Can I upgrade my lighting??

[johnny4491]

Are you making your own salt water? If so what salt brand are you using.

I'm not making my own salt I buy it at my LFS

 

[Tahoe61]

Buy some Instant Ocean salt mix next time you go to the fish store. It will mix at 1/2 cup to gallon of water to a SG of 1.023. Lets try and get the SG to 1.024 and work from there.

There is a brand saying in this hobby "Only bad things happen fast and good things happen slow". Lets get your water chemistry down and work from there. As stated you do not need a new lighting fixture as this point. Chemistry is far important for what you're trying to do with the tank now. The lighting will work fine for the time being.

 

[johnny4491]

Buy some Instant Ocean salt mix next time you go to the fish store. It will mix at 1/2 cup to gallon of water to a SG of 1.023. Lets try and get the SG to 1.024 and work from there.

There is a brand saying in this hobby "Only bad things happen fast and good things happen slow". Lets get your water chemistry down and work from there. As stated you do not need a new lighting fixture as this point. Chemistry is far important for what you're trying to do with the tank now. The lighting will work fine for the time being.

U know what bro I think the person that sold me this water might have got in confused or something because I took water out of my 5 gallon jug and put some in my hydrometer and nothing so I just decided to taste it and it didn't even taste like salt water so i think the lady sold me fresh water and now it's in my tank maybe that's why my numbers are all low ! What do I do cause when I done my water changes I've accidentally tasted the water and its salty and this one doesn't take like nothing

 

[Tahoe61]

You'll have to go back to the store and get saltwater tomorrow, and get some salt mix so this will not happen again.

If you live by a Petco you can probably get some water tonight, otherwise you got to wait.

 

[scardall]

Aquaray led lighting might have something. Plus they have a Superior PUR to most. It's not all about Par. You will need to navigate this site. http://americanaquariumproducts.com/ Have fun this hobby drains bank acounts and credit cards fast.

 

[johnny4491]

You'll have to go back to the store and get saltwater tomorrow, and get some salt mix so this will not happen again.

If you live by a Petco you can probably get some water tonight, otherwise you got to wait.

But nothing will happen to the fish because I did the water change with this water yesterday so the fish won't get harmed

 

[Wbrian]

What is currently in your tank that is alive? If you did a water change with fresh water as opposed to salt water, your salinity (specific gravity) is going to be way low. Fish can tolerate SG down to 1.009 pretty well. But raising it back up should be done slowly, over the course of a week. Easily done by topping off evaporated water with saltwater. Once you get back around 1.025, then start topping off with the plain RO water to maintain that level.

 

[3lusive]

Do they appear to be having issues (labored breathing, etc.)

Post a pic of what your hydrometer is showing with tank water in it .

 

[johnny4491]

Do they appear to be having issues (labored breathing, etc.)

Post a pic of what your hydrometer is showing with tank water in it .

It doesn't even read nothing it just goes straight down it doesn't even reach the green part but i got 2 jugs and one of them is in my wife's car so when she gets here I'm going to check that one if that one is saltwater do I just take out the water like I'm doing a water change and replace it with saltwater

 

[johnny4491]

What is currently in your tank that is alive? If you did a water change with fresh water as opposed to salt water, your salinity (specific gravity) is going to be way low. Fish can tolerate SG down to 1.009 pretty well. But raising it back up should be done slowly, over the course of a week. Easily done by topping off evaporated water with saltwater. Once you get back around 1.025, then start topping off with the plain RO water to maintain that level.

2 clowns and dotty back and my clean up crew ok so just add a little bit at a time not a big amount

 

[3lusive]

How big of a change did you do with the fresh water?

 

[johnny4491]

How big of a change did you do with the fresh water?

Like almost 2 gallons I have a 6 gallon nano

 

[3lusive]

So after sand/rock displacement maybe 40% change ... If it were mine I might do something like a half gallon tonight, maybe half gallon tomorrow night , and so on until it's back to good. Some might say that's too much too fast, but if everyone looks good after the first one the. You should be ok for the second . Just keep an eye on your fish , coral can take a pretty good beating and not flinch.

 

[johnny4491]

So after sand/rock displacement maybe 40% change ... If it were mine I might do something like a half gallon tonight, maybe half gallon tomorrow night , and so on until it's back to good. Some might say that's too much too fast, but if everyone looks good after the first one the. You should be ok for the second . Just keep an eye on your fish , coral can take a pretty good beating and not flinch.

Ok thanks for the help let's see what happen

 

[hig789]

If you are dead set on upgrading the light, Dave at NanoBox makes an LED kit Nanocube / Biocube group. Give him a shout and see what he can do.

http://nanoboxreef.com/index.html

I'm curious if the retro will fit a 6g. Don't think I have ever heard of anyone using one on one. That would be a massive amount of light on that tank. I have one on my 15g and run it a little over 50%.

 

[3lusive]

I'm curious if the retro will fit a 6g. Don't think I have ever heard of anyone using one on one. That would be a massive amount of light on that tank. I have one on my 15g and run it a little over 50%.

The retro is made to order and the heatsink is custom cut. I normally run a Tide over my 2.5g and don't have any issues , so the 6g with a single array should work great.

 

[Chameleon]

I'm checking it right now and I'm not sure my hydrometer is working because it's making it to low ? How do u know those things are working

Sometimes the swing arm gets stuck. Give it a good bang or shake and make sure the arm is moving freely before you try and measure the specific gravity. Also make sure it is completely full of water and level to get an accurate measurement.

BTW if your salinity is really low that will explain why your coral died. Good luck!

 

[johnny4491]

Sometimes the swing arm gets stuck. Give it a good bang or shake and make sure the arm is moving freely before you try and measure the specific gravity. Also make sure it is completely full of water and level to get an accurate measurement.

BTW if your salinity is really low that will explain why your coral died. Good luck!

Yes I tried all that and nothing I even tasted the water and wasn't even salty so I'm thinking they sold me fresh water

 

[Wbrian]

I'd raise the salinity slowly. Raising it is much more stressful on fish than lowering it. It has something to do with how they process oxygen out of the water, I believe. Google and read on hyposalinity treatment for ich.

 

[johnny4491]

You'll have to go back to the store and get saltwater tomorrow, and get some salt mix so this will not happen again.

If you live by a Petco you can probably get some water tonight, otherwise you got to wait.

Is it hard to make your own water what do u need and what do u have to buy cause $1 a gallon for saltwater is kind of expensive so I'll rather just learn how to make it what do I need ?