POO POO Problem

[subvillian]

i just got some damsals to kick the cycle into high gear. 3 damsals and 10 turbo snails. It took me 3 days to feed them scence the closest lfs is an hour away. Now that i have fed them, yesterday, there is CRAP all over my sand... How do i clean this up??? what Animal do i need to get rid of it???

 

[wax32]

Well, you shouldn't have any animals in the tank during your cycle...
Get more water flow so poo doesn't stack up on the sand, it stays suspended till your filter and/or skimmer gets it.

 

[whitey]

How bout do some research before starting a salt tank?

 

[subvillian]

thats some harsh responses. i Did a 3 week cycle, checked my levels. and got some damsals. Everything is great but the POO. i need more time now for the bacteria to develop but i did not think i was that much of a newb. this is my second tank. ALSO ISN'T THIS THE "NEW HOBBIEST' forum where simple questions are asked and good friendly help is givin???? I;m so Sorry your so mature and knowledgeble on Biology. YOu must have a PHD. DR. ASS!!!

 

[bluelagoon]

i'm really sorry that some people have been mean to you. they just don't understand that people new to the forums haven't seen all the threads that they have, and there are a TON about cycling, so some people just get frustrated, and some people really are jerks. you may also want to edit some language, some people may find things inappropriate.
really what you'll have to do is siphon a lot of it out during your water changes. you may also want to try to fish your damsels out, as they'll get harder to get rid of once you have lots of stuff in there.
just hang in there for some better advice, i'd try to offer more, but i'm pretty new myself. and i'm going to applebee's w/ a friend.

 

[murph]

If you cycled for 3 weeks and checked your levels before adding the fish you should be fine. Just siphon the debris off with you next water change and keep an eye on those levels. If ammonia or nitrites start to become detectable again take action.

 

[af330i]

You had the same problem I had when I had snails in my tank ... I gave them back to the fish store and haven't had a poop problem since.
I have a dragon gobie who is awesome at cleaning and sifting sand ... i don't exactly play by the saltwaterfish.com rules with my cycle which tells you why Ihave a 150 gallon filled with a ton of fish and my tank is only a month old ...
I cqan't help it, I love buying these fish and my readings have been very good !!!

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by AF330i
... i don't exactly play by the saltwaterfish.com rules with my cycle which tells you why Ihave a 150 gallon filled with a ton of fish and my tank is only a month old ...
They aren't the "saltwaterfish rules", they are NATURE'S rules... no one from this board invented the Nitrogen cycle. If you actually have a "tank full" of fish in a month old tank then you won't for long. If you "can't" help yourself then I would kindly suggest you get a hobby where your impatience won't kill things.
The posts on this thread didn't seem that "harsh". Everyone should research ANY pet before buying. If the tank has cycled then you can add inverts to clean it. If it hasn't then you shouldn't add anything. If this is a "second" tank then the original poster is familiar with this...
To the original post: Sounds like you need a clean up crew (if the tank has actually cycled) and more water circulation.

 

[jonnywater]

Nassarius Vibex, VIBEX VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIBEX snails will eat many matters of detritus and animal waste. You can read about them nearly anywhere. They are snails that burry themselves in the sand with their little syphon hanging out. They get to be MAYBE 1/2 inch in length and have either light tan, cream or white shells with stripes on them. If you buy some, make sure they are Nassarius VIBEX since there are several of kinds of nassarius snails out there. Go check them out and do some research on them.

 

[af330i]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
They aren't the "saltwaterfish rules", they are NATURE'S rules... no one from this board invented the Nitrogen cycle. If you actually have a "tank full" of fish in a month old tank then you won't for long.
While what your saying is of course true about nature's rule ... something tells me you will be wrong about my 'tank fill' of fish.
Keep in mind 'natures rule' did not have a fish tank in people's homes in mind so I would think we are all breaking the rules ...
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
If you "can't" help yourself then I would kindly suggest you get a hobby where your impatience won't kill things.
Thanks for the suggestion but I plan on sticking with this hobby for a VERY long time though I definitely agree with you about my 'impatience'
Maybe I should add that this is my second tank as well ... not everyone that does things differently is a newbie

 

[1journeyman]

The point is; you can't speed up a cycle. If you overload the bacteria it will fall behind and ammonia will build up... I don't care if this is your 2nd tank or your 100th tank... the same natural laws apply to us all.
If you have a 1 month old "tank full of fish" then you are in trouble UNLESS you stocked your tank with CURED rock and sand. Even then you are running a risk that no responsible aquarist would (or should) take.
I'm not calling anyone a "newbie". Being new and asking questions is great. Knowing what is right and not doing it; that is what bothers me...

 

[bluelagoon]

hey guys, i think we all got a little off-topic. nobody asks for a set plan on how they should care for their tank. people ask for opinions on matters when they need them. if that's the way they want to be, then fine. make suggestions, but you have to understand that not everyone is going to follow suggestions made all the time.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by bluelagoon
hey guys, i think we all got a little off-topic. nobody asks for a set plan on how they should care for their tank. people ask for opinions on matters when they need them. if that's the way they want to be, then fine. make suggestions, but you have to understand that not everyone is going to follow suggestions made all the time.
I tried to bring it back to topic

I understand what you are saying, Blue, but part of the problem is not following the correct procedures. If I were to go to my mechanic and say "Hey, my car's not running". He could look at it and say "you need to put oil in it next time...". We can all drive differently, but there still are some "absolutes" to car maintenance. Same idea applies to aquarium upkeep.
The original post says that they got 3 damsels and snails to "kick the cycle into high gear". That can't be done.... the cycle is a natural process that can't simply be "kicked". Add to that the original poster says it took him 3 days to get fish food. That certainly implies that they weren't really ready for fish.
Now they have a problem that a proper clean up crew can handle. The problem is the tank may not be able to handle the current livestock, much less more. It's a bad situation... with no easy fix.
Maybe none of us said that very well, but that more or less sums up the issue.

 

[mikeyjer]

I agree with what journeyman is saying!!! If your really on your second tank, you should know better then to kick start by adding in fish. If you believe that's what you should do, then no one can tell you otherwise, if you gonna post it, then there's comments that comes along with it. It's either take it or leave it. I just don't want to see on the next post, my fish are dying or have ich because of the cycling process. That's my 2 cents! :happyfish

 

[murph]

The whole thing is just a simple miss understanding. Sub forgot to mention in his first post that he had run the tank for 3 weeks and the responses assumed he had not.
Unlike normal conversation where tone of voice and facial expression and immediate response precludes these types of misunderstandings internet forums do not enjoy that luxury.
Its best to make oneself almost boringly clear when posting and also best not to assume the worst when making a response.

See; I used that smiley thing to indicate that I am not angry in any way and just trying to make a helpfull suggestion.

 

[whitey]

SubVillian called me Dr. Ass.
I'm hurt. But at least I'm not one of his experiment cycle fish with my gills burning off my body.

 

[wax32]

Originally Posted by wax32
Well, you shouldn't have any animals in the tank during your cycle...
Get more water flow so poo doesn't stack up on the sand, it stays suspended till your filter and/or skimmer gets it.

Uhh...
This is a flame to you? I certainly didn't mean it to be harsh.
You said you wanted to kick your cycle into high gear. That to me means you are still cycling. And I stated that you shouldn't have anything in there while you are cycling. That's all.
Then I gave advice on how to get rid of the poo.
I'm not sure what else you wanted?
Sorry again you thought this was a flame.
Originally Posted by SubVillian
I;m so Sorry your so mature and knowledgeble on Biology. YOu must have a PHD. DR. ASS!!!
Pretty sure that was uncalled for. I was trying to help and I certainly didn't call YOU any names.
Originally Posted by Af330i
You had the same problem I had when I had snails in my tank ...
I had the same problem and did the same as you did.

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by SubVillian
thats some harsh responses. i Did a 3 week cycle, checked my levels. and got some damsals. Everything is great but the POO. i need more time now for the bacteria to develop but i did not think i was that much of a newb. this is my second tank. ALSO ISN'T THIS THE "NEW HOBBIEST' forum where simple questions are asked and good friendly help is givin???? I;m so Sorry your so mature and knowledgeble on Biology. YOu must have a PHD. DR. ASS!!!
Did I miss something? Was a post edited or deleted?

 

[fishieness]

wow.....subvillan: im not sure if any posts were deleated, however, i, in no way, took wax's comment to be snooty or anything.......
are you sure that it is not diatoms? I dont think that much poo would stack up in yoru tank unless you added like 70 damsels to an uncycled tank with no clean up crew.
just get a clean up crew and go slow, up water flow, and use good deionized or RO water and you should be fine.

 

[wax32]

Originally Posted by SubVillian
i just got some damsals to kick the cycle into high gear. 3 damsals and 10 turbo snails.
10 turbos poop a lot.