New dummy here-help me please!

[joerdie]

Originally posted by DCR
I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. Most people thought everything would be dead by now and things seem o.k. What is going to cause this gigantic and fatal ammonia spike that is going to kill everything by tomorrow? The entire bottom of my tank is not covered in live rock, maybe only 20% near the edge, so I don't see the harm in the undergravel filter. The Whisper power filter is absorbing salt, but I'm not sure if it could absorb enough to cause harm.
you said earlier that you where afraid that the filter would absorb the salt and someone else responded that it wont. this is true. the only and i mean THE ONLY way that salt is going to leave you tank (without a water change) is through salt creep but with a tank this new you wont have that problem with that. i cant stress enough that the filter is not hurting you selinity

 

[richard rendos]

Your hydrometer will read salinity different according to temperature too. If you measure it while the water is 82 degrees and then at 76 degrees, it will show different results.

 

[dcr]

I didn't think of that Richard-good point. I noticed today that the temp was nearing 80-so that may be why. All creatures are doing well up to this point.

 

[dcr]

Just an update-all creatures are still alive, and I added a few more hermit crabs.

 

[waterbury guy]

You just added more livestock?!
Why in the world would you come to this board to seek advise if you don't want to follow any of it?

 

[donkeykong]

how long has it been running now..it can take a week or so for the ammonia to spike.I dont understand, every person in this forum is warning you of the risk you are posing to your livestock and you go get more. You might turn out to be one of the rare persons out there that sneaks by without a cycle I seriously doubt it. I had a 20gl that was a little touch about the water quility and could change over night. SO you are going to need to stay on top of it.
We are not trying to scare you off, Most of us have been here for a while and have done so much reasearch that our brains hurt. Listen to us please for the sake of your fish.
We all want you to suceed, and will talk you though every question.

 

[dcr]

I guess I am going by the advice of a person who has owned a marine fish and exotic bird store for 30 years. He guarantees all the creatures I purchase for 30 days-because he is very confident that the creatures I have in my tank are hardy enough to survive whatever comes. Also, let's say that the creatures do survive, which I am pretty sure they will-then who do I believe, I mean almost everyone had my tank dead by now. I have been monitoring my ammonia and other levels very close, and things seem to be going well. Also, on the day I purchased my tank, he wasn't in the store, and that's how I walked out with the UG filter-which I removed from his and some other people's advice on the board.

 

[waterbury guy]

After all of your creature survive, I would take the adive of the LFS guy. After all he has nothing to gain by mis-leading you, while the people here have financial interests in mind. I have never heard a LFS selling someone stuff they don't need.

 

[raiderfan]

i might not be the right person to render advise since i did not heed to many warnings at first but i tell you what, my brother started a tank at the same time i did and kept on with his set up and all has since died. i have tried to follow the advise as much as i could considering i couldn't take my stuff back. i let it chill for a while and so far i have not had a problem. my brother wishes he had done the same. i know it sounds like everyone is going after you when they reply but it is in your best interest. i started off mad as -ll at the board for the coments they gave me but i guess i learned my lesson. all they want to do is get you started on the right track. so take the advise when you are given it and try to follow as much as you can. and remember the forum is not a hate tank. its people looking after people who share the same interest in fish and at the same time looking at whats in your livestocks best interest. don't let a beautiful creature go down the drain because you impatient. keep us updated

 

[dcr]

Update* 14 days in and everything is alive and well-the only problem is one of my damsels keeps moving my gravel all over the tank so he can lay in his favorite spots under LR.

 

[arkman]

DCR - where did you get your water from? Did you buy the water from the LFS? Was it out of their tanks? Premixed with salt? Fresh RO/DI? Was it out of your tap and mixed in the tank?
14 days should be showing some ammonia if the tank is going to cycle...

 

[fshhub]

Originally posted by DCR
I guess I am going by the advice of a person who has owned a marine fish and exotic bird store for 30 years.
hehehehehe
Our lfs who has beeen doing this for over 30 yrs as well, is an arrogant SOB and highly regarded by many locals, to others he is a jack@##?%. But any how, he will argue with you and tell you there is NO such thing as a false percula clownfish(and i mean argue, very rudely) which is one of the most kept and loved fish in the hobby.
Go figure, and do you think he sellls me a darn thing?

 

[fishfanny79]

"But any how, he will argue with you and tell you there is NO such thing as a false percula clownfish(and i mean argue, very rudely) which is one of the most kept and loved fish in the hobby."
So fshhub, my question to you is, if there is no such thing what does HE call it?

 

[itchy]

Dcr I dont think anyone here is trying to upset you, rather give you good advice. You will find different opinions, so you choose what you want, but the best advice I read here so far was to becareful with the LFS you have chosen. Now with the salt water cycle as people were trying to explain to you, Amonnia spike within the first week causing your nitrites to spike beaking down the ammonia. The nitrites are then converted to Nitrates which can be filtered out or taken out by water changes. This is called the nitrogenous cyle and can be harmful to your fish and critters. Please if you do nothing else let the water cyle before you add anymore fish since taking them back is not an issue. You can have your water tested weekly at the LFS or you can buy your own test kit.....which I recommend. ( the water cycle I listed is a breakdown of a big picture so please dont anyone tell em I left things out as I know I did. Just wanted him to get the idea of how it works and why it takes so long to cycle safe saltwater.)
before adding anything else to you rtank please do some research either online or buy a good book that will answer some of your questions. Good Luck

 

[fshhub]

to answer the question,
HE SWEARS ALL OVER THE PLACE, that they do NOT exist, if you ask him(no other names, jsut that it is not a fish)
Quote him:" I have been in this hobby for over 30yrs and have NEVER heard of such a thing, they do NOT exist"
now, what else would he call them, they are non existant.

 

[dcr]

I'm not sure I care if the owner of a local fish store knows if a certain clownfish exists, which by the way has nothing to do with the owner of MY local fish store-what I do care about is that what I have done has worked with out a hitch. Thanks for the repeated explanation of how a tank cycle works, I understand this, and have understood this before I set up the tank. My original question, back in thread one was about a cloudy tank-that was it. Now, since my tank is doing fine, and testing fine with the test kit I have-who do I believe? Maybe a step in the right direction is to stop assuming that everyone is an idiot, and that this whole thing isn't that complicated. No one has posted a single thing to prove the LFS wrong that sold me the gear-no one. Now if this whole tank suddenly dies tomorrow-which it won't judging by my levels-then we'll have some back patting to do.

 

[javatech]

Originally posted by DCR
I guess I am going by the advice of a person who has owned a marine fish and exotic bird store for 30 years.
Then why are you here

 

[dcr]

That's a good question, since maybe 2 or 3 people have actually tried to help, and the rest just troll the forums to stab insults to get their post count up.

 

[waterbury guy]

Originally posted by DCR
That's a good question, since maybe 2 or 3 people have actually tried to help, and the rest just troll the forums to stab insults to get their post count up.
Quite a few people tried to help and answer your initial question. However you immediatly shoot down thier advice. So why would people continue to offer help to someone who ignores it?
Originally posted by DCR
I'm not sure I care if the owner of a local fish store knows if a certain clownfish exists, which by the way has nothing to do with the owner of MY local fish store..
It's called an analogy.
Whoo Hoo, just got my post count higher!!

 

[donkeykong]

DCR I am one of the people that responded to your post with concern and wanted to give you any advice I had to give.
I am very excited for you that everything has worked out. There is a lot of us that are only here to spread are knowledge and try to help if we can and get help when we need it.
From the beginning you have gone completely against every thing said to you, which is fine it is your tank and you are free to do whatever works for you, but dont keep coming back and spitting our advice back in our face and expect us to pat you on your back. If you dont want our advice any more stop coming back.
I personally do hope you come back. The more here to share the more we learn, especailly those that fall out side the normal.
The more we know about tanks that dont have to go through the cycle then the better our future tanks will be.
Sorry for the speech I will get of my soap box now