Frustrated

treenastar

New Member
This is my first day on here and I would like some advice and help with our 20 gallon tank that we bought for our daughter for her birthday, things keep dying and I am getting very frustrated
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Hi..welcome to SWF...any more info you can give us on the current setup?
How Long you had it
Equipment
Things that you have lost
Water Params.
things like that...This board is very active, so I am sure you can gets loads of help..Just need to know a little more..
 

sebae09

Member
what are your ammonia,nitrite,nitrate reading? also PH level? what fish are you buying and did you cycle properly? what equipment do you have?
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by NigerBang
Hi..welcome to SWF...any more info you can give us on the current setup?
How Long you had it
Equipment
Things that you have lost
Water Params.
things like that...This board is very active, so I am sure you can gets loads of help..Just need to know a little more..
Ok we have had the tank since end of Sept. so 2 months, and I have had a sand sifter star fish a blue something starfish and the insides of him came out and aou water is tested every week and it is exactly right and a bruttle starfish and a puff ball thing I can't think of the name of it, these are the things I have lost and I still have a cucumber and two feather duster tube worm things and my girlfriend bought my daughter a bubble coral for her bday and I have a blue fish with a yellow tail.
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Hmmm... Any idea about what equipment..Like Filter, Live Rock, Heater, Protein Skimmer, etc....
Sand and things of that nature also..
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by sebae09
what are your ammonia,nitrite,nitrate reading? also PH level? what fish are you buying and did you cycle properly? what equipment do you have?
All of our levels are proper now but since they have been good I still lost a blue starfish, all of his guts came out and then he died.
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by NigerBang
Hmmm... Any idea about what equipment..Like Filter, Live Rock, Heater, Protein Skimmer, etc....
Sand and things of that nature also..
The pet shop dude sold me all the proper stuff I have about 90 lbs of live rock and hte proper heater and the proper sand stuff...so I dont know
 

sebae09

Member
you had a blue Linkia starfish, dont get another one because your tank is way too small, more than likely you killed it by just throwing it in the water and starfish need drip acclimation. dont get another sand sifting starfish either because you wont be able to keep it alive either. with a 20 gallon tank your options are limited to clownfish, shrimp gobys, and damsels. there are a few others but those are the ones i recomend. just curious did the store you got the starfish from tell you they would do fine in a 20 gallon tank? next time you think about buying something do your research first, your only killing helpless animals.
 

bill109

Active Member
Originally Posted by Treenastar
The pet shop dude sold me all the proper stuff I have about 90 lbs of live rock and hte proper heater and the proper sand stuff...so I dont know
not to b mean but they MAY be your first problem.
never let the local fish store unless they are know for sw fish let them sell you anytihng without you knowing.
lfs dont have a sucessful history they are looking to mke a quick buck
the puff ball might be a sea urchin and the fish is a yellow tail blue damsel :joy:
:happyfish
 

nigerbang

Active Member
wait...The thing that stood out to me was..about 90#s LR in a 20 gallon...That would be near impossible...I could barely fit 65 in a 20 to cure....
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by sebae09
you had a blue Linkia starfish, dont get another one because your tank is way too small, more than likely you killed it by just throwing it in the water and starfish need drip acclimation. dont get another sand sifting starfish either because you wont be able to keep it alive either. with a 20 gallon tank your options are limited to clownfish, shrimp gobys, and damsels. there are a few others but those are the ones i recomend. just curious did the store you got the starfish from tell you they would do fine in a 20 gallon tank? next time you think about buying something do your research first, your only killing helpless animals.
First of all I did ask the pet shop owner and he is the one that sold me the tank and I did not come on here to get nasty messages from people, yes they did tell me that I could keep all of those things in my tank and don't you think that I didn't feel completely terrible when we lost them all because I do realize where they come from and that it's a sin to put them into a tiny tank and take thier proper environment away from them...however I was obviously mislead by the pt shop owners and I felt terrible when I lost those helpless star fish, so if you can't respond to me in nicer fashion please don't respond at all.
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by NigerBang
wait...The thing that stood out to me was..about 90#s LR in a 20 gallon...That would be near impossible...I could barely fit 65 in a 20 to cure....
The guy at the pet stor has a 10 gallon with 200 #s in his tank
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by bill109
not to b mean but they MAY be your first problem.
never let the local fish store unless they are know for sw fish let them sell you anytihng without you knowing.
lfs dont have a sucessful history they are looking to mke a quick buck
the puff ball might be a sea urchin and the fish is a yellow tail blue damsel :joy:
:happyfish
I don't think they are trying to piss me off because they are the only pet store in my town and those things you said are exactly the things that I had a sea urchin and blue damsel
 

nigerbang

Active Member
I would have to see that to believe that...Dont get me wrong..Im not calling you a liar...I would just have to see that...
Blue Linka's are very hard to keep from what I understand...hopefully Ophie will chime in...She knows volumes about SF...
Any idea on what brand of skimmer, and filter you have....and lights also...
 

bill109

Active Member

Originally Posted by Treenastar
The guy at the pet stor has a 10 gallon with 200 #s in his tank

love thos lfs people...
didnt knomw tht was possible :scared:
 

sebae09

Member
blue linkias need at least 200 LBs of LR and the tank needs to be at least 6 months old, perfuribly 1 year or more. and you cant really say you have sucess unless its been in the tank for over 18 months
PS. DONT LISTIN TO YOUR LFS UNLESS YOU REALLY TRUST THEM AND KNOW THEIR NOT BSing YOU.
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by sebae09
blue linkias need at least 200 LBs of LR and the tank needs to be at least 6 months old, perfuribly 1 year or more. and you cant really say you have sucess unless its been in the tank for over 18 months
PS. DONT LISTIN TO YOUR LFS UNLESS YOU REALLY TRUST THEM AND KNOW THEIR NOT BSing YOU.
what is a lfs and I think I made amistake about the live rock I have 9 lbs and the guy at the pet store has 20 lbs...sorry
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by bill109


love thos lfs people...
didnt knomw tht was possible :scared:
My bad 9 lbs and 20 lbs not 90 and 200
 

treenastar

New Member
Originally Posted by NigerBang
I would have to see that to believe that...Dont get me wrong..Im not calling you a liar...I would just have to see that...
Blue Linka's are very hard to keep from what I understand...hopefully Ophie will chime in...She knows volumes about SF...
Any idea on what brand of skimmer, and filter you have....and lights also...
Apparently I am a liar and a good one I had myself believing me 9 lbs and 20lbs sorry
 
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