AmQuel killing octos?

[socal_saltwater]

a LFS owner told me to be careful with AmQuel as he heard of octo owners losing octos when using AmQuel.

i rarely use it and follow the instructions - mainly to make sure the tank has proper ventillation for 1 hour after using (i.e. no cover i would assume).

can anyone verify this or have any other good evidence? should i not even use AmQuel when doing water changes? thanks!

 

[cthulhu77]

Do not use that stuff. It stresses out the inverts like crazy.

 

[socal_saltwater]

wow...i'll definitely stop...i think water changes are the best, eh? but....is there such a thing as TOO many water changes or replacing TOO much water?

i mean, would it remove any of the beneficial bacteria or is all of that stored in the sand/rocks/ceramic rings?

thx for the tip on the AmQuel!

 

[cuttlegirl]

What kind of water are you using to make salt water? If possible, it should be RO/DI water.

 

[cthulhu77]

Why don't you just do regular water changes, as per reef tank...with a good skimmer running, the water quality is just fine. ( 0 ppm ammonia, etc.)

Like Cuttlegirl says, make sure you start out with good water too. I bought service with a water company that brings as much as I can use (fresh) to the door every two weeks...non chlorinated, etc, so using that to make the salt water is easy and quick. Another option would be to ask your lfs if they will sell you stock water from their reef tank system, as long as it is healthy.

 

[socal_saltwater]

oh i buy saltwater from a LFS or i make my own using RO water and letting the mix sit overnight as per the instructions on the salt bag.

i just was throwing around the theory with a LFS guy, about how removing TOO much water could potentially be bad since you want the good bacteria...

 

[cthulhu77]

Unless you have a "crash", I wouldn't recommend doing more than a 20% at any time...in fact, I prefer 10%'s more often...it seems to keep the fluctuations down.