Typical new person here

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Macchamps75

New Member
i have been reading for a while now. I just started with a 55 tank. I have a fluval 406 can filter set up. I got 60 pounds of live sand from a LFS. I have some rock that was live in another tank (coral rock)but has been out of water for about 6 months. I am going to use it as base rock then add live on top. I have had the tank up for about a week. I want to take my time with this and do it right. I will post pics later but wanted to say thanks for all the tips from this forum I have a general idea where to start.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the board and saltwater fish keeping.

I recommend you look into macro algaes (or even an algae turf scrubber). Adding them right now will balance out your system and make it much more stable and forgiving of operator errors.

(Because the algae completes the biological cycle by turning fish wastes and co2 into fish food and oxygen.)

Another hint is that I use cheapie FW mollies to cycle the tank. Take your time to acclimate 1 (or a few) males and don't add food for a week. Then start very light feedings.

Once that is done the tank is good to go for the more expensive marine only fish.

Still that's just my .02
 
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Macchamps75

New Member
aduvall said:
What sort of livestock are you looking for?
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I am real new to this, so want to do a lot more reading before I decide on fish. If I had my way it would be a few small black seahorse, a few clowns, a star fish. Like I said before I am new to this and want to do it right. I have to do a lot of reading to see what fish I can put together.
 
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Macchamps75

New Member
beaslbob said:
Welcome to the board and saltwater fish keeping.

I recommend you look into macro algaes (or even an algae turf scrubber). Adding them right now will balance out your system and make it much more stable and forgiving of operator errors.

(Because the algae completes the biological cycle by turning fish wastes and co2 into fish food and oxygen.)

Another hint is that I use cheapie FW mollies to cycle the tank. Take your time to acclimate 1 (or a few) males and don't add food for a week. Then start very light feedings.

Once that is done the tank is good to go for the more expensive marine only fish.

Still that's just my .02
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I will do some reading on the macro. Thanks for the help. What are the mollies for. I have heard of people putting one fish in to die to cycle the system at fist. Is that what you mean? Will the fw mollies adjust to saltwater?
 
honu808

honu808

Member
Research, I should add PROPER research will help you. Cycling the tank with fish is old school and totally incorrect. Adding a piece of raw shrimp in a stocking will add the decaying matter to start ammonia or ghost feeding. Why would you kill a fish to start a tank? Makes no sense what so ever. Even adding damsels which was an OLD method because they might survive is not used any more nor is it ethical. If the fish survive the ammonia spike, they will be damaged forever and eventually die.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Macchamps75 said:
I will do some reading on the macro. Thanks for the help. What are the mollies for. I have heard of people putting one fish in to die to cycle the system at fist. Is that what you mean? Will the fw mollies adjust to saltwater?
Click to expand...

Yes. Mollies will adjust from fw and marine and start the bioload. With macros in the system the molly will not die but actually thrive experiencing no stress. Another key is to not feed the molly the first week. (this is not starving the molly, there is plenty of food in there especially with the macros.) So the macros don't get overwhelmed by the new bioload.

What happens is macros actually prefer to consume the dangerous ammonia directly. But in a mature tank the bacteria gets that so the macros are forced to use nitrates for the nitrogen. So in a new tank (or an established one that has had some shock), the macros consume the ammonia preventing the dangerous spikes. Then after a few weeks nitrates drop down and in the mean time there are low to no and very short spikes of ammonia and nitrItes.

my .02
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
More than one way to skin a cat, Bob. I know- I'm a taxidermist.

I say that the best way to do it is to use live rock and let a shrimp rot. Macro algae can definitely help a system right off the bat, but it's not necessary. Most people that start saltwater tanks won't have a light powerful enough to keep them alive anyhow.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Macchamps75 said:
I am real new to this, so want to do a lot more reading before I decide on fish. If I had my way it would be a few small black seahorse, a few clowns, a star fish. Like I said before I am new to this and want to do it right. I have to do a lot of reading to see what fish I can put together.
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You should fig this out but horses need cooler water than most fish. There generally kept species only. You have alot of fish u can put w clowns tho
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Macroalgae's main advantage can be it's greatest downfall. During a cycle the macro will rapidly consume ammonia, keeping it low or non-existant. Too low to build up a stable bacterial colony. Once the Ammonia source is slowed the macroalgae can begin to starve triggering a sporulation event. A sporulation event without big stable bacterial colonies will crash a tank quickly.

IMO it's best to slowly build a large stable bacterial colony before adding any livestock, even Mollies. Uncured live rock has maximum life on it and will provide everything needed to create stable, mature bacterial colonies as long as you don't let ammonia levels spike too high (less than 1.0ppm although I shoot for 0.5ppm).
 
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