Powder Brown Tang

[Europhyllia]

LOL. I thought maybe you were color blind...

You know what they say about assuming stuff...

I'd get another test kit and see what it says. If your test kit is bad you'd want a new one anyway. And if your test kit is accurate you'd want to know so that you can figure out why your RO water is contaminated.

So glad to hear the tang is doing better though!

[saabtech]

well the test kit is less than 3m old. i dont think that its bad. (i hope not)
im thinking that i fill it to the 5ml line incorrectly. ???? how about a picture......

this pic is of the API test kit flask and how i fill up the tube... i fill the tube so that the "Crest" is in line with the graduated mark. should i be filling it so that the "trough" matches the line of the flask? or a happy medium?

[hobogato]

you want to fill so the bottom of the meniscus (curve) is on the line.

[Bill S]

And you might want to upgrade your test kit. The API kit is notorious for a small false positive for Ammonia.

When you get the opportunity, upgrade your kits one at a time to Salifert kits. Kinda like the difference between cheap tools from Walmart and Snap-On.

[corruption]

And you might want to upgrade your test kit. The API kit is notorious for a small false positive for Ammonia.

When you get the opportunity, upgrade your kits one at a time to Salifert kits. Kinda like the difference between cheap tools from Walmart and Snap-On.

+1 -- Elos test kits are also very high quality with a good price, unfortunately don't seem to be real readily available locally (that I've seen -- anyone correct me if I'm wrong! )

-Justin

[saabtech]

you want to fill so the bottom of the meniscus (curve) is on the line.

now how come that is not in the the instructions?

[Bill S]

You were supposed to learn that in High School science... LOL.

[saabtech]

You were supposed to learn that in High School science... LOL.

yea i realize that now that you metion it... LOL
but i would argue that i grew up in a modern system that did not require you to learn anything. just memorize it for a week and take a test.

kind of off subject but IMO todays public school systems are no longer a learning enviroment, they are a social enviroment and if you dont fit in socially you will not learn well due to the psychological stresses.

i can say that i did not learn a thing in public school. i only started learning once i made the decision on my own. like this post of 2 nights of reading about the nitrogen cycle.

correct me if im wrong and this can get complicated but the chemical makeup of decomposing organics and waste from other organisms in our saltwater aquariums produce ammonium (NH4) which is broken down by ammonia oxidizing bacteria and nitrifying organisms which converts ammonia to nitrites (NO2) Then other bacterial species are responsible for the oxidation of the nitrites into nitrates (NO3) then with the introduction of a macroalga or some macroalgae into the cycle the nitrates are assimilated (absorbed) into the algae to the form of glutamate (C5 H9 NO4) and is converted into complex amino acids, nucleic acids, chlorophyll and proteins. i have never studied this in a lab nor will i but from the biochemistry books and online resources I have studied the ammonia (NH3) ammonium (NH4) nitrites (NO4) and nitrates (NO3) do not stay in there chemical compound once assimilated into the algae, they are converted into other complex chemical compounds due to reactions with enzymes and protiens that provide a biocatalysis where the nitrogen source (ie.ammonia, ammonium, nitrites, nitrates) that has been assimilated into the algae is converted into usefull organic compounds like chlorophyll (C55 H70 O6 N4 Mg) and Amines (H2NCH (x) COOH).
the cycle will restart and you will get a spike of all the toxic nitrogeneous compounds like nitrates if the algae is allowed to die and decompose.
when the organism breaks down the the nitrogenious compounds can and will easily be converted back into the toxic compounds that we are constantly trying to remove. so only by harvesting the macroalgae would you be removing the nitrogenious compounds

[saabtech]

back on subject. thanks to everyone for the quick and accurate help.. the tang looks great and seems to have little to no stress at all.
i have the 29g tall all set up and plenty of water avail to do water changes. all i need to do is get him used to me.
i have set up the tank with construction paper all over the sides and rear. i keep a towel over the frt all day to keep him from getting spooked by my kids and wife and tv and computer. when i come home i open it up a little and get some food ready.
once the food is ready i remove the towel and feed him little by little. watching him eat and allowing him to watch me. (i want him to associate me with food so he will like me!) then i leave the towel off so we can see him for a little bit and then with the timer goes off for the lamp, the towel goes back on.

[kkiel02]

yea i realize that now that you metion it... LOL
but i would argue that i grew up in a modern system that did not require you to learn anything. just memorize it for a week and take a test.

kind of off subject but IMO todays public school systems are no longer a learning enviroment, they are a social enviroment and if you dont fit in socially you will not learn well due to the psychological stresses.

i can say that i did not learn a thing in public school. i only started learning once i made the decision on my own. like this post of 2 nights of reading about the nitrogen cycle.

This is probably because you went to a larger school. When or if the time comes where I choose my kids school, it is definately going to be 3a or smaller. My parents and girlfriend teach in large school districts so I have learned this through them. Although there are also some bad smaller school districts.

Lol actually I would send my kids to Ace's school to learn about captive breeding and/or trouble shoot my reef problems.

And PS glad your tang is doing better, I bought one today hopefully he does well also.