Clam advice

rayn · Jan 1, 2017

Found this little derasa clam at the lfs. It closed up as soon as I tried to take a pic.

Does it look good from the pic?

Sabellafella · Jan 1, 2017

rayn said:
Found this little derasa clam at the lfs. It closed up as soon as I tried to take a pic.

Does it look good from the pic?

Get a photo of the mantle, otherwise, looks like it had some killer growth!

rayn · Jan 1, 2017

The mantle looked good from what I could see before it closed. It opened up again as soon as I moved away. Didn't like the phone shadow.

They've had it about three weeks already.

Elementalj · Jan 1, 2017

Put something under it, like a little plate of calcium or another shell that it'll fit in. Never tear byssal fibers once they're attached. That things gonna get YUGE!!!

rayn · Jan 1, 2017

'm a bit hesitant now. I just did a water change on my tank, which at the moment is a 20L. Test results come back with alk at 9.3, cal at 330, sal at 1.
026, and nitrate at freakin 64!!!

I am using a res sea kit, and it is expired. When I add the final reagent it almost automatically goes pink. Maybe I need a new kit.

Elementalj · Jan 1, 2017

rayn said:
'm a bit hesitant now. I just did a water change on my tank, which at the moment is a 20L. Test results come back with alk at 9.3, cal at 330, sal at 1.
026, and nitrate at freakin 64!!!

I am using a res sea kit, and it is expired. When I add the final reagent it almost automatically goes pink. Maybe I need a new kit.

Um, yeah! That calcium needs to come up a little and the alkalinity needs to stay close.

Any way to test magnesium?

rayn · Jan 1, 2017

Did have, but the bottle leaked all out from laying on its side. Maybe two tests out of it.

I figured cal could stand to go up, but didn't think it was that low. It was the nitrates that scare me.

Elementalj · Jan 1, 2017

You gotta get magnesium under control before alkalinity and calcium will fall into line. I'd suggest a water change soon for the nitrates and a trip to the LFS for a couple of kits. API kits will work in a pinch and are pretty cheap IMO

rayn · Jan 1, 2017

LFS just sold their last mag test right before I got there, so no luck on that area. While working in the fish room though, I remembered I had a old one. It is expired, but I did the test anyway. Came back at 1280. Should I raise some?

Sabellafella · Jan 1, 2017

rayn said:
'm a bit hesitant now. I just did a water change on my tank, which at the moment is a 20L. Test results come back with alk at 9.3, cal at 330, sal at 1.
026, and nitrate at freakin 64!!!

I am using a res sea kit, and it is expired. When I add the final reagent it almost automatically goes pink. Maybe I need a new kit.

Usually with other test kits, around the expiration date imo are fine BUT the red sea kits are completely toast around the expiration date. I would deffinitly get another.

Elementalj · Jan 1, 2017

rayn said:
LFS just sold their last mag test right before I got there, so no luck on that area. While working in the fish room though, I remembered I had a old one. It is expired, but I did the test anyway. Came back at 1280. Should I raise some?

My fella here is correct with the expiration date. Even though 1280 isn't a bad number, 1350 should be the target, but you need accuracy so grab another kit somewhere. Salifert is cheap on amazon, and it's usually at the house in a couple of days.

rayn · Jan 1, 2017

I'm working on ordering new test kits now. I like the red sea, but will use others as well.

Elementalj · Jan 1, 2017

Red Sea and salifert are nearly identical in results, at least with magnesium and alkalinity because I've used both. Sometimes salifert is cheaper though. It's the packaging to be honest.