my nitrate is at 40 instead of 80. I got my girlfreind to look at it also and she said the same thing.
I was not looking at my colors right on the chart. Does this sound better, and should i still do a 20% water change.
nano-newb1983
Active Member
Once your ready for your CUC i would do this:
20+ snails- I got 18 Astrea, 5 Nassaius and 2 Zebra
4- Red Leg Hermits
2- Peppermint shrimp
My tank has been very clean cause of these little guys. Few days ago i had a diatom bloom on sand and rocks and they took care of it in 48 hours
20+ snails- I got 18 Astrea, 5 Nassaius and 2 Zebra
4- Red Leg Hermits
2- Peppermint shrimp
My tank has been very clean cause of these little guys. Few days ago i had a diatom bloom on sand and rocks and they took care of it in 48 hours
subielover
Active Member
I would still do the water change. Everything is looking pretty good, the nitrates should start coming down on their own and when you do the water change that will bring it down a bunch too. Like everyone else said, you could probably stand to add a couple snails this weekend, once you have the correct specific gravity
Have fun
nano-newb1983
Active Member
Originally Posted by Blue Eye
http:///forum/post/2831239
I have a question. Does it matter when u do a water change, like in the morning when the lights are on in the tank or in the evening when the light are off and the fish are hiding in the rocks, sleeping.
I like to do mine before the lights come on, but its doesnt really matter when you do it
P.S this might sound dumb but i was just woundering
Originally Posted by Blue Eye
http:///forum/post/2831240
Also i bought Natural sea water for my water Changes today from my LFS, is this better then mixing salt in water, and then wating for it to be ready or not.
I think buying the SW from LFS would be better, and alot easier. I would do it if LFS sold it.
http:///forum/post/2831239
I have a question. Does it matter when u do a water change, like in the morning when the lights are on in the tank or in the evening when the light are off and the fish are hiding in the rocks, sleeping.
I like to do mine before the lights come on, but its doesnt really matter when you do it
P.S this might sound dumb but i was just woundering
Originally Posted by Blue Eye
http:///forum/post/2831240
Also i bought Natural sea water for my water Changes today from my LFS, is this better then mixing salt in water, and then wating for it to be ready or not.
I think buying the SW from LFS would be better, and alot easier. I would do it if LFS sold it.
subielover
Active Member
Is it the nutri sea water? I think thats what spanko uses, and I know he loves it. As long as your lfs, isn't taking it out of their tank and giving it to you it should be ok. If this is your first time using it, I would test it first to see what your parameters look like with this new water. Hopefully it will be close to what your tank is at now, i.e. specific gravity, ph, etc.
spanko
Active Member
I use the Nutriseawater. Have use the stuff for ***** before but with some testing on it found levels of phosphates in some batches. Don't quite understand why except if the filters they use on natural seawater prior to packaging it were ready to be changed.
Have done numerous tests on Nutriseawater and have found no problems so far, parameters withing natural seawater parameters. Pretty expensive, $12.00 per 4.4 gallons, but I like the stability of parameters compared to the variation in salt mixes. Personal preference. You might check with a local university and see if they have a large marine biology department. I know out in California some of the universities there give natural seawater away to aquarists that has been filtered for use in their lab.
Have done numerous tests on Nutriseawater and have found no problems so far, parameters withing natural seawater parameters. Pretty expensive, $12.00 per 4.4 gallons, but I like the stability of parameters compared to the variation in salt mixes. Personal preference. You might check with a local university and see if they have a large marine biology department. I know out in California some of the universities there give natural seawater away to aquarists that has been filtered for use in their lab.