Starting Over!

grktrash

grktrash

New Member
Hello everyone,
 
So this is my first post, but ive been following the forums a bit since a I started my saltwater tank. I started it around 2 1/2 months ago and currently have a condy, cleaner shrimp, and one false perc clown. Ive gone through a bunch of different clowns and every single time they get infected with ick and eventually die. My condy loves to eat them, but its caused quite a problem for me. So ive decided to just go ahead and upgrade my tank from a 20gallon to a 29 gallon and restart the process. Ill be adding the same sand that I used in my previous tank as well as the same live rocks. I have a few questions regarding this.
 
If I take out the live rock and sand and keep it dry for a few days or a week while i set up my other tank, will it kill the parasites that cause ick?
 
Should i wait to add the sand or just add it after putting the water in?
 
If anyone can throw a few pointers my way that would be great.
 
Thank you
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grktrash http:///forum/thread/379892/starting-over#post_3303765
Hello everyone,
 
So this is my first post, but ive been following the forums a bit since a I started my saltwater tank. I started it around 2 1/2 months ago and currently have a condy, cleaner shrimp, and one false perc clown. Ive gone through a bunch of different clowns and every single time they get infected with ick and eventually die. My condy loves to eat them, but its caused quite a problem for me. So ive decided to just go ahead and upgrade my tank from a 20gallon to a 29 gallon and restart the process. Ill be adding the same sand that I used in my previous tank as well as the same live rocks. I have a few questions regarding this.
 
If I take out the live rock and sand and keep it dry for a few days or a week while i set up my other tank, will it kill the parasites that cause ick?
 
Should i wait to add the sand or just add it after putting the water in?
 
If anyone can throw a few pointers my way that would be great.
 
Thank you
Yes, drying the sand and rock and any thing else from the old tank for a few weeks will kill the ich.
 
Just add it all the sand the rocks and any new live rocks you buy.
 
Then cycle the tank. Ghost feed the cycle.
 
Set up a Quarantine Tank and use it for every live thing that you are going to put in to the Display Tank.
 
grktrash

grktrash

New Member
Thank you very much. This will definitely help. I will get some pictures up once i get my new tank set up! Any other input would be greatly appreciated.
 
grktrash

grktrash

New Member
Also another quick question: I am upgrading to a 29 gallon tank and i was wondering what kind of hood i should buy/where to buy it. I plan on keeping corals and anemones so id like a T5. Anyone know where I can buy the hood with or without the light for the 30" tank?
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
Have you tried looking at your LFS or are you plainning on making this purchase online? I would recomend going to the LFS and getting an idea of what you want and then finding the stuff online.
 
grktrash

grktrash

New Member
Ive already made the purchase for my tank and i have a heater and powerhead. I am slowly trying to buy a protein skimmer and a nicer filter. I just dont know which brands are best for this. Especially with the lighting situation. I dont want to spend too much money on a light, but would like one that will keep my corals and anenomes happy.
 
Also another question. What do you think i should do with my condy while i move tanks? Just keep him in the old one for the time being until the new one has cycled? Or try and bring him to the LFS and see if they will buy him back/hold on to him.
 
Thanks
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
I will be honest and say that I havent done much, if any, research on lights, protien skimmers, and filters right now. I do know that I will be collecting info from this board as well as lots and lots of google searches before i buy. I will also be buying online for all this stuff as the prices are way cheaper. I will say as far as the lighting goes, get some T5HO lights. Better than regular flourescents but not as expensive as metal hylides. They last a while and will save you $ buy not having to replace them as often as the regular flourescents.
 
For filters, my suggestion is to determine what kinds you want and then focus on that. I am sure thre are many good ones for the different styles that are available.
 
as for the LFS and the return, i have no clue.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
Are you wanting to buy a fixture to keep some corals under or are you actually going to use a regular fish tank hood with a single or double fixture in it?
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
I liked my TEK You will have a hard time finding a 30" so either hang a 36" or find a 24" that you can make the legs work. Don't skimp on your light save up and get a good one.
 
grktrash

grktrash

New Member
Im kind of looking for a light with legs that will just sit above my tank. Anyone know a good brand? Im looking to spend around $100.
 
grktrash

grktrash

New Member
CL as in coralife? Also a few other questions. Ill be making the move today.
 
Can i remove my condy from my rock without damaging it?
 
I will be putting absolutely all new water into my new tank, so what would happen if i put my LR that has already been in my previous tank into my new one with just a rinse/clean off?
 
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
CL is craigslist.
 
If you're intent on keeping an anemone, a condy is not the one to keep in that size tank. Also, if you really want an anemone and don't have a lot of money to spend on a light, you're going to have some issues. Anemones need excellent lighting. I would look into the Coralife Clip On 150watt Metal halide (MH) light, or the Viper Clip on 150watt MH light, both are cheap and will do what you want for what you want to keep. There are T5HO fixtures that will work, but from the sounds of it, you don't want to spend that kind of money. Where are you located? You might want to try to find a local reef club in your area, many have forums where people can sell things as they upgrade their tanks.
 
Another issue with your anemone, your going to be putting it in a new tank. Anemones need excellent and stable water parameters, something a newly cycled tank does not offer. They really should not be placed in tanks that are less than 6 months old. Condy's are more hardy than some of the other anemones, which is why you really haven't had an issue thus far, but with that comes some down sides: 1) they move around much more so than some of the other anemones. 2) they get way too big for a nano tank 3) They are one of the most commonly known anemones to eat fish.
 
Since you're upgrading, I highly recommend that once your new tank is cycled, you use the old one as a quarantine tank to avoid the ich issue again, as well as any other parasite or site fish that you may encounter.
 
As for the LR and sand containing the parasite,
Here is my suggestion:
Return the anemone and all fish that you currently own, as well as any inverts.
Move all sand and live rock to the new tank add even more LR and possibly a little more sand since it is a bigger tank, add new water, and let BOTH tanks (the quarantine and the direct tank) **The QT should not have ANY LR or sand, let it cycle with only chemical filtration and filter floss. Read up on how to set up a proper QT
Once the tank is cycled, the ich should be dead. DO NOT ADD FISH AT THIS POINT. At this time, it is okay to add SOME inverts, still no fish to the DT. Wait a week.
Purchase fish for the QT, follow proper QT procedures.
Add fish to the tank once quarantine is over.
 
By the time the fish is out of the QT and into the DT, it should have been fishless for long enough to end the ich parasites cycle and there should not be any ich present in the tank. Once you add one fish to the DT, you can add another to the QT, do not add more than one (unless a pair of clowns, or small schooling fish such as firefish) at the same time.
 
A better choice for an anemone in your size tank would be a bubble tip. You may also find that you'll have an easier time getting the clowns to host with it. Most clowns will not accept a condy.
 
Good luck :)
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grktrash http:///forum/thread/379892/starting-over#post_3305073
CL as in coralife? Also a few other questions. Ill be making the move today.
 
Can i remove my condy from my rock without damaging it?
 
I will be putting absolutely all new water into my new tank, so what would happen if i put my LR that has already been in my previous tank into my new one with just a rinse/clean off?
 

 
WELCOME to the site!
craigs List = CL
 
If you rinse the rock make sure you use saltwater. You can indeed take the rock from one tank to another. The only danger with rock is if it has been out of water for any length of time.
 
I don't know about the condy..sorry
 
 
grktrash

grktrash

New Member
Wow, thank you for the quick responses! So i wasnt planning on putting the condy in the new tank (since it wont be cycled), so im thinking im just going to return the condy/cleaner shrimp and use the money towards a new light. Ill be going to the LFS sometime soon to start scouting for this new light. Probably gonna spend around $150 or so, so hopefully i can pick up a decent MH or T5HO.
 
Ill be using a 10 gallon tank that i have as a QT tank, so i dont run into any more problems with parasites (hopefully).
 
As for my sand and live rock, I think im going to leave it out in the sun for about a day or two to let the parasites die. I dont want to take any chances with the new tank, especially since i messed this one up.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I have read this about removing an anemone.....DO NOT PULL IT OFF
 
You can position a Powerhead directly at the base...sometimes it will cause it to move
 
You can rub an ice cube on it's base....should make it come off
 
I HAVE NEVER tried either of those techniques.....only read them here
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grktrash http:///forum/thread/379892/starting-over#post_3305089
Wow, thank you for the quick responses! So i wasnt planning on putting the condy in the new tank (since it wont be cycled), so im thinking im just going to return the condy/cleaner shrimp and use the money towards a new light. Ill be going to the LFS sometime soon to start scouting for this new light. Probably gonna spend around $150 or so, so hopefully i can pick up a decent MH or T5HO. The MH's that I mentioned above are available online on a competitors site. The Viper is $217, the Coralife Aqualight (Aqualight Advanced Series HQI Metal Halide Fixture - google this) is $240, the Coralife is definitely the better light. See if your LFS can order either of these, they should be able to order the Coralife.
 
Ill be using a 10 gallon tank that i have as a QT tank, so i dont run into any more problems with parasites (hopefully). Sounds good, what are your plans for the 20G? My suggestion would be to make the 10G a sump for the 29G, and turn the 20G into the QT.
 
As for my sand and live rock, I think im going to leave it out in the sun for about a day or two to let the parasites die. I dont want to take any chances with the new tank, especially since i messed this one up. That's fine, you're going to be cycling the tank, which means there will be an ammonia spike, etc, this will kill the ich parasite, as well as the tank being fishless for so long. I just wouldn't want to also loose all the good stuff that is in the rocks, which is why I suggested the cycling option.
 
grktrash

grktrash

New Member
Alright I definitely wont pull the anemone off the rock, hopefully hell get off with the powerhead method.
 
I was looking to spend a little less on the light (im a college student, so im kind of on a budget) anyone know of a cheaper light that will work fine with anemones/corals?
 
Im turning my 10 gallon into a QT and im giving the 20 gallon to a buddy of mine. I dont really have that much room for a sump, so as of right now i wont be doing that.
 
As for the LR and sand, so if I just put it directly from my 20 gallon to my 29 gallon and begin the cycle, it will kill the parasites?
 
Thank you all for the help.
 
 
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