cuteios Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Hi guys, It's been a while since I've been able to post...but the time hasn't been wasted though. I finally got around to getting my tank started cycling. Just wanted your feedback on the stuff I've put in it. 5 Gallon Tank 65 GPH mini Powerhead...I for get the maker 1x13W 6500K bulb 6 lbs LS 6 lbs LR 1 blue damsel...my cycling fish and sacrificial lamb (he only set me back 10 cents so it's not a big deal) do you guys think this is ok for the cycling phase at least. I'm looking at adding another bulb on the hood but it has to wait until my next allowance. I'm also looking at a HOB for extra flow I saw one for about $8 at the pet market this morning...but that was after I did my shopping so didn't have enough cash to shell out for it. Hey what can you do when the excess on your allowance only amounts to $15?!? Oh yeah I went ahead and used a salt solution instead of risking taking contaminated water from the bay. I hope that standard RO filtered water was ok for that. I got a nitrite test kit at the market today and so I'll be relying that to check my setup. I'll try to borrow my friends digital camera to take a picture to post. I'm finally on the road to having my own nano...yahoo!!! Dio Link to comment
Crakeur Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 get an ammonia test kit as that will spike first. Or, you can just wait a few weeks and watch for the nitrite spike to start and stop. Also, I think the damsel in distress method of cycling a tank is awful. It isn't the price of the fish or the money wasted that people get upset over, it is the unneccesary death of a damsel. The cycle will take place without the damsel and, if you really need to kick start it, you can put a piece of shrimp (from the market) into the tank or even pee in the tank. The cycle will start and all will be on it's way. Killing a fish, in my opinion, is a bad way to start off. ####ing off the reef gods by killing one of their creatures can only lead to further troubles as they seek retribution for your actions. (ok, I'm kidding but I do hate the forced death of a fish). The first tank I ever had was a 55 gallon fowlr that I purchased (brand new) from a guy who lifted the equipment from a store that was going out of business. he even set up the tank for me. The last thing he did was plop 10 damsels in the tank (all different kinds). he came back the next day and, to my surprise, caught one fish, speared it on a stick and jammed it under the sand. That was it for me. I liked the damsels and had no idea that they were meant to die. I had so many problems with that tank (disease, leak, floods, escaping eels, etc) that I figured it was pay back for starting off with a murder spree. Never again. Crakeur the damsel protector. Link to comment
cuteios Posted June 18, 2003 Author Share Posted June 18, 2003 Well the damsels tend to be really hardy...he may get lucky and survive the cycling process anyway...right???? the way you put it...well it does seem a bit inhumane...but I can't do anything else for the little fellow. I don't have a set tank I could transfer it to...this is my first reef. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 as was the case in my tank, it was too late to help them. they all died, as will your damsel. you cruel, sadistic biyatch. Kidding. Lesson learned and the only harm done is a small incident of murder. Link to comment
caja Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Poor, poor fishy. Live and learn cuteios. Next time let the rock and sand cycle alone. Link to comment
cuteios Posted June 18, 2003 Author Share Posted June 18, 2003 Now Crakeur, don't you think using the term "murder" is a little harsh? Ok so now I've got guilt....Darn maybe the LFS guy will take him in for a while. But since he just started stocking Salt water fish less than a month ago I doubt he has a tank in any better shape. Link to comment
phishhead Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Your fish will probably live. don't worry. be happy. James Link to comment
Zontar Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 it's almost impossible to kill damsels, it'll be fine especially if your rock was previously cured, the cycling process won't take nearly as long and you won't have too big of a ammonia spike or nitrite spike for that matter. Link to comment
Billdemart Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 I agree. My damsels on my first tank were indestructible. I have heard stories about damsels surviving ridiculous ordeals. One guy cleaned one of his dead rocks with scalding hot water out of the tank for like 5 minutes and put it back in the tank and one of his damsels swam out that was in the rock the whole time. It survived. They are mutants. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 cuteios, I was really kidding about the murder thing. I do think it's unnecessary and cruel but it isn't the end of the world (well, for the damsel it might be). Time will tell if the damsel survives. Link to comment
myelin Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Pee in the tank? Now that would be something different. Link to comment
cuteios Posted June 19, 2003 Author Share Posted June 19, 2003 ok...I guess I got a little too sensitive about the situation. Link to comment
cuteios Posted June 20, 2003 Author Share Posted June 20, 2003 FYI my tank has been up for only 3 days...so far the little damsel seems to be doing ok...he still has such wonderful color and is showing a lot of personality. I really hope he survives. BTW does anyone know by any chance if he's going to be compatible with a yellow goby? I'm making an assumption that he survives until I have the tank settled enough to add more fish. Quick question though when should I perform my first water change and how much would you suggest I change the first time? Would the standard 10% be good enough? I really have to get myself an amonia kit. Link to comment
Vincerama Posted June 20, 2003 Share Posted June 20, 2003 Dio, Do the water change only after the cycle has completed! 1) nothing happens 2) the ammonia spikes 3) the nitrite spikes as the ammonia is converted, ammonia drops to zero 4) nitrAtes slowly accumulate as your nitrIte levels drop to zero 5) You do a water change to get rid of the excess nitrAtes (like 50% wc or so!) 6) Your damsel lives to a ripe old age... Don't sweat the damsel, when I cycled my 37g freshwater tank, I used a feeder goldfish named Mr. Smackdown. He survived the cycle (one fish in 37 gallons of freshwater takes a long time to cycle, but also, with the bio-wheel in the tank and all that gravel, it was like a vacation for him!) He lived to a ripe old age as an elder in my fish tribe. Alot better fate than if he had been fed to a bigger fish!! Yes, get an ammonia kit. As a matter of fact, go get a "Saltwater Master Kit" costs maybe 30 bucks at the LFS (or 15 online), and will include ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals)...though I hope you have good eyes, because I can barely tell the colour difference in the ph scale, my girlfriend told me that women have better colour perseption (yeah right!) so get a woman to check the colours for you! (Unless you are a woman..in any case, always best to get someone else's second opinion for these impossible test kits!) Good luck! V Link to comment
pseudo Posted June 20, 2003 Share Posted June 20, 2003 cuteios, About the yellow goby - There are some good compatibility charts on the net to give you a good idea. Here's one I usually use (although it never hurts to search for other people's experiences with certain fish too): http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compati...ility_chart.cfm Gobies and damsels have always done fine together in my tanks. Good luck with your damsel! May have swim many, many laps in your tank. My yellow tail damsel just swam away to Fishie Heaven after four and 1/2 years with me. He was pretty big when I got him so I guess it was just his time. Link to comment
cuteios Posted June 21, 2003 Author Share Posted June 21, 2003 Thanks for the feedback guys. V: I know what you mean about the cycling fish in the freshwater tank, I still have the little suckers that I put into my 30G freshwater thank...and they're already 6 years old. Link to comment
old salt Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 Cuteios have you or anyone else heard of or used agri-live sand from carib-sea? This is what I have used to start my 10 gal. tank. This is supposed to have all the bacteria that you need to cycle your tank. Theoreticaly you can put what ever you are going to use permanently in the tank as soon as the sand is put in. But I am new at this, so I really don't know. But this is what I was told at the pet shop. Link to comment
cuteios Posted June 21, 2003 Author Share Posted June 21, 2003 Salt: I'm very sceptical about what people at the petshop tell me. Most of the time I find the guys are just hired help with zero experience with this stuff..I'll just keep on asking everyone, the more information the easier to form your own opinion and come to a decision...right? Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.