My Official Progress Thread (75gl)

[mie]

How long has your tank been up and running for with the live rock?
Are there 4 clown fish in your tank? If so you should only have two, They will eventually kill eachother. Clowns are very territorial.
And alage sheets are a must for the tang. Go to the grocery store and buy your alage sheets, waaaaay cheaper (roasted dried seaweed).
Also buy seafood medely from the grocery store and mix it with fresh pressed garlic or buy garlic extreme and mix it up in a food chopper or prosesser, then spread it out about 1/8 inch thick and put it in ziplock bags and freeze it. Your fish will love it, this is cheaper and better for your fish.
And lastly research before you buy anything and take this hobby slow it is NOTHING like freshwater. "The only thing that happens fast in saltwater is failure"

 

[drpaul84]

i know why the tang died, i had a powerhead in front of my rocks an as he came out of a cave he got blasted into the rocks an all confused an kept gettin hammered, an he couldnt handle that an died...poor little fella...

 

[mie]

How long has your tank been up and running for with the live rock?
Are there 4 clown fish in your tank? If so you should only have two, They will eventually kill eachother. Clowns are very territorial

 

[kanicky]

Whoa.
Two words: Slow Down.
Answer a few questions that were asked:
1. How long have you had your tank with LR set up?
2. What are your water parameters? Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, pH, Salinity?
We're asking about the number of Clownfish because Clownfish are in the Damsel family, and they are very territorial, especially with their own kind. Clownfish can tolerate each other in pairs, but once two pair up, typically they will attack and eventually kill any other Clownfish in their territory. You have four Clownfish... One pair will become dominant and terrorize the other pair.
Also, depending on how long your tank has been established, you might have gone over your bioload, adding six fish in one go. Even people with very established systems (several years old) do not add that many fish at one time.
I very highly doubt the flow killed the Tang. If it really was/is that powerful, that a fish cannot get out of it, then you need to tone your flow down. Your Tang probably was weaked by stress and because of that, was unable to fight the flow.
Other than that, I like the black sand

Remember, we're here to help, so let us!

 

[drpaul84]

the LR was cured then placed in the tank for the past month or so, water parameters are all in check 0's across the board salinity is 1.023 and ph i think (i forget) was at low 8's , i feel bad there was a cave an its my fault but the exit was right at the head of the powerhead cross path so it came out an got t boned by the water an it slammed it into the LR an it got disoriented an then it went down from there.......... my clowns are looking good, i know what your sayin about the clowns an the pairs but i dunno is there any chance they will get alone when they mature or will i definitly seperate them if so looks like ill be gettin another tank lol..... but gamma is doing good....so thats cool...it hides an comes out for dinner....today i get more live rock i got the container sittin there ready to be curing....so that will be good....

 

[kanicky]

Okay, thanks for clearing things up for us.

For future reference, though, it's best to not add more than one or two fish at a time and try to keep them a few weeks apart. You never know if one of them is going to bring a parasite or disease in, and it's best to go slow. Adding too many fish at one time can stress them, weaken their immune system, and then it really is downhill from there.
As someone already quoted, "the only thing that happens fast in this hobby is failure."
The clowns will probably not get along, especially as they mature. There are some people who have been successful in keeping more than a pair, but their tanks are usually several hundred gallons, with plenty of hiding space and little nooks and crannies that can be "claimed."
Your best bet is to pick a pair and either return the other two, or, like you said, set up a new tank

 

[jessica47421]

how long had ur tank been running?

 

[drpaul84]

tanks been up since early september, but recently moved its location, so it was about a 50% water change at that time, yea im actually looking at getting a 125gl tank from my friend dumb question which im pretty sure the answer is yes, can 1 sump go to 2 tanks, i know i know dumb question!! also i got my 50lbs of LR from SWF.com today an its in the container curing, it looks awesome an barely had any smell to it so i know its nice an fresh! hope it cures quick think 1 week will be enough? its in the container with a heater an power head.... the pieces they sent are awesome

 

[jessica47421]

wow ur moving very fast it seems to have just started ur tank a little over a month ago. it looks really nice though u might want to really step back and think for a while though before adding any more fish. i know when i first started mine i was in such a rush and it cost me alot of extra money that i could have saved if i would have just took some time. just fyi for ya. good luck and have fun.

 

[drpaul84]

no no the tanks been up since September, but the LR has been it for a month, also i got my new LR today an it looks great, gonna let it cure for a week an then check how the water is in the container, then do a water change then give it another couple days then put it in the tank, or should i do something else? right now the clowns are all swimming happily, an the gamma is in his cave just hanging out, hrmmm now to do or not to do with the new tank lol....i dont know, maybe after the holidays ill get it, would look awesome cause it would be right next to this tank an would just be awesome! is there anything i should be doing right now or looking out for with these fish or just keep an eye on the parameters?

 

[mcbdz]

Just watch your water parameters very closely and makesure your doing your weekly water changes. Use this time to learn how to keep your tank in check and how much to feed your fish.

Believe me those little clowns will sucker you into feeding them too much and your tank will crash.

They beg so cute.

For your live rock , It could take longer. You have to check your water every couple of days and watch for the cycle just like when you are cycling a tank. Don't put it in until it goes through the whole process or it will do it in your tank.

Good Luck and Have fun

 

[mbnum2]

Sounds like someone has gotten the addiction as bad as the rest of us! You are on the right track man looking good, just listen to these guys and take your TIME. It will some you a LOT of $$$ and heart ache.

 

[drpaul84]

i know i know slow down lol but its so hard, i wanna get all this rock in an get it all nicey nice.....an have the water perfect an get the sump setup an the protien skimmer...ahhhh hey whats a good meter to buy for the parameters im using the ones that are in the viles right now and i want something more accurate and easier to read, is there anything? i know about the refractometer is there something like that for ammonia nitrites an nitrates?

 

[theappe3]

all good tests would be in vial form (titration) refractometer is for specific gravity.

 

[mcbdz]

Originally Posted by drpaul84
i know i know slow down lol but its so hard, i wanna get all this rock in an get it all nicey nice.....an have the water perfect an get the sump setup an the protien skimmer...ahhhh hey whats a good meter to buy for the parameters im using the ones that are in the viles right now and i want something more accurate and easier to read, is there anything? i know about the refractometer is there something like that for ammonia nitrites an nitrates?
There are some digital tests but they run around $200 for each test prob.

Too steep for me.

 

[drpaul84]

ouch i feel probed just thinking about it lol, i think im going to get a 30gl to use as a sump, now i have a really newb question, if i have the tubes goin down to the sump an then the pump bringing the water back up to the tank, what keeps the flow going like for the pump to match how much water is coming down so that it doesnt over flow....

 

[triga22]

The overflow has a certian brim so that if its taking in more water than the pump can push out it will only siphon to that brim. Thats why you want a bigger overflow than pump.

 

[drpaul84]

now im more confused, so i HAVE to put a over flow hanging on the back of the tank? i cant just have a tube goin directly into the sump? hrmmm i need some links for reference then lol....i was just gonna have the pipe go down to the sump an then another pipe going back into the tank....

 

[drpaul84]

new pics fellas! nothin special just got bored an was takin pics of the fish, they all seem happy an the gamma is becoming more adventurous an coming out to say hello!

 

[mie]

new pics fellas! Care full there are lots of girls on these boards.

Anyways just out of curiosity how are you buying your rock offline or from a local store? because if you are buying live rock from a lfs that is allredy cured in saltwater bins or tanks and if you live within 45 mins to an hour from your lfs you should be able to put it right in the tank. Now if you order it offline you would have to cure it. And your one sump for two tanks question, great idea but you would have to have a massive sump to accomidate the returning water i.e if the power goes off etc..and not to mention your filter socks and skimmer cup would get dirty and fill up fast.