OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
What's the difference between that and regular instant ocean then?
Thinking about a saltwater tank...
- Thread starter okapizebra
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
It has more calcium, dissolves better and is just better salt IMO.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
Okay, thanks!
Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
Cost about the same too.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
As soon as I get some more money I'll get my salt mix, hopefully reef crystals if I can find it around here. I'll have to try petco because my LFS only has Dr.G's.
I pointed the pump upwards and placed it in a different location and I think it works better. Am I supposed to keep the pump on always? Or should I turn it off sometimes to give the fish a break?
I pointed the pump upwards and placed it in a different location and I think it works better. Am I supposed to keep the pump on always? Or should I turn it off sometimes to give the fish a break?
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
Woke up this morning to find my firefish dead... 
All 3 hermits and 3 snails are doing great... don't know what happened. He was fine all day yesterday, swimming around happily until he found a hole in the rock to hide in... never saw him again until he was floating around dead this morning. He was fairly new stock in the store so maybe too much shock... I'm going to go back there and see what they say. They tested my water yesterday and told me everything was great.
All 3 hermits and 3 snails are doing great... don't know what happened. He was fine all day yesterday, swimming around happily until he found a hole in the rock to hide in... never saw him again until he was floating around dead this morning. He was fairly new stock in the store so maybe too much shock... I'm going to go back there and see what they say. They tested my water yesterday and told me everything was great.
Nu-Nu the eel
Aquarium Advice Addict
Do a water change and buy a test kit. You will need to test your water on your own from here on out.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
I do have a test kit and I have been testing my own water. Just brought in the LFS a sample to see if their test read anything different than mine.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
I tested again to be sure.
Ammo: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 20 (although I read for the API test you divide by 4.4 to get an actual reading) so actually 4.5
pH: between 7.8 and 8.0
Specific Gravity: 1.025
Ammo: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 20 (although I read for the API test you divide by 4.4 to get an actual reading) so actually 4.5
pH: between 7.8 and 8.0
Specific Gravity: 1.025
Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
okapizebra said:
Have the LFS test phosphates. It must be under .1 to have much hope for coral growth.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm not doing corals, this is just a FOWLR tank.
Right now I'm just trying to figure out why my firefish died. Would phosphates have anything to do with his death? I'm using distilled water, not tap. Hopefully there shouldn't be any phosphates in it.
Right now I'm just trying to figure out why my firefish died. Would phosphates have anything to do with his death? I'm using distilled water, not tap. Hopefully there shouldn't be any phosphates in it.
Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sorry, I missed that. Yes fish are a bit more tolerant. But they also like fresh clean water. Distilled water should be okay. Sometimes things just die for no reason. Firefish can be a bit sensitive. I have a purple one that is several years old, but before him I had a couple of common firefish that disappeared after a couple of months. Things happen in a populated reef. If you have proper water parameters, acclimated the fish properly and there are no predators, it would be okay to chalk this up to a fish that wasn't strong enough when you got him.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
Okay, then I'll assume that then. My LFS just got him in on thursday, and I bought him on friday. I can imagine it was stressful for him to be in so many places within a few days. I acclimated him for over an hour, floating the bag in the tank, pouring in 1/4 of a cup of water into the bag every ten minutes. I did a 50% WC the day I got him, so the water was fresh. Poor guy, I wish he could have made it through.
After going back there today I got a neon blue goby. I thought it would be a good idea to have a fish in there to keep the bacteria levels up, and they didn't have any firefish. So far, he is happily swimming around. Hoping for no more fish losses. He is so tiny, I don't even see how he makes an impact on the bioload. I'm just hoping this wasn't a bad decision since there are no other fish for him to clean, but I've read on many sites online they accept regular food as well.
After going back there today I got a neon blue goby. I thought it would be a good idea to have a fish in there to keep the bacteria levels up, and they didn't have any firefish. So far, he is happily swimming around. Hoping for no more fish losses. He is so tiny, I don't even see how he makes an impact on the bioload. I'm just hoping this wasn't a bad decision since there are no other fish for him to clean, but I've read on many sites online they accept regular food as well.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
The neon blue goby is doing great. Swims around all day happily, and even eats! I can't imagine he has a large bioload. Would it be all right to add in a firefish this week? The ones available are tiiiiny.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
Okay, I will then. I guess I'm more afraid of losing the BB that I've grown.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
So does anyone have input about the circulation pump? So far I only turn it on during the feeding so the food gets distributed around... But honestly I don't think my blue goby likes that strong of a current. So I rarely use it.
Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
How big a pump is this again? And tank size?
You should be able to direct it into a wall or rock to break up the flow.
You should be able to direct it into a wall or rock to break up the flow.
obscurereef
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sorry for your loss. I was going to ask about how you acclimated him, but after reading how you did it seemed fine. Yeah I agree, I think the stress just got to him.
OP
OP
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
Glad to hear it isn't my fault.
It has 240 gph. It's in a 10 gallon. I tried pointing it towards a wall but I just can't seem to get it to turn far enough to really point at one. Right now it's on the right side of the front glass pointing up towards the surface and back wall.
It has 240 gph. It's in a 10 gallon. I tried pointing it towards a wall but I just can't seem to get it to turn far enough to really point at one. Right now it's on the right side of the front glass pointing up towards the surface and back wall.
Similar threads
