allietheginger
New Member
Hi everyone!
I have a 40 gallon tank that has live rock and live sand as well as an artificial plant (until I get into all the reefing stuff once I’m more established in a year or more). I cycled my tank using the fritz turbo start 900 and ammonia method. After it was successfully cycled, I added 2 clownfish (on 12/16) and later a yellow watchman goby and red pistol shrimp (on 12/29). My water parameters have been great as far as nitrites, ammonia, and nitrates and have been doing water changes weekly if not more often.
So! Here is where I’m asking for a little bit of guidance. The area that I messed up in is that I did not buy an RODI system right off the bat and decided to use tap water (using the declorinating stuff you do for freshwater) and mixing the salt myself. I already know I messed up in this so please no shaming! I do that enough to myself…… that being said, my RODI 5 step system is coming in this week. The guidance I am looking for is for how gradual I do the water changes with the new RODI water once it’s ready after mixing the salt for a few days. Like should I be doing 50% water changes? Or is that too much at once? Obviously I know the tap water they are in isn’t good for them so I want to correct this asap but I also don’t want to change their parameters drastically and make anyone sick or worse.
I can provide updated levels on my tank if needed once I get home if that helps but this is what it was a few days ago
Ammonia 0-.25
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5-10
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.024
Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated! I’m trying to do best by my new fish and I have done so much research so I’m trying to do better!
Thank you
I have a 40 gallon tank that has live rock and live sand as well as an artificial plant (until I get into all the reefing stuff once I’m more established in a year or more). I cycled my tank using the fritz turbo start 900 and ammonia method. After it was successfully cycled, I added 2 clownfish (on 12/16) and later a yellow watchman goby and red pistol shrimp (on 12/29). My water parameters have been great as far as nitrites, ammonia, and nitrates and have been doing water changes weekly if not more often.
So! Here is where I’m asking for a little bit of guidance. The area that I messed up in is that I did not buy an RODI system right off the bat and decided to use tap water (using the declorinating stuff you do for freshwater) and mixing the salt myself. I already know I messed up in this so please no shaming! I do that enough to myself…… that being said, my RODI 5 step system is coming in this week. The guidance I am looking for is for how gradual I do the water changes with the new RODI water once it’s ready after mixing the salt for a few days. Like should I be doing 50% water changes? Or is that too much at once? Obviously I know the tap water they are in isn’t good for them so I want to correct this asap but I also don’t want to change their parameters drastically and make anyone sick or worse.
I can provide updated levels on my tank if needed once I get home if that helps but this is what it was a few days ago
Ammonia 0-.25
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5-10
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.024
Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated! I’m trying to do best by my new fish and I have done so much research so I’m trying to do better!
Thank you
