Yes I will trade the mono once he gets bigger, as I said, he is still a juvenile and is small. Also, for the salt, I mixed it in a bucket with my tank water and then put it in; I did not put it in direct without premixing it. Also, for the hydrometer, I have one. I was saying that my hydrometer makes sense with the reading of 1.023 because I added about 4 big tablespoons of salt in tank water and mixed it and threw it in; before adding those 4 tablespoons, the refractometer said 1.021 so I know that I am at 1.023.
20 Gallon is Prepared and Done with Cycle
- Thread starter $eaba$$
- Start date
You need to be more accurate with your readings. You cant simply "know" what you are at with stuff. Hydrometers are known to be inaccurate with their readings which is why people recommend purchasing a refractometer.
Are you using RO water to mix your salt with and are you also mixing it with a powerhead and heating it up with a heater to tank temp and letting it mix for 24 hours before "throwing it in"?
Are you using RO water to mix your salt with and are you also mixing it with a powerhead and heating it up with a heater to tank temp and letting it mix for 24 hours before "throwing it in"?
I know my water is 1.023... What more can I say? I am using normal tap water and putting in some amquel; I know RO is better but so far the tap water has been doing fine for me and my fish look good and healthy. I am mixing it and mixing it well and have a small pump in it and let it sit for like almost an hour and I put in more warm water in the bucket so that in the hour it gets to about the same temp as the tank.
Your water change water needs to be mixed for 24 to 48 hours to aeriate and for the pH to balance out before being used in the tank..emergency water change scenario's call for a different approach...
Niko
You say so far "tap water" has been doing fine? How old is your tank? Are you checking nitrate and phosphate levels? How long have your fish been in there? Are you checking the water temp with a thermometer? Like Niko said the reason whey you need to mix as long is to ensure the ionic state of the water and to ensure that the PH has leveled out as most salt mixes will mix with a high PH (somewhere around 9) but that is brought down through surface aggitation.
Your signature states you have corals in your tank. Corals need to be kept at a salinity of 1.025
My actual marine setup has been going for about 3 weeks to a month now, and my nitrate is not present and phosphate I don't have a test for. My fish have been in there ever since the beginning because I never went through a major cycle as I went from high end brackish to marine. Yes I am checking water temp with a thermometer. Alright now I know to mix water a day ahead. The corals I have are only mushrooms and are very hardy.
the new bulbs are here and arrived very fast woohoo haha! The mushrooms color look way better now, brings out the green, blue, and red more. Now, my hood is stocked with one 15 watt fluorescent 10,000K bulb, and two of the coralife 50/50 20 watt bulbs for a total of 55 watts of lighting over my 20H. So far my mushrooms did fine only under the 15 watts for a week, didn't see a change in them at all so I am sure they will do even better under 55 watts of 10,000K and Actinic 03 Blue, what do you guys think?
I'd avoid adding salt directly to the display tank. It is a good way to damage those mushrooms and harm your other life.
