New To this

[zoie]

I want to setup a salt tank I have had one setup before about 7 years ago. It was 75 gallon with royal grama, coral beauty, yellow tang, yellow headed jaw fish 3 percula clowns, banded shrimp, mandarin Gobi. The tank had an under gravel filter with two 600 power heads and two protein skimmers 250's. It ran great until I took advice from a pet store owner my tang was not eating so the owner of the store told me to goto the grocery store and get some fresh oysters from the deli and take them home freeze them then but them in fresh water and then the tank. I was new to this so I did it. WRONG MOVE. My fish got a red color on them and all died in three weeks time. I have never got back into the game since then. Can someone help me out on what to get and how to start up again? Also is this a safe practice with oysters?
I am looking about the same size for a tank and primarily a fish tank. I never could get algae to grow only micro algae(red). If I took the white coral and put it in Hot water it would turn green.
I need some help; I want to get a tank at a good price also. All help welcome. I am in Florida if this helps.

 

[mr . salty]

That oyster thing was definatly a mistake..First off,tangs are mostly VEGITARIAN fish.So oysters would not be on thier menue at all.Plus adding them(oysters) to the tank probably caused an ammonia spike.This would explain the dead fish....Under gravel filters(UGF)are no longer the way to setup a tank.The prefered way is with a deep sand bed(DSB)and lots of live rock.This sand bed and rock will be your main sorce of biological filteration.Powerheads are also used for circulation.And airation by placing one or more at the top to cause a "ripple effect".A good protien skimmer is also a MUST in a fish only tank...Lighting has also come along way..So some special attention should be payed here...If you have any questions,the search feature here is loaded with just about any subject you could possibly think of.....WELCOME TO OUR BB....

 

[striker]

Live rock 1-1/2 lbs per gallon(I have 2lbs per gallon). Live sand 4-6 inches(home depot play sand). You can later seed this with some live sand or a detritive pkg. Forget the undergravel filter. You'll have success with the protein skimmers, power heads(you can add a couple of more) which will help with coraline algae and a good test kit. Since you live in fla you have access to some great lr stores which you can drive up and pick your own pieces. Since you are making it a fish only you don't need as much lr for your tank but it does help with the filtration. Finally, I have never heard of the oyster thing and would advise against it. Especially if the advise came from a lfs. They are notorius at giving bad advice. Good luck

 

[jakob4001]

bad advice actually is natoriously all over...even here sometimes...that why you ask around and do your own research and make your own descisions...some LFS's are bad & some aren't...won't bother w/ the "chain store issue" again though...it's probably the LFS that help keep this hobby going in some way or another...

 

[tru conch]

i can feel your pain. i was removed from the hobby about 4 years ago when i joined the marines, but upon my discharge i got back into the hobby. i have been amaazed, and i have had to learn almost all over again. alot of progression has been made in maintaining saltwater tanks. my best advice to you is research, the more you know, the less mistakes you will make. sorry to hear about the oyster bit, you live and learn. if you just want to run a fish only, then i would go with the DSB and some lr. protein skimmers and an additonal filter would be good ideas as well, either a large hang on the back filter, canister filter or wet dry sump. again welcome back to the hobby and this bb, just keep asking questions and doing research. hth