IntenseImage Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 My lovely gf got me an early V-day gift ... my first saltwater tank! We set the tank up tonite and so far this is what I have going on ... 1. Minibow 7 2. Aquaclear Powerhead 101 3. Marineland Heater - 50 watt 4. 6 lbs live rock 5. 2" deep CaribSea Arag-Alive live sand bed 6. 9" 2x 9W Coralife Mini Aqualight CF hood, 1x Actinic and 1x 10,000K We made the salt water using the new Oceanic salt and is at a decent 29% (forgot the ppm). Once the water was up to temp ( 78 ) we added a B/W Damsel -- the store said this would be a good fish to add right now to help with the cycle of the tank. In about 2 weeks the store wants me to bring in a water sample to check it out. If its a go, id like to add more to my tank. This is what I have planned ... 2 clowns 1 shrimp -- what kind? 1 star fish -- what kind? Is this too much for my tank? Any recomendations are much appreciated. However, my gf loves the corals and anemonies(sp?) so this might be of consideration down the line, so again, help is appreciated. Thanks Again Pe@ce Link to comment
IntenseImage Posted February 13, 2004 Author Share Posted February 13, 2004 Also, how long should it take before the cloudyness in the water clears? Probably a day or so right? Im guessing its the fact that we used Tap water ( i know better after reading a few posts that I need better water from now on ) and there is alot of debris just floating. Pe@ce Link to comment
dyazdani Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 Looks like you got setup with all the basics, nothing too fancy that may cause confusion. Only thing (and you'll probably hear it more) is that it's a little small for a 1st tank - but can be easily successful with the proper care. You could get by with 2 clowns, a damsel and a shrimp, but again, it requires the proper attention. The more fish you have, the more load is placed on the bacteria to break down waste. I would probably not put that many fish in that size tank, but that's me. The cloudiness depends on what is in your tap water. For example, my tap water is hard and when I mix Kalk or an emergency batch of SW (I normally buy my SW at the LFS), there is some calcium that doesn't dissolve due to the calcium that is already in the water. It should settle in a day or two though, depending on water flow. I am in the process of setting up a 10G reef, so I'll be going through some of the same stuff. I've got a 75G reef and a 30G tank with a lone lionfish. Let me know if you have any more questions. Link to comment
Paulc Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 I don't want to sound too negative but it is going be difficult to keep 3 fish in a tank that size. Go slow when adding to the bioload of a small tank. The beneficial bacteria take time to develop and in the mean time chemicals that are poisonous to your fish can accumulate in the tank. Be a little careful about the advice your LFS provides. In my experience they will try and sell you stuff even if it is not appropriate. good luck Link to comment
movingshadow Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 aside from three fish being an overly large bioload (imho) there is the quastion if the damsel and the clowns will be peaceful towards one another in a confined area of that size. I'd go with just the clownfish OR the damsel & some nice other small critters like shrimps or the like. just my $0.02.... Link to comment
IntenseImage Posted February 13, 2004 Author Share Posted February 13, 2004 O yea, the store said I can return the damsel and get a clown in exchange. So would 1-2 clowns with a hermit crab, some snails, and a shrimp be ok? pe@ce Link to comment
dyazdani Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 Taking the damsel back will eliminate one potential problem (the question of a peacful erlationship to the clown(s)). I agree with the other post about the amount of fish, but like I said before you CAN do it, you just need to give it TIME so the bacteria can become stable enough to break down the increased amount of waste you will have in the tank. Also, I suggest you do more frequent water changes, I try to do one every week instead of once a month like many people do. So in my 75G, I'll change 5G a week instead of 20-25G all at once. Link to comment
IntenseImage Posted February 13, 2004 Author Share Posted February 13, 2004 I had planned to do 20% changes every week. Once the tank stabilizes tho, with some work, having 2 clowns, a shrimp, and some hermit crabs will be ok? Pe@ce Link to comment
jaguilar Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 you should be ok with 2 clowns, but like everyone said, you're gonna have to be religious about your water changes. and i'm not too sure about the lfs you're dealing with. for one, they sold you a damsel to cycle your tank. in my opinion, this is just plain wrong. even though i hate all damsels, i don't condone using them to cycle your tank. you will be putting it through some harsh conditions. especially being in there from day one. he's gonna be exposed to some serious toxins once your ammonia and nitrite start to rise. even though damsels are some of the hardiest fish out there, it still isn't right to put them through such stress. a new tank can be cycled with just the live sand and live rock. and if you wanted to speed up the process a bit, you could throw a piece of raw shrimp to get your ammonia started. the toxic part of the cycle can be compared to you standing in a closed garage with the car running, only difference is that you can shut the car off at any time or just open the door. i don't in any way blame you, but i blame the person that sold you the fish. i'm sure you didn't know any better. and if the damsel survives all the way through the cycle, you're gonna have one hell of a time trying to get him out. you'll probably end up having to take out all your rocks just to get at him. but that's a whole other problem. i'm really sorry if this sounds harsh, i just wish your lfs had been better informed. but at least you found this place. the helpful people on this board have better advise to give than maybe 75% of the fish shops out there. so don't ever be afraid to come here with your questions. they have helped me through all issues i was confronted with in this hobby of ours. good luck..... j.. Link to comment
Reefer_Buddha Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 your gf will regret buying you that, because now your reef is your gf Link to comment
mrdirtjr Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 try and get a male and female clown fish. as they start to get older if they are both males they will fight with each other. i would hate to hear about one of them offing the other Link to comment
Wiggler Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 I have a 10g which had 1 clown, 1 green spotted puffer, and a lawnmower blenny, and as diligent as I am with water changes and checking water levels etc. I lost my puffer and my blenny. I still have the clown, and have added a sandsifter star and a turbo snail and so far so good knock on wood Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.