Yes I am a beginner..and I need help..pleezzzzzz

[trisha123]

Here is the deal...I have pretty much *inherited* my saltwater tank. Put it this way...it used to be taken care of by my roommate who has now "moved on" Long, tangling..yet boring story. This happened about 2 months ago. Until now, I have been "winging" it. Until now, I honestly thought these little guys would soon pass on to the afterlife. But by doing the bare minimum, I have gained tremendous respect for these "strong-willed" fish. This is what it looks like I have inherited....
a 25 gallon tank
Penguin BioWheel 125
Whisper Triad Power Filter 30
Tronic Heater set at 76 degrees
3 little white and black vertically striped fish ??
I black larger fish with a white dot on its head
an orange medium sized fish with a white vertical stripe
looks like special sand
I have bought a big bag of Instant Ocean and that has pretty much been my focal point. I have a freshwater tank with barbs and dwarf african frogs so I know the freshwater routine and have been basing my experience on that. I first encountered an algae problem but did about 2 water changes in two weeks and then added that plastic dark backing around the sides to filter out the sun rays that were leaking in. Problem solved..as of now. I have taken the water down to the local pet shop and they have done all those tests and told me everything has been fine. Since then I have done maybe 3 25% water changes. All I do is add dechlorinator and that Instant salt and stir it up and throw it in the tank. After reading some of your posts here, it just seems like it has been way too easy. Yesterday, I took the water down again to be tested and they saaid the ammonia was a little stressful (too high) so I bought those ammonia clear tank buddies drops and now the fish are frisky and happy again. I will take it back down to the pet shop to be retested in a day or two. This is my thing .. yes.. I clean the filters and any excess salt that may be around the tank rim and yes I have changed the filter twice. But...I have fallen in love with these guys and plan on doing all the research and stuff. But can anyone tell me if they have seen any red flags in what I am doing?? Or if there are any actions that I need to immediately take before my research. I briefly looked for info on saltwater fish and this is my first website to check out.. and MY GOD..you guys are sooo full of information and I feel sooo overwhelmed
I know what I am gonna hear.."those poor fish"
Please..if you have the extra time or patience..please help..
Thank you!!!!!!

 

[dcox88]

read as much as possible! Make sure your Ph and Alkalinity remain at good levels. Are you using RO water or tap water? Since you are adding dechlorinator, I assume you are using tap water. Is there live rock in the tank? Protein skimmer? Power heads?

 

[kevin j]

You should go out and buy The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta! It was my very first book and I am glad I have it, I still refer to it. The book will give you the basics and alot more!
Good luck! Before you know it we will be hearing from you telling us you bought a bigger tank

 

[marting83]

Your fish... In order as you mentioned them; Three Striped Damsel, Domino Damsel, and Cinnamon Clownfish.
Usually, you're supposed to wait about 4-6 weeks before adding fish to allow benificial bacteria to get into your water. This is why you had the ammonia. The tank buddies should work nicely for these first few weeks. However, don't rely on them. After 6 weeks, you should not need them. If you do, there is a problem.
You seem to have the necessities in place - Good Heater, Adequit Waer Circulation, and enhanced biological filtration (Bio-Wheel). You will find that most everyone on this board is a big fan of powerheads only for filtration, but your filtration is perfectly acceptable. I myself am using Biowheels with my Marineland Magnum canister filter. I assume you have a hydrometer and are testing the salinity of the water, right? I would also recommend warming the water to 78-80F.
Nitrate - You should buy a little Nitrate test kit. Over time, Nitrate will build up in the water and eventually lead to excess algae. In fact, too much Nitrate can even be harmful to fish. Make sure the Nitrate levels stay below 20 parts per million. If the levels approach 20ppm, change 10-20% of your water.

 

[jakob4001]

also, the fish you have are cheap for the most part...spend as much as your budget allows for you to...but I would not go out of my way too much...I know, sounds cruel putting a price on life/pets... but the damsels HERE would total only about $15 & maybe $15 for the clown fish...you really do not NEED a skimmer if you do not add more fish or attempt to have corals too...
just don't over feed or leave your lights on for maybe more than 10 hour period to keep water params good & less likelyhood of algae bloom...
if there is not Live Rock in the tank, you could shop around at LFS for maybe 3 lbs to add in in about 2-3 week invervals as putting more than that in at a time MAY cause a huge amonia spike & stress or kill the fish...it will also seem to not eat as big a whole out of your pocket if you do in small amounts being LR can be very pricey...you do not have use LR though, but it would assist in amonia cycle & filtration...
like RockinAR said, you should purchase a marine test kit that way you could test the water yourself at the time instead of having to depend on the LFS all the time...a complete test kit may be kind of pricey though from the LFS; you may want to shop around online & factor in the cost of S&H & decide which suits your needs best...most multi test kits come w/ PH, amonia, nitrite, & nitrate tests...from LFS it may run you $40-$60 or so depending on the brand...
it would probably be good to shop around for a basic marine tank care book as well...there again buying both these items online may be cheaper than from LFS...

 

[richard rendos]

kevinj hit it on the head. The New Marine Aquarium by Paletta is the BEST book ever written for beginning marine aquarists IMO. It will explain basic care for marine fish and discusses filtration, live rock, lighting, etc. Great book and pretty inexpensive. Usually between $15.00 and $25.00 depending on where you get it.

 

[trisha123]

Y'all have way too much information in your heads I am trying so hard to retain it all. 'Got a little notebook and everything
First thing in the morning, I am off to get the book!! Sounds like the Saltwater Bible. ALso..gonna get the test kit. ..for sure. Sorry, I forgot to mention that I do have one of those Seatest Salinity Meters. Thanks to the directions on the Instant Ocean bag, I have been able to adapt to the right range. After looking through more of the pages here, Yes I realize these fish are considered pretty low on the rankings. (cheap) But they are so cute. I thought I would have gotten mail saying someone had replied to this message but I didn't so I just came back to see. Thanks so much for the understanding and patience. Your fish are so lucky!!
Much thanks!!!
Trisha

 

[bdhough]

if you ever get any new fish be careful what you add. The four damsels you have in that tank can make short work of a new comer.

 

[jake22]

you should not add any more fish to that tank. If you buy cured live rock at a fish store near you, you could add it all at once. I would get 25 pounds. It will aid in filtration and keeping your levels down.