Gauge
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Thank you guys for all your help. I apologise if you took my request to not just call the guy crazy as an insult. I wasn't implying that you guys have done that in the past. Most of the LFSs do, though. I guess I'm naive not to realize that they probably are indeed out for my money, which would be why they are saying not to talk to the other guys.
For the sake of argument, though, if his tanks do indeed reach 0.1 nitrites on occassion and his fish live long enough to be sold (I've seen lots of them there for weeks at a time), then I must have an additional problem, because mine are usually gone in 4 days or so. He could be lying about his nitrites going up to 0.1, though. I think I'll take your advice, get a better nitrite test kit, get an ammonia and nitrate kit, and get some more rock. Then I will see if I can get my nitrites down and then give it a shot.
On the ich problem I have one more question... Would it be feasible to take my inverts and rock out of the tank and put them in another holding tank for a while and copper my main tank? Then clean it out really well and move them back?
For the sake of argument, though, if his tanks do indeed reach 0.1 nitrites on occassion and his fish live long enough to be sold (I've seen lots of them there for weeks at a time), then I must have an additional problem, because mine are usually gone in 4 days or so. He could be lying about his nitrites going up to 0.1, though. I think I'll take your advice, get a better nitrite test kit, get an ammonia and nitrate kit, and get some more rock. Then I will see if I can get my nitrites down and then give it a shot.
On the ich problem I have one more question... Would it be feasible to take my inverts and rock out of the tank and put them in another holding tank for a while and copper my main tank? Then clean it out really well and move them back?