Fishheaded's Nano Tank

Yay! I'm going to head out soon to get my clean up crew, :D
Will the diatoms be gone when I put those guys in there? :/
 
Hey everyone, I went to my LFS today and the owner tested my water, and told me everything was where it should be, except my ph was way to high at around 8.8. :X So I asked him how I should bring it down and he said what kind of water I used. I told him distilled in which I did, and he said to change out about 5 gallons (I have a 10g tank) and put RO water. So I just purchased premixed saltwater from them.
K, got some questions:

1) Is my tank cycled? (Params are ok, except ph)
2) If not is it ok to change out the water since my ph is too high?
3) How should I lower my ph levels?
4) Will my clean up crew eat the diatoms off my substrate?
 
1) Is my tank cycled? (Params are ok, except ph)

What are you nitrates at again?? I don't think 1 week is enough time for a tank to be cycled.

2) If not is it ok to change out the water since my ph is too high?

For sure do a weekly water change. 20% :good:

3) How should I lower my ph levels?
After you do a water change - ck your parameters again.

4) Will my clean up crew eat the diatoms off my substrate?
Yes.
 
Heh, yeah I was either drinking or nursing a hangover all weekend. The October time change from daylight savings back to standard time means an extra hour of bar in Buffalo which my friends and I put into good use :shifty:. It gets to 2:59am and then bam, its back to 2:00am (bars dont close till 4:00 here). And I had to represent the giant whoopie cushion costume (with a self inflating one strapped to my chest under the costume for added humor ;)). If I even see another beer again, I may become spontaneously ill :sick:

Anyways, your questions:
1 - Tank is cycled. One week can be more than enough. When the brown diatoms show up, thats the key that the tank is ready for livestock

2+3 - What kind of test did your LFS use to get a reading of 8.8? :blink: pH doesnt get that high unless your clac/alk/mg balance is off the charts which I've never seen in a new tank. Usually you dont get up to 8.8pH unless you're dosing calc/alk/mg. I'd actually be more inclined to believe the test is inaccurate since I've never seen a new tank with a pH over 8.2. Heck, most new setups clock in at 7.9 or 8.0. I'd test again and double check the reading. Water changes may or may not bring the pH down. If your salt mix is bad, it wont help. I'd bring a sample of both freshy mixed salt, and your tankwater back to your LFS and see what they come out at before going forward.

4 - Yeah, they'll MOW through the diatoms. Most cleanup crew members LOVE diatomaceous algae
 
Thanks for the help sukie and ski. :good:
Well firstly, I use the Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit. I tested my params and they seemed where they were suppost to be. I brought some water from my tank to my LFS and the guy tested it and said everything was fine, but the ph was 8.8. Well I think HE did something wrong. Only because I justed tested my water and everything was where it should be.
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
ph 8.2

So everything was ok but then all hell breaks loose. Let me start off by telling you what happened after he told me my ph was too high. I asked him what should I do, and he said do a water change with RO water because I told him I used distilled. So I told him, well I don't have a RO unit so i'll just buy some here. Then he went to the back and was filling up the container but then I changed my mind and told him just give me premixed SW. Well I didn't change the water I purchased from them until tonight (note: I bought the water on Saturday). So I siphon out 20% of my water, then right before I go to add the water I got from my LFS, I test it with my stupid hydrometer. (Boy, I should went with the refractormeter) :S Well when I tested it, it read 1.032. So then I thought that he had just given me RO water and not the premade. Well I grab my salt and add 2 cups and mix it up. Then I added it to the tank. Then I checked it again with my hydrometer, but it still read 1.032! :-( So I go and dab my finger in the left over water I purchased from my LFS and put it in my mouth, and there is absolutely no way RO water can be that salty. :crazy: So basically he really did give me the premixed SW, and there is way more salt then there should be since I added more salt that wasn't needed, and I realized the dumb hydrometer broke and now my aquarium is all cloudy, water spilt all over the place, and I now need to get a new hydrometer. :S :no: I would get a refractormeter, but I honestly can't afford it at the moment.
 
Wow, they sold you pre-mixed with an sg of 1.032?!?!?!? Are you sure there were no bubbles on your hydrometer arm? Thats off the charts high :blink:. Whats your current sg in the tank? Be prepared to suck out some water and replace it with distilled. At this point, you need to worry about your sg, not whether you're using RO or distilled.
 
Wow, they sold you pre-mixed with an sg of 1.032?!?!?!? Are you sure there were no bubbles on your hydrometer arm? Thats off the charts high . Whats your current sg in the tank? Be prepared to suck out some water and replace it with distilled. At this point, you need to worry about your sg, not whether you're using RO or distilled.

No, no, no. That's what my hydrometer read, but it reads that on everything, including tap water. I believe its broken. :/
 
Ahh, I went to petco and got a new hydrometer. So I went home and checked it, and I guess the other one wasn't broken after all :< . Well I did take out about 3 gallons out of the tank and added nothing but distilled water, and finally brought it down to 1.025 :D . Still gotta check the params one more time, i'm hoping to get my clean up crew tomorrow :X .

-FishHeaded
 
Finally got the some of my clean up crew :D .
Got:
2 Cerith
2 Nassarius
1 Banded Trochus
1 Margarita

Didn't have the cleaner shrimp, astreas, or scarlet reefs. So tomorrow i'm going to the other LFS near me. :D

I also purchased another little guy, but I think I made a mistake. I got a scooter blenny. I was really interested in them, and they had one in a 12g nano cube, and I asked the owner what size tank they need and he said they would do perfectly fine in my 10g. And at the other fish store they said they would be fine in a small aquarium too. But, then I read that they need a 30 :no: .

1) What should I do?, should I bring this little guy back, I mean he seems to be enjoying his new home, and there are plenty of copepods swarming around and all over the glass :crazy: .

2) Should I worry that my cerith snails are on near the top of my aquarium? Will snails try and sneak out?

Thanks guys. :good:
 

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