hi all

judy4760

judy4760

New Member
hi all im just winging it here pretty much.i have a millionairs dream and a hillbillys wallet.

i live in iowa and i have been working on this 55 gal tank since early november i had a catastraphy and now am back to first fish again
im set now for a reef and i have a good base for coral to grow on( that was an expencive lesson) lol

any way any ideas on what i really need for this time i have a 30 gal and a 55 gal back filter and 1 powerhead. do i still need al the other stuff? or can i start putting fish in.and is it a good rule of thumb to put in one cleaner for each fish as a ratio for balance?
 
judy4760

judy4760

New Member
we are back to ready to take on our first fish. i just read that a damsel snt a good starter fish to cycle my tank?
first, ill try to keep this short but a little backround on this tank.
we started our jurrney in novenber of last year. we were only a 30 gallon then. lol...
im sorry i just reread this post... i guess it kind of has taken a life of its own.
anyway i got it almost up to a few fish and the bottom broke, no biggie nothing living yet...
next was lots of 5 gallon buckets around the house till december, when i got the 55.
yes i rushed and destroyed the 55 with to much live rock and not enough knowlage.
i have learned my lession and would like to get some info on easy care corol,and colorfull fish ...

what is the best to do next.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
How many lbs of live rock do you have? The first step is to set up the tank with sand and live rock. You will need two good power heads and a good filter. What kind of condition is the live rock in? Was it kept warm and submerged in salt water? Was their movement in the buckets, or was it just sitting there?
 
judy4760

judy4760

New Member
we have 2 backfilters a 50 and a 30 and 1 powerhead. live rock is what i ruined my tank with last time i think i put to much in it was 44 lbs so i am back to live sand it is all my original sand with dolimite added. when i put the live rock in it went real bad cuz i didnt know i was supposed to re=cure it. ya i know duh lol
 
S

sawtydog

Guest
hi judy, wecolme to the board.I am also new to this site and a resident of s.e iowa. i can tell you that most of the people on here, what i should say all the people on here are a great deal of help to us newbies. or atleast they have been for me. thanks everyone. i read on one of the threads that you should use a piece of chunk shrimp to cycle your tank and keep an eye on your water with a good test kit, not the test strips as they are not always correct. and as for your live rock i read somewhere that a good rule of thumb is 1lbs per gal but 2lbs. per gallon would be better, or so it said. everyone please correct me if i'm wrong on any of this. good luck judy
 
gregmedic

gregmedic

New Member
I am somewhat of a newbee myself. But I can offer a couple words of advise. First, Live rock is almost essential to the wellbeing of an aquarium, as it provides beneficial biological filtration and good places for foraging and hiding. Also, buy a book on beginners saltwater fishkeeping, they can provide a good foundation to the hobby. I discovered a lot from my book. Good luck! And maybe try to check your spelling and grammar before you post, it was a little hard trying to read it and follow.
 
judy4760

judy4760

New Member
when i put 44 lbs of live in my tank the first time my mistake was not to recure the rock. it turned my tank into amonia central. so now i have got the tank up to where i am today. i have 20 lbs of mixed black live sand and 40 lbs of dolimite. i have one small 5 lb live rock (i think) 2 large chunks of now dead coral, basicaly that is all. i have 2 back filters and 1 power head. my tank is clear from the front and the side. i have a few pics if nessisary for you to understand what i'm saying. i have 1 tiny damsell from the local pet store living in there now. i am just afraid to get live rock to much at a time and dont really have the ability to re-cure alot at once so i guess the first step is to ask how much at once? and do i need a skimmer now or can i add it later.
 
judy4760

judy4760

New Member
ok so can i add rock a little at a time with the local shops and then i wont have die off. and the skimmer is still a question. is there still such a thing as a trickel down and can i make one of them?
 
judy4760

judy4760

New Member
just wanted to let every one know the tank is up and living again. i have put 20lbs of live rock and it seems to be doing well. i have some little critters and a few fish and all seem to be doin well.
 
mcbdz

mcbdz

Active Member

Welcome to SWF.
Glad to hear things are working out so far. Make sure you take it slow. Please don't add more than one thing every couple of weeks or more so your biological filteration can catch up to your live stock. Here are some good things to read through and it will put you way ahead of where a lot of us started out.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/301033/101-tips-to-beginning-and-maintaining-a-saltwater-aquarium
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/160830/beginners-12-step-program
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/264597/a-list-of-extremely-helpful-threads-for-all-hobbyists
Good luck and have fun.
 
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