Tap Water?

I Use Tap Water For The Water Changes And Just The Instant Ocean. Tank Is About 4yrs Old. The Fish I Dont Have A Problem But I Have A Hard Time Keeping Inverts. The 20 Something Blue Leg Hermits I Only See About 5 Now. 1 Or 2 Weeks Old. I Have A 115g Tank With Wet Dry Filter. When Ever I Buy Hermits Or Snails They Eventuley Die. I Cant Afford To Use Bottled Water For A Fish Tank. Is That My Problem?
 

scubaguy

Member
1 Or 2 Weeks Old. This is probably your number one problem, it appears that your tank has not cycled.
What are your water parameters?
Salt Level
Nitrite
Ammonia
Nitrate
PH
Calcium
Alkaline(sp?)
 

scsinet

Active Member
It sounds like you have trace amounts of copper or other heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic, etc) in your tap water that's killing off your inverts. Invertebrates are hugely more sensitive to that kind of thing than fish.
I'd suggest getting a copper test kit and testing the tap water. If it's another heavy metal, there probably won't be a test kit for it. You may be able to get an idea from your municipal water department, but it won't cover what is introduced from the pipes between wherever they test (usually at the treatment plant) and your tank.
What you really need to do is start using RO water. With a tank your size, you'll benefit from purchasing your own RODI system rather than paying for water from the fish store. What I can't guarantee is that it will solve your problem, for two reasons...
First, if it is copper or heavy metals, it's going to have been absorbed by your live rock and stubstrate, and simply changing the water won't get rid of it. What you'll need to do in this case is remove it over time by using absorbtion media, such as cuprisorb or Poly Filter. This will take months. Of course there is also...
Second, the possibility that it's not your water at all and that it's something else. However, in my mind, the water is your #1 culprit. The problem you have though is that you have no idea what's in your tank because you don't even start with pure water.
 
I Take My Water The Lfs To Have It Checked. They Always Say Everything Is Ok But I Dont Get The Parameters. So I Dont Know What They Are.
 

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by nofishnplease
I Take My Water The Lfs To Have It Checked. They Always Say Everything Is Ok But I Dont Get The Parameters. So I Dont Know What They Are.
Usually when a fish store does a water test for you, they test the big 3 (Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates).
I can almost guarantee that they are not testing for copper.
Two other possibilities I thought of though.. have you previously coppered the system, and do you have your specific gravity checked? Do you know what it is?
 
im new.what is rodi? where can i get it? i have the wetdry with the pre filter at the top, then goes to the poly pad filter. is that ok the halp remove copper etc over time once i start using the right water?
 

rcoultas

Member
you should raise your salinity a little 1.023 - 1.025 is ideal IMO
look at the plumbing pipes in your house - if they are copper pipes you water will have a higher copper content. As SCSI said - the LFS do not test for copper - you may specifically request that they do test for it - some will at no charge to you.
RODI = reverse osmosis... it is a filtration system / method that purifies the water being used and removes all the stuff you don't want - you can buy RO water at most LFS or buy your own RODI system if you plan on staying inthe hobby - it will, in time, pay for itself
 

scsinet

Active Member
1.019 may well be your issue. Inverts can't take specific gravity that low. Using a cheap floating hydrometer, you could be off by several points, so for all you know it's as low as 1.016.
I'd suggest having the fish store back this up for you. They'll usually use a refractometer to give you spot on measurements.
Get that sg up to at least 1.023 and you may have much better luck with those inverts.
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Most tap is unsufficient for saltwater tanks, but if you've been set up for 4 years, your tap may be ok.
That low specific gravity isn't good for inverts, as suggested, 1.023- 1.025.
And if you have an old house with copper pipes, that could be an issue for inverts as they are completely intolerant of copper.
But I gotta ask... no algae problems??
 
Just pointing 2 things out,
tap water cooper or nitrates, when i was using tap i couldnt keep snails now after switching to ro/di i can keep them with no problem! Mine was a nitrate problem
refractometer vs swing arm my swingarm reads 1.016 and my refractometer reads 1.023 and i had it checked by 2 pet store one being the leading saltwater store around!!!
 

birds fan

Member
Originally Posted by nofishnplease
where can i get the rodi unit?
Check online or with your LFS. I just picked up a coralife RO 50g/day for $80, normally sold for $130. My LFS was going out of business. Check the classifieds for a good used one.
 
also. when i moved into this house in 1999 all the old pipes where updated to copper. i just learned about having a cleanup crew from you guys. because i have reddish/maroon alge all over my decorating rock. thats why i wanted to try a clean up crew. i dont have live rock
 
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