Please help really frustrated here

[GoReefin]

How are you testing your salinity? Did you calibrate your refractometer or are you using a really good hydrometer?

 

[W31Olds]

Dont drip acclimate if youre going to ship a fish. This is my process step by step. To ensure your fish survive you need some extra supplies that wont run you too much but is worth it for survival of your fish. Bubbler, small heater (i use an adjustable), bucket, piece of tubing, replacement salt water

1. Return from the store fish in hand
2. Put bucket on ground in front of tank or wherever your work zone is
3. Run tubing from tank to bucket
4.tie off tubing so its going into bucket & will allow air but barely
5. 2-3 drops of water per second / the time I say 1 Mississippi (siphon)
5a- Turn off siphon (you just wanted to get the drip rate)
6. Put heater and bubbler inside bucket (OFF)
7. Empty fish and water into bucket
7a. Start siphon
8. Turn on heater and bubbler
9. Wait 30-60 minutes. (Observing fish acclimate)
10. Remove fish from bucket and into display
11. Discard acclimation water
12. Put away acclimation kit ready for next time.

This is the way I do it but when a fish has to acclimate is when it is most vulnerable.

For a human its like moving from sea level to the mountains. The oxygen levels are different and is actually harder to breath if youre not used to it. It is sort of the same concept but fish will die withput acclimating first. There is more to it too but thats a really simple way of looking at acclimation

Jake, this sounds overly complicated and is a bit confusing to me. If purchasing a Fish from an LFS, ammonia is not going to be a problem considering the short transport time. Just ask the shop what Salinity they run their Tanks at. If it is lower than your Tank by more than .002 SG then a slow drip Acclimation or a Salinity match in a QT Tank is best. If the LFS is running higher Salinity (unlikely) then you can just Temp Match by Floating the Bags and drip acclimation is not necessary.

 

[JakeNova]

Dont drip acclimate if youre going to ship a fish. This is my process step by step. To ensure your fish survive you need some extra supplies that wont run you too much but is worth it for survival of your fish. Bubbler, small heater (i use an adjustable), bucket, piece of tubing, replacement salt water

1. Return from the store fish in hand
2. Put bucket on ground in front of tank or wherever your work zone is
3. Run tubing from tank to bucket
4.tie off tubing so its going into bucket & will allow air but barely
5. 2-3 drops of water per second / the time I say 1 Mississippi (siphon)
5a- Turn off siphon (you just wanted to get the drip rate)
6. Put heater and bubbler inside bucket (OFF)
7. Empty fish and water into bucket
7a. Start siphon
8. Turn on heater and bubbler
9. Wait 30-60 minutes. (Observing fish acclimate)
10. Remove fish from bucket and into display
11. Discard acclimation water
12. Put away acclimation kit ready for next time.

This is the way I do it but when a fish has to acclimate is when it is most vulnerable.

For a human its like moving from sea level to the mountains. The oxygen levels are different and is actually harder to breath if youre not used to it. It is sort of the same concept but fish will die withput acclimating first. There is more to it too but thats a really simple way of looking at acclimation

Jake, this sounds overly complicated and is a bit confusing to me. If purchasing a Fish from an LFS, ammonia is not going to be a problem considering the short transport time. Just ask the shop what Salinity they run their Tanks at. If it is lower than your Tank by more than .002 SG then a slow drip Acclimation or a Salinity match in a QT Tank is best. If the LFS is running higher Salinity (unlikely) then you can just Temp Match by Floating the Bags and drip acclimation is not necessary.

I shouldnt have commented in the first place. lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

I recently cycled my new 29 gallon tank and bought a royal gramma from Petco about a week ago and the next day it died. I posted it here and people said it could have been sick or died from stress so I stupidly decided to order another one online and the next day it had died stuck between the heater the next day. All the fish stores near me are closed so I don’t know what to do right now

Tank should be cycled. Are you acclmating fish and how and how long?
Additionally, can you post a pic or two of your tank?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I shouldnt have commented in the first place. lol

This is how you are going to get help and advice. I think we have all made an error once or more. Im in this 45 years and do an occasional . . . . duh

 

[JakeNova]

I shouldnt have commented in the first place. lol

This is how you are going to get help and advice. I think we have all made an error once or more. Im in this 45 years and do an occasional . . . . duh

I can give advice but i cant help someone who doesnt take it.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Could I use ammo lock to drip accumulate?

There is no such thing. It is snake oil.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I can give advice but i cant help someone who doesnt take it.

You participate and learn and your advice gets better over time if you are paying attention.

 

[Anik]

You could do a check for stray voltage in the tank.

 

[BeanAnimal]

You could do a check for stray voltage in the tank.

Not really a thing. Induced voltage is not “stray” or harmful, there is not enough current pushing it.

A fault putting 100+ VAC into the water is different, but typically does not instantly kill fish, though it could easily kill you.

The best advice for the vast majority of reef keepers is to leave the DVM in the drawer.

Everyone should be using GFCIs. They will trip if there is harmful voltage present in the water.

 

[Anik]

Not really a thing. Induced voltage is not “stray” or harmful, there is not enough current pushing it.

A fault putting 100+ VAC into the water is different, but typically does not instantly kill fish, though it could easily kill you.

The best advice for the vast majority of reef keepers is to leave the DVM in the drawer.

Everyone should be using GFCIs. They will trip if there is harmful voltage present in the water.

Maybe I'm referring to it incorrectly. I had this issue a few years ago with a return pump that basically started shocking corals. Ended up having to ground the water then replacing the return pump, what is this called?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Maybe I'm referring to it incorrectly. I had this issue a few years ago with a return pump that basically started shocking corals. Ended up having to ground the water then replacing the return pump, what is this called?

A fault. If the pump was plugged into a GFCI, it would have tripped.

 

[13rodo]

dang you Tesla! Edison tried to warn us about the dangers of AC (poor elephant).

 

[BeanAnimal]

dang you Tesla! Edison tried to warn us about the dangers of AC (poor elephant).

Yes, Edison was by most accounts a jerk, a thief and a charlatan who only cared about winning, at any cost to anybody.

 

[13rodo]

In all seriousness though, salinity matching is important. I had the opposite problem where my LFS keeps all their tanks at 1.025 SG. My first fish (also a royal gramma) died pretty quickly because I didn't realize the calibration on my refractometer was wrong and my water was at around 1.018ish even though I thought it was 1.025. Still feel bad about that one.

Also, I seem to remember a Randy article discussing ammonia and how it actually takes much more ammonia to kill fish than many think (someone correct me if I'm wrong). After the royal gramma experience, I drip everything, even online because I feel like an hour won't kill the fish, but I know a salinity mismatch can.

 

[Dom]

Curious what is your salinity level and temperature?

I was just looking at the pictures, specifically the bubbles, and was about to ask the same question.

 

[Dom]

Temperature is 77.5 salinity 1.025

I would expect to see more foam on the water surface with an air stone in a tank whose salinity is 1.025.