help im new

[addisondav]

I just bougt a 46 gallon Top fin aquarium with a penguin 170 bio-wheel power filter and a proquatics aquarium heater. I put in florida crushed coral after rinsing it. Then i mixed the salt and tapwater(can't afford anything else) and poured it in the aquarium on top of the crushed coral and it was really cloudy. will this go away eventually? I haven't put any decor or anything in there yet and i need to know what to do next and how long to wait because i have no idea. I apreciate any help you give me thank you!

 

[addisondav]

also i would like to keep it as cheap as possible and as fast as possible thank you

 

[spline9]

It will settle eventually. Maybe a couple days.

 

[promisetbg]

Originally posted by addisondav
also i would like to keep it as cheap as possible and as fast as possible thank you
No offense but you are in the wrong hobby to say these 2 things.It's never going to be cheap,and nothing good happens fast in this hobby.You will need to learn patience~rule# 1
Tapwater is a really bad idea,you should be able to find RO/DI water for sale at a good LFS...even bottled water would be better than tap.Your tank is going to need something to cycle with...this process will take approximately 6 weeks.A brand new tank devoid of any biological matter will take even longer.Consider adding quality cured liverock next.What are your future plans for this tank?Reef or fish only?You are going to need to add 2 powerheads as well,for circulation/oxygenation.Maxijets are best,IMO.
Do you understand how the cycle works?A shrimp from the grocery store{raw and unseasoned}can start your cycle.You could also try to find a source of biological matter... a filter pad from your lfs,or a few cups of sand from an established tank.HTH some...ask lots of questions and read,read,read.Learn to use the search button at the top of the page,it's a great tool to learn.There are also some great books on the subject,like The conscientious marine aquarist by Fenner,and the new marine aquarium by Paletta.

 

[addisondav]

I want to make it a saltwater fish only tank and maybe add reef in their later if possible. I have heard so many different views on how to set one up. one person told me i didn't have to have live rock and now people are telling me i do. it sounds like live rock costs alot. at the store i go to its 6.50 a pound i think. how much will i be needing? will i also need a protein skimmer or can i get by without one? to have reef in the aquarium is it harder to take care of ? will you give me the pros and cons of reef and saltwater fish or just saltwater fish? thank you for your help

 

[arkey.d]

Live Rock is recommended, 1-2Lbs per gallon of water. The Live Rock becomes your Biological Filter.
I recommend using Distilled Water from Walmart or the grocery store for about 52 cents a gallon. If not definetly use something like Kent's Ammonia Detox to get rid of the chemicals in the tap water.
A Protien Skimmer is also recommended. An AquaC Remora or a CPR BacPak Hang on the Back skimmers are the most popular.
Get yourself a Saltwater Book. I suggest Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium" for begginners. This will probably be your most important investment in the hobby.
A Reef aquarium requires more expensive lighting, 200 plus dollars and requires a mature tank.
Expect your aquarium to cycle for 1-2 months before adding anything into the tank besides Live Rock and a Cocktail Shrimp. A Cleaner Crew is the first thing recommended to place in the tank, then after another month you can add a fish or two, but you need to spread out over weeks adding the fish.
Hope this helps you out a bit more. Good Luck.
Dan

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by addisondav
I want to make it a saltwater fish only tank and maybe add reef in their later if possible. I have heard so many different views on how to set one up. one person told me i didn't have to have live rock and now people are telling me i do. it sounds like live rock costs alot. at the store i go to its 6.50 a pound i think. how much will i be needing? will i also need a protein skimmer or can i get by without one? to have reef in the aquarium is it harder to take care of ? will you give me the pros and cons of reef and saltwater fish or just saltwater fish? thank you for your help
It's a pay now or pay MORE later.
You can run without a protein skimmer for a little while or with a Very small Bio load and lots of water changes, also making sure to test the water more frequently.
The skimmer saves all the money it costs down the line in one way or another.
You can do without live rock, But I'd suggest doing a Wet/dry filter instead..the Live Rock is the easiest to maintain though.
Like others have said...if you want cheap...switch to Freshwater.
Otherwise you are going to end up frustrated with this hobby and quitting anyway after tons of money wasted on Dead fish.
They are not as hardy as Fresh water fish and don't tolerate improper water parameters.

 

[debbie]

addisondav could you post me your email?
Debbie

 

[moray345]

no offense but you need to do alot more reasearch

 

[addisondav]

addisondavid@po.okccc.edu

 

[addisondav]

I have been reading on a lot of websites about powerheads and talking to people at petsmart and they are telling me that to have a powerhead you have to have an undergravel filter is that true? how would you set up a powerhead? thank you

 

[arkey.d]

No you don't have to have an undergravel filter to use a powerhead. Actually for saltwater you wouldn't want an undergravel filter.
You use powerheads to circulate your water, like waves in the ocean. Place one powerhead on each side of the tank. If you are using sand as you substrate you may want to place them in the middle, but not to low where you start to get sand dunes.
Aquaclear Powerheads have a quickfilter attachment that can be used to stop any of your cleanup crew from getting sucked up into the powerhead or use a Sponge prefilter for other powerheads. If you use the a sponge prefilter or a quickfilter, they would need cleaning from time to time. Most people just use the powerheads by themselves.
Dan

 

[dalerich]

First piece of advise is to not take advise from someone who is selling you something. Knowledge is directly reflection of the money you spend.
These message boards are the best resource that you will find.
You will spend more time and money doing this hobby quickly or on the cheap. Fish cost $20.00 or more each to lose one will make anybody cry.
Think for it this way.
I spent:
$100.00 on a 55 Gallon tank.
$125.00 on a stand
$90.00 on a filter
$50.00 on crushed coral
$20.00 on an ungravel filter
$72.00 on live rock
Then found out I did it wrong. so now to correct my mistake
remove my ungravel filter and hang it up as a christmas tree decoration and remove the crushed coral and throw it in the drive-way oil spills.
now to correct my mistake.
$50.00 Better than standard lighting
$60.00 in live sand
$120.00 protein skimmer
To pay more than $400.00 to watch a piece of shrimp rot on the bottom of a fish tank for 2 months is a joke. But to watch the colors of the fish swim through the live plant and to see things in your tank that you never purchased or saw before is what makes this hobby so enjoyable.
Don't drive yourself crazy this hobby is very easy if you spend the time to understand how things work and why you have to do thing correctly the first time. go slow and spend wise then in 6 months you will be writting advise on the message boards. Nobody knows it all but chance are someone has run across it before.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by dalerich
To pay more than $400.00 to watch a piece of shrimp rot on the bottom of a fish tank for 2 months is a joke. But to watch the colors of the fish swim through the live plant and to see things in your tank that you never purchased or saw before is what makes this hobby so enjoyable.
Don't drive yourself crazy this hobby is very easy if you spend the time to understand how things work and why you have to do thing correctly the first time. go slow and spend wise then in 6 months you will be writting advise on the message boards. Nobody knows it all but chance are someone has run across it before.
And this is what's it's all about...
Just like with anything....You get what you put into it..
You rush, you get dead fish.
Take your time, you'll have Beautiful Healthy Fish and Hours and Hours of enjoyment...

 

[addisondav]

Would it be better to get another penguin 170 filter for water circulation or is it better to have a powerhead? I thought it would be better to have two filters but you all know more than me thanks

 

[dskidmore]

You want to go cheap, right?
We can't undo the purchase of crushed coral or a biowheel, but we can work with what we have.
You're going fish only, most of the folks on this board are reefoholics and are convinced you'll be one too. There are some shortcuts you can get away with.
a) If you can't afford better filtration, don't buy any expensive invertabrates (shellfish.) Some snails and hermit crabs will make tank cleaning easier, but beyond that and you're going to need to invest heavily in live rock and the protien skimmer.
b) Buying a single chunk of live rock will help kick-start your biological cycle. The more good quality live rock you add, the faster your tank will cycle. Faster cycle, means you can get fish sooner.
c) You can get away with less filtration if you understock the tank. Standard stocking rule for saltwater is 1 inch of fish per 5 gallons of water. I suggest you start with one small fish, test your water quality regularly, and add an additional fish when ammonia = 0, nitrites = 0 and nitrates are under control. As someone else mentioned, saltwater fish can be expensive, so it's best to go very slowly.
d) You may want to go for a skimmer when you can afford it. Probably before you get your second fish. A protien skimmer actually removes waste from the aquarium instead of breaking it down into other organics. This is most important when you have some sort of tank disaster, your biofilter can not increase it's filtering capacity in a hurry; the protien skimmer however, can be adjusted to work faster but less efficiently in an emergency situation.
e) I'd go with just the powerhead instead of the extra filter. Over time you can add one piece of live rock at a time until you have a pleasing aquascape and lots of biofiltration area. Your crushed coral also supplies some biofiltration area, although aragonite sand would have been better. (The sand will make a bigger dust cloud than crushed coral, but after it settles it has more surface area for biofiltration, and is softer to the gills/scales of fish that like to dig.)
f) If you're sticking with crushed coral, don't forget to regularly clean it with a gravel vac or similar.

 

[addisondav]

Yesterday i went to my LFS and they told me to put a fish in the aquarium(46g). i bought the aquarium 3 days ago and its not cycled or anything. they said the waters fine and i should put a fish in so bought some live rock(6lbs) and a damsel. Is this ok? i also bought a protein skimmer. will the fish be able to survive the cycle? Also is it ok to put regular decor in the aquarium if i'm doing a fish only. I can't afford to put a pound of live rock in per gallon. thank you

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by addisondav
Yesterday i went to my LFS and they told me to put a fish in the aquarium(46g). i bought the aquarium 3 days ago and its not cycled or anything. they said the waters fine and i should put a fish in so bought some live rock(6lbs) and a damsel. Is this ok? i also bought a protein skimmer. will the fish be able to survive the cycle? Also is it ok to put regular decor in the aquarium if i'm doing a fish only. I can't afford to put a pound of live rock in per gallon. thank you
Before you do anything, you should check here first.
The LR is good. You DIDN'T need the Damsel. You could have used a piece of unseasoned and uncooked shrimp from the supermarket.
or just "FEED" your invisible fish for your cycle.
The protein skimmer is a good idea.
And YES you can use Fake Plants and whatever instead of LR.

 

[arkey.d]

The Damsel will probably survive the cycle but his fins/gills will most likely get burned from the Ammonia and Nitrites.
A better method would have been just putting in the tank a store bought cocktail shrimp and let it rot.
Some Fresh Water Rocks shouldn't be placed in saltwater tanks, so watch your decor. You can add more rock as you get money, it doesn't all have to go in at one time.
It's good that you got a Protein Skimmer for the tank.
Remember that it will take 1-2 months for your tank to cycle.
You'll need test kits to test the water everyother day or so.

 

[zelfin]

I agree with everyone here. I went from freshwater to SW and wow the expense of NOT knowing what I was doing.
I put LS in a 29g tank and added fish RIGHT AWAY!.
Well $300 later I realized I was not even close to getting it right. It has been a little over a year now and I cant believe how wrong I did everything then. I know it pains a person to see that nice big Aquarium sitting there empty but it saves a lot of trouble and expense in the long run.
Needless to say A lot of my time is spent on this BB now. You can learn a lot here.
But always remember. most of what is here is personal opinion and experience. Not everything works the same but these are fantastic guidelines.