Help me please

[Joe1987]

Hello to everyone I am a chef and at our restaurant we have had an aquarium installed to keep langoustines in but they keep dying! we are working with the man who installed it but he seems very unreliable and has not been able to come up with a solution as to what is happening if there is anyone who can help me with this please get in touch. many thanks joe

 

[crister13]

We can help but we need pictures of the setup and a lot more detail. Filtration??? Tank size??? Fish?? Number of fish? Aggression? Feeding? Water parameters?

 

[Joe1987]

Ok we'll thankyou for getting back to me I have no idea but I can get pics and find out what the tank is and stuff on Tuesday you will have to forgive me I'm a complete novice on this matter

 

[Rutrag]

+1 to what Crister said. (FYI langoustines are kind of like a European lobster. I was't 100% on this until I looked it up.). I don't know much of anything about them, but I'm sure they need cool water like their American cousins. Other than temp, their water requirements are going to be the same as for ornamental species.

Wikipedia did indicate that they are prone to some sort of dinoflagellate infection.

 

[crister13]

Oh... I had no idea what they were thanks haha. Lobsters are usually extremely hardy....... Must be something very wrong.

 

[marsh]

Joe

You may want to visit a fish store/aquarium supply store and buy a few test kits/supplies so you can give us water parameters etc. I am no expert but I'm guessing you want this worked out ASAP so plan to stop at a LFS (Local Fish Store) to purchase a few things before returning to work.

What should he get everyone? First I suggest the API brand salt water master test kit... Plus?

 

[crister13]

Ya a test kit.... Idk if those lobsters are fresh or salt though..... Im assuming salt because you said dinoflagellates.

 

[ezy33]

How do you introduce them in to the tank? You may Need to acclimate them to the temperature and salinity (assuming they not fresh water).

 

[MyR6Rocks]

Thermometer, hydrometer, just a couple of things you need.

 

[Joe1987]

I have been given test strips to check the nitrate and nitreet levels and they point to good and a salt reader and that us in the green aswel but they just do not last they seem like they are struggling with the water when they are introduced the water temp is usually between 2 -4 c the tank itself is completely empty besides water!

 

[Joe1987]

And also something called active carbon which lives in a separate compartment where the filter system is alI have been told about this is change it once a month

 

[crister13]

Change every two weeks. Activated carbon absorbs organic compounds and makes water clear... It's more useful in a mixed reef because it absorbs the toxins released by soft corals. It's not needed though.

 

[marsh]

For what it's worth I hear test strips are pretty unreliable, and only liquid drip style tests are trusted by most aquarists.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Change every two weeks. Activated carbon absorbs organic compounds and makes water clear... It's more useful in a mixed reef because it absorbs the toxins released by soft corals. It's not needed though.

In this case, with no substrate to provide a spot for bacteria to flourish, depending on the filtration system being used, the activated charcoal may be very necessary.

 

[Joe1987]

Ok so would it be good to introduce and sand, stones, coral or anything because it is a completely empty tank ?

 

[Wy Renegade]

Ok so would it be good to introduce and sand, stones, coral or anything because it is a completely empty tank ?

Generally not. Most "lobster" tanks are empty, as it makes catching and removing them much easier to do. I assume that you are removing these to cook? Hence why activated carbon is such an important part of your filtration.

 

[Joe1987]

Yes the idea is as fresh as possible so is it possible it could be the pump system? Or should I move the carbon to where the langoustines are?

 

[Autumnsky]

Has the water you are using been treated with dechlorinator/water conditioner?

I didn't see that being mentioned...

 

[Joe1987]

Not that I know of it comes straight from the tap in our kitchen

 

[Autumnsky]

All of the stuff in the water to kill bacteria like chlorine and chloramines, and metals in the water can kill them and all of your BB/beneficial bacteria.

This will harm the creatures as well and kill them too. Any grocery store/ walmart usually has some of the dechlorinator/water conditioner, so get some immediately.

The better kind is called Prime which also helps neutralize ammonia which a product of the waste. Petco has it and I think so does Petsmart. Or most local fish stores.