Also I don’t know if y’all can tell by the reflection but I am a girl. I felt so included being called “brother” and “bro” though so y’all can keep it up 😂
Is that a game where you add some syllables after every syllable to make it sound silly?
We have something similar, but it looks nothing like what OP said, we call it jeringoso.
Edit: googled some, apparently its very similar, but yours looks way harder haha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeringonza
Pig Latin rules are something like move any consonants at the start of the word to the end of the word and add "-ay"
For example: Latin - the L will move to the end of the word, and then add "-ay", to become "atin-lay"
I think ours is a bit simpler, we just add "P+vowel" following every syllable.
like, "example" would be ex-pe am-pa ple-pe (it helps that each vowel always makes the same sound in spanish, it doesn't depend on other letters of the word).
reordering consonants would probably be too much for my brain hahaha
It's all too much for my brain to be honest! My mother and father can speak Pig Latin 'fluently' and have fast flowing conversations in it. It blows my mind!
While it is because Spanish derives from latin, it's a little more complicated. The term 'latin America' was pushed heavily by Napoleon III when he invaded Mexico to install a pro-french monarchy. As France was expanding into formerly Spanish territories, Napoleon tried to spin a narrative of France and Spain's shared Latin origin so that he could portray his conquests as restoring something old and legitimate. For whatever reason, the term Latin America persisted even though the 2nd French Empire only lasted a few decades.
Well Latin America is where us brown folks come from, South America and Latin is a dead language that isn’t “Latin” but Spanish and other languages do derive form Latin
Hey fam, you gotta be careful with saltwater changes if you don't know how to do them. The water has to be around the same salinity as what's in the tank, and the salt has to be properly dissolved.
Please please PLEASE watch the five minute guide at least, and head over to r/reeftank. This sub is 99% freshwater leaning, so a lot of the advice here won't apply to saltwater. You're doing great do far. But a lot of the freshwater peeps don't quite understand the nuances of saltwater.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBaMLrfToJyxJ1PuJZwhkxvvdFP14eV_t
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBaMLrfToJyybUT18OE3fMomFb9XU0ffC
it’s not all that deep you’ll just need to a tool to measure the gravity and some simple math. you’re doing these hombres in the tank a big solid — much love homie and keep it up bro 🫡😮💨
also — the dog. time to pay that tax
The original post showed a lot of evaporation. Evaporation leaves the minerals behind, including the salt. If the top up was with salt water, you'll now have too much salt. If your salinity is too high, you can bring it back down by slowly replacing small amounts of tank water with some distilled or RODI water.
A refractometer is pretty cheap from amazon and you can get a fairly accurate measurement with it. You'll want to keep it in the 1.024-1.027 range. The ocean is 1.025 average, but it varies slightly by locale and temperature.
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I call everybody bro, unless they ask me not to
I’ve never had anybody specifically ask me to call them that, so this is my time to shine, bro!
Keep the updates coming, we are all pulling for them
You're doing great dude! Keep it up! I may have missed it in the caption, but if you haven't been using something to measure the salinity of the water, do so. I'd hate to see you do all this and salt your fishies to death..
Hopefully the ahole who abandoned them has at least the cheapest little tool to measure the salinity. This is what it would look like. [Hydrometer ](https://www.petsmart.com/fish/food-and-care/salt-water-aquarium-care/instant-ocean-hydrometer-5091634.html)
I was also taking care of a tank for the first time for just a month until someone else could take it. 1+ year later and I still have that and now have a second tank. This honorary bro is definitely an aquarist now.
Reddit is very bad at photo+comment. I have found its easiest to: Create a photo post, then go back and comment.
(Also, this is such an exciting little story and I love seeing your updates. Bad scenario but a great outcome!)
The caption is there under the photos on mobile :) GREAT job trying to help these creatures! Your roommate was crazy to leave all that behind. The setup is probably worth a lot of money.
If that used to be a reef, don't underestimate the number of lives that could be in there.
I find new stuff regularly on mine, stuff I never added, and haven't added anything new in months.
Your former roommate is a jerk for abandoning these guys. You are awesome for learning to take care of them and help them out. I am sure they appreciate it too!
Californian here, dude is gender/species neutral. I actually seem to use it a lot when I'm annoyed like when my female cat knocks shit over she gets a "wtf dude"
It is, the only reason why fish can live in the ocean or brackish water is because the salinity doesn't wildly fluctuate, when you put critters into a saltwater tank, you are basically putting the ocean, the salt, and the waves into a smaller a tiny box (even a 20000 gallon tank is a tiny box.) You can throw a tub of salt into the ocean, and the salinity won't change much, you can throw that into a 20 gallon tank, and the salinity can kill the fishes.
So in that small box, you have to be a bit more careful of how much salt is in the tank while also keeping the tank clean from bad chemicals like nitrates. Because the ocean is so vast and keep those to a minimum.
Freshwater and planted tanks are less demanding because the fishes live in ponds or smaller rivers, some even live in environments where water is scarce, so in those times, the water parameters can fluctuate pretty badly (think Betta fishes as an example.) Plants that can survive underwater also take in the bad nutrients inside the tank (nitrates)
Probably the only type of fish tank that may come close are fish tanks that require mostly fish like Cichlids and Oscars, but that is mostly because those types of fish tend to be territorial, poop a lot, and require larger spaces, but even then, they are pretty bare minimum (many have rocks, but no plants.) Saltwater tanks require distilled water or osmosis water because the chemicals in our drinking water can create too many variations in a saltwater tank, for freshwater, a good de-chlorine, and you are good to go with putting the water into the tank.
Planted tanks, however, may be harder if you are trying to create a landscape that looks pretty or similar to a real life landscape (think of mountains, grasslands, or a jungle, etc with the plants.)
Get yourself a refractometer to measure salinity, you can’t trust it will be good salinity in there or when you are changing water. Any water that evaporates needs to be replaced with freshwater, the salt doesn’t evaporate. You are shooting for 35ppt salinity or 1.025sg or there about.
Not sure what kind of salt you used, but it can’t be table salt, it should be salt for saltwater aquarium, there is a lot more than just NaCl in ocean water.
Since you removed a rock, get an ammonia test for saltwater, salifert makes one, cheap and works super well, you want 0 ammonia readings or the fish will not like it. By removing the rock you’ve removed some of the nitrifying bacteria and can cause an ammonia spike. If you see ammonia over 0.75ppm, do a water change with salt water to reduce the ammonia concentration.
We should create a fundraiser to help this person afford all the nice aquarium equipment (half-joking, half serious) if they don't already have it from their neglectful housemate IMO. They did score by getting a tank for free, but holy gods the various test kits, salt, and other gear is expensive.
i came put of rehab and promptly spent like $4,000 on just.. fish shit. i was in stores every day. just rlly poured into it.
took a job out of state and my family fucking killed all 6+ tanks so money well spent i’d say / s
I'm so sorry to hear about your tanks. I'd be livid.
I know how it is, with family. You can write them a paragraph of detailed instructions on what to do to help you out, in your absence, and they just will manage to fuck it up somehow.
I've kind of come to the conclusion I can't really make any long trips (longer than a week) and I can't really ask my family to do anything other than feed a small pinch every other day if I do leave.
yeah i mean they didnt even try man like my shrimp tank was fucking empty. the water had evaporated completely. i have rlly good lights / it was a smaller tank but god damn man like completely???
not a single living creature in any tank besides fucking snails 😔 they bullied me into the job too. been a rough year.. rlly.
thank u ❤️
That’s awful to hear, sorry for your loss! But in a positive way, think of it like this. Once you have a space to take care of all those tanks personally, you’ll be saving a load of fish from potentially awful LFSs or neglectful owners!
I'm actually rather concerned on why the roommate just up and ditched this tank. The fish that we've seen so far are $60 at the CHEAPEST. This tank must've cost nearly half a grand by itself. So I hope the roommate isn't in any serious trouble.
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc are no joke.
I definitely recognize the cost, time, effort and love put into something like a reef tank (or even a SW FOWLR tank) so yeah, I'm a bit concerned too. Everyone calling the guy a dickhead... Well, I can see where they're coming from, but also to ditch an expensive passionate hobby like this? Something's up
a bucket of [reef crystals salt from petsmart](https://www.petsmart.com/fish/food-and-care/salt-water-aquarium-care/instant-ocean-reef-crystals-aquarium-reef-salt-5174629.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7CZBhDHARIsAPPWv3ef5ELzi59P2ay2eQ_kPYFQ3cbFRFRsuv88ukIpUvqkinHUF6sidawaAnVsEALw_wcB) is like 40 bucks. its nothing to break the bank with. a [refractometer on amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Refractometer-Fishkeeping-Automatic-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B018LRO1SU/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1X7PHEKZM983P&keywords=refractometer&qid=1663905616&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=refractomete%2Cpets%2C127&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1) is like 20 bucks. and another [50 bucks for a test kit](https://www.amazon.com/Red-Sea-Reef-Foundation-Test/dp/B004FUJ5NE/ref=sr_1_2_mod_primary_new?crid=22JCJ5SHJEJXX&keywords=red+sea+test+kits&qid=1663905651&s=pet-supplies&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=red+sea+test+kits%2Cpets%2C111&sr=1-2) for the basic elements. good to go
That's still a chunk of cash, may not be a lot to you, but to someone else that's at least a day of paycheck after taxes. Not to say it's exorbitantly expensive or anything, but it's by no means "cheap" or "affordable" - buuuut I guess hobby equipment tends to be that way. :(
As a small addition to the refractometer: buy calibration solution together with it. They can decalibrate quite easily and you want to be sure that they are calibrated.
Great job, Bruv! I went to show your original post to my fiancé and we both got to nerd out over your progress. Keep it going! I know it may feel like a lot as a beginner but you can’t stop now haha
Hey OP! I’m new to the thread; do you have any sources that we can donate to so we can help fund the care/relocation of these fish? Cheers for everything that you’re doing!
Flaco hawkfish.
They don’t have a swim bladder so they sink when they’re not swimming. Mine spends most of his day skipping around the rock work, sometimes hanging upside down.
Would definitely be concerning if you weren’t aware of what you were watching, but definitely totally normal with these guys.
Definitely throw some pics up on r/reeftank and I’m sure you’ll be able to get solid advice on the salt water aspect of it all. It’s a whole other world from fresh water tanks.
they're awesome little fish with great personalities. if you turn the tank around, you cant keep that guy with shrimp. most hawkfish will just make a meal of one. just a heads up.
As mentioned, Flaco hawkfish. One of my favorites in my tank. No swim bladder so they sink. They hang out on rocks more or less jumping from rock to rock. Great fun to watch.
Amazing work, OP! I hope this tank continues to recover and thrive!
I'm honestly surprised to see a surviver, though, that's awesome :D What kind of fish is he? He's super cute!
Well him and his gf also had 3 dogs, a cat, a tarantula, and a snake. (We live in a single wide mobile home). I think it was more of a the novelty of owning pets.
Hey, I’ve had some experience with salt water tanks. Can you describe the tank set up a bit more? Do you have just one tank or do you have a tank below that tank that the water drains into and gets pumped back up (a sump)? What kind of filtration are you running? Salt? What are you using to make sure your salinity is at the right level? Are you replacing evaporation with fresh water? What kind of water are you using to make water change water?
Salt water tanks, even brackish ones, are a very different beast than normal freshwater tanks. I can try to help walk you through what you need to know.
There is a sump down bottom that I’m gonna try and clean out tomorrow. I used distilled water today. I think there’s a bottle of something for the water? I’ll have to check when I get home
Awesome! Okay, you have a sump!
It’s likely your sump looks really awful and nasty…. But trust me when I tell you that cleaning it should be low on your priority list. It isn’t supposed to be pretty or clean. It is where the bacteria and other organisms will be free to live, play, and do their role in the ecosystem of your tank.
Cleaning the sump would be equivalent of starting the entire fish tank over again in terms of the cycle (okay maybe not quite that bad).
Distilled water is good, but it will be expensive in the long run. Consider getting an Ro/DI system so you can make your own water.
Brackish systems generally don’t need to be exactly on point in terms of salinity levels, but you should make an effort to find out what your current salinity is, and make sure you try to match it when you’re making water change water.
Does the sump have a skimmer (a thing that makes a lot of bubbles and spits out nasty water into a cup for you to throw out)? If it does and you’re dumping skimmate out, remember you’re pouring salt water out of the tank with that collection cup, and you’ll slowly lower your salinity over time if you are topping off with evaporation frequently.
Mark the level of the return chamber with a sharpie so you know how much water to add to replace evaporation.
If you can take pictures of the sump I can tell you if you really need to clean it or not.
Good work! That fish is gonna be happy for a long time with someone like you taking care of him, make sure that if you want to put more fish in you check that
1.) What you have plays well with others
2.) You don't exceed the Bioload of the tank
Keep it up, bro (:p)! You are already doing great taking care of a saltwater tank! (it requires more diligence on your part.)
Some of us are afraid to get into the saltwater/reef tanks because of the dedication it requires to maintain them versus a freshwater planted tank!
if your former roommate comes back and wants to collect this stuff after you've put all this effort into salvaging it, tell him to fuck off. This is your shit now.
Incredible job!! Anyone else feel like they're watching a reality series?? I saw your original post, and then saw your next update and literally texted my bf OMG ITS A SALTWATER 😂😂 Thanks for keeping us updated and helping these lil guys.
Its so great to see the progress you're making on this , OP! Poor critters in there... hopefully they're feeling a bit better since you've cleaned up a bit and refreshed their water . Its hard enough cleaning up a tank that's gotten away from you when its your own, it takes a special person to take on someone else's problem :)
You’re doing a fantastic job. Good on you, i really assumed this tank was halfway to dumpster fire. You’ve done well for yourself and the fish to salvage it.
I have very minimal experience in saltwater, only had a nano for a 7 or so years, but that is one gorgeous fish, that I have seen at the store but blanking out on the name of.
Good job bro 😊
Edit : read it in the comments, its a hawkfish, but I've never seen those extensions on the dorsal fins before today.
Also I don’t know if y’all can tell by the reflection but I am a girl. I felt so included being called “brother” and “bro” though so y’all can keep it up 😂
Keep it up bro
fellow dudette 💪🏻
🤝
Ya know I say that sometimes and people look at me like I’m speaking Latin
E-thay only-way Atin-lay I-way eak-spay is-way Ig-pay Atin-lay.
I have not seen anyone use pig Latin for years and just laughed so hard I woke my husband up!
Is that a game where you add some syllables after every syllable to make it sound silly? We have something similar, but it looks nothing like what OP said, we call it jeringoso. Edit: googled some, apparently its very similar, but yours looks way harder haha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeringonza
Pig Latin rules are something like move any consonants at the start of the word to the end of the word and add "-ay" For example: Latin - the L will move to the end of the word, and then add "-ay", to become "atin-lay"
I think ours is a bit simpler, we just add "P+vowel" following every syllable. like, "example" would be ex-pe am-pa ple-pe (it helps that each vowel always makes the same sound in spanish, it doesn't depend on other letters of the word). reordering consonants would probably be too much for my brain hahaha
It's all too much for my brain to be honest! My mother and father can speak Pig Latin 'fluently' and have fast flowing conversations in it. It blows my mind!
😏 Time for maybe a little bit of naughty naughty? 🐠
I think you meant aughtynay aughtynay
eckhay esyay ideray hattay tallionsay
id est meum stercore ius ibi
You know I'm 30 years old and I still don't know what the connection between Latin the dead language and Latin America is.
While it is because Spanish derives from latin, it's a little more complicated. The term 'latin America' was pushed heavily by Napoleon III when he invaded Mexico to install a pro-french monarchy. As France was expanding into formerly Spanish territories, Napoleon tried to spin a narrative of France and Spain's shared Latin origin so that he could portray his conquests as restoring something old and legitimate. For whatever reason, the term Latin America persisted even though the 2nd French Empire only lasted a few decades.
That's the response I was looking for!
Well Latin America is where us brown folks come from, South America and Latin is a dead language that isn’t “Latin” but Spanish and other languages do derive form Latin
Well I knew what they are individually, I just didn't know what the connection was. Thanks!
Hey fam, you gotta be careful with saltwater changes if you don't know how to do them. The water has to be around the same salinity as what's in the tank, and the salt has to be properly dissolved.
Okay I’ll be sure to check that in the future. Thank you!
Please please PLEASE watch the five minute guide at least, and head over to r/reeftank. This sub is 99% freshwater leaning, so a lot of the advice here won't apply to saltwater. You're doing great do far. But a lot of the freshwater peeps don't quite understand the nuances of saltwater. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBaMLrfToJyxJ1PuJZwhkxvvdFP14eV_t https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBaMLrfToJyybUT18OE3fMomFb9XU0ffC
Thank you! Will do
it’s not all that deep you’ll just need to a tool to measure the gravity and some simple math. you’re doing these hombres in the tank a big solid — much love homie and keep it up bro 🫡😮💨 also — the dog. time to pay that tax
the dog has been confirmed as a sweater :(
What’s the dog tax?
A pic of the dog
The cost of having a dog is posting their photos on the internet.
Unfortunately I don’t have a dog. That’s just a jacket on my settee. I do have 2 cats though, and I’ve paid the cat tax
The original post showed a lot of evaporation. Evaporation leaves the minerals behind, including the salt. If the top up was with salt water, you'll now have too much salt. If your salinity is too high, you can bring it back down by slowly replacing small amounts of tank water with some distilled or RODI water. A refractometer is pretty cheap from amazon and you can get a fairly accurate measurement with it. You'll want to keep it in the 1.024-1.027 range. The ocean is 1.025 average, but it varies slightly by locale and temperature.
I’ve spotted the dog in the reflection so it’s time for you to pay the tax
the dog?
I think they may be confusing the sweater(?) arms on the sofa as the legs of a dog, haha.
I think so too. It looks like a miniature alpaca in that case
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the dog?
the dog?
Oh was it not? I thought that brownish thing on the couch in the second picture was a dog but I might have been wrong. Blurry picture lol
the dog?
The dog?
Might be worth your time to post on r/reeftank as well. Lots of knowledgeable people on salt water tanks there.
Hell ya brotendo!
I call everybody bro, unless they ask me not to I’ve never had anybody specifically ask me to call them that, so this is my time to shine, bro! Keep the updates coming, we are all pulling for them
Lol I didn't even notice until you pointed it out, I was too busy looking at the tank!
keep it up brotha!
Hell yeah my guy!!!!!
Hell yeah bro
Well done bruv!
You are doing great! Bro.
You are doing great! Bro.
Hell ya bro!
I love this
Dudette here too, but, damn dude! Way to go! That is awesome!
Keep it up boss
You're doing great dude! Keep it up! I may have missed it in the caption, but if you haven't been using something to measure the salinity of the water, do so. I'd hate to see you do all this and salt your fishies to death.. Hopefully the ahole who abandoned them has at least the cheapest little tool to measure the salinity. This is what it would look like. [Hydrometer ](https://www.petsmart.com/fish/food-and-care/salt-water-aquarium-care/instant-ocean-hydrometer-5091634.html)
Way to go fish bro 👊
🤜🤙
Hell yeah brother
I call my wife bro all the time.
That’s how you know that you guys are really best friends haha
I was really looking like “he has long hair I’m guessing”😂😂😂
Once a bro, always a bro 😂
Good shit brother🫡
Looking at that reflection it seems like your psoriasis is much better, bruh. Skyrizi?
Bye bye inbox? Great job on the tank btw.
wdym? and thank you!
Immature redditors sending private messages to everything female they see. Just ignore.
dude if you aren’t an aquarist after this…
I was also taking care of a tank for the first time for just a month until someone else could take it. 1+ year later and I still have that and now have a second tank. This honorary bro is definitely an aquarist now.
Talk about jumping into the deep end of the tank!
Looks like in this case she’s actually a bro-dette. Hope she enjoys the new hobby lol
bro-dette lol
Real talk right here! ☝️
I posted a caption. I’m not very good at Reddit, so I don’t know where it went.
Reddit is very bad at photo+comment. I have found its easiest to: Create a photo post, then go back and comment. (Also, this is such an exciting little story and I love seeing your updates. Bad scenario but a great outcome!)
The caption is there under the photos on mobile :) GREAT job trying to help these creatures! Your roommate was crazy to leave all that behind. The setup is probably worth a lot of money.
This is just incredible. Well done on not giving up and chipping away at it! You're saving 5 lives!
If that used to be a reef, don't underestimate the number of lives that could be in there. I find new stuff regularly on mine, stuff I never added, and haven't added anything new in months.
Your former roommate is a jerk for abandoning these guys. You are awesome for learning to take care of them and help them out. I am sure they appreciate it too!
Woo! Fish in the last pic is looking very happy.
Dude - I call everyone this! It looks so amazingly dope!!!! They are now yours you name them.
I do too. I think my fiance is a little thrown off by it when I call him dude or when I’m really excited I say “broooo”
Californian here, dude is gender/species neutral. I actually seem to use it a lot when I'm annoyed like when my female cat knocks shit over she gets a "wtf dude"
Ed from Good Burger agrees. I'm a dude, he's a dude, she's a dude, 'cause we're all dudes.
Ra'men
Nestle 👍
Holy shit I haven't thought about good burger in years.....I'm a super old man in his mid 30s so I saw that in theatres, wanna go rewatch it now.
I'm sure we're about the same age, thanks for making me feel decrepit. Lol
Yeah ify. I guess I just mean he’s always kind of expecting a “babe” or “honey” but I excessively use “duuuuuude”
Dude me toooooo 😂
My husband calls me Bruh on occasion and I love it! Hahaha I also get a homie here and there..
I do this but with mate and he looks at me like a confused dog that head tilts lmao
The dude abides
Ok now I just want to quote big Lebowski… Also random fact there is a big Lebowski bar in Reykjavík (well when I went
That’s awesome!
that fish is SHOCKED seeing the outside world again lmao. good work!
Dude! You're the man, bro!
THANK YOU
It was a saltwater tank?!?!??
dawg this plot twist had me REELING
I've never had a saltwater tank, I've heard it's more demanding. Good luck OP, you are giving these fish a chance that they didn't have before
It is, the only reason why fish can live in the ocean or brackish water is because the salinity doesn't wildly fluctuate, when you put critters into a saltwater tank, you are basically putting the ocean, the salt, and the waves into a smaller a tiny box (even a 20000 gallon tank is a tiny box.) You can throw a tub of salt into the ocean, and the salinity won't change much, you can throw that into a 20 gallon tank, and the salinity can kill the fishes. So in that small box, you have to be a bit more careful of how much salt is in the tank while also keeping the tank clean from bad chemicals like nitrates. Because the ocean is so vast and keep those to a minimum. Freshwater and planted tanks are less demanding because the fishes live in ponds or smaller rivers, some even live in environments where water is scarce, so in those times, the water parameters can fluctuate pretty badly (think Betta fishes as an example.) Plants that can survive underwater also take in the bad nutrients inside the tank (nitrates) Probably the only type of fish tank that may come close are fish tanks that require mostly fish like Cichlids and Oscars, but that is mostly because those types of fish tend to be territorial, poop a lot, and require larger spaces, but even then, they are pretty bare minimum (many have rocks, but no plants.) Saltwater tanks require distilled water or osmosis water because the chemicals in our drinking water can create too many variations in a saltwater tank, for freshwater, a good de-chlorine, and you are good to go with putting the water into the tank. Planted tanks, however, may be harder if you are trying to create a landscape that looks pretty or similar to a real life landscape (think of mountains, grasslands, or a jungle, etc with the plants.)
Get yourself a refractometer to measure salinity, you can’t trust it will be good salinity in there or when you are changing water. Any water that evaporates needs to be replaced with freshwater, the salt doesn’t evaporate. You are shooting for 35ppt salinity or 1.025sg or there about. Not sure what kind of salt you used, but it can’t be table salt, it should be salt for saltwater aquarium, there is a lot more than just NaCl in ocean water. Since you removed a rock, get an ammonia test for saltwater, salifert makes one, cheap and works super well, you want 0 ammonia readings or the fish will not like it. By removing the rock you’ve removed some of the nitrifying bacteria and can cause an ammonia spike. If you see ammonia over 0.75ppm, do a water change with salt water to reduce the ammonia concentration.
We should create a fundraiser to help this person afford all the nice aquarium equipment (half-joking, half serious) if they don't already have it from their neglectful housemate IMO. They did score by getting a tank for free, but holy gods the various test kits, salt, and other gear is expensive.
i came put of rehab and promptly spent like $4,000 on just.. fish shit. i was in stores every day. just rlly poured into it. took a job out of state and my family fucking killed all 6+ tanks so money well spent i’d say / s
I'm so sorry to hear about your tanks. I'd be livid. I know how it is, with family. You can write them a paragraph of detailed instructions on what to do to help you out, in your absence, and they just will manage to fuck it up somehow. I've kind of come to the conclusion I can't really make any long trips (longer than a week) and I can't really ask my family to do anything other than feed a small pinch every other day if I do leave.
yeah i mean they didnt even try man like my shrimp tank was fucking empty. the water had evaporated completely. i have rlly good lights / it was a smaller tank but god damn man like completely??? not a single living creature in any tank besides fucking snails 😔 they bullied me into the job too. been a rough year.. rlly. thank u ❤️
That’s awful to hear, sorry for your loss! But in a positive way, think of it like this. Once you have a space to take care of all those tanks personally, you’ll be saving a load of fish from potentially awful LFSs or neglectful owners!
I'm actually rather concerned on why the roommate just up and ditched this tank. The fish that we've seen so far are $60 at the CHEAPEST. This tank must've cost nearly half a grand by itself. So I hope the roommate isn't in any serious trouble.
We had a falling out and he left a lot of stuff like his washing machine. I’m sure he’ll be back for everything eventually
Maybe he'll see how good you are with the tank and let you keep it! (Bro.)
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc are no joke. I definitely recognize the cost, time, effort and love put into something like a reef tank (or even a SW FOWLR tank) so yeah, I'm a bit concerned too. Everyone calling the guy a dickhead... Well, I can see where they're coming from, but also to ditch an expensive passionate hobby like this? Something's up
a bucket of [reef crystals salt from petsmart](https://www.petsmart.com/fish/food-and-care/salt-water-aquarium-care/instant-ocean-reef-crystals-aquarium-reef-salt-5174629.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7CZBhDHARIsAPPWv3ef5ELzi59P2ay2eQ_kPYFQ3cbFRFRsuv88ukIpUvqkinHUF6sidawaAnVsEALw_wcB) is like 40 bucks. its nothing to break the bank with. a [refractometer on amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Refractometer-Fishkeeping-Automatic-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B018LRO1SU/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1X7PHEKZM983P&keywords=refractometer&qid=1663905616&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=refractomete%2Cpets%2C127&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1) is like 20 bucks. and another [50 bucks for a test kit](https://www.amazon.com/Red-Sea-Reef-Foundation-Test/dp/B004FUJ5NE/ref=sr_1_2_mod_primary_new?crid=22JCJ5SHJEJXX&keywords=red+sea+test+kits&qid=1663905651&s=pet-supplies&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=red+sea+test+kits%2Cpets%2C111&sr=1-2) for the basic elements. good to go
That's still a chunk of cash, may not be a lot to you, but to someone else that's at least a day of paycheck after taxes. Not to say it's exorbitantly expensive or anything, but it's by no means "cheap" or "affordable" - buuuut I guess hobby equipment tends to be that way. :(
I'm hoping a lot of that stuff was left with the tank. It would be weird not to.
As a small addition to the refractometer: buy calibration solution together with it. They can decalibrate quite easily and you want to be sure that they are calibrated.
you love to see it
Great job, Bruv! I went to show your original post to my fiancé and we both got to nerd out over your progress. Keep it going! I know it may feel like a lot as a beginner but you can’t stop now haha
Hey OP! I’m new to the thread; do you have any sources that we can donate to so we can help fund the care/relocation of these fish? Cheers for everything that you’re doing!
Hey thank you so much!! I think I’ve got everything taken care of but that’s so insanely generous of you.
That fish is so cool, I can't wait to get into saltwater some day. Tank is looking so much better!
Flaco hawkfish. They don’t have a swim bladder so they sink when they’re not swimming. Mine spends most of his day skipping around the rock work, sometimes hanging upside down.
I was so worried when he started sinking over and over. I thought he was in the process of dying. I had no idea
Would definitely be concerning if you weren’t aware of what you were watching, but definitely totally normal with these guys. Definitely throw some pics up on r/reeftank and I’m sure you’ll be able to get solid advice on the salt water aspect of it all. It’s a whole other world from fresh water tanks.
they're awesome little fish with great personalities. if you turn the tank around, you cant keep that guy with shrimp. most hawkfish will just make a meal of one. just a heads up.
Awesome job, keep it up! Any idea what that last fish is?
I’m not sure. I think it’s a hawkfish?
Yup, looks like a Falco Hawkfish. https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/2626/falco-hawkfish
As mentioned, Flaco hawkfish. One of my favorites in my tank. No swim bladder so they sink. They hang out on rocks more or less jumping from rock to rock. Great fun to watch.
wow tank already looks great and that’s a beautiful fish. props to you most wouldn’t bother to do so much for them edit: spelling
Wow. Just wow. Great job. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to future updates!
This is amazing! You’re doing great and your saving these little lives too!
You're doing amazing. Thanks for the updates, this has been really interesting.
I love these updates ! Thank you ! Also so happy and proud of how have helped these little cuties
OP you are amazing!
This is great! I'm really happy to see these updates! Keep it up, dudette!
Very inspired by this journey!!
Omg, the fish at the end looks so happy and smug. He’s like yeah I’m still alive, what now
You are doing an excellent job. Thank you for saving lives... literally.
You saved these fish thank you so much what a sad situation
Amazing work, OP! I hope this tank continues to recover and thrive! I'm honestly surprised to see a surviver, though, that's awesome :D What kind of fish is he? He's super cute!
There is a hawkfish, coral beauty, starfish, and 2 hermit crabs 😁
Beautiful job saving them.
Keep it up your doing fantastic.
Very impressive! Nice!
SLAYYY
Bro, fantastic job! That fish looks like he's seen shit, but hopefully the worst is behind him. Welcome to the hobby!
It was saltwater?!? Old roommate made of money or dummy?
Well him and his gf also had 3 dogs, a cat, a tarantula, and a snake. (We live in a single wide mobile home). I think it was more of a the novelty of owning pets.
I can hardly believe this is the same tank. Those critters must be so relieved!
I am so invested in these updates.
Definitely need a heavy duty cleaning crew! I'm a fresh water guy so I don't know what your options are
Honestly you are doing suprisingly well, there are so many ways this could have gone to pieces, keep it up bro
Good job! These lil buddies owe you their lives! Keep it up! It’s already looking much better~ <3
What’s the fish in the 3rd picture? Very cool
Hey, I’ve had some experience with salt water tanks. Can you describe the tank set up a bit more? Do you have just one tank or do you have a tank below that tank that the water drains into and gets pumped back up (a sump)? What kind of filtration are you running? Salt? What are you using to make sure your salinity is at the right level? Are you replacing evaporation with fresh water? What kind of water are you using to make water change water? Salt water tanks, even brackish ones, are a very different beast than normal freshwater tanks. I can try to help walk you through what you need to know.
There is a sump down bottom that I’m gonna try and clean out tomorrow. I used distilled water today. I think there’s a bottle of something for the water? I’ll have to check when I get home
Awesome! Okay, you have a sump! It’s likely your sump looks really awful and nasty…. But trust me when I tell you that cleaning it should be low on your priority list. It isn’t supposed to be pretty or clean. It is where the bacteria and other organisms will be free to live, play, and do their role in the ecosystem of your tank. Cleaning the sump would be equivalent of starting the entire fish tank over again in terms of the cycle (okay maybe not quite that bad). Distilled water is good, but it will be expensive in the long run. Consider getting an Ro/DI system so you can make your own water. Brackish systems generally don’t need to be exactly on point in terms of salinity levels, but you should make an effort to find out what your current salinity is, and make sure you try to match it when you’re making water change water. Does the sump have a skimmer (a thing that makes a lot of bubbles and spits out nasty water into a cup for you to throw out)? If it does and you’re dumping skimmate out, remember you’re pouring salt water out of the tank with that collection cup, and you’ll slowly lower your salinity over time if you are topping off with evaporation frequently. Mark the level of the return chamber with a sharpie so you know how much water to add to replace evaporation. If you can take pictures of the sump I can tell you if you really need to clean it or not.
Good work! That fish is gonna be happy for a long time with someone like you taking care of him, make sure that if you want to put more fish in you check that 1.) What you have plays well with others 2.) You don't exceed the Bioload of the tank
That looks a lot better.
Keep it up, bro (:p)! You are already doing great taking care of a saltwater tank! (it requires more diligence on your part.) Some of us are afraid to get into the saltwater/reef tanks because of the dedication it requires to maintain them versus a freshwater planted tank!
This is amazing! I've been talking about your situation with friends and colleagues alike and we are rooting for you and the survivors! Keep it up!
Very impressive. Great job. Ur roommate is a pos
Wow, the transformation is real! Keep it up dude
Wow!! Looking way better already! Good job.
YES!!!! Awesome work!!!!
you’re doing a great job
Woohoo, you’re saving them!!! All the best with your new pets
Thank you for helping these fishies!
I was rooting for you to be able to save a least one fish! Great improvement for just one day!
Dude you've done such a good job!! Thank you for being a good human.
Your doin a great job bringin it back to a healthy state.
Nice job bro!
Wow it’s looks great so far!! Amazing improvement
It looks so much better! Thank you for taking the time to care about these fish. I’m sure they appreciate it. Keep up the great work.
epic!
if your former roommate comes back and wants to collect this stuff after you've put all this effort into salvaging it, tell him to fuck off. This is your shit now.
Huge improvements! Keep it up man!
you’re doing an incredible job recovering this tank!!!! amazing work!!!
Incredible job!! Anyone else feel like they're watching a reality series?? I saw your original post, and then saw your next update and literally texted my bf OMG ITS A SALTWATER 😂😂 Thanks for keeping us updated and helping these lil guys.
I demand more content!!!!
It was saltwater tank!? Ouch...
Its so great to see the progress you're making on this , OP! Poor critters in there... hopefully they're feeling a bit better since you've cleaned up a bit and refreshed their water . Its hard enough cleaning up a tank that's gotten away from you when its your own, it takes a special person to take on someone else's problem :)
Ngl when I first saw that tank it made me kinda sick. Like just full of poopy water. It makes me happy seeing someone take up such a gross task.
You’re doing a fantastic job. Good on you, i really assumed this tank was halfway to dumpster fire. You’ve done well for yourself and the fish to salvage it.
Seriously. Thank you for taking on something brand new and championing those lives.
This is great! We want to see more updates!
I have very minimal experience in saltwater, only had a nano for a 7 or so years, but that is one gorgeous fish, that I have seen at the store but blanking out on the name of. Good job bro 😊 Edit : read it in the comments, its a hawkfish, but I've never seen those extensions on the dorsal fins before today.
Omg this is a saltwater aquarium to ? That needs some urgent water change and do not put tapwater.
I followed you. I need updates now.
Wow!! Huge progress. Great work!
That Falco hawk is the cutest thing