Need Help

[nemo4tater]

Hello,.
OK we have a 3 year old that is in love with Nemo, so we have decided to create Nemo Land in our home. So we got a 45 gallon tank and filled it, used instant ocean, put some decorations in there and tested everything. All levels were perfect so we put some damsels in and they are doing great. We didnt use sand or live rocks, the woman at the store said we didnt have to, is that correct?We used the little rocks that are commonly found in freshwater tanks. Also she said 2-3 days and as long as everything is ok with the water we can add clown fish and Dori...We have 150 watt heater , and pretty good filter and a light. What else do we need? I am so confused and lost ... i have looked on thenet and i couldnt find much. PLEASE HELP.

 

[woodymdt]

Originally posted by Nemo4Tater
Hello,.
OK we have a 3 year old that is in love with Nemo, so we have decided to create Nemo Land in our home. So we got a 45 gallon tank and filled it, used instant ocean, put some decorations in there and tested everything. All levels were perfect so we put some damsels in and they are doing great. We didnt use sand or live rocks, the woman at the store said we didnt have to, is that correct?We used the little rocks that are commonly found in freshwater tanks. Also she said 2-3 days and as long as everything is ok with the water we can add clown fish and Dori...We have 150 watt heater , and pretty good filter and a light. What else do we need? I am so confused and lost ... i have looked on thenet and i couldnt find much. PLEASE HELP.
The nice lady at the LFS is pushing you along so you'll be in a position to buy more stuff...hopefully from her store.
Cycling a tank takes a while..sometimes up to 8-10 weeks. Some people use Damsels to cycle, but that's just mean, IMO.
You don't have to use live sand or live rocks, but live rock (LR) does improve the filtering of a tank much better, as does a DSB (deep sand bed) with some live sand in it.
You said your levels were perfect? SO what are the readings? And what type of filter are you using and what kind of lights?
A 45 gallon tank is going to be quite small for a Tang (Dori) to swim around in. Most people suggest a 75 gallon tank at the LEAST for a tang, which will grow quite a bit. There are quite a few startup threads on here...check them out, see what some of the regulars are doing as far as setting their tanks up.
And enjoy, and good luck.

 

[nemo4tater]

OK, i have read to use shrimp to get the cycle going? What is cycling? Also i dont understand , how is it mean to use damsels to start the cycle? Im not trying to hurt fish. I really am new to this and i have read some fo the posts for new tanks, what is a powerehas? Do i need one of those.
I have a 65 watt light i think and the filter is a 500 something or other, it should filter the water more than 20 times or so an hour... sound right?

 

[big boy69]

Buy some STABILITY from Seachem and dose for 7 days, reccommended doses,and your cycle is done.
Seachem guarantees that you can add fish the same day as long as you dose it correctly for 7 days straight.

 

[nemo4tater]

Is it OK to do that while i have fish in the tank? Can I email you?The link wont work.

 

[joker_ca]

first off i would like to say the lady who sold u all your stuff is not trying to help you but to make alot of money on you
yes dont put the dori (tang) in a 45 they require 100g at least and since your a beginer your are going to make some mistakes taht your dori will not take, tangs require excellent water quality or else they get sick and die
i suggest going with these fish and shrimp that are easy and are in the movie too
royal gramma
false percula clown
skunk cleaner shrimp
also try to remove the damsels and trade them in at the fish store for some live rock, and a sand they do wonders for your tank and give your tank a natural look and food source for your fish
stay away from the puffer, or the morish idol that where in the dentist's tank

 

[nemo4tater]

Does anyone know where i can get the Seachem stabilizer that was mentioned in the earlier posts? I cant seem to find it. Also I am not sure i can trade fish in once they have been in my tank. Are damsels hard to maintain?

 

[joker_ca]

IMO forget about the stabilizer, and let your tank cycle on its own dont be troughing chemicals in there and you shouldnt have a problem trading them in many stores do it for store credit.
they reason im saying trade the damsels is because they're very aggressive little fish that can bullie new fish to the point of killing them

 

[nemo4tater]

OK , I will check on trading them in, how long does it take for the tank to cycle? How long should i wait before putting fish in?

 

[joker_ca]

all tanks are different but it might take up to a month for your tank to cycle you'll see your ammonia and nitrite spike then come down once they read 0 your good to go
but put some LR and sand or crushed coral if you go with CC clean it frequently