alum is added to pickling solutions. well, from what i understand it is. it looks and feels like a mix between salt and baking soda. it comes in a jar or plastic "shaker". Cheap and easy to use, works like a charm too.
so many snails and how
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and i added my MTS willingly and knowingly as i knew they were beneficail to my sand because they aerate the sand to prevent toxic build up
i never really see them unless its like 10 minutes after i turned the lights off and i use a flashlight to "search" them
they also clean up left over organics that fall on the bottom
much less bio load than a bottom feeder and benefical to the sand
i never really see them unless its like 10 minutes after i turned the lights off and i use a flashlight to "search" them
they also clean up left over organics that fall on the bottom
much less bio load than a bottom feeder and benefical to the sand
Floyd R Turbo
Aquarium Advice Addict
It also works great on canker sores. Hurts like a SOB though. Thanks for the tip, I knew there was something that sterilized plants, couldn't remember what. Will that also kill ich & velvet, I've heard those come on plants also
HooKooDooKu
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Can't believe someone else didn't already point this out... but it's NOT the water you want to save, it's the filter, the filter media, and anything else with surfaces (decoration, plants, etc) that you want to save. Sure there might be some of the benefitial notrogen cycle bacteria in the water, but much more lives on various tank surfaces with the bulk of it living in your filter.
So at a minimum, you want to save the filter media. You have to keep it wet (preferably in old tank water) for if it dries out, they are gone. If it's going to be a while (several days to weeks) before the new tank is going to be up and running, then you will have to feed the bacteria in the filter media to keep it from starving to death. Basically, keep the filter setup in some sort of mini-tank (even if it's just a rubber-maid container). Each day, feed the filter some pure ammonia (like the Ace Hardware Store brand). It only takes a few drops per day.
If you can keep the filter alive like this until you get the new tank setup, your new tank will not have to cycle at all (depending upon the bio-load you start with). If you are going build the tank with a whole new filter, run BOTH filters in the tank for at least two weeks or more to give time for bacteria from the old filter to populate the new filter.
But again... you have to save more than just the WATER to avoid having to cycle the new tank.
Sort of the same lesson (in reverse) applys to someone who wants to setup a second tank. If you can get the filter for the second tank setup in your primary tank for about two weeks, some of the beneficial bacteria should get established on the new filter. Then you can move the filter to the new tank and immediately begin stocking (at very low levels) or finish off a fishless cycle by feeding ammonia to the filter until bacteria levels get completely established.
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
^^^Good call, I am too broad, I meant a 5g bucket of water for the filter and ornaments and well anything you already have established.
Yeah. It kills all micro organisms too. It works great!! It will kill about anything living on a plant. Best part is, you can leave a plant in there for a good amount of time without damaging it. It makes your skin feel strange though. LOL.
Da Squid
Aquarium Advice Freak
Does anyone know the name of the snail that is commonly found hitchiking on freshwater plants? I heard Ram snail tossed around a bit. This is different than MTS I'm assuming?
HooKooDooKu
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I would think that you would most likely encounter common ponds snails as hitchikers rather than Ram's horn or MTS.
Da Squid
Aquarium Advice Freak
Ok thanks. Yeah they seem to only be on my glass so I figured it was too good to be true that I had MTS. I'm not really worried, just having fun learning about all this stuff 
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
both ramshorn and pond snails are easy found on plants since they can come in as eggs on the plant. mts has a live birth.
Da Squid
Aquarium Advice Freak
Interesting. Thanks Gamer! Ok, last snail question I promise. I read that the pest snails can get out of hand when you overfeed the fish. I'm fishless cycling so no food, but the ammonia levels are of course in the 2-4 ppm range. That won't spike their growth will it? I'm not sure if they need the ammonia or the actuall rotting food to grow.
Tanktop
Aquarium Advice Regular
They need food rather than the ammonia
Tanktop
Aquarium Advice Regular
I've just noticed how old this thread is!
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