Copper in My Salt

[girlfish]

Hi- I know how even trace elements of copper can hurt an octopus, and I use Tropic Marin salt (with my R/O filter) to make my water. Although my copper tests come out clear, I notice that copper is listed on the Tropic Marin salt box, so it's basically in there- how can this be okay? So many people use this salt and it's supposed to be the best- what should I do?

Thanks,
Lisa

 

[tonmo]

Hi Girlfish! Welcome to the Message Board!

I see your sig file... there is a way you can explain more, you know... Post your tank and ceph details in the OCTO database!

Someone wiser than I will soon respond to your question re: your salt...

 

[Colin]

Hi, welcome from me too

All of those elements that are listed in Tropic Marin salt are in sea water... its the concentartion that is the important thing! The boxes and buckets label about 50 different elements from arsenic to zinc and as long as they are in the right doses its not harmful.

I have used tropic marin for over 10 years and swear by it! (wished i got paid for that )

Hope you add to the database too

C

 

[rrtanton]

Hey Girlfish...thanks for asking this! I kinda figured it was just "trace elements" but I recently purchased some calcium additives for the tank which also listed copper. It's specifically intended for coralkeeping, and of course they don't like copper either, so I had to assume it was just listed for completeness, but I still was a bit nervous...

Colin...you like Tropic Marin a lot. Why? Is it more just a subjective thing, or have you noticed specific benefits, or problems with other salts that you've not had with it? I've had great difficulty finding any solid reviews of salt mixes...I've been relying on Instant Ocean so far. Yet surely, some salts are better than others... :?

rusty

 

[girlfish]

Thank you so much- because I was worried about it.
Is there any way to change my "quote" or info at the bottom of all my posts? I didn't know that wouls show every time. I also tried to tell more about myself in the Octo Database but it cut off most of what I wrote there too.
In short, after being obsessed with octos as a diver, with books, videos, and I even drove from Fort Worth to Galveston to visit the NRCC (so cool!)...I saw a baby octopus at a pet store and all I could say was "Do you take VISA??" ...Funny, I've been saying that continually for 6 months ....I had never had a salt water aquarium so the odds were against me. But Tako, the Bali octopus, and I were a good team. He just dies of that natural senescence yesterday. It was sad and broke my heart. I was SO relieved when I read about this here on TONMO because I thought I had done something, even though I knew it was about the right time for him. His symptoms were EXACTLY the ones for senescence.....He surpassed my expectations as a pet, and as an octopus. They are even more amazing than I knew before I had one. Practically in tears, (over a mollusk that most people order for dinner or throw out at hockey games) I called Jack at Fish Supply yesterday and he has baby bimacs now. Hmmm....guess I'll keep going and open my sad heart to another. I'm buying a protein skimmer today. I have two powerful Penguin filters on my 75 gallon and a powerful airpump already.
I have little caves and pipe ornaments and liverock too. Well, I'm getting my tank ready for the great BIMACULOIDES!

 

[rrtanton]

Then an even more hearty "Welcome," Girlfish. You have most definitely come to the right place. Sorry to hear of your loss...yeah, it's part of cephkeeping. How large was your Bali? From what I've heard, they're somewhat bigger than a bimac. Sounds like you have a good octo tank with your 75 gallon, and that skimmer will be a nice addition. I just finished upgrading my tank with a sump, myself...what a nice mix of struggling, cursing, panic and satisfaction THAT was!

Regarding your sig line...you can edit that by going into your profile. On the message board screen (not the main homepage) you'll see a box at the top next to the logo, with many options listed. One of those is "profile." Click that, and you should be able to make any changes you want. I THINK the changes you make affect the whole site--that is, if you change your avatar image or your sigline, all previous posts you made, as well as new ones, have those new items instead of the old ones. I think. Maybe. If you're actually having problems typing any text at all into your profile or the tank description...I dunno...that would be more Tony's expertise. I know he's working on upgrading the tank database.

rusty

 

[tonmo]

...Is there any way to change my "quote" or info at the bottom of all my posts? I didn't know that wouls show every time. I also tried to tell more about myself in the Octo Database but it cut off most of what I wrote there too.

Sorry about all the limitations... I will be fixing that limitation issue in the OCTO database as soon as possible.

For your "quote" info (which is called a "signature"), you can change that by editing your profile. Click the Profile link in the upper right hand corner of the screen, or simply click here.

 

[cthulhu77]

Keep going with the cephs...yeah, it is heartbreaking each time. I feel the same way about my orchid mantises...only live for a year or so. bummer. re: tropic marin...I use this salt also, and I can tell you if you try it vs. Instant Ocean, you will be impressed! IO or RedSea aren't bad, but the mixing time is annoying...TM dissolves almost instantly, and has a better balance of additives, in my opinion...see if your dealer can get the 5 gallon pails of it for you...you will save serious coin over the bags!
Greg

 

[Colin]

As greg says, rusty...
The TM salt dissolves much faster than others i have tried.

and in emergencies i have mixed a batch of salt and added it withing 10 - 20 mins!!!! I get the 200gal buckets and that does a looong time

I think that all the Balis i have seen have been much smaller than bimacs... longer arms by far but a much smaller mantle size.

girlfish...

glad to have you onboard

colin

 

[rrtanton]

Oh...hehe...I thought balis were bigger...must've been thinking of something else... THanks for the salt advice. What does Tropic Marin run...a bit pricey? Maybe more important for me would be finding it...no stores nearby carry it, that I know of, though maybe they could order it.

rusty

 

[girlfish]

My Bali octopus (by the way, IS there an actual species name, because no one seems to know- everyone just calls it the Bali octopus) was maybe a foot in length tentacle tip to tentacle tip. His mantle was about 2 inches in diameter. He textured beautifully. He could look like tiny soft corals had sprouted up all over his body- very funny. Mine was a tough little guy. He was not ordered by the pet store. He accidentally hitched a ride in a shipment of corals and fish from Bali, and when the pet store opened up the shipment, they had him as a surprise, so they put him up for sale. He was about 3 inches in diameter, if he spread out, when I got him- anybody have an idea as to his age, going by that measurement?

 

[Colin]

rusty, no prob mate.. sorry if i caused blushes

Em, its a kinda middle of the road price, not the most expensive... a 200 gal bucket retails at about £50 - £60??? or thereabouts?

Fishgirl,

there are a few species that commonly come from bali. Sometimes they are pygmies like Octopus bocki, aegina, exannulatus and wolfi to name a few...

The long arm ones could be species like aculeatus or other members of the horridus complex?

have a look at this pic of one i had http://www.geocities.com/octomonkeymadness/longarms.html and on my post here... http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=220

not the best of pics but is that similar?

C

 

[girlfish]

That's him Colin!! - That's my little Tako! He was so cool. I'm glad to finally know what he was because I couldn't find him in my book "Cephalopods A World Guide." I say he was a male because he had the two enlarged suckers- isn't that right?

girlfish

 

[girlfish]

Colin- I was reading your posts about yours and mine did all the same. I thought all octopuses could texture like that. I have many pictures of him doing his tiny leafy thing and so much video. (I will have my boyfriend, the computer genius, scan them in) Tako was out a lot during the day and he could blend into anything- any texture, pattern, etc. He had those long thin arms. He loved to hang out on the glass, going up and down and all over, so the shot of yours with its underneath facing you with all his suckers was the familiar sight I saw for months! His home was in the sand at the base of some live rock. He never tried to escape, although he would stick his eyes and a tentacle out of the water. That made me nervous but then I got used to it and trusted that he didn't really want out, maybe just curious. I wanted another one, but since he wasn't ordered by the pet store (he was found unexpectedly in a shipment) I wasn't sure they could get another and bimacs were recommended. Tako gave me many hours of total enthrallment.

 

[tonmo]

Sounds great girlfish! Send over any images or video that you'd like added to our Ceph Multimedia galleries and get them up! Of course, you can attach files to posts here as well. Looking forward to seeing those textures...