FROM: 30 years of experience
From hobbyist to hobbyist. been there, done that. Almost. From lots of miss information and tired of finding out the hard way. and still not done. By raising our Standards and by demanding Quality. We decided to do it a different way.
Q: I was told to start my tank with a dead gold fish under my under gravel filter to start my biological. P.L. from CA.
A: Myth.Why would you want to start a live aquarium with death? Start by removing under gravel filter. Start with ONE fish either a scooter blenny, a clown, or pygmy angel, add live rock and (try to) wait 6 weeks. The biological will occur.
Q: I started a fish only tank. Can I put live rock in? A.P. from AZ.
A: YES, These fish come from the reef it's part of their natural habitat.
Q: Will I get parasites from adding live rock to my tank and what about curing? T.H from MD.
A: Usually NOT. Florida aqua cultured live rock is grown in the ocean. You could take a bucket of saltwater and swoosh the rock a couple of times before adding it to your tank. Other live rock, Don't know. I will look into this. Our rock is 6 hours from the bottom of the ocean to the bottom of our tanks, (Packed with wet paper towels, heat packs or ice packs depending on the weather) and all most every thing is alive when it arrives. Nothing against: Fiji, Marshal Island, (pacific) rock usually sits in warehouses somewhere and sometimes for weeks. (and came in with big black ants) That's why it needs to be "cured" from the dead or dying creatures in and on it. (and there is no aiptasia in the Gulf of Mexico / Atlantic where our diver harvests it.)
Q: I had a problem with ick and was told to take all fish out and treat with copper and garlic. Does your system run with these meds? C.O. from OHIO
A: Even if you do not buy one of our systems do have a quarantine tank. and NO we do not recommend copper. It burns their gills, liver, and kidney. It may work temporarily but still permanently damages the fish. and as far as garlic goes, put it in you soups, not in your fish.
Q: We were told to start out saltwater aquarium with well water. Is this a good idea? F.L. from W.V.
A: NO! We would suggest an R/O DI Unit if you can't afford one. Use DISTILLED Water. Have your well water tested, there still may be heavy metals which will harm inverts. and corals.
Q: When doing a water change how long after mixing should I wait before adding into my aquarium? F.J. from DC.
A: We mix our water for up to 7 days before adding into any tank. But a min. of 24 hours.
Q: What type of substrate do you use? P.O. from GA
A: Aragronite. It will help maintain pH and won't break down over time. Crushed coral, oyster shells and sand will give you problems down the line.
Q: What do you feed your fish? And what about feeding goldfish? F.G. from TX.
A: Goldfish are full of fatty acids and will shorten the life span of your fish, besides there's no goldfish in the ocean. l.o.l. MYSIS Shrimp or RAWShrimp (From your local grocery store). Saltwater fish are constantly try to excrete salt from their systems. Mysis from Hikari is a brackish water shrimp and has added minerals and vitamins so it's allyour fish will need. Feeding one mysis is like 12 brine. Good stuff, (and much cleaner).
Q: I'm driving myself crazy with all the tests that need to be done, is there an answer? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
A: Yes, Don't. Plan and simply, Check Salinity and Temp. If you test for this an test for that it only tells you those results. It also depends on what time of the day. Note: at the bottom of every test kit it states "If and results are not within those parameters, DO A WATER CHANGE". So watch your pets if they are breathing heavy, Do a water change, If your water is cloudy, Do a water change. This Vet. says "A lot of your hobbyists will play Chemist without a degree." We agree to a point. Calm down, ENJOY your pets and only test if You feel You need to for answerer's.
Q: A lot of experts say to keep my Salinity at 1.025, What do you recommend?
A: Our wholesale facility is at 1.021. Our retail store is at 1.021 and where we collect these creatures (Atlantic,Gulf,Keys.) is at 1.021. At least by MY refractometer. If you like to keep yours higher don't forget to top off daily. Larger water volumes are more forgiving. Some of the collectors will keep fish systems lower to prevent bacteria, (As low as 1.010) Always ask where they are coming from and acclimate accordingly.
Q: Chocolate Chip Star Fish?
A:NOT REEF SAFE. Most wide body star fish are not reef safe.
