Clear water battle

[tonymofo]

Here is a pic when I built my new stand. That XP3 is a nice price. I wish the days of $50 AC110s still existed.

Sometimes you can get lucky!. I recently printed out a old fosters & smith page that I searched for here on MFK. The AC110 was $47.99. I called up to Petsmart and asked if they would price match and they said yes!! I picked up 2 AC110's and headed to the register and showed the lady the foster & smith paper I printed out and she said no when can't do this, it's taking more than half off. I told her I talked to manager 10 minutes ago so she called him. The manager walked up to the register and the cashier starts to complain on how can we do this and the manager screamed at her to shut up and just do it. That was 2 weeks ago. Since then I have bought 2 more aquaclear 110's for $47.99 each and 5 bags of Cichlid Bio-Gold for $8.99 using the price match from Fosters & Smith!!!! Now I just go to petsmart at lunchtime when the teenage girl is there and she doesn't even call the manager she just turns the key and gives me a pricematch on anything I get!!!

 

[wow_it_esploded]

When you say your water is not clear enough...what do you mean? Is the water itself slightly brown? Does it have tiny particles suspended in the water column? Does waste/debris collect on the bottom to quickly?


Yes, Yes, and Yes!

My water is usually a bit cloudy for a day after a water change. After that there is still a brown tint to the water that gets worse over time.

I had previously come from a 55g that had the ac100 and the xp1 on it.
My stock list consists of the following:
9" Male JD
5" Female JD
3 Large Convicts
4 African Cichlids
2 4" Red Devils

Ok, that cloudy after waterchanges can be a few things. Probably waste that has been stirred up and made available to the heterotrophic bacteria. The "bacteria blooms" that everyone talks about is an explosion of heterotrophic bacteria, the ones who turn solid wastes into ammonia. These bacteria multiply monstrously quickly.

I suggest more frequent waterchanges with extensive gravel vacuumings.

You need to answer these questions:
1) What do you use to test your water? You should be using a liquid kit, quick dip strips are DISGUSTINGLY inaccurate! The smallest amount of humidity can throw them off.

2) What are your Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate readings right BEFORE a waterchange?

3) What are your Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate readings right AFTER a waterchange?

4) How much of a water change do you do (% removed)?

5) How often do you change water?

6) What substrate do you have?

7) How do you clean it?

8) How often do you clean your substrate?

 

[wow_it_esploded]

Sometimes you can get lucky!. I recently printed out a old fosters & smith page that I searched for here on MFK. The AC110 was $47.99. I called up to Petsmart and asked if they would price match and they said yes!! I picked up 2 AC110's and headed to the register and showed the lady the foster & smith paper I printed out and she said no when can't do this, it's taking more than half off. I told her I talked to manager 10 minutes ago so she called him. The manager walked up to the register and the cashier starts to complain on how can we do this and the manager screamed at her to shut up and just do it. That was 2 weeks ago. Since then I have bought 2 more aquaclear 110's for $47.99 each and 5 bags of Cichlid Bio-Gold for $8.99 using the price match from Fosters & Smith!!!! Now I just go to petsmart at lunchtime when the teenage girl is there and she doesn't even call the manager she just turns the key and gives me a pricematch on anything I get!!!

I still have that page printed out but it is a $33.99 AC110! The only problem is, we got a new manager who will not price match anything other than Petsmart.com.

 

[cor]

Can someone make a PDF of the page and post it?

Also, I have a liquid marine test kit but it doesn't seem very accurate.

I try to do a once a week 20% water change and I use a python to gravel vac.

 

[Toby_H]

Great list of questions WowItEsploded...

I do not agree that dip strips are DISGUSTINGLY inaccurate... but I do agree that drip tests are more reliable. Keeping the strips stored in a kitchen cabinet as opposed to with aquarium stuff makes it much easier to keep they dry. I think the strips are great for a quick check to make sure everything is consistent with where it was last week... or where it's supposed to be at... and the drip tests are great for when you are analyzing an inconsistency.

Just to mention… Nearly all bacteria is heterotrophic bacteria… including the nitrifying as well as denitrifying bacteria in our aquariums. Actually most organisms and all animals are heterotrophs… Basically everything that gets it’s energy from eating as opposed to photosynthesis is a heterotroph.

Cyno Bacteria would be an example of a non heterotrophic bacteria

 

[tonymofo]

I still have that page printed out but it is a $33.99 AC110! The only problem is, we got a new manager who will not price match anything other than Petsmart.com.

That sucks!!! I know how it is. You could always call another petsmart to see if they would do it. Remember to get the managers name if they agree to it. Wow!!! I think I have that page saved on my computer at work. I'll see if I can get 1 for $33.99.

 

[SpeshulEd]

You guys need to scan those printouts and post up a pic on here...share the love!

 

[SpeshulEd]

nevermind...found one:

 

[swede]

how did you get an ac110 for 33 and change????!?!?!??! coupon code?

 

[cor]

how did you get an ac110 for 33 and change????!?!?!??! coupon code?

I believe the product code is for retailers that use DR Foster Smith as their product vendor. It has sense been pulled.