SelfSerGuide

Artificial Bacteria

Artificial bacteria can give your tank an extra boost of bacteria when introducing new animals or when increasing load levels rapidly. It's a substitute bacteria that gives the real bacteria time to grow and balance your system. We recommend that you use an artificial bacteria called BN1A. BN1A is 12 strains of bacteria and it also eliminates/prevents ammonia and nitrite build ups.

Warning: Never use BN1A during a nitrite cycle .

The Nitrite Cycle

The Nitrite cycle is what gives life to your tanks biological bed. Here's how it works.

You get a brand new, sparkling clean and sterile tank.

Following the manufacturers instruction on loading you add animals to your perfectly clean environment.

Now lobsters have to do what we all have to do - do. If you get my drift. But now your perfectly sterile tank is getting dirty.

The lobster garbage collects and begins to grow a very toxic bacteria in the rocks and pads (i.e. Biological filter bed) of your system.

This toxic bacteria keeps growing and growing, and then after about two weeks of growth you begin to see real signs of how toxic your once perfectly sterile tank has become.

The water turns a black cloudy - it begins to stink. Foam builds up and your lobster start to die.

What's happening is that the garbage from the lobsters has grown so toxic that it just can't grow anymore and it begins to convert.

It converts into a living bacteria that eats lobster garbage - and that's what keeps your tank in balance.

Never interrupt a tank going through its initial nitrite cycle by doing a water change. RESIST TEMPTATION - DO NOTHING!

The tank itself will take care of it own mess within about 48 to 60 hours.

Most important - during the nitrite cycle you must always keep living animals in the tank, and the dead ones out. It's the living animals that will drive the cycle to completion. Without them the cycle stops and waits.

Your tank only needs to go through a nitrite cycle once - unless you kill its bacteria. Which usually only happens it you overload your system - or if you over clean your system.

Never Do This

Never use a hose that has ever had ANYTHING but water ran through it (i.e. sanitizer, soap, cleaner, etc.,)

Never use a bucket/sponge or brush that has ever been used for anything other than cleaning a lobster tank.

Never Overload your system.

Never unplug your tank for any period of time.

Never over clean your tank.

Never clean your tank with cleaners or soaps.

Never clean a biological filter bed with fresh water.

Never leave dead animal in your tank.

Never feed your animals.

Never put unhealthy animal into your system.

Never paint or spray anything - including cleaner around your tank.

Never allow ANYTHING in your tank besides animals.

Never allow the water level to drop below the manufacturers recommendation.

Never mix unbounded lobster with crabs.

Never decorate the interior of your tank.

Never mix lobsters with clams, oyster, mussels, etc.,

Never reach into a tank with greasy, fatty, soapy, or bloody hands.

Never let it be said that you weren't warned.

Maintenance

Daily

Keep Load Levels Consistent Always. Due to the cold temperatures in ‘Live Seafood Displays’, bacteria levels in the biological filter bed adjust to their product ‘load level’ slowly. So, in times of special promotions product load levels must be increased gradually in-order to allow the biological filter bed to grow the additional bacteria needed to neutralize the influx of animal waste.

When product load levels are increased too quickly there's a likely risk of collapsing, or even killing the biological filter bed by overloading it with too much ammonia and nitrite waste at one time and all your lobsters die. This is the main problem we find during periods of special promotions and grand openings.

The bacteria in the tank constantly adjust itself to its load level. So if you normally hold 20 lobsters, the bacteria adjusts itself to accommodate twenty lobsters – now if you’ve got a special sale and you load your tank with forty lobsters -- well there’s only enough bacteria for twenty, and you overload and collapse your system. All your lobsters die.

Remove ALL Foreign Matter (especially food, body parts, or pennies) that enters your system. Copper Warning - One single shinny penny in the bottom of your tank can wipe out your entire system in no time. Copper kills lobsters/crabs/shrimps. Do not feed the animals!

Inspect & Purge All Incoming Animals - All incoming animals should be inspected by the meat or seafood manager to be assured that all animals entering your system are undamaged, free from disease, cracks, that their shells are hard (in addition; lobster should be firmly held together where the tail meets the body), and that the animals sprites are aggressive. Any questionable animals should be allowed into your system.

After inspection the animals should be dipped into a separate container of SALTWATER (from the tank) and agitated ( purged ) before entering the tank. Purging animals removes debris (sand/seaweed) from the animal’s body and expels waste and undigested food from their internal systems. Moreover it keeps your tank clean and healthy.

Weekly

Exterior Tank Cleaning - A vinegar/water solution (3 tablespoons vinegar to a pint of water) may be used with a clean rag. NEVER use chemical cleaners, soaps, spray detergents or any abrasives on any part of the system.

Do not use cleaners inside or near the tank at any time. NEVER spray insecticides within 20 feet of you tank. The resulting contamination could kill your animals and destroy your biological filter. If you must use insecticides, be certain to turn your tank off and cover the system until the insecticide odor has cleared completely – and don't forget to restart your tank. Keep all aquarium cleaning materials clean and isolated from other departments so they do not get contaminated by multiple task usage.

Interior Tank Cleaning - Remove algae growth with a manufacturer recommended acrylic cleaning pad or NON-ABRASIVE foam aquarium pad on-a-handle.

Keep all aquarium cleaning materials clean and isolated from other departments so they do not get contaminated by multiple task usage.

Every Two Weeks

Bi-Weekly Carbon Replacements - For those who opt to use just one carbon bag at a time. Replace the carbon bag located inside filter canister. (Rinse clean before using)

Check Bio Wheel – Be certain that the air pump is functioning – that the bio wheel is turning and that the water level in the container is approximately two inches deep.

Every Four Weeks

Monthly Carbon Replacement - For those who opt to use two carbon bags at a time. Replace one carbon bag located inside filter canister. (Rinse clean before using)

Check Bio Wheel – Be certain that the air pump is functioning – that the bio wheel is turning and that the water level in the container is approximately two inches deep.

Remove Dust From Refrigeration Vents – Brush or blow away all accumulated dust and debris from the grill plate – this will prevent the unit from overheating and burning out the unit.

Trouble Shooting

If the entire system shuts down
1)    Reset circuit breaker in main electrical panel.
2)    Reset circuit breaker on power cord located inside the tanks pedestal.
3)    Make sure master switch on power cord is on.
4)    Make sure unit is plugged in.

If the water turns yellow or develops an odor
1)    Replace carbon bag. Carbon eliminate color and smell.
2)    Make sure bio-wheel unit and air pump are operating - and that all airlines are attached.
3)    Make sure water pump is operational, and not overheating.
4)    Check for dead or dying animals.
5) Treat with BN1A to eliminate ammonia build ups.

If the water temperature is too hot or too cold
1)    Check thermostat setting. NOTE: Allow 3-4 hours for temperature to stabilize before checking again.
2)    Make sure the power cord to refrigeration unit is plugged in,
3)    Inspect intake vents located under the pedestal and on the refrigeration units condensing screen.
4) Clean if necessary. Check exterior side vents for blockage by debris or other matter.

Mortality

If one or two lobsters die shortly after arrival it’s usually because they were damaged or weakened during shipment. This is normal – just remove lobster from tank immediately upon discovery. A treatment of BN1A is also recommended.

If a large number of lobster die in clear water (And if the animal are kicking) some toxic substance has been introduced to the system. A complete water change, change of carbon and cleaning of the bio pad in fresh mix batch of salt water is advised. Also daily treatments with BN1A is also recommended.

If a large number of lobster die in hazy water it’s generally an indication of overloading the system by having either added more pounds of animals than recommended, or having not purged the animals before placing them into the system. A 100% water change and change of carbon is recommended. Also daily treatments of BN1A is also recommended.

Foam

Foam occurs when the oxygen in your tank turns undissolved proteins (i.e. blood and fecal matter) into foam and then floats it on top of the water - trying to remove it from its system.

This foam is very similar to the foam of a breaking wave being pushed out of the ocean and thrown into the biological sand filters of the beachhead.

Foam is a warning signal that there's something wrong in your system.

Foam only occurs when you introduce new animals that have not been properly purged, or if there's a dead or dying animal in the system.

Always remove the source of the foam (i.e. dead or dying animals).

Always remove any collecting foam on discovery.

Foam that is not removed continues to breakdown until the biological filter finally dissolves it.

Algae

Oxford Dictionary states that: Algae is a non flowering stemless water plant - ala' seaweed/plankton.

Algae DOES NOT represent MODINESS - nor is it FUNGI . That would imply that algae is bacteria - which IT IS NOT.

Algae occurs naturally where ever light, seed (being brought in on the lobsters) and fertilizer (that comes in with the lobsters too) come together.

When you wipe away algae it stays in the tank and re-attaches and grows somewhere else.

Algae
Wipe it down & get over it.

Oceanarium Equipment Layout

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