new talk missing fish please help

[ray fdny]

hello all, ive been reading this forum for a couple days now and everything ive read so far has been verry helpful....
Now to my problem.... i set up a 55g with an amiracle wet dry and a coral life protien skimmer, with two powerheads.... i bought online 65 pounds of L/R and cured it myself(took about two weeks) put it in my tank and ran it about a week with R/O water. went to my LPS and bought 6 mexican turbo snails, 6 blue leg hermit crabs and two fish. the fish were both damsels, a yellow belly and an all blue one. the current seemed to be to much for the baby fish because they were always hidding in holes in the rock. For two days now one is missing. I think he got eaten by the hermit crabs. Because there is no way he could have jumped out and he is not in the filter.... my levels are all good, so i dont think he is decaying in there..
my question is this... is the cureent two strong for those little guys or dose this sort of thing just happen?
i would appreciate all feedback
thank you
Ray from N.Y.

 

[snaredrum]

Welcome to the Forum Ray! What are your parameters? This will help every time you need help. I have found that out myself. If the fish died, the crabs might have eaten the remains. I really don't think the crab just attacked the fish but could be wrong. Anyway, FDNY? Firefighter? What part of the city? My son is a firefighter here in Mitchell, IL.

 

[renogaw]

definitely post your water parameters, but also give the fish some time.
make sure all of your powerheads have filters on them (they should come with little screens). it's good that you cured your rock, but 1 week seems a little fast for a cycle. while damsels are hardy fish, they could easily die from being in a new tank while it is cycling. I would bet though that a small fish in your tank would have been eaten in one night and you wouldn't see any ammonia from it with the live rock you have.

 

[allterr]

Damsels (like most fish) like to hide when introduced to new environments. A 55 gal with LR is a big place for them to hide. I know in my little 10 gal. the 1st week I had the fish in there he hid quite a bit. Also, the Blue Devils do have the ability to turn a darker color for better camouflage when they are stressed, (from being in said new evironment). But I may be way off.......

 

[allterr]

Haha!!! 50th post!!!!!

 

[ray fdny]

yes im a firefighter from brooklyn.... but i live in staten island.... any way thank you for your info i thought i was going crazy. Umm i guess i will give him some time. maybe he is in there. About the tank i cycled the rock for two weeks until my amonia and nitrite was zero...then let it sit for about a week in the tank. do you think i should have waighted longer? and also how long do you think i should wate before i add another fish?.. i am also looking for some sugestions on stockin, i already have the yellow belly and the blue devil(if alive) i would like to get two clown fish. and i am really not too sure how many i can have in that tank or what else to get. let me know what you guys think.... keep in mind i have a 125g freshwater tank in my livingroom that i am getting kinda bored with so i figured i would mess around with the 55g before i sink alot of money into setting that one up salt......
P.s. this is my second attempy with a salt tank. my first was a 12g eclipse with15lb's of L/R two clown fish two pepperment shrimp, and a couple of small crabs. anyway everything was great for about 6 months untill my clumsy girlfriend knocked a vase into the tank and cracked it. but im going to try again and if all goes well i plan to make moves to changing my 125g over as well.
any suggestions are well appreciated,
Ray

 

[renogaw]

unfortunately your damsels are very prone to causing stress and damage to other fish as you add them. damsels get very territorial. it is not unheard of to have such a short cycle, so you may have done ok. you'll start with diatomes, hair algae, and cyano soon. you may want to read up on dealing with those.
my advise to you:
List your equipment for us. 2 powerheads may not be enough flow, especially since you aren't telling us what you have in model numbers. you have a wet/dry so just be warned that they are thought to cause nitrates in your tank and if you want to go reef eventually you'll want to make a sump/refuge. it is great you got a skimmer
2 people have asked what your parameters are and you've only been able to say "ok" which leads me to believe you do not have your own test kits. if you don't have them, get them yourself and don't rely on your lfs.
You'll want eventually to add to your clean up crew, but i personally think you have too many mexican turbos--they will most likely go hungry in your tank and after a while will starve and a dead turbo stinks to high heaven.
If you do not have a hospital tank/quarantine tank set up i'd suggest that be your next purchase before buying fish. please read up on the diseases you can introduce into your tank in the disease forum here.
just go slow, any questions you have should be either searched for (preferred since most new to salt questions are asked almost eveyr other day) or go ahead and post the question if something really doesn't make sense. remember, your LFS is there to make money where most of us are more concerned with your fish and you succeeding and enjoying your tank.

 

[ray fdny]

yes about the parameters... i have been at work for the past 24 hours and will check them again as soom as i go home and write to you guys( i have a salt water master test kit)it tests amonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph... is there any other tests i have to go buy?
if you think the damsels are no good could you suggest my fish list because i really have no idea... as far as a Q/T i have alot of fish stuff in my garage. i have a small 20g and 2 aqua clear 300's i used to run on my 55 when it was fresh and some heater and pumps... ect. should i use that? dose it need L/R? how long should the new fish stay there? how ofter do i change the water?
as far as equiptment the poweheads are penguin 5500's (not sure if they are good they were given to me from a friend ummm the return pump from the sump is a magnum(i think) it has pretty good water flow. i have the two powerheads at each corner pointing towards the middle and the return in the middle facing the front of the tank.
what should i add to my clean up crew? and when..... also is there anything i can feed the turbos i got? i would never want to see anytihing die in there
thank you for your quick responces this site is great and a big help

verry tired ray(alot of runs last night)

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by ray fdny
yes about the parameters... i have been at work for the past 24 hours and will check them again as soom as i go home and write to you guys( i have a salt water master test kit)it tests amonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph... is there any other tests i have to go buy?
if you think the damsels are no good could you suggest my fish list because i really have no idea... as far as a Q/T i have alot of fish stuff in my garage. i have a small 20g and 2 aqua clear 300's i used to run on my 55 when it was fresh and some heater and pumps... ect. should i use that? dose it need L/R? how long should the new fish stay there? how ofter do i change the water?
as far as equiptment the poweheads are penguin 5500's (not sure if they are good they were given to me from a friend ummm the return pump from the sump is a magnum(i think) it has pretty good water flow. i have the two powerheads at each corner pointing towards the middle and the return in the middle facing the front of the tank.
what should i add to my clean up crew? and when..... also is there anything i can feed the turbos i got? i would never want to see anytihing die in there
thank you for your quick responces this site is great and a big help

verry tired ray(alot of runs last night)
ok, glad i was wrong on you not having your own test kits that's good to see, since a lot of times the lfs will just say "you're fine" when you're really not.
fish are going to be a totally personal choice. most people will start out with a couple clown fish, maybe get a royal gramma, firefish, chromis, etc. unless you go to the 125 for your salt water, try to stay away from tangs and foxfaces since they do require bigger tanks. I'd suggest getting a book called: A Pocket Expert Guide to Reef Aquarium Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-Know Species (Microcosm/T.F.H. Professional) by Scott W. Michael it has great pictures and writeups on tons of fish, what they eat, what they are compatible with etc.
the tank is perfect size for a QT, but aquaclears are supposedly not good for saltwater tanks. all you need for a QT is a hang on filter (like a penguin biowheel) a heater, a powerhead is optional if the filter has enough flow (i have a maxijet 600 in my 20 gal qt) and a light (can be a cheapo light). the only worry is that you may have used some chemicals in the tank when it was freshwater that won't go well with saltwater. No live rock in the tank, just put some pvc fittings in there to give the fish some hideouts.
the other powerheads may be fine.

 

[ray fdny]

thanks again... i will look for that book and start looking for another filter(they are defentally not good?) i spent so much money on fish already.... ill check ne news paper and stuff for something used how bout a small fluval or somehting i always see people selling them.... what should i clean the Q/t tank with i know cemicals are bad?