Sooooo Hello from me: Hamilton, from Hamilton (original or what, right?)
I started 2 tanks in 2005, then 2 yrs ago, had many personal and professional problems and obligations hit me all at once, and I stopped doing ALL water changes, only topped up with R/O and fed minimally...surprisingly, many survived.
I am finally getting around to putting my life back in order, starting with the water changes.
Again, surprisingly, my water salinity was not as hypo as I expected, and after 2 or 3 changes over the past few weeks, parameters are getting back to normal.
The little tank had some basic polyps on a couple rocks, and they are now reproducing, but there are absolutely no creatures apart from the fish, living within the rocks. I still have awful silt on everything and some red algae; I keep vacuuming it off, but it returns.
Is it safe for a cleaning crew to be introduced into the tank? I see no source of food that they could possible pick at except the silt.
There are no nitrates registering at all and the tank seems balanced otherwise.
THe bigger tank is still in the nitrate zone, but I am growing all sorts of green algae & seaweed type stuff and I hope I could introduce a cleaning crew & shrimp to start picking away at this stuff...I do have about a dozen zombie snails that have been in the tank over the last 2 yrs of torture, and they seem ok.
I appreciate any- and every-ones' advice as I return to nurturing instead of neglecting!!!
THanks in advance!
I started 2 tanks in 2005, then 2 yrs ago, had many personal and professional problems and obligations hit me all at once, and I stopped doing ALL water changes, only topped up with R/O and fed minimally...surprisingly, many survived.
I am finally getting around to putting my life back in order, starting with the water changes.
Again, surprisingly, my water salinity was not as hypo as I expected, and after 2 or 3 changes over the past few weeks, parameters are getting back to normal.
The little tank had some basic polyps on a couple rocks, and they are now reproducing, but there are absolutely no creatures apart from the fish, living within the rocks. I still have awful silt on everything and some red algae; I keep vacuuming it off, but it returns.
Is it safe for a cleaning crew to be introduced into the tank? I see no source of food that they could possible pick at except the silt.
There are no nitrates registering at all and the tank seems balanced otherwise.
THe bigger tank is still in the nitrate zone, but I am growing all sorts of green algae & seaweed type stuff and I hope I could introduce a cleaning crew & shrimp to start picking away at this stuff...I do have about a dozen zombie snails that have been in the tank over the last 2 yrs of torture, and they seem ok.
I appreciate any- and every-ones' advice as I return to nurturing instead of neglecting!!!
THanks in advance!
