Please help ID new fishy friend

[promisetbg]

Ok..so you find a source for water and LR in your area,return the tank inhabitants{quickly}.Now,you will want to bump up the SG. to 1.025.Since there won't be anything in the tank this will harm,at this point it will be ok to do so at one shot.In the future though,if it needs to be raised and there are fish and inverts in the tank, you must do so slowly.There will be a certain amount of evaporation in the tank daily.Getting an eye on where the water level is on a certain piece of equipment is what I do. So I know that when the water level drops that amount down to my heater,I know that is the amount I must add back daily to maintain the SG. Water will evaporate,but the salt remains,so this must be done daily to avoid fluctuations in the parameters.In such a small tank there is no room for mistake,it is an exact science.Don't let what I am telling you overwhelm you..it really is'nt all that hard.It's just alot to ingest when it is all presented to you at once such as I am doing.I am here just about every morning,so any help you need,I am willing to do what I can to help guide you.

 

[promisetbg]

Just to let you know..I have been in this hobby for just over three years,and I don't consider my self an expert, but I do research constantly,work at an LFS,and have maintained this 75 gal tank for the three years I have been in the hobby.I also have a 65 and the 12 gal.

 

[dragonladylea]

do not do not do not..... get live rock for a small fish only tank the rock carries parasites and other things that will give you nothing but trouble your setup is fine for a tank that size with the lil power filter you will be fine...
Absolutely get liverock for any kind of saltwater set-up. On this point I am 100% possitive or I would not have spent over $500 for rocks that werent a necessity!! I have one 35 Gal hex reef at the moment and my son just started a 10 gal nano of his own. Fortunately for him he didnt have to wait for the cycle as we used livesand, liverock and already cycled water from my tank.
Another point I am clear on is that Promisetbg is giving you very sound advice, I know it sounds a little overwhelming but it really is a worthwhile hobby for the family.

 

[damzel_grl]

Originally Posted by promisetbg
Ok..where to start.Welcome is the first thing I will say!

Ok..now let's try to fix what is wrong with your set-up.
Colored or otherwise what is considered freshwater decorations cannot be used in saltwater set-ups as the colors can leech chemicals into the tank.Also..the 'rock' that you mentioned..if it is TUFA rock,it needs to go as well,as it has compounds in it again..that can be broken down by saltwater and cause problems. The bubble-wall~ definately take this out! Bubbles are irritating to the gills of SW fish.You will never see a SW set-up with any type of bubbles{intentionally anyway} Bubbles also cause what is called saltcreep.This is when the bubbles pop at the surface of the water..the salt separates from the water,causing a crust of salt to form where it lands.
Here is what you need. Preferably a refractometer,but for now a hydrometer will do to test your SG.{specific gravity}= the amount of salt in the water.
I am going to assume that you started this tank with tapwater.Tapwater is a big no-no in this hobby,as it will cause nothing but algae blooms and troubles,from the heavy metals,etc found in it.
{Whew..I will be right back to tell you the rest.}
Thank you for your help. I will remove the decorations, the rock as it is a TUFA rock and the bubble wall ( oh I just think of the money we wasted). I found another lfs in the area so I will going there to get some LR and see if they will take our tank buddies. About how much LR do you think we need?
Right now we have a hydrometer to test the SG as well as kit that bought to test, PH, amon, trites and trates.
We did not start the tank the with tapwater, we got RO water from the local grocery store. Looks like that's about the only thing we got right so far.
Another question in regards to the bubble wall. Do SWF need airation like FWF? If so what do you use? I figured they would need one.
Okay on to the rest of your posts to see what else.

 

[dragonladylea]

Damzel_grl,
The second pic in my post is my son's 10 gallon tank, he has about 10-12 lbs of liverock in his tank, he will be adding more. I'd like his to have at least 15 lbs.

 

[damzel_grl]

Originally Posted by promisetbg
Just to let you know..I have been in this hobby for just over three years,and I don't consider my self an expert, but I do research constantly,work at an LFS,and have maintained this 75 gal tank for the three years I have been in the hobby.I also have a 65 and the 12 gal.

Your tanks are absolutly beautiful. I appreciate all the advice. It is very nice to finally get some advice from some people who know what they are talking about.
Looks like I have some explaining to my daughter when she get up from nap.

I think she will be okay with it. She's an animal nut and vey loving, so if we tell her they have to go back or they will get sick she will okay with it. Well at least I hope she is only 4 so attitudes can change from minute to minute.

 

[promisetbg]

Cool..I have a few minutes..before my fiance' arrives to take me to dinner.

At least you sound like a sensible person..so this is going to be a cinch. My boss has a 10 gal tank that she uses 2 aqua-clear filters on. I think just a small hang on fliter,so you have a place to put a small filtration pad,and occasionally some carbon will suffice.SW fish need oxygenation,but we don't use air to accomplish this.There are several options,but the most important thing is surface movement at the top of the water. A small powerhead inside the tank will add some more internal movement and circulation.Thanks for the compliments.

 

[damzel_grl]

Damzel_grl,
The second pic in my post is my son's 10 gallon tank, he has about 10-12 lbs of liverock in his tank, he will be adding more. I'd like his to have at least 15 lbs.[/QUOT
So you think 10-15lbs of LR would be good? About how much does 10-15 lbs of LR cost?

 

[dragonladylea]

About how much does 10-15 lbs of LR cost?
Liverock ranges in price - right now in my area its between $6.00-$7.00lb for the better liverock you want to make sure that it has good color (like the purple color on my son's rocks) you dont want anything that looks like it has "fuzzy" grass on it or has a "fishy" or "rotten" smell to it. Sometimes the forums have people that are selling liverock cheaper, also check to see if you have a reef club in your area you might be able to get the small amount you need from one of the members.

 

[promisetbg]

Generally LR goes for about $6-$10 per LB, average...so approx. $100. or so. Buy premium rock such as Fiji,Tonga or Marshall Islands rock. Do not buy Fla. Rock!

 

[sagowitz]

Originally Posted by promisetbg
I must disagree with the suggestion to use a bio-wheel filter.Again,they are for freshwater set-ups and not recommended for use in this hobby
false

 

[promisetbg]

Originally Posted by Sagowitz
false
You have your opinion,I have mine. It does'nt make either of us right or wrong..it's all just opinion.

 

[unleashed]

hay damsel girl drop me an email at lyndog13@aol.com I have a bunch of information links that can help you do some research on whats good for what and does and donts get you going on the right track.our advice is also good but too many conflicting oppinions can make it difficult do figure out whos to use.

 

[promisetbg]

Damzel_grl, one thing to note is that damsels are very aggressive, they consider the whole tank as their exclusive territory. They will attack, and possibly kill, any new fish being introduced to the tank. They can also be quite difficult to remove once the LR is in place as they are quick and can dart into the rock.Often this can make removing them impossible unless you tear the tank apart.If your intention is to have a clownfish for your daughter..then after the tank has cycled I would just go with that and a clean-up crew.You may be able to add one more small fish,such as a clown goby,or another goby that stays small. Another option is to just go with a pair of clownfish. Buying tank raised fish is always a good idea when possible.They are less likely to carry parasites and disease, and they are hardier. They adapt better to life in a tank..and it is just overall better for the environment.A tank raised Oscellaris clown is what you want.Researching before each purchase and giving time for the bacteria to catch up with the bio-load between each addition is crucial. It is said that nothing good happens fast in this hobby. A clean-up crew will be needed for the tank as well.There are many interesting inverts out there,and it is easy to impulse buy them,only to find out afterward they are impossible to keep,or aggressive. The CBS you chose for example...great shrimp in a larger tank,but can be quite aggressive and they get huge!

 

[promisetbg]

A few more items you will want to get while your tank is cycling:
A bucket to mix up your saltwater for water changes..a five gallon bucket will give you plenty of room to work with.
A powerhead to circulate the water for 24 hours before you use it. RO/DI water that is freshly mixed has no PH,so it must be circulated to increase the PH and thoroughly mix the salt. A good sized powerhead will also heat the water to a proper temp as long as ambient room temp is average. Some even use a small heater. I use maxi-jets 1200's..they heat a five gallon bucket in no time. never leave the mixed water open to environmental hazards. Do not use windex on the tank,and be cautious of any sprays..cleaners..hand cream..etc.It is easy to introduce something that can kill everything in the tank.Just be careful. Also RO/DI water by itself is very aggressive. This means if left open it can uptake environmental elements.Smoke, cooking..and as I mentioned sprays and cleaners.Keep RO'/DI water capped.
A turkey baster is an invaluable tool in this hobby.It will be useful to blow off the LR of sediment,detritus, and food.
As I mentioned,a hydrometer is an innacurate piece of equipment. A much better choice is a glass floating hydrometer,or a refractometer. When dealing with customers having problems,I often discover their SG. is off by 5-6 points. So you may think your tank is at 1.025..when it is actually 1.030. This can kill new additions quickly,as the shock of the change is just too much for them to adjust to in such a short time.
You will also want a glass scraping device. Most use something like a mag-float.This is a two piece magnetic scraper .They come in small sizes appropriate for your ten gallon tank. Another option is a product by Kent called a pro-scraper.It is a stainless steel blade..and you can purchase a plastic holder for it.This will be an important piece of equipment as your glass will become unsightly from algae. If you are careful not to overstock the tank..this will be minimal.Learning how often and how much to feed the fish is a good idea. It's easy to think they 'want to eat'.. as fish will soon learn you are a source of food.Overfeeding is common amongst new hobbyists,and can lead to problems with algae,nitrates,and even disaster.
Learning how to acclimate properly is also crucial to success. Some animals need a drip acclimation. Most can be acclimated by the following method: Float the bag in the tank for 20 minutes. Try to get the fish from the store to your tank in under an hour.PH can change rapidly in a bag, and ammonia levels increase. If the fish has been in the bag more than a few hours,oxygen can also be depleted. I always carry a small cooler in my car for newly bought animals. Just to keep the temp stable from the store to my home.

 

[promisetbg]

After the initial 20 minutes the temp in the bag should be the same as the tank.Open the bag and add 1/2 cup of tankwater. Wait 15 minutes and repeat 3 more times. Catch the fish carefully in a small micron net,and release him into the tank.Turning off the lights may be a good idea until the fish has settled in. It can also sometimes quell aggression from old tank inhabitants to new.NEVER put store water in your tank.Fish in an LFS are most often kept with copper to ward off parasites.They can also be kept in a very low SG. Find out what SG. the store keeps their tanks at, some additional time may be needed in the acclimation process. Checking the bag for SG. and PH is also a good idea. Invertabrates on the other hand, are not kept with copper.They cannot tolerate any copper. It's just a good practice however,to never put water from the store in your tank. Introduction of copper into your tank will cause your invertabrates to die.

 

[danedodger]

Do you still have your receipts? I work for our local ***** as the Aquatics Specialist (goes to show you that some of them are better than others, I hope

) ***** will take back merchandise. With your receipt you can get a full refund and without it you can still get store credit (although as bad as they messed up I'd hope they'd have the grace to give you a refund to at least partially make up for their mistakes with or without a receipt!!).
As for taking back the fish I can tell you that at my store if someone had messed up this bad I would talk to the manager and absolutely take those fish back for a full refund or store credit! No, ***** doesn't have a gurantee on their saltwater fish but to me that means that we have an even greater responsibility to do everything in our power to make sure that we get good fish, treat them well, and make sure we're giving proper information on them when we sell them. That's certainly not what happened in your case!! It sounds like they just about gave you every WRONG bit of information possible! In my mind that translates to anything that happens is the STORE'S fault, not yours, and they should take full responsibility in the form of taking everything back and refunding your money.
I second the idea that promisetbg is giving you great advice here!!! :cheer: Way to go, promisetbg!! :cheer: I know it's a LOT to digest all at once but keep at it and before you know it you'll be the one giving out great advice to others around here!
About liverock I've gotta agree with Dragonladylea! Liverock acts as a kind of filtration for you too, biological filtration, and while you can certainly do a saltwater tank without it it's great stuff!! I don't know of many saltwater tanks that don't have it and I heartily recommend getting it too!
On HOB (hang on the back) filters like you've got I feel we run into one of those areas where people can have absolutely conflicting opinions and neither is wrong. I run a large double biowheel HOB on my tank with no problems whatsoever and feel that they're fine filtration for salt and fresh *if you maintain them properly*. That's changing out the carbon religiously at least once a month and taking the time to wash out the inside of the unit every time you change out carbons so that detrious and such doesn't build up inside it.
But that being said I've never run a small tank either! Mine are 130 and 29 gallons. On small tanks I'll readily admit it may be different since things like nitrates can build up so darn quickly. Unless you can get someone on here with experience running a HOB on this small a tank with good results I'd definitely go with taking promisetbg's advice and do away with it. (

to promisetbg's superior knowledge of running nanos

)
And I do hope you'll seriously consider what I said earlier and report this incident. I really hate hearing about this kind of thing happening and feel that if enough people report it it might make ***** step back to reevaluate the way they do some things saving other customers and animals from needless harm.