- Joined
- Feb 1, 2020
- Messages
- 26
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- 17
New to saltwater tanks, after having freshwater for a few years I decided to try my hand at salt when my little brother got rid of his tank and gave it to me. It's been cycling with no fish, just cc and a couple live rocks for the last two months while I worked on trying to familiarize myself with the process and do as much research as I can when I have time before adding more to it. It's a small 20 gallon (fish tanks in tiny apartments is difficult) with an over the back filter, two heaters and an air pump. After testing the water the last few days and getting consistent neutral results, i decided to add a common clownfish to get it cycled through the rest of the way. I got home, put the bag in the tank to acclimate the temp and 20 minutes later when I checked it, the water temp had dropped drastically. 78 down to 65. I took the bag out and put it in my soup pot on the counter and slowly added lukewarm water to warm the poor fish up again while I tried to figure out what happened. The tank warmed up again and I tested both heaters separately to make sure they work and they do, I tested the water again to make sure it didn't have a negative effect and the salinity which had been stable at 1.022 was up to 1.028.
This isn't normal right? Is it possible that the lighting helps heat the water that much so by putting the bag in the water to acclimate it blocked the lights too much? Any ideas? I don't want to put this little guy in the tank if it's going to keep fluctuating that drastically with the gravity so high.
This isn't normal right? Is it possible that the lighting helps heat the water that much so by putting the bag in the water to acclimate it blocked the lights too much? Any ideas? I don't want to put this little guy in the tank if it's going to keep fluctuating that drastically with the gravity so high.