So much for me to learn...

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sarah fair

Guest
Hey yall..well heres the thing..I currently have a 10 gallon saltwater tank with a baby yellow tang and a baby domino..(big mistake, i know) but Im soon going to upgrade to a 55 gallon tank. (yay!) Right now in my 10 I have like some green gravel type rocks (the common kind you can get at any lps) 2 plants a thing that shoots bubbles and a coral lookin thing..my fish seem happy i guess. BUUUUUUT anyways i feel that i have started everything so wrong.. I used tap water and put some start right in it..i put the salt in there i have a pump and a heater..but it just doesnt seem right.. :notsure:
When I put my 55 gallon in there what kind of base should i use (live sand, live rock, little dinky gravel rocks?)
What is the differance in a reef and a just fish?
I see all these tanks that look nice and full and mine just has some dinky fake green plants..I want mine to be full of color! How do i do that? :notsure: lol
I aslo heard that you have to let the water sit there for a couple of weeks but then i heard that you just put some damsels in there to cycle it..well what does cycle mean? How long does it take..
Please dont hate me for being so...dumbfounded but i really like..no LOVE saltwater fish..i think that fresh water are dull and boring (though gold fish and bettas are cute )
And another thing..what kinda algie do i want? I heard scrub the brown keep the green..? How long does it take to grow and how do i get it to grow? Natural? How much algie is enough?
Oh ya nd my yellow tang..I hear he (or she) needs greens to eat and right now i have no algie for him/her so i read to give them lettice. Well I tore some of it up and alls he does is pick at it..like he cant eat it..so should i just chop it up finely? Like the lettice in a taco?
God im so weird..

:joy: but if yall can answer some/all of these questions and give me some other inputs that would be just great! :joy:
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
You should have 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of LR (live rock) per gallon.
The tang will outgrow your 55 gallon tank.
Did you cycle the tank you have the fish in now?
 
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sarah fair

Guest
ok this is what happend..i bought a 10 gallon tank for my bettas..filled it up with water (let it sit for a couple days had a filter) then went to the pet store to get some gold fish to keep him company..i was with my friend (who will convince you to buy anything) and he was like salt water fish! and i saw them and fell in love..so i bought some salt, a heater, some tests, and fish (a clown fish, yellow tang, and two yellow tailed damsels) the ***** put all the fish in the same bag and when i got home i noticed that one of the yellow tails had a massive infected wound on its tail and all the fish (cept the other yellow tailed) died within a couple of days so i took the dead ones back to the store (is it normal for places to not return saltwater fish?) but they did anyways..but i got another yellow tang 2 more damsels and they were out of clown fish so i just got cash back (not like you care or nething) well befor i even put my damsels in the tank one died (they put all the fish in the same bag again) they other one had this horrible cotton filled lookin mouth but i didnt notice till i put him in the tank and my other damsel nipped at him and must have cought the virus or w/e it was so they both died and i took them back to the ***** and they gave me my money back (not buying fish from there anymore) but my tang is still alive and my domino (which i got at another store) are just fine and seem happy..so idk if i cycled the tank or not? I dont even know what that means..just a friend talked me into gettin some salt water fish..what have i gotten myself into?
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
*****
they suck
Cycling is when you have tested your water and you have seen a spike and fall in ammonia, then nitrites, then nitrates. You should not have any fish in until after the cycle is complete, which can take up to six weeks. A yellow tang especially needs an established tank. You need to take those fish back, they are going to die. And their is not really many saltwater fish you can keep in a 10 gallon. Clownfish I think would be okay in a 10 gallon but again, the tank needs to be cycle first.
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
Oh heaven help you! Ok let's see what we can do to help...
#1 - You do know that a 10 gallon saltwater tank is going to be VERY tough???? You're going to have to monitor the levels of water VERY closely because they can change literally overnight in that small a tank!
#2 - As long as you're able to keep the levels correct in this tank the damsel should be ok in it but that tang NEEDS to come out of there!!! That poor guy is very unlikely to live through cycling your tank!!!!!
#3 - Get the green gravel out of there right away too!! That's freshwater gravel!! For saltwater you need to use crushed coral or, more preferrably, sand.
#4 - The tap water with something to take the chlorine out of it WILL work! The problem many have with using tap water and drops is you're more likely to have problems with algae and it's really not good enough for corals and such that demand more pristine water conditions.
#5 - "2 plants a thing that shoots bubbles and a coral lookin thing" Make sure all of these are SALTWATER safe! You really can't use freshwater decorations with a saltwater tank to my knowledge.
cont....
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
When I put my 55 gallon in there what kind of base should i use (live sand, live rock, little dinky gravel rocks?)
See above! Most people seem to prefer putting in cured liverock first then pouring the sand around it for stability.
What is the differance in a reef and a just fish?
A fish only tank (or FOWLR - fish only with liverock) is best for beginners as you just have fish which are generally hardier and more forgiving of mistakes than a reef tank. A reef tank can have liverock, fish, and a variety of inverts such as corals, anemones, etc.
I see all these tanks that look nice and full and mine just has some dinky fake green plants..I want mine to be full of color! How do i do that? lol
Time, patience, and careful planning!
I aslo heard that you have to let the water sit there for a couple of weeks but then i heard that you just put some damsels in there to cycle it..well what does cycle mean? How long does it take..
Many people misunderstand the cycle and so think that they have to set up the tank then let it sit forever and a day but that's not so. To CYCLE a tank needs some kind of biomatter in it! Many people do cycle with damsels but most on the boards here feel that's unethical and cruel. The best way to cycle a tank is by "ghost feeding" where you add a pinch of food daily with no animals in the aquarium or by adding a raw shrimp.
The "cycle" is when biomatter is introduced to the tank (in the form of fish poo or, more preferrably, fish food or a raw shrimp) which raises the ammonia level in the water. Ammonia is very toxic to fish and will burn their gills which interferes with their ability to take in oxygen. At the very least this is painful and stressful to them, can permanently damage them to some extent, and can sometimes even kill them. After the ammonia starts to rise naturally occuring bacteria will multiply to "eat" the ammonia which brings the ammonia levels back down. As the ammonia level comes down you should see the nitrite levels go up. Nitrite is less toxic to fish than ammonia but still harmful. As the nitrite goes up another bacteria multiplies to "eat" the nitrites so the nitrites will go back down. As the nitrites go down the nitrates will go up. Once you see all of that with a reliable test kit, ammonia goes up then down as nitrites go up then down as nitrates go up, you SHOULD see your tests reading at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and whatever in nitrate. Do a partial water change to bring the nitrates down to 20 or less, your tank is cycled and ready for fish.
And another thing..what kinda algie do i want? I heard scrub the brown keep the green..? How long does it take to grow and how do i get it to grow? Natural? How much algie is enough?
Yes, scrub the brown diatoms. Green algae is only a problem if it's taking over the tank. The algae you WANT to see and keep is coralline which is usually purple/pink in color, flat, and extremely hard to remove. Just use a scraper of some kind to keep it off the front glass and let that grow anywhere else it cares to. There are products out there that will aid in the growth of corraline algae. I've used, and liked, Purple Up.
Oh ya nd my yellow tang..I hear he (or she) needs greens to eat and right now i have no algie for him/her so i read to give them lettice. Well I tore some of it up and alls he does is pick at it..like he cant eat it..so should i just chop it up finely? Like the lettice in a taco?
God im so weird..
Well you absolutely have to get the tang you already have out of there but for the future yes, tangs are "veggie eaters". You can't give them iceberg lettuce like you'd have on tacos!!! For optimum health and to prevent lateral line erosion you need to give tangs a variety of foods. They will eat meat based foods but the bulk of a tang's diet should be feeding with a herbivore type food (I like frozen like Emerald Entree or Formula 2 (is it Formula 1 or 2 that's veggie????) but others use flakes or pellets for herbivores; for the best variety try all of em!) then place a sheet of algae/seaweed in there for him to "graze" on. Tangs "graze" meaning that they go by, pick at it a bit, swim off, go back and pick some more later, etc. You don't need to chop it finely, he's just acting like a normal tang will.
 
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sarah fair

Guest
my amonia has spiked and they lived through that..but ***** wont take back my tang and the other place i doubt will either..i dont want to be cruel and let them die! what do i do?!
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
My reply got so long that others have replied!

I just wanted to add, I am an Aquatics Specialist at a *****! Buying fish from ***** can be a good experience depending on which employee you talk to!!! I can tell you that too many ***** employees know jack squat about these things and it certainly sounds like your local ***** is not one of the better ones!! I would seriously urge you to go to the ***** website and report what you have gone through!!! Reporting is the only way ***** Corporate is going to realize there's a problem and move to fix it so by reporting it you'll be helping those fish, future fish, any customers that might wander in to buy fish, and even ME and employees at Petcos everywhere who really care!!!!! Please! Consider it your good deed for the day :joy:
 
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sarah fair

Guest
Thank you so much..but still..what should i do with my tang since the lps wont take him back?
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
Originally Posted by DaneDodger
My reply got so long that others have replied!

I just wanted to add, I am an Aquatics Specialist at a *****! Buying fish from ***** can be a good experience depending on which employee you talk to!!! I can tell you that too many ***** employees know jack squat about these things and it certainly sounds like your local ***** is not one of the better ones!! I would seriously urge you to go to the ***** website and report what you have gone through!!! Reporting is the only way ***** Corporate is going to realize there's a problem and move to fix it so by reporting it you'll be helping those fish, future fish, any customers that might wander in to buy fish, and even ME and employees at Petcos everywhere who really care!!!!! Please! Consider it your good deed for the day :joy:

I should not bash *****, it's not just them but alot of lfs's.
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
my amonia has spiked and they lived through that..but ***** wont take back my tang and the other place i doubt will either..i dont want to be cruel and let them die! what do i do?!
GET MEAN!!Remember that these poor little fish can't speak for themselves! They need you to be their voice! Bag up that fish, march right into that *****, demand to see the manager on duty, chew his/her TAIL OFF, and REFUSE to take no for an answer!
I know that sounds absolutely horrible but look at it this way, if ***** is going to sell these animals don't they have an OBLIGATION to see that those animal's needs are met???? They should NEVER have sold you those fish and if they don't realize that they have no business selling fish! Ask them WHY didn't anyone ask what size tank you have? WHY didn't anyone ask if the tank has cycled or not? WHY were THEY, employees that publically tout putting their animals first, not the least bit concerned about the animals they sold you? Tell the manager that you're going to go straight to corporate with what you've been through and how's it going to look if you tell corp that they sold you this fish for an uncycled 10 gallon aquarium then refused to take it back???? Get real up close to him and say very quietly and dead seriously "If I were you I'd save what little face I could by taking this fish back and returning my money or would you like everyone to know that here in your store the animals DON'T come first?" As a customer you hold all the power so use it! Raise enough of a fuss and I bet you'll end up with some satisfaction.
Or you could cut your losses and find another home for the fish. Either way I'd certainly still report your experience at the ***** website.
I should not bash *****, it's not just them but alot of lfs's.
It's ok, really!!! I get furious with them myself on a daily basis!! I understand and even agree that if ***** is going to hold the public image of caring for animals and being THE place to go for education and such then they MUST uphold it!!
 
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sarah fair

Guest
oh wow..i dont know if i can yell at someone..specially the manager up there..hes so crosseyed (im not making fun of cross eyed people..my uncle is cross eyed) i just dont think i could do that..
but i guess i will try..haha
 
ben-heart

ben-heart

New Member
I found a saltwater shop where the owner was a little abrasive ( I thought) with me. She suggested that I buy a book from her, read it cover to cover, and come back if I still was interested in a saltwater tank. I have high praise for her advice. I've bought 2 more books and still have a million questions!!!!! These forums are fabulous for us newbies!
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
Same here! These boards are fabulous for information no matter where you're at in the hobby!
ben-heart, I'm so glad you appreciate what that shop owner was trying to do now!! I think too many LFS employees don't contradict customers even if the employee knows the customer needs the correction because they are afraid of coming off abrasive and losing customers. I can certainly understand that but at the same time I have a lot more respect for an employee who will tell me if I'm doing something wrong! And as someone who works for a LFS I honestly think in my own experience that most of the customers do end up seeing that I'm only trying to do what's best for the fish and, in the long run, their pocketbook and enjoyment of the hobby. Those customers really seem to appreciate it and become regulars and I really believe offset the few that walk away huffy and never return. It sounds like you found a winner in that LFS owner!!
 
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