A Day Late.......

brooksie

brooksie

Member
Let me start by saying that I have been visiting my LFS for several months asking tons of questions on setting up a marine aquarium. I followed all of their instruction to a "T" but after reading the "101 Tips" and several other post on swf.com I feel I have made some mistakes and that I am endangering my livestock. I was told to let my tank sit for 24 hours then I could start adding fish..

Here is my Setup- FOWLR
26 Gal Bow
20LBS Live Sand
25 LBS Fiji Live Rock
Fluval 205
Water was all purchased at LFS
Standard 50/50 bulb 10000K
Live Stock:
(1) Clown
(1) Dotty back
(1) Fiddler Crab
Random LFS to do's
Add Purple Up Each day
water changes every 2 weeks
Use Distilled water to lower SG
My tank has been up and running for 2 week
Looking for some advice to help limit the impact to my livestock as I know my tank has not had the proper time to cycle ( No ammonia spike)
Here are a few pictures.....I know the coraline is a good thing but I am concerned about the white things on the rocks(Pic w/Flash)
Thanks in advance!!!


 
vsecret

vsecret

Member
That is great that you want to get started right away and have been asking questions, however, you need to let your tank cycle before you add any live stock to it. That could take a few weeks to a month. Have you been testing you water? If not you NEED to go and buy a test kit and test your water or you wont be able to tell if your tank has cycled and make sure your water is at the right levels (safe) for fish.
If you want to ask questions - ask them here! I have found this site to be better then any LSF i have ever been too - there are many years of experience lurking around these boards waiting to answer questions (and i say that with the utmost respect!)
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
WELL...FIRST...welcome to swf
2nd....kick your LFS in the butt!!!!!! I am sorry but you did receive some bad advice, but that happens a lot from lfs...remember,..they want the sales.....
1st....Do you have your own test kits? If so...what are your readings? If not get some!!
2nd...consider getting rid of that background and getting a solid one....it really takes away from your REAL stuff....
3. WHY the purple up???
4. WHY do you need to lower sg? what is it?
You have some nice rock there....I don't see any powerheads though....you definitely need some for movement
read...and read the new hobby tips again...and again
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
if the liverocks r cured and was bought from a lfs, u r not going to get a cycle. its possible to start adding fish within 24 hours, though i'd wait at least 3-4 days, just to let things settle. u should really get a test kit. 25lbs of lr in a 26 isnt alot, especially if the rocks r the dense type. no need for purple up unless u want crazy coraline growth a bit faster. as for the fidler crab, they dont belong in a sw tank, and u will probably lose it within the next few days, since it will climb out.
 
hawkfishman

hawkfishman

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3238653
2nd....kick your LFS in the butt!!!!!! I am sorry but you did receive some bad advice, but that happens a lot from lfs...remember,..they want the sales.....
i really wish there was 1 single store that actually says anything close to what the 101 tips say in my area. i know of a place that comes CLOSE, but still is tryin to get me buying stuff. i can tell by the way he talks about it. his latest snafoo was him telling me i need a total of 75 snails in my 55G. ive said that on another post i have up, and have been advised that was kinda high. but i went along with it cause the guy kinda seems like someone who if u dont do what they tell u, they wont tell u anything again or look on u with hatred. ya, i know, way to run a buisness. but he DOES have alot of good things going. his coral selection is the best within 30 miles. but, enough of my ramblings..
oh and nice tank brooksie :)
 
brooksie

brooksie

Member
I have been testing my water with strips.....
and have the following:
Nitrate NO2: 0
Nitrite No3: 0
Alkalinity 300 PPM
PH: 7.8
SG: 1.027
The background was my better half's idea...
 
brooksie

brooksie

Member
Originally Posted by nycbob
http:///forum/post/3238655
if the liverocks r cured and was bought from a lfs, u r not going to get a cycle. its possible to start adding fish within 24 hours, though i'd wait at least 3-4 days, just to let things settle. u should really get a test kit. 25lbs of lr in a 26 isnt alot, especially if the rocks r the dense type. no need for purple up unless u want crazy coraline growth a bit faster. as for the fidler crab, they dont belong in a sw tank, and u will probably lose it within the next few days, since it will climb out.

Crab was in the "Saltwater" Section
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Brooksie
http:///forum/post/3238670
I have been testing my water with strips.....
and have the following:
Nitrate NO2: 0
Nitrite No3: 0
Alkalinity 300 PPM
PH: 7.8
SG: 1.027
The background was my better half's idea...
Hey...we gotta love our better halfs
those type of backgrounds are great on fresh water...but have no place in salt water...belive me....you should have seem my SW tank when I started..LOL
OK...strips are basically worthless....been there done that too..lol...you need an api master kit, or something similar....salifert makes great kits (a little costlier though) DO NOT buy RED SEA (my opinion) but also, in my opinion they SUCK
 
brooksie

brooksie

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3238673
Hey...we gotta love our better halfs
those type of backgrounds are great on fresh water...but have no place in salt water...belive me....you should have seem my SW tank when I started..LOL
OK...strips are basically worthless....been there done that too..lol...you need an api master kit, or something similar....salifert makes great kits (a little costlier though) DO NOT buy RED SEA (my opinion) but also, in my opinion they SUCK
I see that Salifert make several kits.....which ones other than below do you reccomend:
PH
Ammonia (Currently a 0)
Nitrite
Nitrate
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Those are your very basics......do you plan on having any corals?
alkalinity tests
calcium tests
are another 2 that are good to have
OHHHH...how do you test your salinity? and what is it? Look up refractometer
 
brooksie

brooksie

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3238692
Those are your very basics......do you plan on having any corals?
alkalinity tests
calcium tests
are another 2 that are good to have
OHHHH...how do you test your salinity? and what is it? Look up refractometer

I currently don't have any means to measure salinity....only SG
no corals untill i can get some lighting
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Brooksie
http:///forum/post/3238698
I currently don't have any means to measure salinity....only SG
no corals untill i can get some lighting
I'm sorry.....I'm tired tonight...LOL...
How are you testing the sg? should be somewhere around 1.024 give or take a little LOL
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Brooksie
http:///forum/post/3238738
Using a Hydrometer (SP) current readings 1.027
a little high...let me suggest....your next purchase, make it a refractometer....much much more accurate
have you had the lfs test your water?
 
tur4k

tur4k

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3238745
a little high...let me suggest....your next purchase, make it a refractometer....much much more accurate

My hydrometer was reading 1.026. Then I listened to meowzer and picked up a refractometer. Turned out it was really 1.023. This was after I was freaking out because the hydrometer was reading off the charts do to air bubbles that were sticking to the needle. I almost nuked my tank by doing a massive fresh water change.
Refractometer's are well worth the money.
 
salt210

salt210

Active Member
that doesnt look like a fiddler crab.
lucky for me... well wait a minute. lucky for people in my area, the one shop closest to me that I used to go to was very good and reliable
 
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