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CT_

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Posts posted by CT_

    Fancy gizmos

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Be careful with how you use those.  they don't read the temperature of reflective or transparent things.  In the case of reflective they may read whats in the reflection.  They also aren't super accurate in an absolute sense but they work quite well with comparing the temperature of similar things or the same thing day to day.  Ideally point them at something black or dark colored. 

    • Like 1

    measuring accurate pH

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, starsman20 said:

    I have 2 meters, a lab grade one and a cheepee. As long as I calibrate the cheepee ( i use 7.1 and 10.1) it is within .1 of the expensive one. I use it weekly and only bring out the other one occasionally to check. The trick is absolutely to spend a few bucks on the cal fluids. The lab one has a seperate temp meter and is kind of a pain

    Do you calibrate the cheap one every time to get that within .1?

    Interpreting Test Results

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    To add a little, it seems like most fish are okay with whatever gh they grew up on and so if they're happy now it's best not to change because you'll have to keep that change consistent through water changes. 

    I've only heard of a few common fish that really care for hard or soft water and some of those I think are just because they are wild caught an that was their birth conditions.

    Keeping tap water conditions will also help with keeping locally bread/adapted fish.

    • Thanks 1

    For the love of inverts

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    IDK how they manage requests like that there but if its a simple yea or nay on your request I'd keep it pretty narrow so the whole thing doesn't get rejected.   You can always submit more than one proposal over time but if a broad one gets knocked down it may act as lazy precedent to knock down future proposals that have some of the same species as the original.

    LFS Limit on buying fish?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hi @Cory

    What would you recommend for a 14g 24" wide tank (aquatop ES-24)?  I want to keep them because I like them and my wife thinks the hillstream loach looks too creepy.  The plan is to feed them special food to make sure they're happy.  I was thinking 4-5 but now I'm thinking 3? 

    Guppies eating floating plant roots

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I got some floating plants with dime sized leaves. I not sure what kind (petstore just said "floating plants"), but I've noticed that the roots keep getting shorter and shorter.  Is there any way of stopping my guppies from eating them short of putting the plants into a breeder basket?

    Am I under feeding?  Will they stop if they get more food? 

    What's your dream aquarium product that doesn’t exist?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, AquaAggie said:

    Don’t know if it’s already been said but airline quick release connections. Not gang valves but something to easily connect decorations to existing airlines. Trying to reconnect airlines in the bottom of a tall tank, inside a decoration with old airlines is no fun

    they do make them!  even ones that self seal when disconnected.  I use them a lot at work for various gas and fluid connections.  Many aren't cheap though 😞

    https://www.mcmaster.com/quick-connect-fittings/connection-style~barbed/connection-type~tube/

    • Thanks 1

    Sterilization

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I don't know enough about fish pathogens to know for sure.  Nothing resists bleach.  But if you don't have a specific reason to suspect the tank is carrying something nasty I'd bet 20 tetra's that Star San would work :classic_laugh:

    My nitrite is to high

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Just now, HisMineandOurs said:

    Isn't alkalinity and ammonia the same thing?

    nope.  ammonia is nitrogen with 3 hydrogens (or sometimes 4 hydrogens in water)

    "alkalinity" test strips measure the "carbonate" which is carbon with some oxygens attached.

    My nitrite is to high

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    a tank without nitrifying bacteria will look perfect on those strips but have toxic levels of ammonia pretty quickly.  Whats your pH.  fish can tolerate a lot more ammonia at lower pH.  "stress" levels of nitrite means you're starting to get the first kind of nitrifying bacteria (the kind that convert ammonia to nitrite).

    Looks like you have sponge filters.  I'd swap the filters between your tanks.  so the old one with all the good bacteria can jumpstart your cycle.

    Sterilization

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by CT_
    fixed bleach solution. not pure bleach

    what does "sterile" in quotes mean to you.  actually sterile? You'll wait forever.  Many microbes sporulate and can go days, months or year being dry.  If you buy bacter ae for example that's dry but contains viable bacteria for your shrimp to eat.

    I think most people who want to make sure a tank is sanitized for the next setup wash with bleach solution and rinse really well and then make sure its dry before refilling.

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