Need some help!

[newtofish1994]

I just put in some black tahitian moon sand and I did not rinse it first, the water is very cloudy and I have already added the salt making it even more cloudy. Is it ok that I did not rinse the sand? and how long will it take for the water to clear up. I have my filter off.


There are no fish in the tank yet. I just added the sand and salt an hour or so ago.

 

[trigger40]

if its live sand it will take abought 17 to 20 hours to clear up but i dont know much about that sand. and if it is live sand it should have came with a bag of bio material to help bring down the cloudeness faster. and if i wher you i would run your filter. im just a begginer but ive gone through what you are going through so maybe i could help.

 

[trigger40]

Quote:
Originally Posted by trigger40 http:///t/397223/need-some-help#post_3539813
if its live sand it will take abought 17 to 20 hours to clear up but i dont know much about that sand. and if it is live sand it should have came with a bag of bio material to help bring down the cloudeness faster. and if i wher you i would run your filter. im just a begginer but ive gone through what you are going through so maybe i could help.

p.s. and whatever you do do not add your fish untill the cloudeness has completly disapated and have waited a full day or two after the water has cleared then you may add your fish onec you have tested your water chemistry and every thing is good and i am asuming you havent cycld your tank yet because you are adding sand so all you can put in ther is damzels.
(they help cycle your tank and be carful with damzels they can become your worst nightmare because they are so mean, so get the true yellow tail its the calmist)

 

[geridoc]

Please DO NOT cycle with live fish. It is an unnecessary cruelty to living animals. Instead, use a piece of cocktail shrimp in a nylon stocking as your source of ammonium. If that last sentence makes no sense to you run, don't walk to Amazon and get "Saltwater Fish For Dummies", read and follow its advice. Keep asking questions here, it is a pretty knowledgeable group.

 

[newtofish1994]

I'm planning on buying instant cycle, it guarantees me an inhabitable fish tank just after a day or two of using it.

 

[silverado61]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/397223/need-some-help#post_3539815
Please DO NOT cycle with live fish. It is an unnecessary cruelty to living animals. Instead, use a piece of cocktail shrimp in a nylon stocking as your source of ammonium. If that last sentence makes no sense to you run, don't walk to Amazon and get "Saltwater Fish For Dummies", read and follow its advice. Keep asking questions here, it is a pretty knowledgeable group.
As a newbie myself, I second everything GeriDoc says. Especialy about not using live fish. Get the book. Or get, "Marine Aquarium Handbook" by Martin A Moe. You can find that one at most pet supply stores that sell fish. That ones just as good.

Always learning

 

[newtofish1994]

Appreciate all the help guys. The sand appears to be settling and I bought a pretty decent filter so its helping it settle.


I plan to buy the live rock today to avoid any die off that happens with purchasing it in the mail. My plan is to add the live rock then add the instant cycle let it sit for a few days then add a fish.

 

[silverado61]

There are no guarantees when it comes to additives. Save your money and use it to buy a book and read, read, read. Let the tank cycle on its own and buy a marine test kit to monitor the water parameters. If you add a fish in less than a month you'll be writing us wanting to know why your fish died. Get the book. There are no short cuts in the saltwater fish hobby.

 

[silverado61]

I made the same mistake your about to make and it cost me fish and a lot of money.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by newtofish1994 http:///t/397223/need-some-help#post_3539819
Appreciate all the help guys. The sand appears to be settling and I bought a pretty decent filter so its helping it settle.


I plan to buy the live rock today to avoid any die off that happens with purchasing it in the mail. My plan is to add the live rock then add the instant cycle let it sit for a few days then add a fish.

Silverado is right, there are no shortcuts. The "instant" cycle...isn't instant. it's designed to kick start the cycle. It's much more efficient to add a chunk of raw shrimp, or ghost feed an invisible fish, or pour pure ammonia (1/4th cup) into the tank. The cycle begins the moment you add ammonia to the system, from rotted critters, rotted food, pour ammonia to skip the rotted part...or a live fish to begin pooping. Nothing happens until then.

We don't want you to use a live fish, the ammonia burns the gills and there are more humane methods, as I already listed.

No matter what you choose to do to kick start the cycle, you have to give your good bacteria something to build on, live rock and sand are the primary for that. Then it's a matter of time for the colonies of good bacteria to grow. Only a test can tell you where in the cycle the tank is, from ammonia, to nitrites, to nitrates. You should get an ammonia spike, then wait for that to drop back to 0, then check for nitrites, when that drops to 0 and you see nitrates, the tank has cycled, and ready for that first fish.

It's a really good time to set up that quarantine tank and get it cycling as well.

Tip: Macroalgae will absorb the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates from the system and help to keep your water quality pristine. If you don't have a refugium, you can get decorative macros that can go in the display.

 

[newtofish1994]

Ok guys, what about maxima clams and LPS corals, I want something in there to look at while its cycling. I don't think the instant cycling would hurt but I will wait for the bacteria to form colonies. I have frozen krill I could easily just drop a piece in there now.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by newtofish1994 http:///t/397223/need-some-help#post_3539833
Ok guys, what about maxima clams and LPS corals, I want something in there to look at while its cycling. I don't think the instant cycling would hurt but I will wait for the bacteria to form colonies. I have frozen krill I could easily just drop a piece in there now.

LOL...LOL....LOL...

Clams and SPS corals need pristine water conditions, and you want to look at what while it cycles...stuff dying? Are you a troll just yanking our chains to get us all riled up with really stupid comments and questions like, "can I keep a shark in my 10g tank?"

In the unlikely event that you are not a troll, I give you an answer.....There are no dumb questions as long as they are genuine. You can put decorative macro algae in the tank while it cycles.... Botryocladia is a really pretty bright red macro, that kind of looks like coral... Check out Golf Coast ecosystems. You can look at the live rock...or at least you SHOULD be looking at live rock. A really good thing to look at while the tank cycles is a good beginners book, read and re-read it...over and over.

The instant cycle is the same thing as all the other kick starts for getting the cycle motivated, it just isn't instant, nothing is.

 

[newtofish1994]

Hmm, yeah maybe I should buy that book you guys im not understanding still, sounds like some complex stuff.


I plan to just cycle the tank with a marine betta, from what ive heard it will produce a ton of waste and since my tanks only a 10 gallon it will take no time at all for that fish to cycle my tank.

My friend has one for sale half price for me 30 bucks. Its not a huge investment so I'm not too worried.

 

[newtofish1994]

I'm serious but don't worry, it's only a baby marine betta so don't freak out on me guys about size concerns. He'll only be in there for about 6 months.


You guys are correct, I should be doing my reading and from the Reading I have managed to gather online its telling me that only vegan taylor swift enthusiasts or little girls cycle their tank without fish.

I have an anti protozoan medication, and the cycling is done naturally. The filter I'm using is powerful and keeps the tank clean. I see no problems with it. The 30 dollar fish will be good to look at and when and if he makes it out of the cycle then he will have served his purpose in life, finishing my cycle.

I guess deep deep down... I don't posses the empathy for fish that you people do and since the last poster seems to lack a great deal of humility... I thought well why don't I lack civility.


I don't care if the fish dies if it serves it's purpose in fact it would bring me great solace knowing I have succeeded in cycling my tank the way that some of you rude people say can't ( or shouldn't ) be done.

No offense to the first few posters who genuinely wanted to help.

 

[jay0705]

People keep fish bc of there love for them. W your disregard for the fish u plan to keep your either very rich and can afford the loses u will sustain or wont be in this hobby for long

 

[newtofish1994]

Quote:
Originally Posted by trigger40 http:///t/397223/need-some-help#post_3539814
p.s. and whatever you do do not add your fish untill the cloudeness has completly disapated and have waited a full day or two after the water has cleared then you may add your fish onec you have tested your water chemistry and every thing is good and i am asuming you havent cycld your tank yet because you are adding sand so all you can put in ther is damzels.
(they help cycle your tank and be carful with damzels they can become your worst nightmare because they are so mean, so get the true yellow tail its the calmist)

I must have missed this post, I wanted to say thank you most of all to trigger40, as well to doc and silver.

At this point I wanted to note I may pass on the baby marine betta and go with some damzels. They are even cheaper and I can get more then one ( maybe two. )




Honestly I enjoyed sounding like a monster in my previous posts but we all know that it is also the most logical way to go about it.

 

[jay0705]

Only if u want to throw money away. Lr is most logical way to cycle a tank

 

[newtofish1994]

I should have said the most aesthetically pleasing method then. However to me it is logical because I am not staring at an empty tank and the bacteria is forming naturally from the fish.

The fish have a 50 / 50 shot at survival and when this tank forms colonies I'll just take part of the filter media and put it in the larger tank thus speeding up the process.


It is unfortunate that I had to start with such a small tank but I believe it will serve it's purpose in the long run and when its fully cycled could be turned into a nursery for baby clams while also being a good source to jump start the next tank.


Were talking about 10 - 30 dollar fish here, it's not the end of the world if a few keel over, if you can't afford to spend money then keeping an aquarium ( a salt water aquarium no less ) shouldn't really be on your to do list.

Ethically speaking is also silly. These are fish and if you are involved with this hobby you are already contributing to the negative impact we as humans have upon the oceans and all the fish that reside within them.

Pretty much fish will suffer even in a perfect aquarium and the oceans will suffer because of our interest with these fish. People like jay who claim to love fish and flame me for my methods are doing the exact same thing just by participating in this hobby.

 

[jay0705]

I forgot to ask earlier what mental institution have u escaped from? Iam sure there missing a logical fella like yourself

 

[newtofish1994]

I would give you an answer if I could, however I often ask myself the exact same thing ( and have received no reply ) as of yet.