live rock acclimation?

[cmor1701d]

Hands down a cleaner shrimp , they have a good temprament and are easy going , you can house any thing with them that wont eat them ...
coral banded have a bit of an attitude and can be nasty to inhabitants

 

[pph_2ppr]

Sadielynn I'm just curious about what type of lighting you keep on your nanos? Have you posted any pictures of them on this website?

 

[Sadielynn]

I had some posted but I think they are gone now . I run 80 watts dual satellite pc on my 10 gallon and 72 watts catalina starter light on the 6.5 gallon , both run a configuration of a 50/50 bulb and a acitinc bulb for a deeper blue look .... I run mostly softies and some lps with those configurations ,and have done so for nearly 4 years with out issues ... I do need to get some updated photos uploaded soon since I have added a couple things and took the 6.5 in a totally diffrent direction and stocked it with fish . I also added out some more corals this time round and it is fully stocked more than I would like but it works

 

[pph_2ppr]

Do you have heat issues with the 10 Gallon? where did you purchase that lighting? I'm still looking for something, but don't know if the MH im looking at will work even though they can be almost 1 ft above the water

 

[Sadielynn]

The first one I got was from thatpetplace.com I sold it when I tore down the second 10 .....
the second one I got was used 65 watter that I cut and replaced all wiring ect I ended up having it retro fitted (cost was about 50-65 bucks shipping included ) with 2 new moonlights , new fan ,2 new ballasts , and a new splash guard , new bands and new legs . I dont use the legs now I just use the rubber feet and sit it on top I like the look more and with all the retro it is basically brand new .... You can find the dual satallite fixtures new and used ranging from 40-bucks used with out lamps(which unless you know and trust the source should be replaced to insure the freshest bulbs ,spectrum possible) to 140 with lamps ...
My heat issues are negated with 2 fans that run via a reef keeper and turn on at a predermined temp of 77.6* and off at 77.0* the lights will cut off if the temp goes above 80* I also have a fan that cools the light as well that does nothing more than just extend the life of the bulb and keeps it and the fixture cool to the tuch . I do have to top off 2 times a day sometimes only one time .... I have never really had an issue with the 80 watt dual lights I will keep an eye open for deals they do come along

 

[pph_2ppr]

I was acclimating the shrimp and at an hour and a half it died....what did i do wrong, i used the drip acclimation method and kept temp with in 2 degrees.when he appeared dead i just added him to the aquarium

 

[Sadielynn]

I have had that happen too , I am not sure if it is just the stress that cause them to subcome or not , try running the drip at about 2-3 gtts per second and see if that helps .. if not I have already acclimated for under 20 minutes and added ,,, and before I get bashed I still have had the same shrimp for close to 2 years now ...

 

[pph_2ppr]

I called the lfs and the guy said that over 30-45 minutes the temp dropping will be a big thing, but i used a bottle of warm water to keep it arouind 75. this is very frustrating and idk if i should get another cleaner, or use the credit to switch to a clown fish. With i knew exactly what happened to it, but i guess theres only 1 person who knows

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

90 minutes for acclimation is pretty long. Even if the temp was OK, you might get in to other issues. I rarely acclimate longer than 1 hour... for anything. It all depends on the salinity difference between the fish store and my tank. If the salinity is close, then it's a short acclimation.

Then again, it could've just been bad luck.

 

[pph_2ppr]

he did look good for the first part of the acclimation, what complications do you run into when acclimating too long. I thought it was the longer the more beneficial for the organism. If i were to re-try what would i do different. plus when i go back im getting rid of the damsels and getting a clownfish or a type of goby. Anything bad about a six line wrasse and firefish?

 

[Sadielynn]

Gobies are great addtions , as are the clowns and fire fish . Fire fish are known jumpers so keep a top on your tank. I have no direct experience with a six line but he should be ok in your tank..
As for long acclimations it can cause oxygen levels to fall and also cause a ph issue as well, it is good when acclimating them to do so quickly and carefully , around 20 -30 minutes and into the tank .... I have gone short with mine and into the tank with out ill effect on the shrimp .

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Gobies are great addtions , as are the clowns and fire fish . Fire fish are known jumpers so keep a top on your tank. I have no direct experience with a six line but he should be ok in your tank..

Don't forget... this is a 10g tank. A 6-line needs a bigger tank.

As for long acclimations it can cause oxygen levels to fall and also cause a ph issue as well, it is good when acclimating them to do so quickly and carefully ,...

Agree... it's a fine line you have to walk. Also in the equation is how long the fish/coral/invert has been bagged up and in transport. Fish that come mail order need to get out quicker than a fish you got 5 minutes down the street. I base my decision on water temps and the salinity difference. (Another good reason for a refractometer! Try measuring water from a bag of water from the fish store using a swing arm!)

 

[Sadielynn]

Try measuring water from a bag of water from the fish store using a swing arm!)

BWHAAAAA that is not a nice suggestion . If you have a new person reading this do not try it , it wont work but it is a funny site to see it tried

 

[pph_2ppr]

Actually I had a two hour drive in there, but the temp only got down to 74.3 degrees. I felt extremely stupid calling the store back and telling them what happened, I thought I was 100% sure about what I was doing....How many drips per secong do you want in a 30 minute acclimation. I no there is articles but can someone explain start to finish how to acclimate a shrimp?

I do not have a refracto meter but will definitely try to get one.

I just did all of my water tests and they are a bit confusing.

I did water tests 2 days before and ammonia-nitrite were at 0(have been for awile) and nitrate was at 15. pH was 8.2 temp at 75. When I did the test today ammonia was somehow at .25 nitrite 0 and nitrate 20!! pH 8.2 temp 75. Would these parameters have killed the shrimp in acclimation, or would it still be my acclimation methods fault?I think im gonna be too chicken to try a shrimp again w/o alot of help and advice.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Actually I had a two hour drive in there, but the temp only got down to 74.3 degrees.

Again, temp isn't the only thing. Oxygen levels and pH levels drop as time goes on also. In addition, you have waste buildup happening from the normal life process of the shrimp/fish/coral.

How many drips per secong do you want in a 30 minute acclimation. I no there is articles but can someone explain start to finish how to acclimate a shrimp

Drips per second is often quoted, but it really depends on how much water you're starting with. In my opinion, you want to double your water volume in your acclimation container every 30 minutes. Once you double the water volume, take out half the water and go another 30 minutes. If you're starting with a quart of water, your drips/second are going to be way less than if you started with a gallon of water. (Granted... no one acclimates with a gallon of water, but I was just trying to make a point!)

I'm just going from memory here, but I think I normally use about a quart of water from the bag, and drip around 4-5 drips per second.

Another thing I do is before opening the bag, I float the UNOPENED bag in my tank to bring the bag water back up to temp with my tank water, for maybe 10 minutes or so. Make sure your lights are off, or you'll heat the water up from just the lights.

Also... the ammonia you're detecting is definitely not good for anything, but I doubt those levels would've caused the shrimp to die that quickly. Just make sure your ammonia/nitrite levels are down to zero before adding anything. The ammonia could just be from not having enough biological filtration in the tank and it can't keep up with the bioload from the damsels.

 

[pph_2ppr]

So no matter the situation with the two hour drive, a 1.5 hour acclimation is just too long? Won't they experience more shock when dumped into the main aquarium?


With the method you use after the10 min float it only takes an hour?

Thinking about trying the shrimp again and go w/o fish. Does anything think i have what it takes to succussfully acclimate the shrimp? or am i a lost cause....

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

So no matter the situation with the two hour drive, a 1.5 hour acclimation is just too long? Won't they experience more shock when dumped into the main aquarium?

I don't think anyone is saying to "dump" the thing into your tank. We're still saying to drip acclimate, but that 90 minutes is probably longer than it needs to be.

I'm not going to say "no matter the situation... it's too long", because as I said in my post, there's a lot I factor in when figuring how long to acclimate. There's no chart I'm using... it's just a gut feel. Yeah... I know you can't teach a "gut feel". But without proper equipment (refractometer... hint, hint) it's hard to really know how much acclimation you really need to do. For all you know, the LFS water could match yours spot on. And then again, you could keep yours at 1.022 and the LFS is at 1.027. Two very different scenarios requiring two very different acclimation times.

With the method you use after the10 min float it only takes an hour?

I try to have whatever it is I'm acclimating in the tank an hour after I get in the door. Once you get a system down, it doesn't take long. Having everything ready to go (airline tubing for acclimation, buckets, etc) when you get in the door helps.

Thinking about trying the shrimp again and go w/o fish. Does anything think i have what it takes to succussfully acclimate the shrimp? or am i a lost cause....

Nah... no one's a lost cause. The first thing in my tank was a cleaner shrimp. It was in there about 8 weeks before my clown was added. Shrimp are a blast and have huge personalities. I think you just got unlucky with your first one.

 

[pph_2ppr]

I was checking out Dr. Foster and Smith's website and since I am now heck bent on getting a refractometer would the item they sell be a wise choice - are they a dependable source?

My hydrometer says the water is 1.024 but after some reading I'm guessing it is way off. I'm afraid of what it will be when I take it to get tested at the lfs.

When I acclimated the hermits they had no problem, is there that much difference between them and shrimp?

 

[cmor1701d]

That refractometer will be a wise addition to your equipment. Swing arms are erratic in my opinion, though some swear by them. If cleaned in freshwater after each use and used carefully they probably do come close. That not the same as using a calibrated refractomer. Be sure to get the calibration fluid when you buy it.

Conventional wisdomis that snails need the most acclimation, star fish are probably next then shrimp and crabs. I found hermits to be quite hardy, almost too hardy.

 

[Sadielynn]

I dont think I even acclimate my crabs when I get them I know that is bad but they really are a hardy thing as Cmor said almost too hardy Yes Drs are a great place to order from and very reliable and dependable as well