I Need Some Instructions On Water Changes!

[SkiFletch]

Couple things come to mind. As mentioned, possible copper contamination, or something else we dont know about. Well water can either be REALLY pure or REALLY nasty tough to say which you have goin on here. At the very LEAST I'd run it through a carbon filter and test it for copper before using it in your tank (copper test kits are cheap)

Furthermore, freshly mixing saltwater is actually very chemically volatile, and I bet pH and salinity swung wildly in your tank as the water mixed. This also may have been the cause of the srhimp's death, or at least a contributing factor. In the future, mix/aerate for at least 12 hours to get all the salt mix dissolved and somewhat stable in a seperate bucket. Only then can you syphon/vaccum and replace with the pre-mixed stuff.

 

[ProHaloSniper]

Ok guys, maybe I spoke too soon...

I restested this morning and everything SEEMED TO BE in check. Nirates are still between 15/20. Everything else at 0. Ill do it again later today and let you know if ANYTHING CHANGES. Crabs are still doing fine, and cleaned that shrimp wayyy faster than I did! It was amazing. Maybe I can get some fish this weekend, but I'm not gonna rush it.

Thanks for all the salt mixing suggestions!


--Jim C.

 

[sophos9]

Ok guys, maybe I spoke too soon...

I restested this morning and everything SEEMED TO BE in check.

Jim, Hi

Dont want to stir this up however a lot of people have put some very sensible suggestions forward which seem to have prompted no response - if you dont get these things in check, I'm afraid there is a high possibility you will be back here asking the same questions again. Instead of fish, spend that money on getting the fishes accomodation (namely water) tested and in a known state first

 

[norite]

Yeah, definitely don't get any fish this weekend...this hobby is NOT for the impatient!

 

[ProHaloSniper]

Thanks for the tips. I am certainly not impatient when innocent lives and money are at stake. I will continue to do regular water tests and see what comes of them.

As of now, it is 635pm on Thursday night. I will do a test sometime later tonight and post the results. I may replace that shrimp this weekend, but I'm not entirely sure.

BTW, the tank looks exceptionally clean right now. No Algae. Nothing. Crystal clear.

I will keep you guys posted. As of now, no fish for me. Let me get those new water params up soon so u guys can dissect them!!!

Peace

--Jim C.

PS: I am extremely sorry about that random post! That was 4:30am and I barely realized what I was doing. I randomly woke up and typed on TFF. lol It was the post that said EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OK.

 

[norite]

OK, that's good to hear!

I think your troubles are down to a) your source water and/or b ) the way you are mixing your batches of seawater.

If you can track down a source of RO water, then use this instead. Better yet, you can maybe get an RO water unit installed in your home, and put your well water through it. Over the long term, it'll save you money. RO water is very, very clean and pure - the only purer stuff is distilled and deonised water. By using this, you can at least have a lot of control on the quality of your water, and you're getting off to a good start.

Freshly mixed seawater is very volatile; it takes time for the pH, oxygen and CO2 levels to settle down and for all the salts, trace elements, carbonates etc. to dissolve properly and become evenly mixed throughout the water...so If I were you, this weekend, I'd get one of those internal box filters with a powerhead, like a fluval 2,(they're cheap), or even a basic powerhead, and use this to mix your batches of seawater, a small heater, and get a plastic bucket big enough to make up one batch of water (get another to pour your old water into!)

 

[ProHaloSniper]

Good evening all!

Here are the test results for my aquarium!

pH: 8.4

Ammo: 0

Trites: 0

Trates: 20

sG: 1.019 **How can I get this up. aka: What is the proper procedure?

Thanks again guys!

--Jim C.

 

[AK77]

That may very well be the cause of your shrimps death right there. Invertibrates tend to require an SG of around 1.023 - 1.026. Anything lower than that can affect the shrimps metabolisim as they do not adjust as quickly as fish do.

You will need to add more salt to your tank water to raise the SG up to 1.024. If its a FO tank you are keeping then 1.019 would be fine, but if you intend keeping corals and more invertebrates, then you will need to raise the SG up to at least 1.024.

 

[ProHaloSniper]

Can I add the salt DIRECTLY to my tank? I have two crabs in there right now and they arent too affected by it, but I don't want to hurt them. Since I don't have fish, can I directly dissolve the salt?

--Jim C.

 

[SkiFletch]

TBH Jim, your best bet would be a waterchange with high specific gravity water (say 20% change with 1.030+). Then allow the tank to evaporate normally and topoff with 1.026 saltwater until the sg in the display tank reaches 1.026 itself and then continue with freshwater topups