New 90 Gallon Tank, my first time with Saltwater!

[chaosfyre]

Hi! My name is Sara, and I'm from the Houston area of TX (specifically, College Station). It would be great to meet people on the forum who live near. I just got my first saltwater tank Jan 1st 2013, but I've been lurking on this site dreaming of a saltwater tank for the last 2 years or so. I've done tons of research about it so far, so I'm pretty confident even though its my first time.
I've had really good luck too! I got the 90 gal tank + 10 gal sump with gravity fed overflow box, with bioballs already in, + 9.5 mag (950 gph) return pump, + Aq110 hang-on-back filter + stand, + heater, + T5 lighting with 1 actinic bulb and 1 daylight bulb, all for $200 on craigslist!
I saved a ton of money by getting 45 lbs of dead aquarium sand, + 45 lbs of crushed coral substrate, + 5 lbs of live sand to help cultivate the rest. Then I spent $10 on 112 lbs of landscaping rock and bought a bit of live rock with coraline algae to cultivate it. I might add more rock in the future, since it is not as porous as fiji live rock.
Another great thing that happened was that when I was looking at damsels and hermit crabs at *****, someone walked in with a bag of fish they were giving away! I got a sand sifter, a lawnmower blenny, a blue-headed fairy wrasse (i think), and a nassarius snail all for free! I added these guys to my green emerald crab, 3 hermit crabs, and 1 B&W damsels and 1 silver dollar damsel.
The guy wanted to get rid of the sand sifter because it was throwing sand on his corals, but since I have crushed coral substrate on top of my sand, the fish does not make a mess at all! In fact, he is quite entertaining and has dug burrows so all of the other fish in the tank have one.
, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);">I've had all those fish since day 3 and I was really worried about them surviving the tank cycling, so I got some live bacteria to dose the tank with. Then I've had the water tested for free at ***** weekly. I also added some water conditioner (I used all tap, so far so good), and top up the tank with fresh water to keep the salinity stable. Today I performed my first real water change (10%) because my nitrites and nitrates have just started showing up. I was told that the presence of nitrates means the ammonia is almost gone and the nitrites are almost all broken down, and so my tank is already almost cycled at 19 days in! After the water change I added my last dose of live bacteria just to help kill the rest of the nitrites. In the past week or so, I have seen a small diatom bloom but its already beginning to abate, and I read on these forums that the diatoms are perfectly natural and can even be considered a good sign!
All the fish and crabs are all looking great! The lawnmower blenny is my favorite so far because he dances the salsa when he begs for food. Plus he has eyebrows. Very cute!
A friend of mine named the emerald crab "Harry Nimbles" which threw me into laughing fits.
The first damsel is named Test 2 or T2 for short. So then we couldn't resist naming the first hermit crab R2... R2 T2 (Eh? Eh?

). Like R2 D2...
Anyway, can you tell I'm excited?round-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);" />
Nice to finally meet you all!

 

[acrylic51]

Welcome to the forums.......Sounds like your off to a decent start, and free is definitely good.....Any pics.....

 

[billyjoemac]

Hey there, I live in waco and have some great connections with a few reef keepers, lots of frags for sale ( much cheaper than lfs) and most are willing to make great deals to other hobbiest especially if they know ur in for the long haul, I've learned helping people on this hobby always pays back 10 fold

 

[flower]

Hi Sara, welcome to the site!
Glad to have you come out from hiding...2 years, I thought you were patient beyond imagination. Yet you added fish after only 3 days...what happened to your patients?
A few things you mentioned...I am not trying to be mean and bust your bubble, and I hope and pray you don't take this the wrong way, I'm really tying to help

[*]
You should have your own test kits, running to a pet store to do tests is not good. Adding so much so fast means you need to be able to check your water every morning and evening to be sure all is well.
[*]
Damsels get really evil mean as they mature...they will kill the other fish, and bite you drawing blood. Which no doubt is why they were a give away.
The crushed coral will cause problems for the sand sifter, they need the soft sand, and having dead sand that you just seeded means it doesn't have enough food to sustain it...
You are not out of the woods on a possible ammonia spike...3 weeks is all the tank has been up, which is about the time your problems will start.
You have a 90g tank, and the added 10g make 100, so the amount of water volume I'm sure has helped tremendously. It has been 3 weeks, so the nail biting begins on a countdown of possible problems, have some already mixed SW ready to do water changes, and have your own test kits (lab type not strip) You can get the strip type of ammonia tests and keep tabs to make sure there are no spikes, and if/when ammonia rears it's ugly head do the WC right then and there...
The tap water is going to cause problems down the road for serious algae problems, so be prepared. Lots of water changes should help to keep that down a bit, your CUC is not good enough, but 1 snail...the hermits will kill it. You dare not add anything else right now, or the ammonia is going to climb for sure. Having the strips to test ammonia will give you the edge on when to do that emergency water change and save the critters. It's called "soft cycling" when you add fish real soon, then watch for ammonia spikes, ready on the spot with a water change. It was the old way, and it can be done...but you have to be ready.

 

[chaosfyre]

Yes, the pics are under my profile under albums.

 

[chaosfyre]

That sounds great! I don't have any corals yet but I'd love to hear about your prices on them. I have the T5 lights and the 1 actinic bulb and 1 daylight, no powerheads yet. So I'd need something hardy. First I think I'll get more rock, too.

 

[chaosfyre]

The damsels weren't given away, I got them as test fish (before I got the free fish) and they are not a variety that get very big. Also, the tank IS 90 gallons; it is possible to cycle a tank in a single day if you have enough live bacteria and do all the injections, etc. Ever seen that aquarium show? There is a special formula to it...
Anyway, the guys said the water quality was perfect every time I've gone except for yesterday. Before that, I had been doing very small water changes 5% every few days. After I heard the nitrates are starting to appear, I immediately did a 10% water change. Because the nitrates are appearing, it means that the ammonia has already spiked and is being broken down, or so I was told.
The dead sand is now live, ^ because tank is almost cycled. The bacteria inoculations are 10 mls per 10 gallons, given every 5 days. The sand sifter eats marine flakes and algae pellets, so I think he'll do just fine without the sand. I do have a 10 gal tank on the side with already mixed saltwater, though the fresh water I use to top off every other day keeps the salinity good. Also, the algae problem does not happen to -all- people who use tap-- it really depends on what is IN your tap. I live in college station, and everyone around here uses tap. But, I did get the conditioner as well, and it neutralizes quite a bit of things, including ammonia. I'd have to read the bottle for particulars.
Have plenty of shells, the hermits are switching like crazy. The snail is fine, he mostly stays on the glass. I do plan on getting more cleaners soon, but so far there is nothing for them to eat (thus why I am feeding algae pellets).
Also, it seems like a lot of fish but the 2 damsels are 1/2 in or so each, the blenny, wrasse, and sand sifter are maybe 3 in each. All in all, its 10 in of fish in 100 gallons. Like you said, the volume of the water is a huge part of it.
The pet store is about 5 minutes from me, so if I really wanted to I could test daily for free. They test EVERYTHING, even ammonia, and at this point I'm not sure I can afford to sink a lot into test kits (especially since I would use so much as the tank is cycling).
I'm keeping an eye on the fish, and the only concern is that the salinity is a bit high. I was told to watch for ich in that case! If there is a problem with the free fish, they can go in my 10 gal tank or back to the pet store.
I'm not big on worrying about the future. I do a lot of calculations with chemicals and solutions, and bacterial inoculations where I work (lab tech) so I have a good handle on these things. I also have 20+ years of experience in caring for all kinds of pets, and I check the critters at each feeding to make sure they are healthy.
Its nice that you are concerned though, thanks for posting about it. However, I did say I've been lurking for 2 yrs, so I've done my research. It wasn't so much that I was patient, I just didn't have the money. The tank was an xmas present, and my bf and I split the rest of the cost of the setup. I'm in the last stages of entering grad school where I will be paid substantially more than I am now, and more fish or corals or cleaner stuff will likely have to wait unless its really cheap and I really need it.

 

[chaosfyre]

Ah yes, and I'm probably going to do another change tomorrow after testing the water again.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosFyre http:///t/394244/new-90-gallon-tank-my-first-time-with-saltwater#post_3508927
The damsels weren't given away, I got them as test fish (before I got the free fish) and they are not a variety that get very big. Also, the tank IS 90 gallons; it is possible to cycle a tank in a single day if you have enough live bacteria and do all the injections, etc. Ever seen that aquarium show? There is a special formula to it... *Damsels are small very evil fish. That aquarium show cuts allot out and they NEVER cycle a tank in a day, it's impossible
Anyway, the guys said the water quality was perfect every time I've gone except for yesterday. Before that, I had been doing very small water changes 5% every few days. After I heard the nitrates are starting to appear, I immediately did a 10% water change. Because the nitrates are appearing, it means that the ammonia has already spiked and is being broken down, or so I was told. * then you have been doing a soft cycle, which is perfectly fine if you want to (sorry) torture fish. A chunk of raw shrimp is faster and painless for critters. Is you water PERFECT,
what are the numbers? Ammonia...PH...Alkalinity..Phosphates...nitrates...nitrites?
The dead sand is now live, ^ because tank is almost cycled. The bacteria inoculations are 10 mls per 10 gallons, given every 5 days. The sand sifter eats marine flakes and algae pellets, so I think he'll do just fine without the sand. I do have a 10 gal tank on the side with already mixed saltwater, though the fresh water I use to top off every other day keeps the salinity good. Also, the algae problem does not happen to -all- people who use tap-- it really depends on what is IN your tap. I live in college station, and everyone around here uses tap. But, I did get the conditioner as well, and it neutralizes quite a bit of things, including ammonia. I'd have to read the bottle for particulars. * cycle means good bacteria, not enough fauna to keep a sand sifter alive. The city puts stuff in the water to combat the very bacteria we try to keep in our tanks (fresh and salt) also fish do not need fluoride. So your tap water is going to cause an algae problem later, it doesn't mean you can't keep a tank but it does mean you will be dealing with algae.
Have plenty of shells, the hermits are switching like crazy. The snail is fine, he mostly stays on the glass. I do plan on getting more cleaners soon, but so far there is nothing for them to eat (thus why I am feeding algae pellets). * hermits kill snails and one doesn't have a chance...you are going to need another 100 snails later on anyway. We call them the CUC (clean up crew)
Also, it seems like a lot of fish but the 2 damsels are 1/2 in or so each, the blenny, wrasse, and sand sifter are maybe 3 in each. All in all, its 10 in of fish in 100 gallons. Like you said, the volume of the water is a huge part of it. * there is no cycle until ammonia is introduced into the tank...it is that necessary ammonia spike that starts the cycle, and tank size doesn't matter. the inch of fish rule does not apply to saltwater fish. what you must watch out for is how the fish get along and you have killer demons called damsels in with very nice unaggressive fish.
>
The pet store is about 5 minutes from me, so if I really wanted to I could test daily for free. They test EVERYTHING, even ammonia, and at this point I'm not sure I can afford to sink a lot into test kits (especially since I would use so much as the tank is cycling). ***** is the worst pet store to trust for anything and you should have your own kits...it should be your first purchase before anything else. A master test kit is much cheaper than buying all different tests $30.00
I'm keeping an eye on the fish, and the only concern is that the salinity is a bit high. I was told to watch for ich in that case! If there is a problem with the free fish, they can go in my 10 gal tank or back to the pet store. *do you know about top off? Your SG should be constant and the easiest thing to keep up, if you don't, I will be happy to explain...but you already seem a bit miffed at me already and I really am not trying to upset you, just help. Ich is a parasite, it has nothing to do with the salinity...if you are smart you will stop getting advice from *****. This site is hands down your best move to get GOOD information and advice.
I'm not big on worrying about the future. I do a lot of calculations with chemicals and solutions, and bacterial inoculations where I work (lab tech) so I have a good handle on these things. I also have 20+ years of experience in caring for all kinds of pets, and I check the critters at each feeding to make sure they are healthy. There is no pet you could own that would help you have any experience with SW fish, not even keeping freshwater fish, an expert on cats does not make a person an expert on lizards...
Its nice that you are concerned though, thanks for posting about it. However, I did say I've been lurking for 2 yrs, so I've done my research. It wasn't so much that I was patient, I just didn't have the money. The tank was an xmas present, and my bf and I split the rest of the cost of the setup. I'm in the last stages of entering grad school where I will be paid substantially more than I am now, and more fish or corals or cleaner stuff will likely have to wait unless its really cheap and I really need it.
I'm sorry that you don't have much money, this hobby is expensive. The cheapest way to keep your water parameters in check and at pristine levels, especially since you have no choice but to use tap water, would be to keep macroalgae....if you don't keep corals, and with tap water I don't recommend corals. I do have macroalgae to share if you want it and that is another subject...feel free to PM me if would like some. It's a free offer, but you will have to pay postage. The macroalgae will eat up what the bad algae would need to bloom, and that would be very good for your situation.
Like I said, I'm just trying to help...I do that by looking at everything you do and share what I know about it. I really am not trying to bust your chops.

 

[geridoc]

You mentioned that you are replacing evaporation with tap water to keep the salinity constant, but using tap for this is a major problem. While the water does evaporate, the hundred or so contaminants in tap water do not - so as you continue to add tap water you are continually increasing the concentration of some toxic compounds. Sooner or later you will begin to see unexplained deaths in your system. You mention that you are a lab tech. Will your lab allow you to take a few gallons of lab-grade water home every week? That will suffice until you get enough $$$ to get a RODI system of your own.

 

[chaosfyre]

@GeriDoc: Thanks for your input. I thought about that-- there is osmosis water at work, but I'm sure its expensive. I log how many gallons I take each time, and my lab is charged for it. I'll ask, but I wonder if they would even let me. Anyway, I did read that lots of people do with tap just fine. We'll see what happens as time goes on. Also, there are ways to see what exactly is in the tap water from certain areas. I'll look into that and ask around town some more. What "toxic compounds" are you concerned about? There are some critters that are very metal sensitive, but I don't have any.
However, the water conditioner I use each time I top off is called Prime Freshwater & Saltwater, Removes Chlorine, Chloramine, Ammonia, Detoxifies Nitrite & Nitrate, Provides Slime Coat. By Seachem (www.seachem.com). 1 Capful for each 50 gal of new water. This removes approx. 1 mg/L ammonia, 4mg/L chloramine, or 5 mg/L chlorine. For exceptionally high chloramine concentrations, use double dose. To detoxify nitrite in an emergency, up to 5 times the normal dose may be used. If temp is less than 86 degrees F, and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use a half dose. Contains complexed hydrosulfite salts.
Prime converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by biofilter. May be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. Will also detoxify any heavy metals found in the tap water at typical concentration levels. Also promotes production and regeneration of the natural slime coat. Is non-acidic and will not impact pH. Will not overactivate skimmers. Use at start-up and whenever adding/replacing water.
Pretty neat stuff, huh? I'm confident that if what is on the label is correct, (and it must be, according to the law), then this is sufficient precaution to take for someone who uses tap water. It is made for that, after all!

 

[chaosfyre]

@Flower: I appreciate your opinion, but we will have to agree to disagree on some things. I suggest you read this:

 

[chaosfyre]

***Please do not post links***

 

[chaosfyre]

Therapeutics: saltwater fish have a number of natural defenses against ich, and if the fish are healthy enough and the outbreak mild enough, sometimes the fish may cure themselves, just as they would in nature. We can assist them to some degree by maintaining good water quality and providing a nourishing diet. Raising the water temperature shortens the disease cycle and may add vigor to the fish's defense system. Lowering the salinity to about 1.015 seems to inhibit the breeding cycle of the parasites. Giving the fish a two minute freshwater dip may eradicate parasites from the outer layers of skin and gills. Keeping only a few fish in a large aquarium (as in the currently popular "reef" type tanks) can make it harder for each parasite to be successful in finding a host, and the disease may die out.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosFyre http:///t/394244/new-90-gallon-tank-my-first-time-with-saltwater#post_3508953
@GeriDoc: Thanks for your input. I thought about that-- there is osmosis water at work, but I'm sure its expensive. I log how many gallons I take each time, and my lab is charged for it. I'll ask, but I wonder if they would even let me. Anyway, I did read that lots of people do with tap just fine. We'll see what happens as time goes on. Also, there are ways to see what exactly is in the tap water from certain areas. I'll look into that and ask around town some more. What "toxic compounds" are you concerned about? There are some critters that are very metal sensitive, but I don't have any.
However, the water conditioner I use each time I top off is called Prime Freshwater & Saltwater, Removes Chlorine, Chloramine, Ammonia, Detoxifies Nitrite & Nitrate, Provides Slime Coat. By Seachem (www.seachem.com). 1 Capful for each 50 gal of new water. This removes approx. 1 mg/L ammonia, 4mg/L chloramine, or 5 mg/L chlorine. For exceptionally high chloramine concentrations, use double dose. To detoxify nitrite in an emergency, up to 5 times the normal dose may be used. If temp is less than 86 degrees F, and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use a half dose. Contains complexed hydrosulfite salts.
Prime converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by biofilter. May be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. Will also detoxify any heavy metals found in the tap water at typical concentration levels. Also promotes production and regeneration of the natural slime coat. Is non-acidic and will not impact pH. Will not overactivate skimmers. Use at start-up and whenever adding/replacing water.
Pretty neat stuff, huh? I'm confident that if what is on the label is correct, (and it must be, according to the law), then this is sufficient precaution to take for someone who uses tap water. It is made for that, after all!
To help out GeriDoc: Like the salt does not evaporate but the water does...He means that the amount of ...lets use, fluoride....it increases continually and builds up over time, since your fix it drops do nothing for removing that.
You are relying on chemicals to keep the tank going, the steady use of slime coat I have no idea what that wil do. I used that stuff to help a fish that went carpet surfing, it eases the skid area for the poor fishy. people have used it for years on freshwater fish when they changed the water to clean the tank, fish were removed to buckets and everything scrubbed down of algae, then new water was added with that conditioner to make the tap water safe for the fish to be added back in. On a saltwater tank we never completely empty it of water, we just replace some that we swap out in a water change.
Walmart sells Ro water out by me for 37 cents a gallon. 5g jugs were my friend. Lots of people do indeed us tap water, you will have to fight algae later on, but it isn't something that is going to crash the tank...but constant adding of chemicals could pose some problems (I'm not sure what that will do)... most of us choose a more natural solution. When you have enough algae the CUC (snails and such) will feed on it, and with water changes they should be able to keep your tank going without too much of a problem.

 

[chaosfyre]

@Flower: Also, here is the type of sand sifting goby I have. It says it should be housed with crushed coral substrate, exactly like I have.
***Please do not post links***

 

[chaosfyre]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/394244/new-90-gallon-tank-my-first-time-with-saltwater#post_3508960
To help out GeriDoc: Like the salt does not evaporate but the water does...He means that the amount of ...lets use, fluoride....it increases continually and builds up over time, since your fix it drops do nothing for removing that.
You are relying on chemicals to keep the tank going, the steady use of slime coat I have no idea what that wil do. I used that stuff to help a fish that went carpet surfing, it eases the skid area for the poor fishy. people have used it for years on freshwater fish when they changed the water to clean the tank, fish were removed to buckets and everything scrubbed down of algae, then new water was added with that conditioner to make the tap water safe for the fish to be added back in. On a saltwater tank we never completely empty it of water, we just replace some that we swap out in a water change.
Walmart sells Ro water out by me for 37 cents a gallon. 5g jugs were my friend. Lots of people do indeed us tap water, you will have to fight algae later on, but it isn't something that is going to crash the tank...but constant adding of chemicals could pose some problems (I'm not sure what that will do)... most of us choose a more natural solution. When you have enough algae the CUC (snails and such) will feed on it, and with water changes they should be able to keep your tank going without too much of a problem.
The salt does not evaporate, the water does. As the water evaporates, the salinity goes up. Thus, top off with fresh water to keep the salinity down. The stuff is tap conditioner. You should use it to condition your water every time you put fresh water in, but only use as listed on the bottle. The "chemical" in it is non-acidic, non protein based, non-toxic, and is based off of complexed hydrosulfite salts.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosFyre http:///t/394244/new-90-gallon-tank-my-first-time-with-saltwater#post_3508958
Therapeutics: saltwater fish have a number of natural defenses against ich, and if the fish are healthy enough and the outbreak mild enough, sometimes the fish may cure themselves, just as they would in nature. We can assist them to some degree by maintaining good water quality and providing a nourishing diet. Raising the water temperature shortens the disease cycle and may add vigor to the fish's defense system. Lowering the salinity to about 1.015 seems to inhibit the breeding cycle of the parasites. Giving the fish a two minute freshwater dip may eradicate parasites from the outer layers of skin and gills. Keeping only a few fish in a large aquarium (as in the currently popular "reef" type tanks) can make it harder for each parasite to be successful in finding a host, and the disease may die out.
Ich is a parasite, a little white critter that looks like a salt flake. It gets in the fishes gills and it itches like crazy. All new additions are stressed because their world has just been turned upside down. This stress would allow the ich to get to them, and by sheer numbers they will overcome the healthy fish...
The way to prevent that is to not let Ich be introduced into the system to begin with. That is done by using a quarantine tank. Keep a 10g to 20g tank...put the used saltwater that you are swapping out to fill it when you are ready to add a new fish. I always keep a sponge in my sump so it is loaded with the needed good bacteria, in the small quarantine tank it is usually enough to keep ammonia spikes from happening. Add the new critter and keep an eye on it for a few weeks. If it is sick, you can dose the tank and nurse it to health before you add it to the 90g display tank.
Skunk cleaner shrimps actually like to eat ich, and will set up a cleaning station...the fish will go to it to get cleaned up and feel better. LOL...I even had one shrimp hitch a ride on the sandsifting goby and ride piggy back cleaning as he went.
If your system is contaminated with the parasite, you will need to remove all fish to another tank for 6 to 8 weeks to allow the ich to die out. If it is introduced to the system and you count on only keeping a few fish...it won't get rid of the parasite and you would be courting disaster.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosFyre http:///t/394244/new-90-gallon-tank-my-first-time-with-saltwater#post_3508958
Therapeutics: saltwater fish have a number of natural defenses against ich, and if the fish are healthy enough and the outbreak mild enough, sometimes the fish may cure themselves, just as they would in nature. We can assist them to some degree by maintaining good water quality and providing a nourishing diet. Raising the water temperature shortens the disease cycle and may add vigor to the fish's defense system. Lowering the salinity to about 1.015 seems to inhibit the breeding cycle of the parasites. Giving the fish a two minute freshwater dip may eradicate parasites from the outer layers of skin and gills. Keeping only a few fish in a large aquarium (as in the currently popular "reef" type tanks) can make it harder for each parasite to be successful in finding a host, and the disease may die out.
Ich is a parasite, a little white critter that looks like a salt flake. It gets in the fishes gills and it itches like crazy. All new additions are stressed because their world has just been turned upside down. This stress would allow the ich to get to them, and by sheer numbers they will overcome the healthy fish...
The way to prevent that is to not let Ich be introduced into the system to begin with. That is done by using a quarantine tank. Keep a 10g to 20g tank...put the used saltwater that you are swapping out to fill it when you are ready to add a new fish. I always keep a sponge in my sump so it is loaded with the needed good bacteria, in the small quarantine tank it is usually enough to keep ammonia spikes from happening. Add the new critter and keep an eye on it for a few weeks. If it is sick, you can dose the tank and nurse it to health before you add it to the 90g display tank.
Skunk cleaner shrimps actually like to eat ich, and will set up a cleaning station...the fish will go to it to get cleaned up and feel better. LOL...I even had one shrimp hitch a ride on the sandsifting goby and ride piggy back cleaning as he went.
If your system is contaminated with the parasite, you will need to remove all fish to another tank for 6 to 8 weeks to allow the ich to die out. If it is introduced to the system and you count on only keeping a few fish...it won't get rid of the parasite and you would be courting disaster.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosFyre http:///t/394244/new-90-gallon-tank-my-first-time-with-saltwater#post_3508961
@Flower: Also, here is the type of sand sifting goby I have. It says it should be housed with crushed coral substrate, exactly like I have.
http://www.***********.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+206&pcatid=206

Gottcha! I thought you had a sleeper goby like what I had...the golden headed sleeper goby needs sand which it sifts through it's gills and feeds on the fauna in the sand. In the future don't post from another site...they don't like that...just post the full name of the fish, that usually clears up any misunderstandings on the type of fish (we can look it up ourselves then) I wouldn't want you banned. I'm sure this time SWF will just erase the link, and not punish you becasuse you are new to the site.