how to make sure ur sink water is good

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binaryterror

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Nov 13, 2005
Messages
247
Location
Akron, Ohio
Hey, i got a test kit for xmas, and I am wondering what I need to know to make sure that the water from my sink is OK for my tank. Please state what I need to test, and what the level should be around to be sufficient. Also, since I got all the equipment and LIVE SAND (yay!!!) for xmas, what should I wait for the levels to be when the tank is done cycling, and how many damsels should I get. I was thinking 3 but I have no idea. I really dont want to do the shrimp method because I feel that the damsel method is easier. so please dont tell me to do the shrimp method, i have already looked into it and dont want to do it. Thanks!
 
thanks, that helpd but I wanted to know what exactly to test for to make sure my sink water is OK. Also, which should I follow for an Octopus tank? FOWLR? (I will have LR)
 
You would need to test for nitrates and phosphates from sink water. Personally I don't think that's the problem with sink water. You should be more worry about copper. Sometime during the way to your house it's very likely that the water ran through some copper pipes. The copper would leech into the water IMO that's worst than nitrate and phosphate.
 
You want to check for chlorine/chloramine (see this article. ideally you want to use RO/DI for top off water and for water changes.

You seem to be in a rush to stock a marine aquarium. You don't say how big your tank is but you are thinking of adding 3 fish. How do you plan on cycling your tank?

What is your filtration system? Do you have any LR?

The best advice I received on this forum is that nothing good ever happens quickly in a marine aquarium.
 
easiest solution.. get a relitivly cheap new RO/DI off ebay..

if your bent to use tapwater and you really think its close to sutable you would need to get a sample anilized by a lab to be certian.. (the cost of the RO/DI is actually cheaper)
 
Nitrates, silicates, phosphates, ammonia, nitrites and get a test kit for HD and test for metals.
And I will say it you need to rethink your method of cycling the tank... Use a SHRIMP and not the fish. You say the fish is easier? How??
Shrimp, lets see you toss it in the tank and your done!!!!
Fish, you acclimate them then feed then check water and when the levels get too high you need to do a water change to keep the fish alive. Now the cycle may last longer..
You need to slow down and read up on the cylce and Octopus also. They need a tightly sealed tank and with a overflow box I don't see that happening.
Nothing good happens fast in this hobby.....

How much lr will you have and what size tank.. Is this the 50-55?
 
I agree with my fellow advisor on this one. Read the articles that abound on cycling, then read them again until you understand it. The tank goes through a highly toxic phase to fish, why would you want to submit any living creature to that? A person new to this hobby should not even consider things such as an octopus tank. As far as what the reading should be when the tank is through cycling, all should be at zero. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate.
 
Ok, I will take all of your advice. I will use the shrimp method. Do I just toss it in or should I break it up into peices? It is a 55g tank, and I will be getting about 30lbs of LR to start. I know what I need to do for an Octopus tank. I have been reading for weeks. I will be making a sump, as recommended. Is distilled water OK to use? If it is, I think I will just fill up my tank with that, until I get enough for an RO/DI unt off ebay.
 
I`m glad you changed yuour mine on the cycling. It shows that you are trying to do the right thing. The two advisors gave some pretty good advice. If I knew how to do this kudos thing I would give them mine. Good luck binary your off to a good start by doing the fishless cycle.
 
Lets see distilled water lets say its $1 a gallon. 55 gals for the tank and another 15 for the sump now thats $70 and now you will need a extra 5 gallons around for top off water... You see where I'm going here.. For another $25 you got the ro/di you want.

just toss the shrimp in shell and all
 
I got back from the LFS yesterday and I bought 40lbs. of LR and I have LS and I traded in the ViaAqua multi-skimmer for a ViaAqua SK300 in sump skimmer for my 10g sump. I also bought a Mag5 for the return pump, and I got an overflow box. Everything is running (after a little incident with the sump), and I looked n there last night and saw a few pods and a crab the size of a half doller. I am very excited. Now all I need is the shrimp so I can start cycling. I will post pics soon.

You should have seen me and my dad walking out of Wal-Mart with 2 carts full with 1 gallon jugs of water. We had to unload 68 jugs of water from the car. Haha. But it was all worth it because I now dont have to worry about anything with the water (we bought distilled, .69 a gallon) and I have an extra 10g for top off. Now, for cycling. When I put the shrimp in there, should I run the skimmer Should I do any water changes?
 
I really hope you read for about another 20+ hours on how to keep an octopus tank. I did reading for probably close to 30+ hours just for a reef tank and spent 2 months researching on the internet, getting my hands on everything I could find.
 
Yay! I just got back from the grocery store and I bought 2 raw, and unprocessed shrimp. They are both sitting in the tank now. Should I cut it into halfs or thirds? Also, does there need to be current on there or can they just sit still?
 
You dont want no super current on it but I believe you probably want some slight current on it.
 
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