Lots of questions

[shrimpnoobie]

Hi guys!
So I set up my tank three days ago. It is cycling, and my goal is to add my opae ula from my ecosphere. I read A LOT before setting up this tank but I still have some questions and need some reassurance.

Overall cleanliness of my tank: I have some lava rocks in my tank (which is 3 gallons). All I did was wash them with distilled water before I put them in. I read in a different guide that that was fine. Now I'm reading people boil their rocks and bleach them. . . Did I do enough? Furthermore, when I set my tank up I had to reach back in several times for stuff. I always washed my hands before. One time I simply used a wooden spoon. And of course, I have a salinity reader from Instant Ocean that went in there a few times initially as I was trying to get the salt levels right. I rinse EVERYTHING with distilled water before I put it into my tank. Is this too much contamination? Should I just start over with fresh stuff.

Also now three days later I see lots of bubbles on the walls of my tank. I read somewhere that this could be due to too much sand. My sand is not alive. It is Supernaturals white sand. I did kinda put a lot about 3 inches or 4. I read now that all you need is 2-3cm. Is that gonna be a problem?

Background about my tank if it helps: 2.7 gallons with supernatural white sand, instant ocean salt, distilled baby water from grocery store, 1/2 egg shell, and Lavarocks from a pet shop/home depot. I would like to add algea about one week after I start cycling, Malaysian trumpet snails about two weeks after, and the shrimp a month after, or when the algea looks good. If my trumpet snails are happy, does that mean my shrimp will be? (As in, does that mean the nitrates in my tank are minimal to none and the pH is ok?)

THANK YOU for reading all this (-:

[Super Jess]

Everything will be ok!

A thorough rinse with distilled water is fine for your rocks, and it sounds like you were very careful to have clean hands every time you reached into your tank. Clean, rinsed wooden spoon should also be ok--I often use clean chopsticks in my tank and have no problems.

The bubbles are ok, too. They will just disappear over several days.

The thing with sand is you want your snails to be able to burrow around all the way to the bottom so mucky stuff doesn't build up down there and cause a problem. I think I'd make it no more than 2 inches.

You can go ahead and order your algae and snails, and just dump them in with their bag water when they arrive! They are tough and will help add beneficial bacteria that will help your tank cycle.

As crazy as it sounds, Mustafa's set-it-and-forget-it method really is the most reliable way to healthy, happy shrimp. Visible algae is the surest sign that your tank is ready for shrimp.

Good luck! Your shrimp are going to love it. Post a pic of your tank if you can

[shrimpnoobie]

I know, I know! Trust me, I am doing my best to put it in the back of my mind, but I'm sure you can relate haha. I'm gonna try and and scoop some sand out with some nice and clean thing. Thanks for the input (-:

[Super Jess]

I can definitely relate! The hands-off part is the hardest

[i<3Opae]

I'm always happy for new Opae Ula owners who read up before setting up their tanks! Everything sounds normal except for the sand depth. Since you're already planning on thinning it out, I won't say more! Um there isn't anyway to tell whether the snails or shrimp are *happy* (I wish there were), because they exhibit different behavior based on a lot of factors which are specific to your tank and the tank's surroundings. So I would follow the algae rule as for when you can add shrimp to your tank. And just in case you really wanna know if they're happy or not, if they're reproducing, they are doing well!

[SuperProofer]

This all looks good to me with the exception of one thing. I'm not an expert here yet, but I'm a little weary of the baby water. It's my understanding that they take distilled water and add several minerals to it (mostly for taste) to create it. Calcium would be fine I'm guessing but the magnesium and potassium I would question. Maybe someone who knows for sure can jump in here?

Additionally, the directions on baby water say to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days. Not sure if goes bad or what, but seems like a very short time frame vs regular distilled water. Using it in a room-temperature tank in perpetuity might not be ideal. Just something to consider.

[SuperProofer]

For scooping out the sand you could try a soup ladle.

[shrimpnoobie]

This all looks good to me with the exception of one thing. I'm not an expert here yet, but I'm a little weary of the baby water. It's my understanding that they take distilled water and add several minerals to it (mostly for taste) to create it. Calcium would be fine I'm guessing but the magnesium and potassium I would question. Maybe someone who knows for sure can jump in here?

Additionally, the directions on baby water say to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days. Not sure if goes bad or what, but seems like a very short time frame vs regular distilled water. Using it in a room-temperature tank in perpetuity might not be ideal. Just something to consider.

Hey! I hope this is the correct way to reply to someone, as I am new to this forum. Interesting point about the baby water. . . I picked it because it was the only water that said "purified using reverse osmosis or distillation". They have normal distilled at my grocery store obviously, but I was trying to get as close to RO as possible. These are the ingredients: purified water, less than 0.5% of mag sulfate, potassium bicarb, calcium chloride. It is Gerber. My local pet stores do not carry RO water. Maybe someone can comment what brand of bottled water or distilled they used so I can buy exactly that brand? Thanks for pointing that out! I really want everything to go right here, as I am going through so much to make sure these babies have a good home after being released from the ecosphere. And I was planning to use a soup ladle haha!

Another thought about the baby water as I am typing this, the refrigeration may just be to inhibit bacteria. Since babies do not have the most developed immune system, it could be a concern for them. But for my awesome shrimp, maybe not?

[shrimpnoobie]

I'm always happy for new Opae Ula owners who read up before setting up their tanks! Everything sounds normal except for the sand depth. Since you're already planning on thinning it out, I won't say more! Um there isn't anyway to tell whether the snails or shrimp are *happy* (I wish there were), because they exhibit different behavior based on a lot of factors which are specific to your tank and the tank's surroundings. So I would follow the algae rule as for when you can add shrimp to your tank. And just in case you really wanna know if they're happy or not, if they're reproducing, they are doing well!

Thanks for your reply (-: I do hope they breed so they can have buddies. The ecosphere only comes with four and I read they were very social. If they don't within like four months (maybe because they're all the same gender), I'll just buy some from Mustafa. Hopefully I'll get some baby action then when I add Mustafa's shrimp.

[i<3Opae]

As you probably have read on this forum, breeding timeline can vary from owner to owner, or tank to tank. It all depends on the water conditions. Four months is a good time frame, if you just let the tank be. 3 gallons is good for hundreds of shrimp. Adding more will definitely be more fun, it won’t promote breeding activity even though it would no doubt increase the probability than 4 shrimp.

[SuperProofer]

This is the brand I use. Although I think any store distilled water would be just fine.

[Super Jess]

Oohhh I didn't catch the baby water part. I'm not familiar with it, but I use just regular old grocery store distilled water. I've used Arrow brand and Poland Spring, or really whatever is cheapest, with no problems

The refrigeration warning is probably just a precaution because it's for babies, and their immune systems aren't developed enough to deal with the kinds of bacterial levels that normal adult systems don't even blink at. Refrigeration will slow the growth of anything that sneaks in once the seal is broken.

I agree with Superproofer that the mineral content of the baby water might be a concern, but I don't know for sure. I would dump and go for cheap normal distilled.

[SuperProofer]

Another tip too: I always do a "dry run" (pun intended) with my decor. I set the tank up the way I want it, move things around and get it just right before I put the water in. Then I don't have to keep sticking my hands in after the fact. After that, I use long tweezers if I absolutely have to get in there. But then again, my jars are so small I can't get my hands in there anyways. Lol! With a bigger tank, I'd still do the dry run.

[Varanus]

I've always just used the generic "Great Value" distilled water at Walmart. Years down the line and haven't had any issues.

[shrimpnoobie]

Thanks for all your replies guys. YES I do do a "dry run" but this is my first tank and I kept wanting to fix stuff! I just finished re-setting it up. Not touching anything this time (-: I bought a normal super generic distilled from my local grocer. Thank you!