Calcium Reactors and Denitrators

[Marlin]

Hi all,

- Now that my 3 x 2 x 2 is already up Can anyone advise :
1) Function of a Calcium Reactor
i) Is it necessary to have one ?
ii) Where can I get one in S'pore
iii) How much does a CR cost ?

2) Denitrators (To reduce Nitrate Levels)
i) Does that mean I can eliminate the idea of changing seawater ?
ii) How does it works actually ?
iii) Cost and Brand of a Denitrator
iv) Where can I get one ?
v) Necessary to have one ?

- I saw some of the products from the undermentioned website,
http://www.championlighting.com

- Aside, is there any Brimpshrimps (Live) that are actually meant for seawater ? I saw some at Petmart, but I guessed they are for Freshwater. Anyone can share how to breed seawater Brimpshrimps ?

Thanks
Marlin

[Marlin]

Hi all,

- Now that my 3 x 2 x 2 is already up Can anyone advise :
1) Function of a Calcium Reactor
i) Is it necessary to have one ?
ii) Where can I get one in S'pore
iii) How much does a CR cost ?

2) Denitrators (To reduce Nitrate Levels)
i) Does that mean I can eliminate the idea of changing seawater ?
ii) How does it works actually ?
iii) Cost and Brand of a Denitrator
iv) Where can I get one ?
v) Necessary to have one ?

- I saw some of the products from the undermentioned website,
http://www.championlighting.com

- Aside, is there any Brimpshrimps (Live) that are actually meant for seawater ? I saw some at Petmart, but I guessed they are for Freshwater. Anyone can share how to breed seawater Brimpshrimps ?

Thanks
Marlin

[Marlin]

Hi all,

- Now that my 3 x 2 x 2 is already up Can anyone advise :
1) Function of a Calcium Reactor
i) Is it necessary to have one ?
ii) Where can I get one in S'pore
iii) How much does a CR cost ?

2) Denitrators (To reduce Nitrate Levels)
i) Does that mean I can eliminate the idea of changing seawater ?
ii) How does it works actually ?
iii) Cost and Brand of a Denitrator
iv) Where can I get one ?
v) Necessary to have one ?

- I saw some of the products from the undermentioned website,
http://www.championlighting.com

- Aside, is there any Brimpshrimps (Live) that are actually meant for seawater ? I saw some at Petmart, but I guessed they are for Freshwater. Anyone can share how to breed seawater Brimpshrimps ?

Thanks
Marlin

[Marlin]

Hi all,

- Now that my 3 x 2 x 2 is already up Can anyone advise :
1) Function of a Calcium Reactor
i) Is it necessary to have one ?
ii) Where can I get one in S'pore
iii) How much does a CR cost ?

2) Denitrators (To reduce Nitrate Levels)
i) Does that mean I can eliminate the idea of changing seawater ?
ii) How does it works actually ?
iii) Cost and Brand of a Denitrator
iv) Where can I get one ?
v) Necessary to have one ?

- I saw some of the products from the undermentioned website,
http://www.championlighting.com

- Aside, is there any Brimpshrimps (Live) that are actually meant for seawater ? I saw some at Petmart, but I guessed they are for Freshwater. Anyone can share how to breed seawater Brimpshrimps ?

Thanks
Marlin

[kelstorm]

1) Function of a Calcium Reactor
i) Is it necessary to have one ?
ii) Where can I get one in S'pore
iii) How much does a CR cost ?

CR is often used in tanks with hard corals.. which provides calcium supplements for them.. unless u are having hard corals, there is hardly any requirement for it... just normal dosing of kalkwasser will do.. as for price wise, i dun really have an idea coz me dun have use of it

2) Denitrators (To reduce Nitrate Levels)
i) Does that mean I can eliminate the idea of changing seawater ?
ii) How does it works actually ?
iii) Cost and Brand of a Denitrator
iv) Where can I get one ?
v) Necessary to have one ?
nope.. u still need to change water due to the depletion of necessary additives.. so far, i have only seen one brand called SERA.. but i dun know how much it cost.. and what other brands there might be..

- Aside, is there any Brimpshrimps (Live) that are actually meant for seawater ? I saw some at Petmart, but I guessed they are for Freshwater. Anyone can share how to breed seawater Brimpshrimps ?
brineshrimps are naturally for SW..

[Spiff]

1) Function of a Calcium Reactor
i) Is it necessary to have one ?
ii) Where can I get one in S'pore
iii) How much does a CR cost ?

1) kel jus answered.
i) nope...u can dose calcium hydroxide(kalkwasser) or calcium chloride
ii)u can get CRs from pac marine or aquamart
iii)cheapest can get from pac marine for abt $100+ but dosent come wif media. cheapest from aquamart is $220, comes wif media. price of CRs can range from $100-500 depending on size

[bawater]

marlin,

adult Brine Shrimp u seen in petmart(as kel said is SW)the salinity of the water packed together is 1.026. A $3 pack actually has quite a lot*20g of BS w/o water to be exact*(u can save some for the next day by leaving a little in a guppy trap in the tank, a few will die but most stay alive to be fed the next day).
It is a little EX$ - 20g for $3 but once in a while is ok- i buy 3 pkts a week.
They are delivered abt 11am so-only buy if they still alive in the pack when u get them-they can last abt 12hrs-15hrs in those packs.
i know K&K @Tamp. will sell leftover day old packs(70% dead). u can tell by the water.

Do not pour the whole pack into tnk- use a strainer(any kitchen sieve will do)to drain pack & feed the adult BS.
The water it comes along is polluted.

Although adult BS hasn't got the fats & protein BBS has- they do contain many essential amino acids for the overall well being of ur fish- if used in a varied diet & not fed exclusively.

[kelstorm]

i recall that mysis shrimps is much better.. but they come in frozen cubes...

[DragonGoby]

Yep, Kel's rite - Mysis are high in fat and HUFAs. Brine shrimp on the other hand are high in protein, but the live ones should first be gut-loaded or enriched prior to feeding. I store adult Artemia in the fridge for up to 3 days with 0% mortality, so you could try this. But remember to add a pinch of spirulina powder or something to the water to give them something to eat, or else they'll be like swimming zombies - live but with almost zero nutritional value.

Regards,
Hong Yee

[Marlin]

Hi Kelstorm (The Dark one , Spiff (Wondering what does Spiff means ?, Bawater (Does it actually comes with a 'y', Baywater ? , DragonGoby (Is it the same as Lion Fish or Scorpion Fish ?),

- Thanks alot for your valuable informations !! Know I know that the BS are actually packed in Salinity water and I even know that the water comes with it is polluted ! Thanks for recommending a solution for filtering out the BS ! But, I have also seen BS in small eggs form where you will need aeration to breed them overnight, does that also works in salinity waters ?

- Guys, I guessed the effort you spent in the Marine Tanks is of no less than mine Naturally, I wants to give them the best I can afford That is why I am asking stuffs such as CR and Denitrators etc Anyway, how often do you guys change the seawater and by roughly how much ? (20%) ?

* Simon, have you uploaded the pictures so that I can share with the rest of the ppl ? Thanks for your effort

Cheers
Marlin

[bawater]

marlin- the eggs hatch within 24hrs if u bubble them with saltwater- 1.025 . they are smaller than 1 mm each(counted in microns). usually used for raising young fishes. u can also feed it to ur tank if its eaten.
Dragon- i've been feeding a mixture i made of a teaspoon of yeast,powdered some old flake food,a dash of tetra liquid fry no.1 & a dash of liquid fry marine which contains pea flower. sort of works but i'm gonna add some milk powder & maybe soy powder in my next batch.
Mixed & strained thru a coffee filter- liquid kept in old medicine bottles in fridge.
Will cost me abt $40 to order a 8oz pack of spirulina poweder from brine shrimp direct in US.Not worth- but i'm thinkin abt it.went to GNC & they have liquid @$25 but got flavourings.
yep kel- i'm using frozen mysis too but it takes a while to get fishes to eat it, then only in small amounts.
i only started using Live BS when i got seahorses- otherwise i stick to frozen.

[Marlin]

Hi Draggon Goby,

I don't really get what you meant by :

'Brine shrimp on the other hand are high in protein, but the live ones should first be gut-loaded or enriched prior to feeding. I store adult Artemia in the fridge for up to 3 days with 0% mortality, so you could try this. But remember to add a pinch of spirulina powder or something to the water to give them something to eat, or else they'll be like swimming zombies - live but with almost zero nutritional value.'

1) What do you mean when you say that the Live Brineshrimps should first be gut-loaded ? Are you saying when we buy the Brineshrimps back, we should first feed them ?

2) What is an adult Artemia ?

3) What is a spirulina powder ?

Thanks
Marlin

[narkosis]

Marlin,

Only freshly hatched brine shrimp (Artemia) are nutritious, since the yolk sac is still there. Adult brine shrimp (Artemia, see (2)) are mostly skeleton and water, so you need to "enrich" them first with something that is nutritious such as spirulina (3).

[DragonGoby]

Hi,

>1) What do you mean when you say that the Live Brineshrimps should first be gut-loaded ? Are you saying when we buy the Brineshrimps back, we should first feed them ?

If you're not going to feed them to fish straightaway, then it's best if you feed the shrimp a few hrs prior to throwing them to the fish. What happens is that they are non-selective filter feeders, so whatever they take in will remain in them for some time(hence the term "gut-load&quot and get eaten by fish. This is especially important since some nutrients such as HUFAs and other oils don't usually get included in pre-made fish food, so feeding brine shrimp that is gut-loaded with these will work well for introducing these oils into their diets.

>2) What is an adult Artemia ?

Brine shrimp are Artemia species, most of the time Artemia salina.

>3) What is a spirulina powder ?

It's a powdered form of a marine microalga that is supposedly rich in HUFAs and contains almost all (or was it all?) of the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be synthesised by organisms on their own, and therefore must be taken in through their diet. HUFAs are belived to be essential to marine organism's overall health, and may prevent lateral line disease. These fats are also present in fish oils, but mixing in stuff like cod liver oil into, say, home-made frozen foods can result in the oils diffusing out and ending up on the water surface - so spirulina is one of those easier options out.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Hong Yee