help with some aquaria life

rideelement247 · 12/31/2006, 08:27 AM

I have 2 problems with my tank.

I just purchased a porcupine puffer and he is doing well although he sits in the corner of the tank and appears to be staring at his reflection in the glass. Now he is acustomed to wedging himself behind the shaft of the biowheel filter that is in the tank. Is there anything wrong with this? It happens during the day, and he stares at himself at night too.

Second, I cannot seem to keep inverts. All of my levels are perfect, a salinity of 1.021, nitrates of 0, nitrites of 0, ammonia of 0, and pH of 8.3. Whenever I put in anemones or skunk cleaner shrimp they will die within a day. The skunk cleaners actually die within 2 hours. What could cause this? And what is the best way to get them acclimated? When I put shrimp into the tank, they appear to get paralyzed and lie at the bottom of the tank, at which point I assume they are dead...is it possible they are just overstressed and will come back? The anemone and shrimp are not bad specimens, I hand pick them out at Pet Supermarket where I work...

Any help is greatly appreciated

mwwhite · 12/31/2006, 09:13 AM

Not that we are experts by any means but we have been reading/researching for months. Additionally, we learned the hard way about acclimation and lost a serpent star.

First your salinity is low -- are you testing with refractometer? That provides a much more precise reading.

Second - invertebraes are very sensitive to the slightest change in salinity and others... They must be acclimated via the drip method.

Look up drip acclimation method and follow-it. I'll bet that is the problem along with low salinity.

Hope this helps some....

lllosingit · 12/31/2006, 09:36 AM

Your salinity is fine for a fish only system I kept my fish only at 1.023 but many people keep it lower without problems.
I agree with SpankinNew. Drip acclimate slowly over an hour or longer if the salinity difference is more than a couple points.
If the shrimps reaction to being placed in your tank is to fall to the bottom and jut lay there, My guess is you didn't acclimate long enough.

What is the salinity of the water they were in prior to going in your system?
Has the tank ever been treated with meds? copper?
Your Porc sounds normal, My experience is that they love to go up and down the glass looking at themselves for hours at a time.
My Puffer always slept by wedging himself in the crevice of a rock and would do the same thing if he was startled by something.

rideelement247 · 12/31/2006, 11:36 AM

thanks guys.

I believe the salinity of the tank that the shrimp were in @ Pet Supermarket is 1.023. My tank hasn't been treated with copper or any meds period. What is weird about the drip method is that I have a friend who just throws anemones in his tank without acclimating and they do fine. I will try the drip method next time, thanks.

kass03 · 12/31/2006, 12:55 PM

I would have your salinity checked again. Alot of hydrometers are off and so can refractometers be but are usually more precise.

Your salinity could be alot lower than 1.021 and you don't know it if what your using is off. Have the LFS check it.

kass

rideelement247 · 12/31/2006, 08:48 PM

The LFS is the place at which I work. All we have are plastic hydrometers manufactured by the company that makes Instant Ocean sea salt. I don't believe its hyposalinity because I have a purple pincushin urchin and a horseshoe crab which are both doing well...I believe that i dont acclimate them correctly =/.

wrott · 12/31/2006, 08:55 PM

Shrimp (and most inverts) are very sensitive to NO3 also, I tried 2x to introduce a skunk cleaner to my 20g--I did it very, very slowly(2-3 hrs) but they died w/in 24hrs (the tank had high nitrates).

12/31/2006, 08:27 AM	#1
rideelement247 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 117	help with some aquaria life I have 2 problems with my tank. I just purchased a porcupine puffer and he is doing well although he sits in the corner of the tank and appears to be staring at his reflection in the glass. Now he is acustomed to wedging himself behind the shaft of the biowheel filter that is in the tank. Is there anything wrong with this? It happens during the day, and he stares at himself at night too. Second, I cannot seem to keep inverts. All of my levels are perfect, a salinity of 1.021, nitrates of 0, nitrites of 0, ammonia of 0, and pH of 8.3. Whenever I put in anemones or skunk cleaner shrimp they will die within a day. The skunk cleaners actually die within 2 hours. What could cause this? And what is the best way to get them acclimated? When I put shrimp into the tank, they appear to get paralyzed and lie at the bottom of the tank, at which point I assume they are dead...is it possible they are just overstressed and will come back? The anemone and shrimp are not bad specimens, I hand pick them out at Pet Supermarket where I work... Any help is greatly appreciated

12/31/2006, 09:36 AM	#3
lllosingit Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Des Moines Iowa Posts: 3,190	Your salinity is fine for a fish only system I kept my fish only at 1.023 but many people keep it lower without problems. I agree with SpankinNew. Drip acclimate slowly over an hour or longer if the salinity difference is more than a couple points. If the shrimps reaction to being placed in your tank is to fall to the bottom and jut lay there, My guess is you didn't acclimate long enough. What is the salinity of the water they were in prior to going in your system? Has the tank ever been treated with meds? copper? Your Porc sounds normal, My experience is that they love to go up and down the glass looking at themselves for hours at a time. My Puffer always slept by wedging himself in the crevice of a rock and would do the same thing if he was startled by something. __________________ It Was Funny Until Someone Got Hurt..........Then It Was Hilarious! Current Tank Info: DD 250 60x36x27 450 gallon total system.

12/31/2006, 08:55 PM	#7
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	Shrimp (and most inverts) are very sensitive to NO3 also, I tried 2x to introduce a skunk cleaner to my 20g--I did it very, very slowly(2-3 hrs) but they died w/in 24hrs (the tank had high nitrates). __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

12/31/2006, 09:13 AM	#2
mwwhite Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 690	Not that we are experts by any means but we have been reading/researching for months. Additionally, we learned the hard way about acclimation and lost a serpent star. First your salinity is low -- are you testing with refractometer? That provides a much more precise reading. Second - invertebraes are very sensitive to the slightest change in salinity and others... They must be acclimated via the drip method. Look up drip acclimation method and follow-it. I'll bet that is the problem along with low salinity. Hope this helps some....

12/31/2006, 11:36 AM	#4
rideelement247 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 117	thanks guys. I believe the salinity of the tank that the shrimp were in @ Pet Supermarket is 1.023. My tank hasn't been treated with copper or any meds period. What is weird about the drip method is that I have a friend who just throws anemones in his tank without acclimating and they do fine. I will try the drip method next time, thanks.

12/31/2006, 12:55 PM	#5
kass03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaukauna, Wi Posts: 2,937	I would have your salinity checked again. Alot of hydrometers are off and so can refractometers be but are usually more precise. Your salinity could be alot lower than 1.021 and you don't know it if what your using is off. Have the LFS check it. kass

12/31/2006, 08:48 PM	#6
rideelement247 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 117	The LFS is the place at which I work. All we have are plastic hydrometers manufactured by the company that makes Instant Ocean sea salt. I don't believe its hyposalinity because I have a purple pincushin urchin and a horseshoe crab which are both doing well...I believe that i dont acclimate them correctly =/.