Help I Think Ive Done To Much Too Fast...please Help What Now?

[kissypice]

Man I Wish I Would Have Seen This Site $2000 Ago
Okay so here goes my story sorry if it is long but i have a lot of questions or concerns after reading your WHOLE 101 topics till 4am this morning that is. Okay so I wanted to start out with a 30 gallon tank but I found this great deal in our local bargain trader 75 gallon tank, homemade stand (beautiful) came with everything to set it up including a sump, protein skimmer but guess what I dont have a clue how any of those things work but it sounded good. Well I went and bought the live rock because the tanks rock was dead and it was putting way to many nitrates in my tank and I wanted to HURRY HURRY I had a tank to fill, okay so I get 50lbs live rock, 40lbs live sand gravel, put around 20-35lbs of my old rock in there also along with all the premixed water that already has the salt. Well my tank is staying around 82 degrees cant seem to get the thermometer (of course I bought one big one) to adjust to 80-81 and the timers guess what cant get them set either LOL..So i just wanted a few fish what could that hurt i got my sump running but still no protein skimmer which happens to be a BERLIN OMG. But I had to have something in it so I bought a chromesis(excuse the spelling) a few snails and hermits, 2 clown fish (nemo) and a chocolate chip starfish. Well thats not it I also had that pretty coral you see in the aquariums at the pet shop a mushroom and a kenya tree, & bubble anemone, nothing has died yet but i might just be lucky right now. The question is now that i have all that in there in less than 2 weeks what do i do now? This may be too much for you to go into but i hope you have a little input for me. The lights i have our bi pin 2 55watt white and then 2 blue lights. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN. I've been testing everything and it all looks good except nitrates are 30 and i havent done a water change yet cause im scared ill kill the fish. I have been feeding them shrimp, bloodworms and flake food alternating everyday. Ive also been using stability for 7 days for my new fish. I have no vitamins for my corals (if any is needed I dont know) I have prime that I use once a week this is going on my second week having the tank set up. Any information or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[meowzer]

WOW...WELL welcome to SWF, and I am sure that someone can advise you...
Have you had no ammonia spikes? If I remember correctly Stability is supposed to help you cycle faster...and Prime is supposed to help with the toxicity of ammonia.....
So your fish are doing ok? The chocolate star needs to go back it will starve to death..I have no idea what coral you have...but I think you are saying you have regular fluorescent lights?? The anemone will not live with that lighting...You should check with your lfs and see if you can take them back...

 

[pete159]

kiss the bubble anemone bye bye....
if you read all the tips then you should have a good idea what's going to happen.
but some test kits first off. for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
a Ph test kit, and a salinity test kit. buy some ammo lock, this will de detoxify ammonia if/when you get it.
get the protein skimmer up and running.
buy an ro/di filter to make proper water for making saltwater. tap water is not good for a saltwater tank.
if/when you start to see ammonia readings, do a 10% water change daily. buy a great big Rubbermaid bin to make the saltwater so you don't have to mix saltwater daily. Once you get no ammonia or nitrite readings you'll be in the clear.
nitrate only comes in the last stage of a tanks cycle.
anemone's are for advanced keepers of saltwater tanks. read up on them, and you will see why.

 

[kissypice]

Okay I have had no ammonia spikes but the prime is for my nitrates being 30. I'm getting the big lights cant remember what they are called on Friday so it should be okay untill then or will it? Everything is doing fine and eating. What can I do to feed the starfish the lady at my lfs said he would be okay and she knew my tank situation so what was she thinking..Everything that i have tested in my tank is ideal except the nitrates even the pet store has tested the water

 

[kissypice]

Thank you for your help. I don't mix my own water that is too complicated I buy the fresh water from the pet store and the salt water from the pet store all levels are good except nitrates I'm just waiting on the others to spike anytime I will go get the stuff for the ammonia just in case

 

[pete159]

even though these Starfish will scavenge around the tank you still need to supplement their diet. Feeding them can be challenging because they are slow moving and the fish in your tank will eat the food before your sea star has a chance to get at the fish food. Use some Tank Tongs to place the food right next to the starfish. It should hover over the food and begin eating. It is important to note that they will eat smaller invertebrates and soft corals. This starfish is not recommended for a reef tank setup.
Diet / Fish Food : Algae, Shrimp, shell fish, etc. Place the food near the sea star so that it may eat.

 

[teresaq]

The star you have is not reef safe, They eat corals.
T

 

[bulldog123]

If the LFS knew about your tank and still sold you these critters DONT GO BACK!
Keep up with this thread because I would like to know if anything makes it.

 

[d-man]

ok I'm the last person that should be telling you this (I'm bad about it myself) but if you don't look things up before you buy them your going to have some problems I have been told not to buy anything that I have not viewed for at least a week ( they really meant 2 weeks) most people ( agin too much for me) have a qt and keep things in there for a long time to study them. imho your temp is high I'm not telling you to change things if it's working (my temp and salinity was low and some people on here told me to rase it and I killed all my hrmcrabs... thanks guys) but you will want to look in to temp/salinity and just keep looking things up there is too much to know in this hoby good luck

 

[cranberry]

Originally Posted by d-man
http:///forum/post/3060833
I'm not telling you to change things if it's working (my temp and salinity was low and some people on here told me to rase it and I killed all my hrmcrabs... thanks guys) but you will want to look in to temp/salinity and just keep looking things up there is too much to know in this hoby good luck
You probably raised it too fast. The higher salinity did not kill your hermits, how you got there must have. It really is our own responsibility to further research advice given on any forum. This is like a big group of people around a table talking the hobby. In the end, we only have ourselves to thank for what happens to our tanks.
EDIT: I wasn't referring to the OP. They just learned a hard lesson.

 

[spanko]

Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3060885
You probably raised it too fast. The higher salinity did not kill your hermits, how you got there must have. It really is our own responsibility to further research advice given on any forum. This is like a big group of people around a table talking the hobby. In the end, we only have ourselves to thank for what happens to our tanks.
Well said Renee.

 

[deejeff442]

i thought the same thing about raising the salt too fast before i read your post.
i did alot of the same mistakes when i started out but that was a long time ago.there wasnt anything around except for the lfs.
now there really is no excuse not to do research first it is everywhere.
(except when the lfs is convincing to a newbee)
i still dont know how a lfs can open a business without knowing what goes on in a tank?

 

[truperc]

I agree that the CC star needs to go back, but more out of protection for your corals and possibly snails....
What are you using to test your parameters (<mumbles to himself> please don't say test strips....please don't say test strips)
If you do lose some things...don't get too discouraged...we all have learned some lessons in this hobby.
If you keep at it, and do your research, it has many rewards IMHO.

 

[pete159]

salt water is easy to make and much better then lugging jugs.
Also saltwater bought at a store should never have nitrates. ALl levels should be 0, thats why its better to make your own, and cheaper to if you buy a big bucket of salt.

 

[arv99t]

Hey welcome I am new to saltwater tanks as well and also trusted the LFS they sold me an anemoe when I told them I had a choc chip star. Long story short the star at the anemoe. It actually isn't too hard to feed the star if you do it when its close to the top of the tank. Thats when I feed mine. Good luck I don't know enough to add any more details, but can add that advice.

 

[kissypice]

Ok went to the pet store i bough the starfish from but of course they wouldnt take it back> I did get algae to feed it and i fed the starfish today put it right under him and i saw him eat it< i was testing with strips but i got the drops and i did a water change today and redone my rocks and it looks awesome and everything is great> My water temp is now at eighty one i bought the new bulbs so i can grow everything in my tank>>i really appreciate all the comments and help you have given me> so far so good i will keep everyone posted> as far as the anemone and the starfish they have stayed away from each other right now but if the sf eats him i will just have to give the sf away because i would much rather have coral than the sf>
I was very harsh to the fs because they knew everything in my aquarium and they still said he would be okay in there but what do you do just dont mess with them again as far as the nitrates the reason i had them is because i had one hundred pounds of old rock i got with the aquarium and then i just said forget it and went and spent three hundred dollars on live rock and left only about twenty pounds of old in my tank but im going to try to get the old rock living what is the best way to do that>

 

[arv99t]

Our anemone made it for about 3 weeks and I came home one day and the star had already done too much damage. If I had known one would be gone before it happened. I really like the star so just decided once I know more than I will start another tank.

 

[deejeff442]

just mix in the base rock with the lr and it will spread the good stuff.
i would have told the fs they just lost a customer on bad advice and made sure anyother customers in there heard it.
it gets old getten taken for a ride.
just seems worse these days.