Stressed Gsp Please Help

[herguitarist94]

You want to put the conditonor in before the cycle so it gets rid of the chlorine. I'm not sure how to calculate how much salt you need to put it. What I would do is once its cycled and you do your big water change add salt to each bucket of water. Here's what I do I have a 4 gallon bucket so I put in enough conditoner for 4 gallons dump some salt in put the bucket in the bathtub get the water temp right and fill it up the water will stir the salt and conditoner up. When its filling you will see a lot of foamy bubbles that's the conditoner. As the buckets filling once its about half way I start stiring it with a wooden spoon. Once its full I stir it again dragging the spoon on the bottom of the bucket you can feel if there's still salt laying down there then pour it in the tank. Keep doing the same thing tell you got it about half way full then use your hydrometer to test the water I usually smack it down lighlty a few times on the table to make sure the dial in side isn't sticking. If your reading right on keep adding the same amount of salt to each bucket tell its full. If its to high add a bucket or two of fresh water then test. If its to low add more salt to the rest of the buckets. Once you do water changes a few time you'll know how much salt to add. For the stress zhme wait to add that once the tank is cycled. Also when your done with the hydrometer remember to wash it out with freshwater because if salt drys in there it will give you false readings next time you use it.
Now for when to add the salt if you want you can add it before the cycle but if I was you id wait. The reason I say this is because once your cycle is done you'll have to take almost all the water out so you'll be wasting a lot of salt. I would wait to put the salt in until its done cycling and you do your big water change. If you don't understand something I said tell me and ill expalin it differently.

oh. i just did the full 100 percent water change, i used a new bucket and now its full, now i should put the conditioner and stress zyme in? and how long after that should i start the salt process? and because i already filled the tank ill have to add the salt with a different method, any suggestions?

 

[erk628]

Forgive me if I have missed this in the posts already.
When your tank is cycled and you get your new GSP you need to match your water to the type that the GSP been kept in (better to raise to brackish asap but okay in fresh until about 2 inches long and then need it raised to brackish, as adults they prefer marine but its not necessary). So, if you buy one that has been kept in freshwater you need to put him into a freshwater tank then bring the salt level up gradually to that recommended over weeks or even months.

Fiona

Using the drip method I decribed to him earlier in the post will work. What you do is put in in a bucket or bowl with the water he came in then get a air hose tie a few knots in it and start the syphon and let it drip in the bowl for about an hour. You bring up a pretty good point though herguitarist I think to start off with I woulod go as high as 1.010 or 1.015 I think I would start off with 1.005 and work it up to 1.010 and so onover a month or two. Id ask nmonks about that though he's the expert I'm just telling you what I did with my columbian sharks they were in fresh water when I got them and I did the drip methos and startewd with 1.005

 

[herguitarist94]

Forgive me if I have missed this in the posts already.
When your tank is cycled and you get your new GSP you need to match your water to the type that the GSP been kept in (better to raise to brackish asap but okay in fresh until about 2 inches long and then need it raised to brackish, as adults they prefer marine but its not necessary). So, if you buy one that has been kept in freshwater you need to put him into a freshwater tank then bring the salt level up gradually to that recommended over weeks or even months.

Fiona

Using the drip method I decribed to him earlier in the post will work. What you do is put in in a bucket or bowl with the water he came in then get a air hose tie a few knots in it and start the syphon and let it drip in the bowl for about an hour. You bring up a pretty good point though herguitarist I think to start off with I woulod go as high as 1.010 or 1.015 I think I would start off with 1.005 and work it up to 1.010 and so onover a month or two. Id ask nmonks about that though he's the expert I'm just telling you what I did with my columbian sharks they were in fresh water when I got them and I did the drip methos and startewd with 1.005

i understand the drip method and making the spacific gravity low for the fish for the first time, it just, im not sure when to start adding the salt and how much to add

 

[erk628]

You can add the salt before or after the cycle it doesn't matter. If it was me I would wait until after the cycle because once your done cycling you gonna change most of the water anyways so your just wasting salt.
As for how much to add I would add some to each bucket until the tank is half full then test and you will no how much to add after that

 

[herguitarist94]

You can add the salt before or after the cycle it doesn't matter. If it was me I would wait until after the cycle because once your done cycling you gonna change most of the water anyways so your just wasting salt.
As for how much to add I would add some to each bucket until the tank is half full then test and you will no how much to add after that
[/quote
sorry but i cant do that because i alredy added all the water. also, i just did a test and my pH is around 8.4 if i where to but pH 7.0 would that bring my pH down? or would i have to buy pH down. also how will i know when to do the water change, or when the cycling is done?

 

[erk628]

Well go ahead and add the ammonia and start the cycle. Once your cycle is don't and you do your water change you can add the salt then. As for the ph I would make a new post for that but I wouldn't use any ph down

 

[herguitarist94]

Well go ahead and add the ammonia and start the cycle. Once your cycle is don't and you do your water change you can add the salt then. As for the ph I would make a new post for that but I wouldn't use any ph down

how will i know when the cycle is done?

 

[erk628]

Well go ahead and add the ammonia and start the cycle. Once your cycle is don't and you do your water change you can add the salt then. As for the ph I would make a new post for that but I wouldn't use any ph down

how will i know when the cycle is done?

You need to read the fishless cycle link in my sig below this post. Its labeled fishless cycle. Also you will need a liquid test kit before you start the cycle

 

[herguitarist94]

okay umm i just did a strip test and apparently my nitrite and nitrate levels are in the danger zone, my pH is about 8.0 and about 120-180 alkalinity. how do i fix the nitrite and nitrite levels? is it because i just added water and stress zyme an hour ago? how do i lower the levels?

 

[erk628]

okay umm i just did a strip test and apparently my nitrite and nitrate levels are in the danger zone, my pH is about 8.0 and about 120-180 alkalinity. how do i fix the nitrite and nitrite levels? is it because i just added water and stress zyme an hour ago? how do i lower the levels?

You shouldnt have either seeing how you havent even started the cycle. I would not trust the test strips and obviously you still have not read the fishless cycle link yet in my sig have you?

 

[herguitarist94]

okay umm i just did a strip test and apparently my nitrite and nitrate levels are in the danger zone, my pH is about 8.0 and about 120-180 alkalinity. how do i fix the nitrite and nitrite levels? is it because i just added water and stress zyme an hour ago? how do i lower the levels?

You shouldnt have either seeing how you havent even started the cycle. I would not trust the test strips and obviously you still have not read the fishless cycle link yet in my sig have you?

yea which is why im so curious as to why my nitrite, nitrate and pH levels are so high???

 

[erk628]

Go to you LFS tommorrow and buy a API master liquid test kit and retest. The only way there would be nitrites and a nitrates in your tap water. If there is nonein your tap water then the test strips are wrong. The reason I say this is because first you need the presents of ammonia ovr time as this brakes down nitrites will appear then nitrates. Theres no such thing as a dangerous level of any of these in your situation. The reason I say this is because you have no fish in there to hurt.

 

[herguitarist94]

okay i just tested the tap water itself, ill let you know what it says in a couple minutes. i have a ammonia reader that just sits in my tank and it says about .05ppm why is that? if my water is new then why am i getting all these high readings?

 

[erk628]

For one you don't know what you tap water stats are and two your using very inacrute test strips. Also what do you have in your tank ornimate wise and what's your substance

 

[herguitarist94]

i have a little log for them to hide in, and the rest are all little fake plants, and whats substance?also both the tap, and water in the tank are coming up with the same colors. so the tap and tank water are high in nitrites and nitrates