Orloff's (Pisces Crises)

The Basics

• Employee

  Select Nicolás Ed Abi Bruce Monty Marcus Janai Hadyn

  • Nicolás
  • Ed
  • Abi
  • Bruce
  • Monty
  • Marcus
  • Janai
  • Hadyn

• Date

  Date

• Time Started

  Date

Observations

• Photo Before

• Turtles. How are they looking?

  great. actively swimming around

  hiding, sulking, unhappy looking

• Unwell? Take photos of individuals and check for causes. Questions: 1. Is it just an individual or are both affected? 2. Check for uneaten food, levels of AMMONIA or NITRITE. 3. Filter or heater stopped or malfunctioning?

• CONTACT BRUCE IMMEDIATELY

• Anything on SHELL?<br>BREAKAGES? WOUNDS?<br>DISCOLORATION?

  YES

  NO

• Take PHOTO of cases and NOTE down details

Setup

• Unplug heater and filter; access in the room behind.

• Attach DRAIN HOSE to front glass and run flatly out the front door and onto the garden bed to right of stairs.
  
  Siphon out a small amount of water into the plastic tub and remove the turtles. NB: NOTE WHICH ONE CAME FROM WHICH SIDE! Place them on the floor by the window in the kitchen/living room to bask in some natural light. IMPORTANT: don't place them in DIRECT SUN sun as they might get too hot!
  
  

• Remove rocks and floating walls and place into bucket for cleaning

The Filter

• Slide FILTER from wall mounting and gently remove and place into bucket. Remove filter media for WASHING in DRAIN WATER during drain.

Tests part 1

• TEMPERATURE test (ideal 22-25 C)

• Temperature

• A bit too cool. Is heater functioning/plugged in?

  YES

  NOT PLUGGED IN

  NOT WORKING

• Replaced?

  YES

  NO, to be delivered later

• Increase THERMOSTAT (clockwise) and make note of how much.

• Increased THERMOSTAT by:

  1 degree

  2 degrees

  3 degrees

  4 degrees

• Is THERMOSTAT functioning?

  YES

  NO

• Decrease THERMOSTAT (anticlockwise) and note by how much.

• Decreased THERMOSTAT by:

  1 degree

  2 degrees

  3 degrees

  4 degrees

• HEATER Replaced?

  YES

  NO, to be delivered later

• Refill with HEATER or KETTLES OF BOILED WATER, particularly in COLD months.

• Rinse TEST VIALS in tank water, pH (square vial) and GH (large round vial) MEASURE 5ml in each and SET ASIDE for later. (Tip: use SQUARE VIAL or a SYRINGE to measure an accurate 5ml for the GH)

The Drain

GRAVEL VACUUM

• Use brush and/or sponge to lightly wash down the walls of algae, including the middle separator wall

• Gravel vacuum is VERY IMPORTANT part of this job. No plants to take up nutrients and debris.

• Be sure the TWO SUCTION CUPS on the HOSE are secure to FRONT of GLASS. (WETTING improves their suction)

• Slide VACUUM inside the DRAIN HOSE. (Wet in TANK WATER to help lubricate)

• THOROUGHLY WORK THROUGH ENTIRE AREA OF GRAVEL.

• How dirty was it?

  Light

  Medium

  Heavy

• Once finished vacuuming gravel, LEAVE SIPHON GOING, with vacuum head recasting somewhere safe from sucking up the fish (NET over opening is not a bad idea).

• WASH THE FILTER MEDIA in remaining draining water in bucket outside.

FAST DRAIN

• Generally FAST DRAIN is not necessary as you often need all the water draining to wash the filter media.

• Tap here for FAST DRAIN INSTRUCTIONS

• Attach BASKET STRAINER from kit to tank-end of HOSE.

• Ensure both SUCTION CUPS are functioning. SPARES in kit.

• Place HOSE inside FRONT glass at close to the BOTTOM of the tank. Clear gravel away from the intended area of suction. (standard for this tank is 90%)

• HINTS: If GRAVEL VAC occurred then SIPHON can often be started by "SNAKING" the hose,
  PUSHING the water already in the line TO CREATE the necessary SUCTION.
  If HOSE is EMPTY, then cup thumb and forefinger over end of hose and suck for max 2 seconds.
  NB. The LOWER the WATER LEVEL the MORE effort is required to start.

• % Size of Water Change

The Refill

• Screw on CLICK FITTING TAP ADAPTOR (stored in cupboard) to drain end of hose.

• Tap Adaptor

  

• Turn on GARDEN HOSE to both FLUSH out old water and set the RATE of flow. During this: Pull out HOSE & connect to BLACK HOSE.

• Orientate tank-end HOSE to be HORIZONTAL Remove BASKET STRAINER and replace in kit.

• use KETTLE of BOILED WATER to keep it from getting too cold. SOUP HEATER can be used when level high enough but the start is often too shallow for it. REMEMBER: always plug into WALL OUTLET. Place close to FLOW of new water.

Things To Do During Refill

• CLEAN GLASS. Easiest at LOW WATER LEVELS SOFT ALGAE: lightly with sponge DARK GREEN spots: best with SCRAPERS CAREFUL on curves with scrapers!!

• REASSEMBLE FILTER AND REPLACE INTO POSITION.

• Scrub ROCKS and FLOATING ROCK and return to tank.

• Water level high enough? Turn FILTER PUMP and HEATER ON.

• RETURN the TURTLES! NB: Place them into OPPOSITE SIDES to what they were previously.

Tests (continued)

• pH Test? 3 drops in 5ml. (ideal range 7.5 - 8)

• pH

• ADD approx 🍏 tsp KH GENERATOR POWDER

• ADD approx 🍏🍏 tsp KH GENERATOR POWDER

• ADD approx 🍎🍎🍎 tsp KH GENERATOR POWDER

• ADD approx 🍎🍎🍎🍎 tsp KH GENERATOR POWDER

• GH TEST. number of drops: ORANGE to GREEN

• GH (ideal range 10-12)

• SIZE of water change:

  50%

  90%

  25%

  none changed

• ADD 🍐🍐 TSP TURTLE SALTS

• ADD 🍐🍐🍐🍐 TSP TURTLE SALTS

• SIZE of water change:

  50%

  90%

  25%

  none changed

• ADD up to 🍐🍐🍐 TSP TURTLE SALTS

• ADD up to 🍐🍐🍐🍐 TSP TURTLE SALTS

• Depending on SIZE of WATER CHANGE, add NO SALTS and let WC reduce the GH.

Additives

• Salts added? (Low GH)

  YES

  NO

  N/A

• How much?

  1 teaspoon

  2 teaspoons

  3 teaspoons

  4 teaspoons

  5 teaspoons

• KH GENERATOR POWDER ADDED?

  YES

  NO

  N/A

• How much?

  1 teaspoon

  2 teaspoons

  3 teaspoons

  4 teaspoons

  5 teaspoons

Supplies

• They buy all their own material. Just good to remind then when they need new supplies.

• Turtle Salts refill needed?

  YES

  NO, NOT NEEDED.

  NO BUT WILL NEED SOME NEXT TIME

• KH GENERATOR needed?

  YES

  NO, NOT NEEDED.

  NO BUT WILL NEED SOME NEXT TIME

Equipment Check

• TIMER on CORRECT SETTING? ("Auto ON" for digital timers, CLOCK SYMBOL for mechanical ones)

• Timer on the correct time?

  YES

  slight adjust

  faulty

  N/A

• Replacement Installed?

  YES

  NO, to be delivered later

• LIGHTS: All flouros working?

  YES

  NO

  N/A

• Details

• Notes

FINAL CHECKS

• HEATER and FILTER PUMP ON and functioning?

• OUTSIDE GLASS etc CLEAN & WIPED DOWN?

• Got your: BASKET STRAINER? TOOTH BRUSH? TEASPOON?

• Haven't stolen their TAP ADAPTOR?

• Photo After

• Time Finished

  Date