lionkiller
Member
Ok, I start my take in late 2003. I started just using Mollys (5) and converted them from fresh water to salt water. I let the tank cycle using them. I had at this time an undergravel filter set up using crushed coral as my subscrate.
After it cycled I added live rock ( I have a total of about 50-65 lbs. of rock. I don't remember. I also at this time added 6 mexican turbo snails. a chocolate chip starfish, a bubbletip star and a brittle star. Two little conchs (don't remember what kind). The brittle star didn't make it after about a week. Everything else survived.
My Mollys then had babies (very cool to see happen) but now I have 15 mollys in the tank. I then add a Yellow tang, and two of the orange Nemo's (to lazy to spell out the entire name). 4 various damsels and a lawnmower blenny.
I performed regular water changes that averaged roughly every two weeks based off of water analysis.
I lost one nemo in this month of time and three molly babies (one was eaten though by the mother molly. I know for a fact because I watched it). The water conditions did change a little but not enough to cause stress in the fish according to the LFSs around here I consult with. So on my merry way. I gave one LFS all the mollys but one, since my conversion was done, and I no longer needed them. The tank was doing alright for about another month. I was informed at this time that sand is better than crush coral and I should atleast add some sand to my crushed coral bed. I mixed the two and added about one inch of sand during this time.
Then, I introduced a mandarin goby, purple tang, Porcupine puffer, Arrow crab, Fireflash Goby, a Horseshoe crab, A coral banded shrimp, a scallop, another chocolate chip star, and about 7 tiny blue legged hermit crabs. All over about a two-three month period.
Then boom I lost all four damsels. The LFS said my water had real high Nitrite amounts and that was why. I had checked them daily and didn't find this. So I took samples to two other stores I frequent. They said it was fine. Now the damsels should be hardier than everything else........I am told anyway. No one could give me a sufficient answer so I for got about it. Two weeks later I lost the puffer. Same scenario....no one could explain and thie fish bodies appearred free of infections when I brought them in to the LFS. Ok amonth goes by. (still performing water changes as needed. Then I had my pump go out for my under water filter. I think this was out for maybe two days without me noticing ( I know dumb). So I went and got three powewr head feeds to replace my canister filter and my dad gave me to side tankl emperor filters. (The kind that suck in the water then release through the waterfall and "bio-wheel".
Everything seems ok now, my levels did rise so I performed another change and lost 6 hermit crabs and can't find the horseshoe crab at all. I wait about two weeks and everything seems good. I decide I want a dwarflionfiss. I also buy an engineer goby and two damsels. I introduce them. The Lionfish is doing good for about a week then I see it floating upside down. I contact one of two LFS I have come to rely on. They tell me he might have an "air bubble and it should no cause for alarm . WRONG! ( I know longer go to this store.) The Lion dies. Then My purple tang goes the following day. Check levels they appear fine, My Main LFS agrees with my analysis. Next day the other nemo and yellow tang die. Then everything starts dying. All I end up with left is one snail, One hermit crab, the engineer goby, the fireflash goby, a molly, and a damsel, Chocolate chip starfish (2 of them), and my bubble tip star. No one can tell me what is going on.
So I basically give up. I stop monitoring water as closely and stop water changes all together. I only add water as the tank evaporates (tap water at this point no less as I belive I am going to lose everything. I still feed regularly. Ok, Now for 8 months I haven't done a single water change. Everything is thriving!!!!! A month ago I start adding fish again figuring I am onto something. I added a nemo, CB Shrimp, a pepermint shrimp, yellow tang, scooter goby, two damsels, 9 hermit crabs, and a dwarf lion fish that didn't survive acclimation.
Everything is still living and I haven't changed any water and use tap water no less to add back. Can someone explain this!?!?!?!?!!?
I am not complaining because my tank operation is suddenly very easy! I never did find the horseshoe crab either.
After it cycled I added live rock ( I have a total of about 50-65 lbs. of rock. I don't remember. I also at this time added 6 mexican turbo snails. a chocolate chip starfish, a bubbletip star and a brittle star. Two little conchs (don't remember what kind). The brittle star didn't make it after about a week. Everything else survived.
My Mollys then had babies (very cool to see happen) but now I have 15 mollys in the tank. I then add a Yellow tang, and two of the orange Nemo's (to lazy to spell out the entire name). 4 various damsels and a lawnmower blenny.
I performed regular water changes that averaged roughly every two weeks based off of water analysis.
I lost one nemo in this month of time and three molly babies (one was eaten though by the mother molly. I know for a fact because I watched it). The water conditions did change a little but not enough to cause stress in the fish according to the LFSs around here I consult with. So on my merry way. I gave one LFS all the mollys but one, since my conversion was done, and I no longer needed them. The tank was doing alright for about another month. I was informed at this time that sand is better than crush coral and I should atleast add some sand to my crushed coral bed. I mixed the two and added about one inch of sand during this time.
Then, I introduced a mandarin goby, purple tang, Porcupine puffer, Arrow crab, Fireflash Goby, a Horseshoe crab, A coral banded shrimp, a scallop, another chocolate chip star, and about 7 tiny blue legged hermit crabs. All over about a two-three month period.
Then boom I lost all four damsels. The LFS said my water had real high Nitrite amounts and that was why. I had checked them daily and didn't find this. So I took samples to two other stores I frequent. They said it was fine. Now the damsels should be hardier than everything else........I am told anyway. No one could give me a sufficient answer so I for got about it. Two weeks later I lost the puffer. Same scenario....no one could explain and thie fish bodies appearred free of infections when I brought them in to the LFS. Ok amonth goes by. (still performing water changes as needed. Then I had my pump go out for my under water filter. I think this was out for maybe two days without me noticing ( I know dumb). So I went and got three powewr head feeds to replace my canister filter and my dad gave me to side tankl emperor filters. (The kind that suck in the water then release through the waterfall and "bio-wheel".
Everything seems ok now, my levels did rise so I performed another change and lost 6 hermit crabs and can't find the horseshoe crab at all. I wait about two weeks and everything seems good. I decide I want a dwarflionfiss. I also buy an engineer goby and two damsels. I introduce them. The Lionfish is doing good for about a week then I see it floating upside down. I contact one of two LFS I have come to rely on. They tell me he might have an "air bubble and it should no cause for alarm . WRONG! ( I know longer go to this store.) The Lion dies. Then My purple tang goes the following day. Check levels they appear fine, My Main LFS agrees with my analysis. Next day the other nemo and yellow tang die. Then everything starts dying. All I end up with left is one snail, One hermit crab, the engineer goby, the fireflash goby, a molly, and a damsel, Chocolate chip starfish (2 of them), and my bubble tip star. No one can tell me what is going on.
So I basically give up. I stop monitoring water as closely and stop water changes all together. I only add water as the tank evaporates (tap water at this point no less as I belive I am going to lose everything. I still feed regularly. Ok, Now for 8 months I haven't done a single water change. Everything is thriving!!!!! A month ago I start adding fish again figuring I am onto something. I added a nemo, CB Shrimp, a pepermint shrimp, yellow tang, scooter goby, two damsels, 9 hermit crabs, and a dwarf lion fish that didn't survive acclimation.
Everything is still living and I haven't changed any water and use tap water no less to add back. Can someone explain this!?!?!?!?!!?
I am not complaining because my tank operation is suddenly very easy! I never did find the horseshoe crab either.
