please help a newbie

[kerrylynne]

Hi. just bought my first tank on my own. it is a running 14g Biocube. has two clownfish, live sand, some hermits and live rock. emptied about 1/2 the water to transport and refilled with saltwater from LFS once home. it is all stock with no modifications. now, I have no idea what to do. I dont even know if everything is running that is supposed to be. there are two lights and only the one towards the front seems to turn on. can someone tell me please, what I need to be checking out changing over the next few days?

 

[tthemadd1]

Well. First welcome to the site. Is this your first salt water tank or first tank on your own.
Was this tank running at the store when you purchased it?
First you need to do some research. Look on this forum for first time, new to hobby, if your on a laptop look at the first threads on the forum. There is a lot of information out there so ask questions.
Is there a brand name on the tank? You can try switching the bulbs and that should tell you if its the bulb or the socket. There should be two switches on the unit. Photos would help a lot.
Saltwater - in general saltwater is much more demanding than a freshwater tank. Feed minimally and I mean minimally. A tank that small can crash easily, look it up in the search and you will understand the issue.
Did you get a test kit? Also with a tank that small you should test twice weekly for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. If you start seeing any of these you should do a water change and then ask questions on here.
Tanks need to cycle so it is important to know the history of the tank. How long was it running before you purchased it? Look up tank cycling and that too will give you tons of information.
There should be a powerhead in the tank, some type of filter, lights, and possibly a heater. Don't need a heater if your temp is constant around 78 degrees.
Again welcome good luck and ask questions and research.

 

[flower]

+1
Welcome to the site! Get yourself a good beginners book The conscientious Aquarist by Robert Fenner is a very good one, and the Saltwater Aquariums for Dummy's book are my favorites. It will help you understand what each piece of equipment is for and give a better idea of what you are doing. It will help you to know what questions to ask too.
Whatever you do...DO NOT ask the LFS for advice on anything, not equipment, additives nor critters. Go into the store knowing what you want or need. This site and other like it are a wealth of information and we are not trying to sell you anything. We have many years of hands on experience, we know the best equipment to get, what critters go with what, and most importantly, we know what is a bad buy too, and what not to get.

 

[silverado61]

Listen to these guys. I'm a newbie too and it's incredible the wealth of info and help you can get from this forum. If not for their help and advice, I probably would have just stocked my tank and killed everything. The key is: Take it slooow! The rewards are going to be worth it.
PS: Welcome to the site! Buckle up! It's going to be a EXCITING RIDE!

 

[btldreef]

I have the same tank. It's what I started with a while back.
Both lights should be working. There should be one actinic (it will look blue/purple when on) and one is white. It may be a matter of one bulb not working. Swap the working bulb into the other socket to rule out the socket being broken.
Get a test kit. I would recommend the API saltwater and reef master kits.
I also really like the SeaChem nitrite/nitrate combo test kit. Very accurate, and easy to use.
You're going to need fresh saltwater because chances are you'll have to do some water changes to help the tank stabilize again after being moved. Use RO/DI. You can buy this at most fish stores to start or purchase a unit to do it yourself.
Ask questions. We are here to help and I think at this point we've heard it all. Starting a saltwater tank can be really overwhelming.