So, being temporarily unemployed on disability I figured a great way to pass the time is to volunteer at my LFS to clean up the place and play with the fish, since staying at my parent's house I can't get to own a fish tank... and it's been 5 years.
The shop's owner I think was too confident that I wouldn't mess up, and he left me to clean the water on the saltwater fish... I've never taken care of saltwater fish (I told him this) so I have no idea how horribly I messed up, if at all. He told me to take out four fingers worth of water and to clean up all the debris. I used a regular hose, and I was used of using my python to change the water from the faucet with my freshwater fish I owned. I had the hardest time ever trying to get the hose to suck out the water and had to ask for help three times. Never once did anyone tell me I had taken out too much water.
The way their tanks was set up is by having a huge protein skimmer and what appeared to be an overflow... or some kind of huge container where the protein skimmer was at. I had to go on break because I had another appointment I had commited to prior, but when I came back, I noticed that like 2/3 of a barrel had been full of water. The tanks themselves still appeared full, but it felt like that way way too much water and I still wasn't done. I asked for help to some of the other volunteers, and they said that I could take out more water, but when we checked the tank with the protein skimmer it was like 1/3 empty. I have no idea if I did this. I have no idea if it was like that before, but the volunteers just looked concerned. I asked them if it was fine, and they kind of dodged the question, so after I came back home (the owner had left when I came back) I called the shop and asked them how the fish were, and they said they were fine.
I noticed a butterfly fish swimming kind of float-y for a second, don't know if that was my imagination. I know you're only supposed to do a small percentage of water change, but the tanks were full... did I take out all the water from the protein skimmer tank?!?!?!? How will the fish be?? They said they needed to make more saltwater to fill it back up. Please, someone that works at a pet store, guide me... I will be getting no sleep tonight.
Terrified of calling them tomorrow but I gotta do what I gotta do.
The shop's owner I think was too confident that I wouldn't mess up, and he left me to clean the water on the saltwater fish... I've never taken care of saltwater fish (I told him this) so I have no idea how horribly I messed up, if at all. He told me to take out four fingers worth of water and to clean up all the debris. I used a regular hose, and I was used of using my python to change the water from the faucet with my freshwater fish I owned. I had the hardest time ever trying to get the hose to suck out the water and had to ask for help three times. Never once did anyone tell me I had taken out too much water.
The way their tanks was set up is by having a huge protein skimmer and what appeared to be an overflow... or some kind of huge container where the protein skimmer was at. I had to go on break because I had another appointment I had commited to prior, but when I came back, I noticed that like 2/3 of a barrel had been full of water. The tanks themselves still appeared full, but it felt like that way way too much water and I still wasn't done. I asked for help to some of the other volunteers, and they said that I could take out more water, but when we checked the tank with the protein skimmer it was like 1/3 empty. I have no idea if I did this. I have no idea if it was like that before, but the volunteers just looked concerned. I asked them if it was fine, and they kind of dodged the question, so after I came back home (the owner had left when I came back) I called the shop and asked them how the fish were, and they said they were fine.
I noticed a butterfly fish swimming kind of float-y for a second, don't know if that was my imagination. I know you're only supposed to do a small percentage of water change, but the tanks were full... did I take out all the water from the protein skimmer tank?!?!?!? How will the fish be?? They said they needed to make more saltwater to fill it back up. Please, someone that works at a pet store, guide me... I will be getting no sleep tonight.
Terrified of calling them tomorrow but I gotta do what I gotta do.
