basic questions from a beginner

waynewfish

waynewfish

New Member
:happyfish anyone care to give me just new aqauriam advice? A friend moved out of the country and I inherited her 55 G tank. She also gave me 1/2 the water as she felt it would speed up the settling period. By how much time as I can't seemt to get that froma book? Also, apologize for ignorance, but I get mixed reviews from books as to whether algae is positive or negative...best to set it up with invertabrates first long before fish added? Which test kit covers the 4,000 types of tests one needs to do, and is there a chart available to assist in monitoring all the pre-fish time frame, ie beginning tests, and which go bye bye when in this process? When one speaks of powerheads, is this pumps and filters of all sorts, or something special to be turned off when introducing newbies to tank?
I'll stop at 5. Thanks to anyone willing to dismiss the confusion for me!
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
I would suggest some reading material such as The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists (Paperback) to help guide you through the process before you start. Powerheads are pumps used to circulate water and create currents, waves, etc.
I use Aquarium Systems fastest kit along with Salifert individual tests for kh/alk, calcium and phosphates.
You should monitor levels in your tank as it cycles paying attention to ammonia, nitrate and nitrite specifically. These levels will rise as bacteria grows to create a balance. Once these levels return to zero you are ready to begin stocking. (watch ph, too) As you wait for your cycle to complete, research the fish you would like to have for: tank size requirements, diet, compatibility with other fish and inverts, ease of husbandry, substrate requirements and the like.
Lights should be turned off when introducing new fish. You will also need to acclimate them.
I would invest in some live rock if it didn't come with any. If you buy it locally you won't have to cure it.
As for algae....some are desirable while others are not. Coraline is good, but too much green hair is often a sign of overfeeding.
Spend some time reading through the different forums to get an idea of what you're in for. Salty fish are addictive and sometimes expensive to keep so prepare to part with some cash.
Good luck and welcome to the marine world.
 
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