The Puffer Forum

I can't think of anything else then. It shouldn't take too long to cycle though, there should still be bacteria in there.

I hope so... thanks anyways Shannon.

I hope so... thanks anyways Shannon.

Do you have a refractometer or a hydrometer? Maybe it went a little wonky and your s.g. was raised more than you realize. That's what happened to our hydrometer...we couldn't figure out why are salties were dying since everything was checking out OK at home, and our s.g. was reading at 1.025. So we took some water to the LFS and it turns out it was actually 1.030.

Yeah, all these issues with Hydrometers makes me want to get a refractometer...

that is a good idea, but I calibrate (check with FW) before everyuse, because i know it has happened to a few people. I also pretty much know that about a quarter cup of salt makes an sg of ~1.008.
thanks still though guys

Jase wrote: the Sg was ~1.009 and the new water was ~1.010 cause I'm still raising it...

Did you measure SG in the tank before changing water?
Had the tank suffered much evaporation?
Was the "new" water of the same temperature as the water in the tank when you measured SG?

Yes I check the sg before and after, it does evaporate a little, but i try to stay on top of that. the temp was a little low, I think 3 degrees off, but I figured the heater would warm it pretty quick...

My guess (!) is overcleaning. Too many surfaces freed of nitrifying bacteria, probably all were needed for the bio-load in the tank... they'll need a few days to re-grow... No (or just a little) feeding and large water changes until no ammonia and no nitrites are measurable.

I fluctuate SG almost every week for the GSPs between 1.05 and 1.01 to simulate something like an estuary (fluctuations can be diurnal due to the tides) without ever having nitrites or ammonia, but these are larger tanks with not too much bioload and I never clean much. However I don't recommend that... I have other tanks and running filters I could use if I ever kill too much bacteria with a salinity fluctuation.

did you test the water today? What are the readings?

nitrites ~ 1.0
nitrates ~ 10-15
amo ~ .3

I'll take corvus' advice unless it gets really high again.
... I did give his a small snail though. I couldn't resist that begging

Use prime to help the fish tolerate nitrite posioning.

I'll look around again and see if anybody got some yet, but as i said before, nobody has been carrying it.

so my parameters are still a little high, but I do have good news...
my LFS actually did something good! I requested they get Prime for me, and they actually got it in their next shipment, and then called to tell me! so I'm gonna go pick it up.

That blows that your tank crashed but glad you caught it and the LFS is getting prime in. Hang in there, your hard work should pay off.