NEWBIE! help? suggestions?

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mandolihn

Guest
lol, my 2.5 is a freshwater that has two 1" fish in it. Glo fish are the same as zebra danios just genetically engineered to be neon and glow in a black light. You definitely want to start with as large as you can do in saltwater. With a five gallon, the change in ur water parameters can happen way too fast and end up killing everything before you know it. It is possible to do a smaller tank, but it would require water tests every day and water changes at the VERY least once a week, but I still wouldn't do less than twice a week.
 
handbanana

handbanana

Member
Hey!

Good luck man. Glad your getting into SW!
I have a bunch of fresh tanks as well as two turtles in a 60 gal. Red eared slider and an eastern painted. They are way cool! Your avatar is awesome too BTW. My eastern painted was the size of a quarter when I got her...16 years ago.
I'm pretty sure you will find SW awesome. I'm always staring in my tank, seeing new things crawling around.
Good luck.
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
Originally Posted by Handbanana
http:///forum/post/3273671
Hey!

Good luck man. Glad your getting into SW!
I have a bunch of fresh tanks as well as two turtles in a 60 gal. Red eared slider and an eastern painted. They are way cool! Your avatar is awesome too BTW. My eastern painted was the size of a quarter when I got her...16 years ago.
I'm pretty sure you will find SW awesome. I'm always staring in my tank, seeing new things crawling around.
Good luck.
nice! i have never had a painted, i have 2 maps, one musk, 2 Red eared sliders, a new guinea snapping turtle, and a australian painted turtle, (scientific name Elemydura Subrufa i believe) unless you count my australian turtle a painted then i own one (these guys have so many nicknames, shortneck pink belly, shortneck red belly, sideneck pink belly, sideneck red belly, and others!)
yeah it looks like one of my baby maps, but its the forsale turtle sign for maps on a website tat sells turtles, Yeah seeing all these great SW fish tanks on youtube im like I WANT ONE! and i like the experience since i like animals quite a bit, (except snakes!) so yeah, how big is she now? (guessing 7-8 inches?)
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
Originally Posted by Mandolihn
http:///forum/post/3273590
lol, my 2.5 is a freshwater that has two 1" fish in it. Glo fish are the same as zebra danios just genetically engineered to be neon and glow in a black light. You definitely want to start with as large as you can do in saltwater. With a five gallon, the change in ur water parameters can happen way too fast and end up killing everything before you know it. It is possible to do a smaller tank, but it would require water tests every day and water changes at the VERY least once a week, but I still wouldn't do less than twice a week.
o a freshy tank, ok yeah i use to have the betta tanks, and 5 gallon, and i never had filters and my fishies lived a long life, (until i started mixing alot of fish without really knowing care you know i was like 5 haha!) but yeah i guess fish got me into this, or my turtles got me into all this stuff!
 
M

mandolihn

Guest
lol, that's funny. My first 2.5 gal i went out and found a bunch of fish that the signs said would fit in 1 gal of water, so I had ten fish in 2.5 gals. They didn't last long. Found out after the fact why. It's nice to have a small little tank with colorful fish hangin out on my desk. They are nowhere near as cool as the saltwater, but they make me smile. :)
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
yeah l0l the only cool fish might be bettas, even then they can get bland u know, every freshy cool fish gets huge! well i was online and was looking at the fluval edge and its amazing wat this guy did to his! he made a sw tank! he has a clown in it doe, not big anough is it for a clown?
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
yeah i know but i really dont want to make a huge tank a 20 long seems huge to me right now... because i really want something nice and formal that is small, especialy since there is no huge need for a skimmer since water changes are done weekly, i sound stubborn l0l but realy its wat i am striving for im up for the challenge wich either way i dont have cash yet :p haha and that tank looks weird waterfall is loud aswell and huge, i already have a 75 a 40 and a35 really running which is why i want something small to enjoy we shall see were the build goes...
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
hey long time no post, ok so i now have 50 dollars to spend on all my pets, and tanks, now i have options,
i can buy the following,
a 40 gallon breeder with stand, 50 dollars
and a penguin biofilter for 25, and a Aqua Reminder (for the sw tank when i get it)
now if i buy the 40 gallon i get the stand, and tank, meaning i have a free 20 long, and 35 gallon empty in a couple of weeks since i will move the turtles out and into the new tanks, since right now i have an empty 40 breeder for two sidenecks, and the tank will run with top fin and aquaclear 30, and a 200 penquin, and i might get some extra to buy the other filter (which is 25 but i might be able to get the guy to lower the price)
however i might also be selling my map turtles and musk, (they have been a pain since they have this fungus and goes and comes keeps bugging me and it spread to my sidenecks but they are in recovery)
So selling (well if i do might give them away didnt waste much on them got them as a deal) i won have to worry about another tank, meaning i have a 20 long, 35 gallon, and a 40 breeder, i can make any of those into sw, so i hope everything goes as plan, getting the 40 breeder, stand and the filter.
If this goes as plan i would like to turn the extra tanks as sumps, the 20 long will be ok as a sw sump for a 40 gallon with a hob filter right? or will a 35 gallon be better?
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
Ok i have setup the tank (if anybody is still following this...) Ended up being my 20 long my first idea

so yeah i got sand/crush coral, the salt level is at like 1.023, between good parts of it, so yeah got the salt water right first try hehe i was happy bout that, while the salt was mixing i was cleaning out the sand for the tank, and the filter, (got a topfin 30 and a aquaclear powerhead 402), then i put in the sand slowly as to not get it into the powerhead, (turning off sometimes while adding) put in 15 pounds, a little less than suppose to for a 20 long, but it did well, then as everything leveled of, and the filter was running with the powerhead, i put in the live rock and base rock, i think of base rock its about 7 pounds or so (its one giant piece) and live rock its about 7 pounds as well, pics or a vid soon, maybe you can tell me if everything looks good, so far seing how other ppl do theirs i got the sand cloud haha

small update,
 
S

shrimpy brains

Guest
Seems like you are doing your research and planning well. Looks good!
Do you have your test kits yet? If not, I recommend you make that your next purchase!
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

a good start...I have to ask...Is that tank on a desk? If the desk is good wood, not a problem..If it is pressboard I wouldn't trust it. Just a little water weakens it and it falls apart. With a fish tank it is going to get wet.
I'm just looking out for you, don't be insulted. +1 on those test kits. a Master reef kit would be cheaper than buying each kit. I like the Instant Ocean brand, it's pretty accurate.
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
Originally Posted by Shrimpy Brains
http:///forum/post/3282071
Seems like you are doing your research and planning well. Looks good!
Do you have your test kits yet? If not, I recommend you make that your next purchase!
Thanks, yeah been reading this book i got and you guys, yeah im going to buy a test kit soon, probably today if i can
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3282082

a good start...I have to ask...Is that tank on a desk? If the desk is good wood, not a problem..If it is pressboard I wouldn't trust it.
Its real wood, and the top part is something else not press board and over the years of keeping my turtles there and getting yet it has no damage, must be miracle board haha but yeah no problems with the stand... yet
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
`ok so today with my left over money i got two test kits, the nitrite and ph kits, then im going to buy the others since if theres no nitrite then there shouldnt be other stuff right? also got another two poundof live rock pics later since im going to test water too
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
i Knew it! but i didnt want to say anything at the store since its the only real fish store near me the other one is like 2 hours away! but yeah next week i will buy an amonia and nitrate test, right? those are the ones im missing, im pretty sure because thats what everyone else also test, I'll look at the link thanks!
Well here are the results of the two test, and also rearanged the rock, and while looking and moving the rock i found this small crab, its white-ish with some purple, lookslike the one in this pic but has the purple of live rock, algae or something? hes tiny!




 
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shrimpy brains

Guest
Yes, those are the other test you need. Looking good!
It's always cool to find stuff you didn't buy! lol
 
ecbuddy123

ecbuddy123

Member
Originally Posted by Shrimpy Brains
http:///forum/post/3282193
Yes, those are the other tess you need. Looking good!
It's always cool to find stuff you didn't buy! lol

right! its like u buy something and the real thing is the surprise in what you bought haha, well yeah but will it live? or something? and you got any clue what type of crab it is, i dont think it is a white crab since he sorta seemed to have purple (but maybe algae?) and how big does it get and does it disturb anything?
he did look cool doe he threatened my finger and i found it funny since hes tiny!!
 
S

shrimpy brains

Guest
Crab id's are difficult. As a general rule, if it has round claws, it's ok. If it has pointy claws it's not good. Problems is, all crabs can be oppurtunistic. Did you add a refugium to your tank? That may be a good place for him.(If you can catch him)
Not sure if he will live, it depends upon how hard your ammonia and nitrites spike during your cycle.
 
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