Newbie here :-)

[Plumtree]

I am a total noob at having a fish tank. I started this adventure about 3 months ago and so far I am enjoying it immensely. My tank is 26 gallons with about 20 pounds of rock, 2 clowns, scissor tail goby, a shirmp, a starfish, a feather worm and 2 corals. There are some "hitch hikers" but not sure what they are. I have an AI Prime light, which I LOVE

I have had 2 rounds of deaths since my start of this which was in March of this year, first one was my fault due to lack of knowledge about water changes but second one I am confused about. I just did a water change about 5 gallons and within a day my flame angel and canary blenny died. Water was purchased from LFS and other fish seem fine. These 2 guys were just added a few weeks ago so maybe I am just adding fish to quickly but patience is not my strong point. I am guessing this hobby might teach me a few lessons tho

Anyway I will be hanging around more often and learning TONS I hope. Any good blog, book or just general info reading suggestions

Nice to meet y'all
Plumtree

 

[deejeff0442]

Welcome.a flame angel is tough to keep even in a mature tank and yours is young and too small for one.best to add fish in a tank that small one at a time and 6 to 8 weeks apart.i really dont consider a tank mature for 8 to 12 months.alot goes on in a new tank

 

[jay0705]

Welcome. Now run!!!!!! Lol jk flames are tough to keep I agree w jeff.

 

[Plumtree]

Thank you for the info about the flame I got her because she was purple I won't be adding anymore fish for a while but maybe an anemone for the clowns? I do enjoy looking at my tank while I sew.

 

[deejeff0442]

I would stay away from the anemone. They are a head ache.you need alot more light for them.they move around the tank.get caught in powerheads and poison the tank.

 

[pegasus]

Welcome, Plumtree! Let me start with saying that a 3 month old tank is basically a newborn. Saltwater tanks are similar to freshwater tanks... they both have water in them. Other than that, there's a world of difference. Saltwater tanks have a natural biological system that is vital to it's health. It takes a good bit of time for this system to establish itself, and adding too many fish too soon overloads this system... and bad things start to happen. To be successful in the saltwater hobby, you must proceed s-l-o-w-l-y. Anemones need strong lighting, good water conditions, and occasional feedings to thrive... and they rarely stay where you want them. While fun to watch clownfish rubbing in them, they aren't necessary for clownfish to be healthy, and vice versa.

 

[Plumtree]

Thank you for the great advice and Thank you Pegasus for putting it baby terms, that I understand I will hold off on any anemones they sound like bad juju for now. I did rearrange my rocks yesterday and added a peppermint shrimp because after some reading of the forums I found out what I thought were really cool looking hitch hikers are actually a painful pest to get rids of; aiptasia, I have seven popping up. I have the opportunity to get a 75 gallon tank but worry that would be too big for a beginner such as myself? Off to do a bit more reading Thank you again for the hello's and info

 

[lmforbis]

In the world of salt water bigger is easier. If you can do a 75 in the future I'd say go for it. It is much easier to keep a large volume of water stable than a small volume.

 

[deejeff0442]

The more solution the better the dilutions. Meaning the more water volume when something goes wrong its not as concentrated as in a smaller tank.really imo a 90 is the perfect size tank.but a 75 will do great.

 

[flower]

Thank you for the great advice and Thank you Pegasus for putting it baby terms, that I understand I will hold off on any anemones they sound like bad juju for now. I did rearrange my rocks yesterday and added a peppermint shrimp because after some reading of the forums I found out what I thought were really cool looking hitch hikers are actually a painful pest to get rids of; aiptasia, I have seven popping up. I have the opportunity to get a 75 gallon tank but worry that would be too big for a beginner such as myself? Off to do a bit more reading Thank you again for the hello's and info

Hello,
ONLY Peppermint shrimp eat aptasia, and then only the small ones. You need to get some stuff called "Joe's Juice" or "Aptasia X", follow the instructions to the letter and never touch one...they spread like wild fire if you do...rearranging your rock no doubt already has caused a problem...zap the large ones, and the peppermints will take care of the rest.

P.S.
Don't feed the shrimp, or it won't be hungry enough to do it's job and hunt down the aptasia

 

[pegasus]

Thank you for the great advice and Thank you Pegasus for putting it baby terms, that I understand I will hold off on any anemones they sound like bad juju for now. I did rearrange my rocks yesterday and added a peppermint shrimp because after some reading of the forums I found out what I thought were really cool looking hitch hikers are actually a painful pest to get rids of; aiptasia, I have seven popping up. I have the opportunity to get a 75 gallon tank but worry that would be too big for a beginner such as myself? Off to do a bit more reading Thank you again for the hello's and info

I've often heard the term "the solution for pollution is dilution", and this couldn't be more true. Bigger is better in saltwater. I once used this analogy as an example: If you were trapped in a container of water and had to live in your own pee and poop, which would you rather be in... a bathtub or an Olympic sized swimming pool? Your fish feel the same way... lol!

Actually, it as jeff said, things happen slower in larger volumes of water, and this gives you time to catch problems and correct them before becoming catastrophic. Okay, I may have adlibbed at bit, but I think you get the gist...