Just starting out with 30G tank ..

[191185]

This is my first time having fish .. I bought a 30G tank ..
So far I have the salt in the water and have it filtering now .. On tuesday I'm going to bring in a sample of my water and hopefully get some live sand !
I've been talking to the owner of the petstore and basically going right along with all his advise. ..
I might even get a domino fish too ..
eventually, I want to have some live coral, rock, sand , and fish and hermit crabs .. .not too sure though, still reading and trying to learn as much as I can ...

 

[kiefers]

Welcome to the site and hobby. If you do your research and take your time you will have a wonderful new hobby.
Keep in mind that most petstores do not not necessarily have your best interest in mind. They are there to sell you things. The more problems you have, the more they sell you. You really need to do your own research, don't rely on one person to tell you what to do. A great place to start is under the New Hobbiest section in this forum, then read 101 things for new aquarist to know (not sure I have the title correct but it is close)
Please do not use a live fish to cycle your tank!!!!! It is much more humane to use a dead shrimp and accomplishes the same thing. Also a domino damsel will get very aggressive--towards you and other fish. It isn't the ideal first fish, especially in a 30 gallon tank. They are cute when little, can be nasty later. You will want to buy your own test kits so you can keep track of the cycle yourself. It is okay to start adding live sand and rock to get things going. You will get alot of advice here---you might just want to post a list of your equipment and what you would like to eventually put in the tank and get the ball rolling!!

 

[mproctor4]

Sorry.....just realized that I posted under Kiefers name again (he is my hubbie). For some reason he was on my computer last night.

 

[191185]

Ok so I've had the tank cycling since last night, and if my water is good I will buy live sand tuesday ..
then do you think I should buy dead shrimp the cycle ? I plan on taking ALL the time needed, to do this the right way .. I by no means want to rush into fish and live rock if my tank or equipment is not ready ..
I will post what equipment I have when I get home, but I bought a starter kit, so I presume it may not be the best quality ..
One thing he did recomend is to replace your heater every six months, as cheap insurance .. does everyone agree with that logic ?

 

[kiefers]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 191185 http:///forum/thread/386394/just-starting-out-with-30g-tank#post_3393572
Ok so I've had the tank cycling since last night, and if my water is good I will buy live sand tuesday ..
then do you think I should buy dead shrimp the cycle ? I plan on taking ALL the time needed, to do this the right way .. I by no means want to rush into fish and live rock if my tank or equipment is not ready ..
I will post what equipment I have when I get home, but I bought a starter kit, so I presume it may not be the best quality ..
One thing he did recomend is to replace your heater every six months, as cheap insurance .. does everyone agree with that logic ?
yes... I believe you should use a "raw" uncooked shrimp to the tank to start the cycle. Leave it in there for a couple of days, check your immonia and if it is still low leave in for a day more or so. Once the ammonia has spiked, take it out and flush the shrimp and let the tank do it's thing. Test ammonia, nitite,nitrate 2X aweek and if you keep a written record (preferred) you will see your parameters fluctuate until everything goes down to zero. About 6 to 8 weeks to cycle.

 

[flower]

Hi...welcome to the site!
Get your rock (live or dead dry) in first, then your live sand....your good bacteria needs a place to set up a home. They live in and on the rock and sand. once you have those set up then add the raw shrimp to start a spike and get things kind of kick started. You can count on your live rock to cycle the tank, it just takes a little longer.
Don't even think of a fish yet. If you want coral...tell us what kind of lights you have since that is the main thing for coral.

 

[kiefers]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/386394/just-starting-out-with-30g-tank#post_3393673
Hi...welcome to the site!
Get your rock (live or dead dry) in first, then your live sand....your good bacteria needs a place to set up a home. They live in and on the rock and sand. once you have those set up then add the raw shrimp to start a spike and get things kind of kick started. You can count on your live rock to cycle the tank, it just takes a little longer.
Don't even think of a fish yet. If you want coral...tell us what kind of lights you have since that is the main thing for coral.
Oh ya..... pls don't cycle with a live fish ......

 

[191185]

Ok I will not be using a fish to cycle my tank ... I was under the impression my tank was ready for a fish after a few days of live sand ..
What are some good lights to get if I want coral ? are there any that anyone can recomend ?
I have a freshwater cheap walmart startup kit... so I imagine my filter and lights are not adaquit .. I am actually thinking about starting from scratch ..
Is there a startup kit that anyone can reconmend ? my budget would try to be under $400 for close to a 30G tank with the lights, filter and everything ..
Or is it best to cherry pick all my equipment and avoid bundle kits ?

 

[kiefers]

lol...... I thought you might not cycle with a live fish but just throwing thatout there to raz ya.....
What you could do with your lights is use the fixure you currently have and use a regualr bulb or a 50/50. If fits, you could use 2 fixures and use 1 actinic and one daylight.
Some corals can thrive in low lighting if unable to do that.
*budget minded myself*

 

[191185]

ok cool .. I'll list what my equipment is when I get home, and I'll see if it is fit for the task ..

 

[kiefers]

what matters most is the size of the fixture your using... a petwarehouse or ***** will have the lights

 

[191185]

Ok, I found out I have a 20g tank!
Whisper 1030 filter. And some regular lights for fresh water.
How many fish can I get? One puffer and one or two others ?

 

[mproctor4]

Sorry---no puffer in a 20gal long! gobies, couple of clowns, chromis, some small shrimp.....look on this site under nano tanks for ideas. There are lots of really great small tanks!

 

[191185]

Ok I found a nice 55g on craigslist for $70 with stand and lights and everything. Anything to watch out for on used tanks ?

 

[2quills]

Chips, cracks, worn out silicone, broken bracing and or leaks. If it's not already, then ask if you can see the tank full. And keep any eye out for any obvious repairs made to the tank anywhere.

 

[mproctor4]

LOL--won't be long and you will want a 300 gallon too! I'm telling you, it is an addictive hobby. You could probably have a toby puffer in a 55 gallon. It is easier to keep the parameters stable and gives you more flexibility with your live stock. You won't be sorry if you go bigger and it is easier and cheaper to do it now. Gotta love craigslist.
Oh---keep your 20 long for a QT. You will regret it somewhere down the road if you don't quarantine, it will save you huge headaches, heartaches, and money too. 20 long is a nice size for a QT, just keep letting it cycle so it will be stable when you are ready.

 

[191185]

Well, I decided I'll just stick with my 20g for now. And if I get the hang of everything and it's going good, I'll buy a massive one this winter.
I dunno about some of those craigslisters , some seem very suspicious. I think I'll just buy new when the time comes.

 

[191185]

Also, I forgot to mention, today I"m bringing my water to the petstore, and if it checks out. I plan on buying live sand today ..
So can I have live sand and rock BEFORE my tank "cycles" ?

 

[gemmy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 191185 http:///forum/thread/386394/just-starting-out-with-30g-tank#post_3393913
Also, I forgot to mention, today I"m bringing my water to the petstore, and if it checks out. I plan on buying live sand today ..
So can I have live sand and rock BEFORE my tank "cycles" ?
I wouldn't bother taking a sample of water to the LFS. Adding live rock and sand is part of the intitial set up of a saltwater aquarium. There will be some die off of the beneficial bacteria in the live rock and live sand during transportation. Honestly, I would go with mostly dry sand and just about a cup or two of live sand. This is a part of the initial cycling. I would buy a good test kit (like API's saltwater master kit). This way you can test the water yourself.

 

[191185]

OK I went to the LFS and my Salt water wasn't salty enough. . it was right in the middle of the "gauge" (forgot the name ) .. I thought it was supposed to be exactly in the middle of the "safe zone" so I purposly had it there ..
According to LFS I want to be between 1.024 and 1.026 ? which is at the very top of the "safe zone" ...
Anyways, they REFUSED to sell me Live rock. . which is fine, I'm still learning .. I got 20lb of live sand for my 20G tank ..
He said I can come back tomorrow for the live rock , and he said I was ready for a few starter fish .. (dominoes) but from what I read on this forum, I am not ready ? I want to start with raw lobster first ? Anyways I'm in no hurry, so maybe I'll just start with the rock tomorrow ..
Thoughts on what my LFS is telling me ?? Opinions .. . . ... I'm here to learn
Also, I can post pics of my setup if anyone's interested ?