FROM: 25 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 undergravel 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 undergravel filter.
Start with ONE fish either a damsel or a clown, 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 parisites
from adding live rock to my tank and what about curing? T.H from
MD.
A: Usually NOT.
Florida aquacultured 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 3-6 hours from the ocean,
(Packed in water, heat packs or ice packs depending on the
weather) and all most every thing is alive when it arives.
Nothing against:Fiji, Marshal Island, (pacific) rock usualy 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 Atlantic.)
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 quarenteen tank. and NO we do not
recommend copper. It burns their gills, liver, and kidney.
It may work temporarily but still permantly 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 Unit if you can't afford one. Use
DISTILLED Water. Have your well water tested, there still may
be heavy metals which will harm invets. 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 7 days before adding into any tank. But a min. of 24
hours.
Q: What type of subtrate
do you use? P.O. from GA
A: Aragronite, Aragromax,
or Aragro-Live. It will help maintain ph also. 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
theres no goldfish in the ocean. l.o.l. MYSIS Shrimp or
RAW Shrimp (From your local grocery
store). Saltwater fish are constantly try to excreet salt
from their systems. Mysis from Hikari is a fresh water shrimp and
has added minerals and vitiamins so it's all your 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
answere? 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 peramaters, 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 "Alot of your hobbists 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 answeres.
Q: Alot of expets say to
keep my Salinity at 1.025, What do you recommond?
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.
