More problems, a few questions

[rica5tully]

Well, I continue to struggle away at this hobby. I'm having so much trouble I feel like I'm starting to lose interest, which is the really scary thing.

Could you answer a few questions?

1) I have reddish, slimy, stringy algae growing on my rocks. I've never had this kind of algae before. Is it regular algae or does it show something is wrong in my tank?

2) Someone (who should know) told me you don't have to age your water. Just mix it and pour it in when you do a change. This morning my damsel (the only fish in my 55) was dead. However, I have a snail and hermit crab that are o.k. Does this make sense? Wouldn't the inverts be more sensitive than the fish?

3) I don't have a sump. How do I do water changes so that it doesn't stress the fish? If I aerate the water for 24 hrs, check the SG and temp., is that enough?

4) I usually have fish about 2 weeks and then they die. Could I have some latent disease or parasite that is working on them and just lies around in my system?


I didn't have any trouble with FW, but SW has been nothing but grief so far...even though I love it. It's discouraging....

Thanks.

[tricksterpup]

Originally posted by rica5tully
Well, I continue to struggle away at this hobby. I'm having so much trouble I feel like I'm starting to lose interest, which is the really scary thing.

Could you answer a few questions?

1) I have reddish, slimy, stringy algae growing on my rocks. I've never had this kind of algae before. Is it regular algae or does it show something is wrong in my tank?

2) Someone (who should know) told me you don't have to age your water. Just mix it and pour it in when you do a change. This morning my damsel (the only fish in my 55) was dead. However, I have a snail and hermit crab that are o.k. Does this make sense? Wouldn't the inverts be more sensitive than the fish?

3) I don't have a sump. How do I do water changes so that it doesn't stress the fish? If I aerate the water for 24 hrs, check the SG and temp., is that enough?

4) I usually have fish about 2 weeks and then they die. Could I have some latent disease or parasite that is working on them and just lies around in my system?


I didn't have any trouble with FW, but SW has been nothing but grief so far...even though I love it. It's discouraging....

Thanks.


1. Sounds like slime alage, I would use only RO water for your tank. Do more regular water changes. I believe that I replied to one of your threads before and you were having dead snail issues also. But I feel that this might be a water quality issue. Do not give up, but remember this isn't an easy do it yourself hobby. Its alot of work.

2. You should AGE your water, Fresh saltwater is Caustic. That will harm your fish and other critters. I learned my lesson a long time ago, 20 years.. wow, it has been that long when I had my first sw tank. Also make sure the Salinity is the same. The salinity and temp could be off and through your fish into a shock.

3. That might be enough, but also do a little at a time. Do not be in a big rush but take out small amounts and replace it with the same amount, that might reduce the stress to your fish. But you are on the right track.

some times this hobby is very frustrating but it does have its rewards.

jim

[rica5tully]

Thanks for your help. I am using RO water (RODI).

Here's what I do with my water change. Can you tell me what you think?

1. I fill a 5-gallon bucket with 4 gallons of RODI water

2. I add 4 cups of IO salt

3. I mix it some with a wooden spoon.

4. I aerate it for 24 hours.

5. I siphon out 4 gallons, and then add carefully add the new water directly into the tank.

What I HAVEN'T been doing is putting a heater in my water. Do I have to do that? (I have a 55 gallon tank). Would I just lay a submersible heater in the bucket for awhile until it's warm? My heater has a thermostat.

But what I'm concerned about is pulling the heater out when it's hot. I know you can't do that. I'm in an apartment and just don't have the room for a big trash can full of water like a lot people do.

[rica5tully]

One more thing...

Could old light bulbs (I have power compact) cause red slime algae to grow?

[tricksterpup]

I have heard that it does, So its always best to change your bulbs anyway. :) better safe than sorry and plus you will get better color.


jim

[rica5tully]

Thanks, what do you think of my water change routine? (above)

[Makaiveli]

What's this aerate your new water thing? Using Instant Ocean and Red Sea Salt, it says you can add instantly. I've been doing that for 1 month now, the fish seem okay.

What's with that?

[rica5tully]

I aerate just to help it mix and stabilize.

So you just stir it and pour it in? Do you age your water at all?

[mogurnda]

The main thing is that artificial salts use a bicarbonate buffering system, which means that your pH and alkalinity can be off if the dissolved gases in the water are not in equilibrium with the air. I have often heard fresh ASW referred to as "caustic," but the analyses I've seen don't really bear that out. Probably irritating.

[petcrazy213]

rica5tully

Personally, I don't age my replacement water when I make it, I make it and add it right away. I haven't had any problem with doing this and my tank is 9 months old. I also use Instant Ocean. I just take out the water I wish to change from the tank then make up bucket by bucket (I use a 2 gal bucket) of new water and add it straight to the tank. I mix it up with a wooden spoon and once all the salt is gone (mixed into the water) I dump it in.

Question on something you said ...

You mentioned that you make up a 4 gal bucket ... using 4 cups of instant ocean salt mix ... on the box it states that you should be using 1/2 a cup per gallon ... so that would mean you are DOUBLEING the amount of salt per gallon recommended and that might be your problem. You may be adding way too much salt to the tank at one time.

Hope that helps.

[rica5tully]

I am using a 1/2 a cup. That was a typo earlier when I said a full cup.


When I mixed up the water, aerated it for 2 hours and then dumped it in the water in my tank was really cloudy! I didn't heat the water...it was cold. The temp. in my tank went from 76 to 72 when I poured it in.

The water was cloudy in my tank for awhile before it cleared. I lost my damsel (my only fish) a snail and a crab. One crab survived.

Is it possible that all that could shock a fish to death and kill it, but a hermit crab could survive. I've been having so many problems with my tank that I want to know if I killed the fish by being careless, or if I have other problems

Thanks

[mogurnda]

It's doubtful that a temperature drop would kill a healthy fish outright.

Why was the tank water cloudy? That seems weird.

If the water you added was cold, then your measurement of the specific gravity will be off. I throw a submersible heater into the saltwater when I mix it.

As far as the slime algae, it seems to be a general problem in starting tanks. It seems to go way down in an established tank.

Are all the dying fish from the same LFS?

[rica5tully]

Yeah, they are from the same LFS. (Options or scarce where I live now)

When the water came out of the bucket it was cloudy (as I was pouring it into the tank)

I stirred it with a wooden spoon after pouring in the salt. Then I aerated it for an hour or two. When I poured it into the tank it was cloudy.

I also have VERY fine grained aragonite sand (almost like powder). I suppose that could be part of it.

[as40]

Sort of a silly thing to ask, I guess, but something worth mentioning... When you mix your change water in the bucket, it's a bucket that has/is never used for anything else, right? Because you definately wouldn't want to use a bucket that oh, say, you mop the floor with to later mix fish water. Sorry, I'm definately NOT trying to insult you, but just a thought of mine, because I've friends who want to get into the hobby and when I try to explain things like "new fish only buckets" to them they look at me like I'm nuts. :)
Also, when you pour the water into your tank, I know it's hard when it's in a large bucket like that (I use five gallon containers also), but you want to do it carefully enough that you aren't severely disturbing the sandbed. That WOULD cause cloudiness, but I'm thinking could also perhaps cause a lot of bacteria from the bed to then be floating in the water column. Someone who knows more about this will surely pipe up. I too have a new SW tank, and yes, it is WORK. But try not to get discouraged. ;)

HTH