new saltwater owner

[drewster]

I haven't even had this tank a week and i have a lot of questions to ask. I bought a 55 gallon total setup with live rock for $100 from a guy. Including protein skimmer, 3 dual sets of lights (long ones), 4 Rio pumps, heater, wooden stand, live rock and sand, and two clownfish. I thought it was a good deal that i couldn't pass up. Anyhow, my question is, i want to add a couple more fish to my setup but i'm not sure whats a good fish to get for a beginner. And whats compatible with clownfish. I really want some seahorses. Are they easy to maintain and do they get along with other fish? Do i have to buy seahorses in pairs? Any other suggestions on beginner fish? I like colors and want the most beautiful colored fish possible. But who doesn't.

Thanks for your help. Don't hesitate to email me if you have anymore questions.
Drew
mumfor1ar@mail.cmich.edu

 

[beth]

DON'T add anything else to your tank at this time. It DEFINATELY has not cycled. You didn't mention having tested your water, if you haven't you must do this. Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates at the least.
Leave the tank to settle in for a couple of months with what you have.
Also, seahorses are not easy fish to keep especially for the beginner. Clowns will get along with just about anything. In a couple of months after everything has settled in, you can decide to get more fish or go with inverts. Please take this advise....no more live creatures for this tank at this time

 

[jt]

As always, Beth gave good advice. If you already have a clown, you might be jumping the gun a bit and I would definitely wait. However, I put a cardinal in my tank two days after setting it up last August and he's still with me. That's a great beginner fish. Not very exciting, but hardy and since he was my first fish, I'm kind of attached. You got a GREAT deal for $100. Seahorses are best kept in a tank with pretty much nothing but seahorses. You often have to feed them by hand because they don't move around much and many die of starvation. They are cool to look at though. As a wise man once said, don't try to color coordinate your tank. Get fish that serve a purpose and complement each other....

 

[drewster]

Well, i didn't jump the gun on anything because the fish came with the setup. I didn't buy anything new yet. So what your saying is I have to "cycle" my tank. Can somebody explain to me exactly what cycling means and what i need to test for. Beth mentioned ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Anything else? Is there an all-in-one kit i could buy to do this testing? And does it really take about 2 months to cycle a tank? Thats a long time but well worth it I guess. Thanks for the info.

 

[sshorem]

READ, READ, READ, and then READ some more. If you go to the TANK SETUP icon on the home page here, there is a lot of good info. Rather than go in to great detail here, read that first and then get back to us with any questions you have. I am realatively new to the marine side of this hobby (I have done fresh water for years), and the two biggest things I have found out are, read a lot BEFORE you do anything, and BE PATIENT !!!!
Good luck

 

[lanee]

Cycling times vary. My tank cycles in 2 1/2 weeks...whereas I've heeard others on here talking about a month...and I believe I even saw one that only took a week to cycle. As for test kits, you can purchase them for around $15-$20 that will measure the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Also, you need a hydrometer to test salinity.

 

[clayton]

Fish and inverts produce Ammonia as a waste product. This is highly toxic to your aquarium innhabitants and therefore must be removed. There are lots of ways to do this but the most common is biological filtration. As the levels of ammonia increase a type of bacteria known as Nitrosomonas utilise this and convert it into Nitrite. Nitrite is still toxic but less so than Ammonia. Another type of bacteria known as Nitrobacter convert the Nitrite into Nitrate. Nitrate is still toxic to fish and inverts but far less than Nitrite. Most people remove the Nitrate by water changes.
These two types of friendly bacteria live predominantly in your filter where they have an ample supply of food and oxygen. YOU MUST NEVER TURN THE FILTERS OFF OR THE BACTERIA WILL DIE!
It can take up to a month for these friendly bacteria to colonise, hence the need for the maturing time when you can measure the changes in these toxins.
Protein skimmers remove organic wates before they can decompose and produce more ammonia and hence nitrites and nitrates.
Plants and algae feed on Nitrates.
A wise aquarist once said that you are not looking after the fish in your aquarium you are looking after the water - the fish look after themselves.
My main advice would be to read as much as you can and be patient. Good luck and may the fish be with you!
[This message has been edited by clayton (edited 04-27-2000).]

 

[mainejo1]

Drewster, I am new (3 months) to this intoxicating hobby, and I know how hard it is not to go out and buy every neat fish you see. I agree with what everyone is telling you, and patience does pay off. One thought I have though, is if your tank was already set up and you just drained it and moved it to your home, it won't take as long to cycle as starting with a new system would if you had good bacteria in your filter system. Give it a couple of weeks, and keep a close watch on your levels. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals makes a nice test kit that measures pH, NHO3, NO2, and NO3. If things stay stable in about four weeks, you would probably enjoy a cleaner shrimp. I got mine at 5 weeks after a new set up, and she has done great and is a real joy to watch. They clean parasites off of fish, so they serve a great purpose as well as being alot of fun to watch. Have fun, and be patient. You did get a tremendous deal on your setup, and if you plan well and don't rush things, you will be able to buy some neat fish with the money you saved!

 

[drewster]

thanks for the info everybody. I will be buying a test kit and waiting awhile until i add anything else to to the tank. Only problem is that i have to move this tank again in about 2 weeks. This will be the final time though for years. Should be fun and interesting hauling this tank again.