inhereted tank...help!!

[moreofadogperson]

Did you say you're doing water changes and just adding freshwater back in?! I might have misunderstood lol

Make sure you're adding saltwater back in that's close to your tanks currently salinity and ph

Im adding salt water for water changes. I was adding fresh to top it off when low. But I was putting the supplements go alkalinit and calcium in when I did...apparently that is wrong, so I do nerd to know what I need to do before adding the top off water

 

[Rutrag]

What is RODI water? I have been buying the water from the fish store. Is it easy to mix myself? If so, I could maybe go to weekly water changes at least until it starts shaping up. Thanks.

RODI = Reverse Osmosis DeIonized = pure water without traces of anything. I thought I read that you were adding water treated with Prime? If you are buying water from the LFS, that SHOULD be what it is. However, if the filters in the RODI unit are not changed in a timely manner, they start passing the impurities through to the "filtered" water which means it is no longer as pure as it should be. All those impuities can end up as algae fertilizer. You can invest in an RODI unit and make your own (which is cheaper in the long run). You then add salt mix to the appropriate specific gravity (which you check with a refractometer (recommended) or hydrometer.

 

[Rutrag]

Im adding salt water for water changes. I was adding fresh to top it off when low. But I was putting the supplements go alkalinit and calcium in when I did...apparently that is wrong, so I do nerd to know what I need to do before adding the top off water

Your top off water should be RODI as well. Water changes will add almost any supplement you need in a tank without corals. A good mantra is "never dose what you can't test for."

As others have said, you'll need to invest in your own test kits. You can get the API Saltwater Master Test Kit for around $20 online and I think PetSmart just dropped the price on theirs to $30 in store. You might not need it right away, but there will come a time that you'll need that window into your water chemistry to work something out and wish you had one.

 

[TommyP]

Don't stress it. Everyone on here is very helpful and just ask what you need, when you need. You have a gorgeous tank and once you get the hang of it it's a cake walk. Def test your water. I bought the API salt water test kit as well from a petco near me it was like $25. Meanwhile you dont have to keep bringing the water in to your store.

An ro/di is a machine that you hook up to your sink or hose and it filters all the bad stuff out of the regular drinking water that doesnt bother us but can hurt the fish and build up in your tank so in the long run, its bad news. If you buy the water from the store, with bi-weekly water changes that can add up $ over time. I know petco near me sells boxed saltwater all levels and stuff are perfect but its $12 for 5G. it adds up after a while. An ro/di is 3 cylinders the water flows through each cylinder and then drops out in to a bucket or whatever you want to use. This takes time, but its worth it. Once the water is in the bucket you can buy salt from your local fish store. read the directions and buy a hyrometer ($15 maybe) that you scoop the water with and it tells you the level of salt in the water. make sure it matches what's in the tank and mix it up.

That's all i really have for now take everyone elses advice and youll be aight!

 

[Jeremy S.]

Im adding salt water for water changes. I was adding fresh to top it off when low. But I was putting the supplements go alkalinit and calcium in when I did...apparently that is wrong, so I do nerd to know what I need to do before adding the top off water

Ok sorry misread! Lol