Newbies guide to the nano reef
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Chapter 5 Pt1
The Clean Up Crewe
...or how is something so ugly, so beneficial to us?
1. Snails: As I have stated before, to err is to be human. So is gawking at attractive things, whether they be the human form (nudist colonies are the exception), most structures in Rome and but of course the famous painting
American Gothic. I saw the turban family of snails and had a hard time reaching into the acclimation bag to put them in the tank. I had a vivid memory of my childhood seeing the original, "The Blob" on saturday night Creature Feature and almost messed my drawers. The only movie other then that to terrify me was The Exorcist.
There are many types of snails, the ones we want for the nano fall into 2 categories: plant or garbage eaters. The good algae eaters are the turbo or grazing turbo. These are the golfball size fugly bastegizes. Not recommended for tanks that are under 15 gallons. Note: they will knock stuff over that is not secured, plus you will need to buy a pack of dried nori or the like to supplement its appetite. Once a week is fine. You only need one per 15 gallons of capacity.Smaller plant consumers: the nano snails. Cerith, Trochus are the workhorses, nerites can be tossed into the mix as well. How many grazers? Well, its up to you but one per 3 gallons of capacity is conventional wisdom. The garbage eaters: the nassarius. The nass does bonus work, not only does it eat detritus but it stirs up the sandbed. Thats right, 4 dollars a shot and you'll rarely see them. Kind of like the police. Seeing their movement over a substrate is priceless though. 1 nass per 4-5 gallons of capacity. Please do not have someone attempt to push a "mexican turbo" or margarite or margarita snail for your reef. It's a cooler water snail and you'll shorten its lifespan. Responsible reefing I tell ya.
2. Crabs. What do I have to shave off???? For zee nano cub, need only concern yourself w/whether or not you want them. Hermits (a huge family) are usually reef safe. They come in different colors and dispositions. Scarlets and blue legged dwarfs are the best bet. 1 for every 5-10 gallons of capacity. I like the fact that when they munch coralline, the pigs that they are, they seed the water column with fragments of the coralline spreading it throughout the tank. Emerald or Mithrax crab. Danger, danger Will Robinson. Universally liked/hated because it eats valonia or the maddening bubble algae. The bad, if big enough will eat your fish, and other inverts because they are omnivores. They for the most part are nocturnal and I've heard many of story that it is easier to pick up a real female Haitian prostitute then it is to trap these suckers. If you got a few friends that have a bubble algae problem pool for one and promptly pass it to the next reefer who needs it's services. Get them SMALL.
3. Stars. I do not advocate putting anything into our minor league wonders that will outgrow them. When you see a brittle or "sand sifting" star, it's usually too big for the tank. Yet, that live rock and sand you put in the tank, well, after 6-9 months you might get sick of the surprises you'll find in your tank. I have about 10-12 white baby brittles that have taken up residence. I have also discovered 3 Asterina(sp) stars. Unless you have a field guide w/you at the lfs w/every known variation of a star. Do not waste your cash, save it for a coral frag.
Next, how to have a house warming party for your new squatters or acclimation techniques.
The Clean Up Crewe
...or how is something so ugly, so beneficial to us?
1. Snails: As I have stated before, to err is to be human. So is gawking at attractive things, whether they be the human form (nudist colonies are the exception), most structures in Rome and but of course the famous painting
American Gothic. I saw the turban family of snails and had a hard time reaching into the acclimation bag to put them in the tank. I had a vivid memory of my childhood seeing the original, "The Blob" on saturday night Creature Feature and almost messed my drawers. The only movie other then that to terrify me was The Exorcist.
There are many types of snails, the ones we want for the nano fall into 2 categories: plant or garbage eaters. The good algae eaters are the turbo or grazing turbo. These are the golfball size fugly bastegizes. Not recommended for tanks that are under 15 gallons. Note: they will knock stuff over that is not secured, plus you will need to buy a pack of dried nori or the like to supplement its appetite. Once a week is fine. You only need one per 15 gallons of capacity.Smaller plant consumers: the nano snails. Cerith, Trochus are the workhorses, nerites can be tossed into the mix as well. How many grazers? Well, its up to you but one per 3 gallons of capacity is conventional wisdom. The garbage eaters: the nassarius. The nass does bonus work, not only does it eat detritus but it stirs up the sandbed. Thats right, 4 dollars a shot and you'll rarely see them. Kind of like the police. Seeing their movement over a substrate is priceless though. 1 nass per 4-5 gallons of capacity. Please do not have someone attempt to push a "mexican turbo" or margarite or margarita snail for your reef. It's a cooler water snail and you'll shorten its lifespan. Responsible reefing I tell ya.2. Crabs. What do I have to shave off???? For zee nano cub, need only concern yourself w/whether or not you want them. Hermits (a huge family) are usually reef safe. They come in different colors and dispositions. Scarlets and blue legged dwarfs are the best bet. 1 for every 5-10 gallons of capacity. I like the fact that when they munch coralline, the pigs that they are, they seed the water column with fragments of the coralline spreading it throughout the tank. Emerald or Mithrax crab. Danger, danger Will Robinson. Universally liked/hated because it eats valonia or the maddening bubble algae. The bad, if big enough will eat your fish, and other inverts because they are omnivores. They for the most part are nocturnal and I've heard many of story that it is easier to pick up a real female Haitian prostitute then it is to trap these suckers. If you got a few friends that have a bubble algae problem pool for one and promptly pass it to the next reefer who needs it's services. Get them SMALL.
3. Stars. I do not advocate putting anything into our minor league wonders that will outgrow them. When you see a brittle or "sand sifting" star, it's usually too big for the tank. Yet, that live rock and sand you put in the tank, well, after 6-9 months you might get sick of the surprises you'll find in your tank. I have about 10-12 white baby brittles that have taken up residence. I have also discovered 3 Asterina(sp) stars. Unless you have a field guide w/you at the lfs w/every known variation of a star. Do not waste your cash, save it for a coral frag.
Next, how to have a house warming party for your new squatters or acclimation techniques.
Chapter 5 Pt2
Acclimation.
....or should I take my shoes off when entering a house the 1st time.
By now your cycle is over (test, test, test) and you got the brown stuff all over the place. Here is where a 25% water change comes in handy. Have your new saltwater ready at your tanks proper pH, salinty and temp, mixing w/ a power head and heater. Have two smaller buckets ready, one for the discard and the one mixing up the new. Start a siphon and take out as much water as you have of the new stuff. Since you have no critters to bother you can either pour the new stuff directly in from the bucket or siphon the new stuff in. I recommend the siphon as a good practice because you'll cause less stress to your critters when they are actually in the tank. Give it a day before you head off to the fish store.
Have a plan of what your clean up crew will consist of and an alternate or two. I paid twenty bucks for what!!!!
Bring your bags home and dump them in...............just freakin' kidding folks, just seeing who was actually paying attention. Snails can be acclimated two ways: the dance club quickie, or the slow but very passionate drip method. A flyer on this, you can actually acclimate any of your livestock w/the following methods. If your lfs recommends a certain way to keep their livestock guarntee then follow it.
1. The "your done already?" method: 1. float the sealed bag in your tank for 15 minutes (temp regulation), yes turn your lights off, the black lights in your bedroom can stay on.2. Place the bag into an empty bucket. Support it with an object so it stays upright and open. 3. Get yourself two 2 &1/2 ounce shot glasses, yes the ones my eastern european brethern would consider a shot. Take out that amount of water from the bag. Take the same amount from your tank and pour in the bag. 3. Wait 15 minutes and repeat. You can do this once more trying to keep this process under an hour. 4. Take out critter gently and if its a snail place him on the inside of the tank at the water line. Hold until he gets his footing. Be careful with the taller shelled snails if they fall to the bottom as they cannot right themselves. Give a brother a helping hand, will ya. They'll do the rest.
2. The "slow as the motion on the ocean" method: 1. Do step #2 from above. Open the bag. 2. You'll need a length of air line tubing and gang valve. Get one end into your tank the other end attach the valve. Get a siphon action started and get a drip going by adjusting the valve. A slow but steady drip, about one-two drops a second into the bag. This procedure will be at least an hour. It's a lot more hands off but debatable if it causes less stress overall then the dump and pour as described above. Crabs carefully remove by hand or a small fish net and gently place on sandbed. Give it awhile for your new roomates to get adjusted to their new environment. Last important tip: inverts cannot handle osmotic (salinity shifts) shock like fish can. Ask the fish keeper what the sg is in that particular tank before hand as to make the transistion as smooth as possible. Most lfs that do not have corals in that display tank will keep the sg as low as they can get away with it. Cost, parasite reduction etc.
Next, We will look into a show and tell w/my tanko poquito. Happy reefing to all and to all a good samhain.
Acclimation.
....or should I take my shoes off when entering a house the 1st time.
By now your cycle is over (test, test, test) and you got the brown stuff all over the place. Here is where a 25% water change comes in handy. Have your new saltwater ready at your tanks proper pH, salinty and temp, mixing w/ a power head and heater. Have two smaller buckets ready, one for the discard and the one mixing up the new. Start a siphon and take out as much water as you have of the new stuff. Since you have no critters to bother you can either pour the new stuff directly in from the bucket or siphon the new stuff in. I recommend the siphon as a good practice because you'll cause less stress to your critters when they are actually in the tank. Give it a day before you head off to the fish store.
Have a plan of what your clean up crew will consist of and an alternate or two. I paid twenty bucks for what!!!!
Bring your bags home and dump them in...............just freakin' kidding folks, just seeing who was actually paying attention. Snails can be acclimated two ways: the dance club quickie, or the slow but very passionate drip method. A flyer on this, you can actually acclimate any of your livestock w/the following methods. If your lfs recommends a certain way to keep their livestock guarntee then follow it.
1. The "your done already?" method: 1. float the sealed bag in your tank for 15 minutes (temp regulation), yes turn your lights off, the black lights in your bedroom can stay on.2. Place the bag into an empty bucket. Support it with an object so it stays upright and open. 3. Get yourself two 2 &1/2 ounce shot glasses, yes the ones my eastern european brethern would consider a shot. Take out that amount of water from the bag. Take the same amount from your tank and pour in the bag. 3. Wait 15 minutes and repeat. You can do this once more trying to keep this process under an hour. 4. Take out critter gently and if its a snail place him on the inside of the tank at the water line. Hold until he gets his footing. Be careful with the taller shelled snails if they fall to the bottom as they cannot right themselves. Give a brother a helping hand, will ya. They'll do the rest.
2. The "slow as the motion on the ocean" method: 1. Do step #2 from above. Open the bag. 2. You'll need a length of air line tubing and gang valve. Get one end into your tank the other end attach the valve. Get a siphon action started and get a drip going by adjusting the valve. A slow but steady drip, about one-two drops a second into the bag. This procedure will be at least an hour. It's a lot more hands off but debatable if it causes less stress overall then the dump and pour as described above. Crabs carefully remove by hand or a small fish net and gently place on sandbed. Give it awhile for your new roomates to get adjusted to their new environment. Last important tip: inverts cannot handle osmotic (salinity shifts) shock like fish can. Ask the fish keeper what the sg is in that particular tank before hand as to make the transistion as smooth as possible. Most lfs that do not have corals in that display tank will keep the sg as low as they can get away with it. Cost, parasite reduction etc.
Next, We will look into a show and tell w/my tanko poquito. Happy reefing to all and to all a good samhain.
Just bought a multi-colored colony rock of zoo's orange, green and yellowed polyps. Will take a pic and post tomorrow. It's only been in the tank for an hour and only about 40% have opened up. So hopefully tomorrow.spy_i said:
Intermission
Show and tell.
....was only 2nd to film strip day in grade skool.
A. The hydor flo. Works wonderfully (is that a word?). Best investment for the nano to cause "random" current.
B. Is a simple top down of tank, if you look right corner, my Ocello is hosting in a clump of bottlebrush algae. They are characters, I would sign the mental petition.
C. A top down of the nano cube fuge mod. Macro goes in the 2nd chamber along w/lr rubble.
D. This is how I'm lighting the "fuge". Azoo makes this. The only labor involved is using a razor to strip off the plastic sheet from the glass.
Show and tell.
....was only 2nd to film strip day in grade skool.
A. The hydor flo. Works wonderfully (is that a word?). Best investment for the nano to cause "random" current.
B. Is a simple top down of tank, if you look right corner, my Ocello is hosting in a clump of bottlebrush algae. They are characters, I would sign the mental petition.
C. A top down of the nano cube fuge mod. Macro goes in the 2nd chamber along w/lr rubble.
D. This is how I'm lighting the "fuge". Azoo makes this. The only labor involved is using a razor to strip off the plastic sheet from the glass.
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Intermission Pt 2
Sneak Peak of my zoas
Well these were taken after an hour of introduction. Note not full expansion of the colony yet but will be used as a comparison. I'm not a fan of single colored large colonies, thats why I couldn't pass these by. And no....I didn't lick them for good luck.
Sneak Peak of my zoas
Well these were taken after an hour of introduction. Note not full expansion of the colony yet but will be used as a comparison. I'm not a fan of single colored large colonies, thats why I couldn't pass these by. And no....I didn't lick them for good luck.
Chapter 5 Pt3
Algae: Friend or Foe to the Nano.
....or don't hate the playa, hate the game.
1. What is algae? A single celled organism of the plant community that can be big or small, green or brown, bubbly or crusty and all points in between. For the most part algae, micro or macro can ruin a nano if not kept in check. Yet, I believe it is one of the most essential secondary filtration devices we can have in the nano. What you talkin' about Willis? Moderation of growth of the good macro algae can naturally keep nutrients in check. Using our lawns for example, we spread 5 different types of Scott's turf builder on our lawns or use Chemlawn or the like to spread a witches' brew which is probably just watered down iced tea, to promote coloring and growth. Kinda strange, cuz I hate mowing the lawn. Well, as you probably guessed, you want to promote the growth of the good algae which uses nutrients to grow. Using this tidbit of knowledge, we can use it to get rid of excess nutrients. Wait a minute, aren't the nutrients just being temporarily housed till the algae experiences die-off or goes sexual? Yes, that is why every couple of weeks you have to become the salty gardner and prune your algae. I need to stop for a moment to contradict an earlier proclamation: moderation for all algae growth, except coralline. Let that grow. It's a pain to scrape off your viewing panels because you are essentially spreading it to points elsewhere in your tank. Get into a routine and it becomes second nature like showering (for most of us).
2. Cyano bacteria: otherwise known as brown or red slime, is not algae but as its name implies is in the nunca category. More flow and siphoning the stuff out of your tanks are the cures, easing up nutrients is the prevention. I noticed my trochus snails will consume the stuff.
3. The green micro: the stuff that clings on the glass like your mother in law to their "baby". Just like you can't legally kill her, their are ways to make their visits much more uncomfortable. Razor for glass, old credit cards for acryllic. And start scraping. Even w/people who keep pristine (ie skimmed) tanks they still scrape their tanks.
4. Macros (green, red, brown): some are better then others at nutrient in- take. Do a search on macro algae or by color to get iding help and then read up on them. Stay away from caulpera, valonia, bryopsis and diycota(sp). They are the ones that will overtake or go sexual and could cause a crash.
5. Calcium needing buggers: coralline and halimeda. Greatest stuff to have, coralline encrusts, halimeda grows and looks nice. Halimeda can be pruned, corlline scraped. Both use calcium, magnisium and high alkalinity levels to grow. A good two part calcium additive can help, but you must TEST.
Nuisance algaes have a hard time growing if you have the good stuff well established. That is why I highly recommend a fuge. Grow the good algae intentionally but keep it contained and pruned. Even a little hang on the back container used for specimen containment is better then nothing for the nano. Hide it behind your rock work. As an uneducated observer I noticed that since I added xenia to my tank, there has been quicker die off of a certain green, hard curley que shaped nuisance macro I've had. Competition for resources or a weed killing compound. I'll leave that to a trained scientist to decide. All I know is, IT ROCKS!!!!!
Next up on the price is rite....can't we all just get along....fishies, scrimps and bears oh my.
Algae: Friend or Foe to the Nano.
....or don't hate the playa, hate the game.
1. What is algae? A single celled organism of the plant community that can be big or small, green or brown, bubbly or crusty and all points in between. For the most part algae, micro or macro can ruin a nano if not kept in check. Yet, I believe it is one of the most essential secondary filtration devices we can have in the nano. What you talkin' about Willis? Moderation of growth of the good macro algae can naturally keep nutrients in check. Using our lawns for example, we spread 5 different types of Scott's turf builder on our lawns or use Chemlawn or the like to spread a witches' brew which is probably just watered down iced tea, to promote coloring and growth. Kinda strange, cuz I hate mowing the lawn. Well, as you probably guessed, you want to promote the growth of the good algae which uses nutrients to grow. Using this tidbit of knowledge, we can use it to get rid of excess nutrients. Wait a minute, aren't the nutrients just being temporarily housed till the algae experiences die-off or goes sexual? Yes, that is why every couple of weeks you have to become the salty gardner and prune your algae. I need to stop for a moment to contradict an earlier proclamation: moderation for all algae growth, except coralline. Let that grow. It's a pain to scrape off your viewing panels because you are essentially spreading it to points elsewhere in your tank. Get into a routine and it becomes second nature like showering (for most of us).
2. Cyano bacteria: otherwise known as brown or red slime, is not algae but as its name implies is in the nunca category. More flow and siphoning the stuff out of your tanks are the cures, easing up nutrients is the prevention. I noticed my trochus snails will consume the stuff.
3. The green micro: the stuff that clings on the glass like your mother in law to their "baby". Just like you can't legally kill her, their are ways to make their visits much more uncomfortable. Razor for glass, old credit cards for acryllic. And start scraping. Even w/people who keep pristine (ie skimmed) tanks they still scrape their tanks.
4. Macros (green, red, brown): some are better then others at nutrient in- take. Do a search on macro algae or by color to get iding help and then read up on them. Stay away from caulpera, valonia, bryopsis and diycota(sp). They are the ones that will overtake or go sexual and could cause a crash.
5. Calcium needing buggers: coralline and halimeda. Greatest stuff to have, coralline encrusts, halimeda grows and looks nice. Halimeda can be pruned, corlline scraped. Both use calcium, magnisium and high alkalinity levels to grow. A good two part calcium additive can help, but you must TEST.
Nuisance algaes have a hard time growing if you have the good stuff well established. That is why I highly recommend a fuge. Grow the good algae intentionally but keep it contained and pruned. Even a little hang on the back container used for specimen containment is better then nothing for the nano. Hide it behind your rock work. As an uneducated observer I noticed that since I added xenia to my tank, there has been quicker die off of a certain green, hard curley que shaped nuisance macro I've had. Competition for resources or a weed killing compound. I'll leave that to a trained scientist to decide. All I know is, IT ROCKS!!!!!
Next up on the price is rite....can't we all just get along....fishies, scrimps and bears oh my.
very....
very very nice zoos.... hope i can find something like that. It's like a pot of gold. I don't know why but our local supplier doesn't carry such nice zoo. What they supply is like a rock full of a same color colony. Where do you get these stuff? and how big is that zoo when it's fully open?
anyway are this snail (photo attached below) bad to my nano? They are cone shape and small... though my picture is not really good I still hope you can help.
PS: is the sponge,(posted before) likes to be in a strong current?
very very nice zoos.... hope i can find something like that. It's like a pot of gold. I don't know why but our local supplier doesn't carry such nice zoo. What they supply is like a rock full of a same color colony. Where do you get these stuff? and how big is that zoo when it's fully open?
anyway are this snail (photo attached below) bad to my nano? They are cone shape and small... though my picture is not really good I still hope you can help.
PS: is the sponge,(posted before) likes to be in a strong current?
Spy-I thanks for kind words. I got them from a shop on the north side of Chicago called Reef Dweller. The owner, is a nice guy and will give you the straight dope on any questions you have. I'm looking to get couple of other corals, have my eye on a fungia, an open brain and a surprise one, that once I get it will show it off. That might be a trochus, or the name escapes me. Wetwebmedia.com has a great section on good and bad inverts with a lot of pictures. It's hard to tell with those being on the dark side. If anyone else can help, hijack away.
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Interruption from format.
When is hands-on, too, hands-on?
....or abject stupidity done by yours truly...
1. Overcorrecting my hydrometers readings because I did not read the back of the directions. I add 2 thousandth's of a point because after reading a certain beginners marine aquarist "bible" I naturally assumed that ALL hydrometers were calibrated at 60F. Glad my inverts like me. Never ASSume people.
2. Temp's. When someone would say what their tank's temp was I naturally, come on people say it all together, ASSumed it was an average of the temp in 24hrs. Took me a little time to figure out how anal, reefers could be about water parameters. Geez Louise! I found that keeping the heater on at a little higher temp setting w/consistent ambient room temp, is a great way to keep a stable temp. 80-82F for my tank now that "summer" is here. Thank la nina for this.
3. Having to remember that a 2 part Ca/Alk additive may raise your sg. I was doing top-offs with FW and dosing this everyday. Well, I couldn't figure out why the sg was a little higher after the top off and the dosing. The ingrediants affect the measure of dissolved solids in water. DUH!
4. Not having a back up pump if yours gets FUBARRED from lack of cleaning. Guilty as charged and paid triple what I should've from having to buy it at the lfs that opened the earliest.
5. Putting an airstone/airpump into my tank because I was concerned w/my critters getting enough O2 at night. Well, I was still in the test every day mode and almost fell out when the pH measured 8.9. See even though well intentioned I could have caused the death of my critters because of my lack of experience.
6. Buying margarite snails. I feel bad I got conned by the lfs into buying these cool water inverts. They are still in my tank and I feel by getting the word out and emphasize this to newbies that I may be able to clear my conscience. I deserve aZZ whupping.
Just figured I'd clear the air to all who invested any of their time reading my manical rants, or the blogspot of a madman. Ciao, Mike.
When is hands-on, too, hands-on?
....or abject stupidity done by yours truly...
1. Overcorrecting my hydrometers readings because I did not read the back of the directions. I add 2 thousandth's of a point because after reading a certain beginners marine aquarist "bible" I naturally assumed that ALL hydrometers were calibrated at 60F. Glad my inverts like me. Never ASSume people.
2. Temp's. When someone would say what their tank's temp was I naturally, come on people say it all together, ASSumed it was an average of the temp in 24hrs. Took me a little time to figure out how anal, reefers could be about water parameters. Geez Louise! I found that keeping the heater on at a little higher temp setting w/consistent ambient room temp, is a great way to keep a stable temp. 80-82F for my tank now that "summer" is here. Thank la nina for this.
3. Having to remember that a 2 part Ca/Alk additive may raise your sg. I was doing top-offs with FW and dosing this everyday. Well, I couldn't figure out why the sg was a little higher after the top off and the dosing. The ingrediants affect the measure of dissolved solids in water. DUH!
4. Not having a back up pump if yours gets FUBARRED from lack of cleaning. Guilty as charged and paid triple what I should've from having to buy it at the lfs that opened the earliest.
5. Putting an airstone/airpump into my tank because I was concerned w/my critters getting enough O2 at night. Well, I was still in the test every day mode and almost fell out when the pH measured 8.9. See even though well intentioned I could have caused the death of my critters because of my lack of experience.
6. Buying margarite snails. I feel bad I got conned by the lfs into buying these cool water inverts. They are still in my tank and I feel by getting the word out and emphasize this to newbies that I may be able to clear my conscience. I deserve aZZ whupping.
Just figured I'd clear the air to all who invested any of their time reading my manical rants, or the blogspot of a madman. Ciao, Mike.
steve-s
Well-known member
Just a point of clarification here. Fish can handle drops in salinity rather easily but increases are rather stressful and can lead to sudden death. True LFS keep lower salinity but it helps with wound management/stress, not parasite control. If using procedure #1, you can easily end up with problems. I don't say this to jab rather from experience but fish (anything wet) should be acclimated to a quarantine before the main display. With fish in particular, the salinity and pH moreso of the QT can be easily and quickly manipulated to match that of the transport/LFS water. It is rather important especially from "on line" sources to get the fish out of the shipping water as soon as possible. By manipulating the QT water parameters you can transfer the fish very quickly and without the stress of chemistry acclimation.4251cpd said:
Cheers
Steve
Zen Reeferer
Well-known member
Speaking of salinity...should I be topping off my tank with fresh water before I do a water change?
The salt doesn't evaporate with the water, does it? I think this was my problem early-on. I kept having salinity swings I was blaming on my salt mix. Seems ok, now that I top off before a water change.
The salt doesn't evaporate with the water, does it? I think this was my problem early-on. I kept having salinity swings I was blaming on my salt mix. Seems ok, now that I top off before a water change.
steve-s
Well-known member
Yes, it's a good practice.
I always test the tanks salinity before a water change. Salt does not leave the tank through evap but it can be affected by saltcreep if significant. It can also be increased through the use of two part additives, smaller tanks being affected faster. If doing weekly water chnages, you'll never notice it. If monthly, two parts can easily raise the salinity.
Cheers
Steve
I always test the tanks salinity before a water change. Salt does not leave the tank through evap but it can be affected by saltcreep if significant. It can also be increased through the use of two part additives, smaller tanks being affected faster. If doing weekly water chnages, you'll never notice it. If monthly, two parts can easily raise the salinity.
Cheers
Steve
Great points Steve as always but after reading Terry Bartlme's latest article in Advanced Aquarist about acclimation he has this to say about hyposalinity in marine teleost (boney) fish:steve-s said:
Hyposalinity assists marine teleost fish in recovery five ways:
Helps control external parasites
Helps fish to recover osmotic balance more quickly
Helps fish that are injured or have lost mucus protection to maintain osmoregulatory balance.
Conserves energy that can be used to recover normal homeostasis and for disease resistance
Helps fish to recover feeding behaviors more quickly
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/3/aafeature1/view?searchterm=hyposalinity
I know that this hypothesis may change in a month, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.
I agree w/ you about the BEST way to acclimate is through QT but as I've intimated quite a bit ago, the reasons for having a nano set-up is space, cost and/or location (work). With the upcoming section on fish for the nano I will get into a nano solution for an improvised QT. I appreciate your feedback and hope you enjoy the read. Mike.
As Stevie S described. Since it's becoming a looming issue, I'll discuss my own method of water changes for my nano, and the more traditional way of doing it. That will be sometime before the Cubs play tonight, before 9:05 PM CST. It will be cathartic because I just LOVE holiday get togethers with my extended family.Zen Reeferer said:
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