LFS -- moron?

[jamie907]

I went to my LFS yesterday to pick up some live rock for my tank that's been filtering for about two weeks now. Everything appears to be in order, except I need to get my specific gravity up a little tiny bit and just a few other minor adjustments. All I've got in there right now is a wetdry filter, 2 20-lb bags of live sand, dechlorinated and salted tap water, four damsels, four pieces of live rock, and a heater. Anyway, I tested my water and everything appears to be normal. Nitrites 0, ammonia 0, pH of 8 which needs to go up to about 8.3. I told my fish dealer this and he told me that I could probably put -anything I wanted- into my tank if my water was already that good, which I'm kind of leery to believe. He knows that I intend to put in anemones, and everything here indicates that that should be done way after a tank has matured for a while. Also, I'm not sure if my tap water is good enough. I am having slight problems with diatoms and red algae.
Another thing.. I asked him if i should have powerheads in my tank, because I have a few dead spots, and he told me that because I'm using live sand and no undergravel filter, I can't have powerheads and that they'll suck up the live sand. So.. what should I do? He told me I could probably put in a rock that gives off bubbles or something, but it seems like I would need something stronger for inverts...
*stumped*

 

[masala4080]

-I would wait a little bit longer to start to add stuff. Maybe just to make sure everything is looking ok. How is your nitrates?
- Defenatly wait a little while to add an anemone or any SPS, LPS corals or anything, just to make sure the tank has matured.
-I disagree with him on the powerheads. It is reccomended that you have about 15 to 25 times the turnover rate in GPH of your tank size. Power heads are pretty much the only option. If your too concerned, place them a little higher and have them shooting on some live rock, so it doesnt stirr the sand up too much. Dont do the bubbles. I have heard too many bad thing about them in a saltwater tank.
Hope this helped.

 

[sw65galma]

lol did he tell you the tooth fairy and santa was real too?
Anyway disregard anything he's said and for future reference...don't ask him anymore.
Basically take the opposite of everything he said.
No you can't just put anything you want..(well you can, and after it dies buy another which is what hes hoping i'm sure)
Use a power head with a Sponge filter on the end..No it won't suck up your sand.
And No on the bubble rock.

 

[scotts]

Is he also the same person who told you to put the damels in? Since they are there not much you can do, but just know that in the long run they are mean little buggers. After you are fully cycled I would recommend getting them out before adding any other fish to your tank, You might need to pull your rock out to catch the little sons a b.......s
Scott

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by Scotts
You might need to pull your rock out to catch the little sons a b.......s
Scott
That's a given!

 

[mumbulog]

Originally posted by sw65galma
lol did he tell you the tooth fairy and santa was real too?
Anyway disregard anything he's said and for future reference...don't ask him anymore.
Basically take the opposite of everything he said.
No you can't just put anything you want..(well you can, and after it dies buy another which is what hes hoping i'm sure)
Use a power head with a Sponge filter on the end..No it won't suck up your sand.
And No on the bubble rock.
Be careful with the sponge filter on the powerhead, it may become a nitrate factory

 

[mumbulog]

Damsels are hard to catch, I had a 3 striped who was beating on my maroon clown. I went to catch him, I ended pulling out 110 lbs of rock to get him.

 

[jobob]

fish trap!!!! my friend had this problem, i let him use my trap. it took a couple days, put it works. just put the food in the trap and everytime u feed them, feed them in the trap so if they want to eat they have to go in and get it! once one fish goes in it they all go.

 

[jamie907]

What do I do with the damsels after I pull them out? I have a three-striped, two blues, and a really odd-looking brown one. Do I return them to the store or what?

 

[buckshott]

My lfs let's me take things back to her and she gives me a discount or takes whatever $ off of the item I am purchasing at the present time. Maybe she likes me!

She's not that good looking. LOL!
I took back my cc and she gave me $7.00 off of my 20lb back of argonite sand. Pretty cool. When I get done w/ my damsels she'll take them back too.
Hopefully your lfs will let you do the same thing. Good luck

 

[mumbulog]

at the store you'll loose money. You can explore the option of having an aggressive tank and look for other fish that are aggressive. Put larger fish in there that are bold in temperment. If you like clowns, maybe go with a gold striped maroon clown, fuzzy dwarf lion. Lion may eat them, but he might not to.
First question is, do you like your damsels or where they just for cycling your tank?
If you like them then bulid your tank population around that temperemnt.
If they where just for cycling, maybe find someone else who will take them, you'll make more that way. If your going to give them away, try someone other than a pet store, he'll profit off the same fish twice.
Gordon

 

[jamie907]

They were really only there to cycle the tank, I'd like to have a nice, peaceful reef. I'm going to see if I can get anyone to take them for me, but I don't know if anyone around me has a salt wter tank. Oh well. Thank you all very much! I'm sure I'll get this all figured out evenutally. :cheer:

 

[doodle1800]

I'm going to come to the LFS's defense here a bit.
First of all you probably can put anything in there - except maybe expensive anenomes. Cheap rock or common anenomes will survive. No I wouldn't a Mandarin or an Angel or a Butterfly in there. But there are plenty of fish to stock it with right now.
Second - while your tap water might be the cause of your red cyno - it could be from 2 other things at least - lighting and lack of circulation. You decided to use tap water. What did you expect the LFS to say - you gave him the water parameters? Some people on this board fill their tanks with tap water. I bet a lot do. Did you expect the LFS to say - drain your tank and refill using only RO water? I guess I'm missing what the LFS did wrong here.
Power heads - seems either you or the LFS was mistaken - no offense. A lack of communication. A powerhead 1 1/2 feet above the sand does not suck up sand. Common sense. It might blow up sand pointed directly at it, but not suck up sand.
I think some LFS's are idiots, but not all the time.

 

[jamie907]

I didn't really mean to put him down. I was just wondering if what he said had any truth in it.
My water seems to be fine, and yes, i told him everything. I'm going to let it cycle a while longer and I decided to get a powerhead anyway. I'll get me 748 GPH, which is 16 times my tank size. I'll probably get another one of a smaller size later.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by jamie907
I didn't really mean to put him down. I was just wondering if what he said had any truth in it.
My water seems to be fine, and yes, i told him everything. I'm going to let it cycle a while longer and I decided to get a powerhead anyway. I'll get me 748 GPH, which is 16 times my tank size. I'll probably get another one of a smaller size later.
Just make sure sometimes they are measured in LPH(liters) not GPH..
BIG Difference..

 

[jobob]

no dont get that powerhead. it will be like a huricane!!! get like 2-3 120gph. it will be much better.