Which Test Is Wrong ????

[Sunshine]

We bought an Arrow Crab over the weekend. It died yesterday. We took it back for a refund, and they checked the water. They use the dip strip. I use the drops. I bought mine about a year and a half ago. Their tests said my Ammonia was 1.0 and Nitrate was 40. PH was 8.4 I came home and tested with my drops and I have everything at 0 and PH at 8. I tested the water every week when we set the tank up. It showed when it cycled.

We had a 46 gal for a year and a half. We put all the sand, rocks and water from the 46 into the 90 when we switched tanks in April. All the fish were fine, and we have bought more since we set it up with no problems.

Should I buy a different test kit ?

 

[daugherty]

well those drip strips are not very good or accurate but neither is a test kit that is a year and a half old they do expire and should have expire date on the box. so in this case i would trust the drip strips a bit more

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, Daugherty is right. Test strips aren't very accurate, but neither are old test kits. Maybe they're both wrong.

Either way you're lucky the arrow crab didn't make it. They are not reef safe at all. They eat all the beneficial fauna and cleaners in your sand and rock work and have been known to attack fish and inverts as well.

 

[yote]

+1 James and Biff.

 

[Sunshine]

Well, when I got home from work, hubby informed me that they would not refund the money on the crab. They said it was his skin and not the crab. We looked all over that tank, he told them it is not in there. They said it's in there somewhere, our tank is only 90 gal. We can see everywhere in there. He's not there. And something that big, you would surely see it. So, we just ate that money, will not be buying fish from them again. And we spent a lot of money in that store.

I will buy a new test kit tomorrow and re check the water.

 

[daugherty]

it very well could have molted and is just hiding in the tank some place

 

[yote]

You'd be surprised at the places a crab can hide.There are times mine are right in the open and you still couldnt see em.

 

[dcantucson]

Agree with all. In addition to what Biff said they eat bristle worms too.

 

[Zissou]

Yeah I wouldn't put it past hiding. At the LFS today I was admiring a large pinktail trigger when it literally disappeared into the rock. A few minutes later it came out on the other side, but to my eyes it was a magic trick. I watched right where it went in and had no clue how he did it, there wasn't any visible evidence of a tunnel or anything.

 

[winyfrog]

I put a fish in my tank once it disappeared "I thought cool 60.00 gone!" 6 months later that fish came out and said Hi then went back into hiding for another 2 months.

Your crab could still deffinately be in the tank.

 

[Sunshine]

Well, if he is, he would have to be inside a rock. We looked everywhere in there. He was a big crab. Now, I can't find my orange brittle star. Why are they doing this to me ???

 

[winyfrog]

brittle stars will bury themselves. They are nocturnal.

 

[Bifferwine]

I have a pair of mandarins in my tank. I've had them for years. I see one of them once every 3 or 4 months or so.

There's a good possibility that the crab molted. Inverts especially can be sneaky and reclusive. It's not unusual to not see them. I also have 4 starfish in my tank, and I see a leg every now and then, but I've never seen their whole bodies since I added them to the tank. I also have 4 emerald crabs. I see them a couple times a year.