Worried!!

[lickyricky]

So the lady at my LFS suggested I get 3 snails and 3 crabs. I purchased them and then got home and my nitrites were at 0.50 ppm and now I am worried sick about adding these little guys to the tank!! HELP!! will they be okay?? what should I do? I knew I should not have listened to her......

 

[Rockadile]

didnt we just have this discussion before you bought the snails and crabs?

 

[lickyricky]

didnt we just have this discussion before you bought the snails and crabs?

yes, but I explained everything to the lady at my LFS (and they are very knowledgeable). I gave her my test results over the last 5 days and she spouted about a bunch of stuff about nitrates and nitrites and I know how they work. First you get ammonia which I had, then that converts to nitrites which I got a few days later, then finally nitrates which I also got 2 days after that. Yesterday there were no nitrites, today there are 0.50 ppm...She said it was ready and you should add a CUC after 1 week which it has been. She is the owner of the store so i trusted her!

 

[thewackyreefer]

Well, if you can't return them you're better off putting them in the tank than leaving them in a bag of water...

 

[lickyricky]

Well, if you can't return them you're better off putting them in the tank than leaving them in a bag of water...

well i dont want to kill anything so let me try to take them back to the store

 

[Rockadile]

you are still cycling, patience is key. I know its hard as you want to see life in the tank, this is something we all struggle in the begining.

 

[Cooper32803]

So the lady at my LFS suggested I get 3 snails and 3 crabs. I purchased them and then got home and my nitrites were at 0.50 ppm and now I am worried sick about adding these little guys to the tank!! HELP!! will they be okay?? what should I do? I knew I should not have listened to her......

Which store is this? Did you tell her your tanks has only been wet for not even a week? I used denitrifying bacteria supplements in my biocube and still waited 2 weeks before putting anything in there... Don't rush it, if there is anything I have learned, this hobby is about patience... I know you want to see movement in your new tank (I was the same way) but if you put anything in the tank before its ready, then you risk killing any livestock you put in there...

 

[lickyricky]

Which store is this? Did you tell her your tanks has only been wet for not even a week? I used denitrifying bacteria supplements in my biocube and still waited 2 weeks before putting anything in there... Don't rush it, if there is anything I have learned, this hobby is about patience... I know you want to see movement in your new tank (I was the same way) but if you put anything in the tank before its ready, then you risk killing any livestock you put in there...

it was WWC. I should have just went to SIC....Yes, I was sure to say that it had only been 7 days. She said "dont worry about" when I expressed the concerns of fellow forumers

 

[lickyricky]

Which store is this? Did you tell her your tanks has only been wet for not even a week? I used denitrifying bacteria supplements in my biocube and still waited 2 weeks before putting anything in there... Don't rush it, if there is anything I have learned, this hobby is about patience... I know you want to see movement in your new tank (I was the same way) but if you put anything in the tank before its ready, then you risk killing any livestock you put in there...

and I also have been dosing with denitrifying bacteria supplements...

 

[Cooper32803]

Did she take them back? Ask Jess at Sea in the City... She helped me out a ton when I first started... She still gladly answers all my questions now... LOL

 

[Rockadile]

and I also have been dosing with denitrifying bacteria supplements...

stop that.

 

[lickyricky]

stop that.

so no more of that? Rockadile please explain...thank you for your help

 

[Rockadile]

It is not ment to be dosed on a constant basis like you are doing. While I can not say what effects it would have on your tank if it is continuously dosed like you are doing, and you probably arent doing much of anything other then throwing money out the door by doing so.

But after the initial dose, you arent doing anything by adding more

 

[Cooper32803]

By dosing the bacteria, you need to add a source of ammonia for it to continue cycling and grow the denitrifying bacteria. Either a pure ammonia chloride solution or your live rock will give off ammonia as certain once living things on it decay. You can also go the frozen shrimp or silverside route and let it decay in the tank as that also gives off ammonia. Because once the bacteria has grown enough to deal with the amount of ammonia in your tank it wont grow anymore I think. Maybe someone else can correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Rockadile]

Nope you are right Cooper. In fresh water I would add a few moleys to a tank when using this stuff. Ricky you said this morning you had no nitrites, but you did have ammonia. Wait another week at least before you add anything alive.

 

[Cooper32803]

Yay! Look at me becoming an old pro!! :roll: Just kidding! I hear you can also add fish food to the tank little by little and it will decay and break down into ammonia. I would assume this would be less smelly than the shrimp or silverside...