CorallineAlgae
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sometimes these thongs start from shipping to the store or at the store itself. It could be so many things that we have no control over. What's your specific gravity btw?
fluval Chi to 10 gal upgrade
- Thread starter Bearchumjs
- 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.
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
1.025 I use a hydrometer. I know.... I need a refractometer.
Jmkb02
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2012
- Messages
- 947
Haha! Thongs....
What test do you normally perform on your tank? Are checking phosphate, calcium, and kh?
CorallineAlgae
Aquarium Advice Addict
Jmkb02 said:
I know. I'm so insanely tired. lol
KH and nitrate are the most important things to test after salinity. A phosphate test is also handy. Calcium is good but not absolutely needed in a tank this small If you're planing on doing weekly water changes and aren't going with many hard corals I doubt calcium will be much of an issue. It's always better to not go in blind though. If a shop can test for calcium every once in a while that should be fine. If it ever tests low you can get a calcium test then.
Jmkb02
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2012
- Messages
- 947
Yes but now that she has a harder coral, the frogspawn, calcium could play a bigger issue. On my pico, my calcium and kh can go haywire in two days if I don't dose correctly. I have two Lps and few softies. In such a small amount of water, things fluctuate so fast. That's just why I recommended it...
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
I just have the API Master test kit. So I need calcium, KH and phosphate tests? My nitrates are always <5. I have a few zoas, a pagoda cup, a ric, a mushroom, and the frogspawn. Is there anything I can put in the tank that might help my levels stay up? Aragonite sand maybe? (Remember I used pool filter sand.)
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Since I have the chemi pure elite and that's supposed to remove phosphates and nitrate etc, is it safe to say I should get the KH test first?
Jmkb02
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2012
- Messages
- 947
Hey sorry, didn't mean to freak you out. These are advanced test and things that may be causing froggy to die off. I was simply saying that with such a small amount of water, it really doesn't take much and your levels will go to the extremes. Just keep doing what you have been, and maybe over the next week if you get an opportunity, take a sample to your lfs or Petco if they do water tests. Ask them to test your calcium, kh, and phosphates. These things may be playing a factor in the problems you are encountering or they may not. Just my two cents and things that I have experienced when I started to add Lps to my pico. Hope the info helps and clarifies.
Chemo pure elite is a great source to clean and help with nitrates and phosphates. If you plan to keep some serious corals in the future, it is worth the investment to buy those three tests kits. They usually run around 15 a piece. Good luck!
CorallineAlgae
Aquarium Advice Addict
Jmkb02 said:
Really? That fast. What do you use to dose your aquarium? I used kalkwasser mixed at 1/4 strength top off water in my small reefs to maintain levels.
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, according to this article my ric is dying. It stinks. But I count this as a valuable lesson learned.
http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/corallimorpharians/41013-ricordea-yuma-care-trials-tribulations.html
http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/corallimorpharians/41013-ricordea-yuma-care-trials-tribulations.html
Dying? If it's not dead you can turn it around. 
Yes, you need a refractometer.
I test for amm, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, kh, calcium, ph, sg, temp, and let's see.. what else.. oh yeah magnesium.
Though I don't do it often. Weekly water changes keep everything right. I just test sometimes to make sure.
Yes, you need a refractometer.
I test for amm, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, kh, calcium, ph, sg, temp, and let's see.. what else.. oh yeah magnesium.
Though I don't do it often. Weekly water changes keep everything right. I just test sometimes to make sure.
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Dying? If it's not dead you can turn it around.
Yes, you need a refractometer.
I test for amm, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, kh, calcium, ph, sg, temp, and let's see.. what else.. oh yeah magnesium.
Though I don't do it often. Weekly water changes keep everything right. I just test sometimes to make sure.
Today it had fallen of the rock and was laying on the sand, all retracted and curled up. What should I do with it??
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
So is it okay for me to touch the ric with my bare hands to try and get it off the sand?
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Alrighty.
CorallineAlgae
Aquarium Advice Addict
When I propagate mushrooms I often cut the head off and placed it in a large bottle cap (like from a sports drink) or PVC endcap that is partially filled with sand and halfway buried into the sand bed. This allowed the mushrooms to attach to sand and I could then place it onto a rock. The tiny bit of extra weight from the sand at it's foot helped them to stay put and upright as it began to attach to the rock. The reason for using the bottle caps is so the mushroom stays in place and doesn't get blown around from the current or knocked over by sand sifting snails or hermits. You have to make a little depression in the sand so it holds the mushroom in the center and covers the plastic cap. Don't want the shroom to attach to the plastic. lol
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
So... I should place it in a bottle cap that has a little sand in it for a little while ? The ric is all curled up... I don't even know if I'll be able to tell which end is supposed to be up! But, I can look into it tomorrow. Maybe a milk jug cap? Cause I have a bunch of those.
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here is what I did. The light turned on this morning and I saw that the ric was still curled up on the sand. Still yellow looking. No cloud of goo near it. Went and got a milk carton cap off one of my cartons I use for getting water from the store. Put in a little sand and proceeded to move the ric. It is now in 2 pieces. I didnt tear it anything. It was just lying there. Anyway, I moved both pieces into the milk carton cap, and put it in a shady spot. I hope it gets better and then i will end up with 2 yellow rics! What do you guys think will happen? And here is a picture:
CorallineAlgae
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's impossible to say what will happen in this situation. I just know that cut mushrooms recover better when they aren't allowed to tumble and move around. The cap keeps them relatively safe and upright as well as offering them something to attach to (sand). It may sound weird but I've done it so many times, but with healthy mushrooms. It's the best advice I can offer in this situation. Good luck.
OP
OP
Bearchumjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thank you. We'll see if it works. Hopefully it recovers. We will just wait and see I guess. At least I can say I'm learning something.
