Problem with my Tang

[Craig Manoukian]

Shrimp are very sensetive to nitrites. What are your water parameters?

Glad your tang is recovering! Still looks a little thin, but with time it should fatten up.

What water tests have you done and what were the outcome of each test?

[Matt Rogers]

Couldn't the meds have killed that shrimp? Inverts are pretty sensitive to that stuff....

[Jim_Barry]

I found my shrimp !!!

I am such a newbie !!!. I thought my shrimp was dead as I found what I thought was his body in the tank. Turns out he had only molted and hid for a couple of days (oh the things we learn very quickly).... All is fine in the tank and the tang has no more spots and is gaining weight.

FYI...... my water parameters are;

ph - 8.4
ammonia- 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates - 0
salinity 1.021
calcium - 480
Karbonate hardness - 100
Iodine 0.01

The iodine is a little low. other than that everthing appears to be very stable.

Thanks again for your help.

Jim the Newbie

I was wondering why your specific gravity is so low at 1.021?
the word salinity is for measuring sea water I think but could be wrong. And specific gravity is used when measuring the aquarium.

Has anyone ever seen or use this salinity meter before?
I also saw a hand held unit on a Australian web page that looks like my hand held pH meter

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...2004&Nty=1

Oh great to hear that the Tang and shrimp are doing well

[Matt Rogers]

1.021 is not really low. You can actually keep it a lot lower. Instant Ocean has tanks setup at 1.011 because the fish will tolerate it but the parasites won't. One angel fish they kept in a tank like that thrived for several years.

[Craig Manoukian]

The specific gravity of sea water equates to 1.025 - 1.026 or 36 ppt in salinity

[Matt Rogers]

True but that's not my point. * We have aquariums. There is some value to keeping our tanks at lower temps IMO and the salinity nugget was from this month's FAMA (DEC. 2003).

EDIT - But I am not suggesting we go out and dilute our saltwater. I just don't see ANY problems with 1.021-1.023 which has been the norm for me. And as I pointed out, you could even go lower.

[Phil5613]

I lower temp and salinity if I have ick problems. I do it slowly over a week and let it stand at a week.Then over the course of a third week I bring it back up to normal. normal=1.024 low=1.019 Thanks.