What is said to be the most aggressive shark?
Ten points for the first correct answer!
Answers:
OCEANIC WHITETIP.
Iv been hooked on discovery this week.
the top most danagerous shark is the bull shark.
As it can live in freshwater and saltwater. Thats what makes it the most dangerous.
dangerous or aggressive? i kinda class that the same.
During a feeding frenzy, reef sharks like the caribbean reef shark and the blacktip are aggressive when it comes to food, however when not in a feeding mode they dont pose that great of a risk to humans.
But the bul shark is the top dangerous shark.
For attacks on humans, the bull shark (a/k/a Zambezi).
After having a encounter with a hammerhead I would certainly hate to be in the watter with any shark that was more aggressive!
i been watching that 2 and it was the oceanic white tip, shame som1 got there b4 me, i sooo hate u pete
depends on who you ask!
In my opinion;
Bull Sharks responsible for most attacks
Great White most feared by us
Tiger Sharks most indecriminat
Oceanic White tip most fercious.
I know what you mean I'm hooked on their channels this week
I was scuba diving at night and I got hit by a Great White Shark in the back it was almost as if it charged at me no bites but it pushed me far far away from my group, I was sooo bruised for it seemed for ever, but I don't think there the most agressive but the Ocenaic White is!!
The Bull shark i have fished in the swan river in Perth, Australia which is full of them there is a chance if being attacked if you swim in it
bull shark
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sexing bolivian rams?
How do you tell apart the difference between male and female bolivian rams??
Answers:
The females have more of a purple circle on their belly, and the males don't. The males also have a longer 2nd or 3rd dorsal (top) fin ray.
~ZTM
http://www.fishinthe.net/html/fishguide/...
hope this helps ...
Answers:
The females have more of a purple circle on their belly, and the males don't. The males also have a longer 2nd or 3rd dorsal (top) fin ray.
~ZTM
http://www.fishinthe.net/html/fishguide/...
hope this helps ...
Setting up a Yellow Perch Aquarium.?
I was just curious if I could set up a perch Aquarium in my home. I have a 20 gallon tank and will be getting a 55 gallon soon. But every day i go down to the local creek and go fishing for some perch. Im not wanting to put the fully grown ones in my tank, but possibly the ones about yay big.
("--------7----------7
If it is possible for them to live in that size of a tank, could you please tell me the correct size filter i should buy along with ALL of the other materials i will need for my tank. I am only hoping to put maybe 1-3 fish in there.
(P.S. Would my perch get along with some Saucerfish?)
Answers:
I caught about 20 yellow perch last week with a seine though I let them go. They are a beautiful fish. There is a spot in Wisconsin where last year I caught the nicest looking yellow perch I had ever seen. It was about 6", nice darker yellow/gold with true black full stripes and red in the fins. The fins went from clear near the fish and got more red as it got near the end of the fins and the last 1/4 inch was a real nice red. Beautiful though on to your question.
You can have a nice perch aquarium. In theory they get about 16" in the wild though I've never seen one this big. In the aquarium I've never seen one past 8 or 9 inches. I have cichlids much larger than this and since they're disc shaped they weight significantly more than the perches. Even at 8-9 inches they will outgrow a 55 gallon and a 6' tank would be a lot better though I would consider a 75 gallon as a minimum. The 75 and 90 are also 4' long so they don't take up much more space than the 55 gallon though the perch would prefer the length of a 100 or better.
Saucerfish? I'm more concerned about the saucerfish than the perch. There are a lot of sunfish out there and most of them will need a large tank. There are a few small varieties of sunfish that don't get very large though you should buy Peterson's Guide or other field guide for native fish of north america and identify what saucerfish you're thinking of. A lot of these are beautiful though they can be very mean and territorial as well.
The North American Native Fish Association (NANFA) is a great group I used to be a member of. Go to their web site at www.nanfa.org and read some of the articles. Better yet join and you'll find some groups in your area that also have an interest in Native fish and how to raise and breed them.
Filtration - Big fish need big tanks and big filtration. I like canister filters and my favorite is the Hagen Fluval FX5 though this is too big for a 90 or less. If you get a 6' tank I highly recommend this filter. Do not use a heater. Do cover the tank. Do add some driftwood and hiding areas. If you add some plants from the creek be very careful because you don't want to add the snails that will almost certainly come with them.
no for long term.
You should never remove wild fish, and wild N.A fish need extra larger tanks with super filteration.
Remember that most companies, ex. fuval etc. They build GREAT filters, but they are meant for petstore fishes. Remember that wild N.A fishes make extremely larger waste.
Also a 20 - 55 gallon tank wont be enough. For full development.
i have a large mouth bass and they will easily get stunted in anything nder 100 gallons. Look at the bass pro shop for a refrence. Look at the size of their tanks and the size of most N.A fishes.
To be 100% honest, dont do it. They will a huge tank with a super filteration, and it may be illegal to take it out of the wild depending on where u live.
i dont think perch get very big. kind of like a sunfish.
im sure the 55ga would be fine for at least 3-4 small one for a few years and maybe there whole lives.
i would get an extra filter too. native fish need lots of filtration because they are so messy.
they can get about 10 inches or so , so you may could just keep 2 or 3 in there for life.
feed them live worms and small minnows a few times a week and do your water changes when neeed.
take out your heater as they are cold water fish. set it up like a lake or river and it will look really cool
hope this helps
o and i wouldnt worry about it being illegal cops have bigger things to worry about. i just woudnt turn them lose after they have been in your tank b/c they can spread diseases
("--------7----------7
If it is possible for them to live in that size of a tank, could you please tell me the correct size filter i should buy along with ALL of the other materials i will need for my tank. I am only hoping to put maybe 1-3 fish in there.
(P.S. Would my perch get along with some Saucerfish?)
Answers:
I caught about 20 yellow perch last week with a seine though I let them go. They are a beautiful fish. There is a spot in Wisconsin where last year I caught the nicest looking yellow perch I had ever seen. It was about 6", nice darker yellow/gold with true black full stripes and red in the fins. The fins went from clear near the fish and got more red as it got near the end of the fins and the last 1/4 inch was a real nice red. Beautiful though on to your question.
You can have a nice perch aquarium. In theory they get about 16" in the wild though I've never seen one this big. In the aquarium I've never seen one past 8 or 9 inches. I have cichlids much larger than this and since they're disc shaped they weight significantly more than the perches. Even at 8-9 inches they will outgrow a 55 gallon and a 6' tank would be a lot better though I would consider a 75 gallon as a minimum. The 75 and 90 are also 4' long so they don't take up much more space than the 55 gallon though the perch would prefer the length of a 100 or better.
Saucerfish? I'm more concerned about the saucerfish than the perch. There are a lot of sunfish out there and most of them will need a large tank. There are a few small varieties of sunfish that don't get very large though you should buy Peterson's Guide or other field guide for native fish of north america and identify what saucerfish you're thinking of. A lot of these are beautiful though they can be very mean and territorial as well.
The North American Native Fish Association (NANFA) is a great group I used to be a member of. Go to their web site at www.nanfa.org and read some of the articles. Better yet join and you'll find some groups in your area that also have an interest in Native fish and how to raise and breed them.
Filtration - Big fish need big tanks and big filtration. I like canister filters and my favorite is the Hagen Fluval FX5 though this is too big for a 90 or less. If you get a 6' tank I highly recommend this filter. Do not use a heater. Do cover the tank. Do add some driftwood and hiding areas. If you add some plants from the creek be very careful because you don't want to add the snails that will almost certainly come with them.
no for long term.
You should never remove wild fish, and wild N.A fish need extra larger tanks with super filteration.
Remember that most companies, ex. fuval etc. They build GREAT filters, but they are meant for petstore fishes. Remember that wild N.A fishes make extremely larger waste.
Also a 20 - 55 gallon tank wont be enough. For full development.
i have a large mouth bass and they will easily get stunted in anything nder 100 gallons. Look at the bass pro shop for a refrence. Look at the size of their tanks and the size of most N.A fishes.
To be 100% honest, dont do it. They will a huge tank with a super filteration, and it may be illegal to take it out of the wild depending on where u live.
i dont think perch get very big. kind of like a sunfish.
im sure the 55ga would be fine for at least 3-4 small one for a few years and maybe there whole lives.
i would get an extra filter too. native fish need lots of filtration because they are so messy.
they can get about 10 inches or so , so you may could just keep 2 or 3 in there for life.
feed them live worms and small minnows a few times a week and do your water changes when neeed.
take out your heater as they are cold water fish. set it up like a lake or river and it will look really cool
hope this helps
o and i wouldnt worry about it being illegal cops have bigger things to worry about. i just woudnt turn them lose after they have been in your tank b/c they can spread diseases
SERIOUS fish injustice! What do I do?
My moronic office manager just ( 2 days ago ) set up 2 tiny tanks for his desk. One's 5 gallon, the other 2 gallon. Today I arrived at work to find the 5 gallon with 3 two inch long Malawi cichlids and a pleco in it, and get this- the 2 gallon with 2 two and a half inch long OSCARS and a pleco in it. He informed my concerned face that 'he knows what he's doing' 'they'll be okay in there for a year before they get too big' blah blah blah. He claims he worked at a pet shop for 5 years. I MANAGED a pet shop for 8 but "I don't know what I'm talking about." So here's the question: Do I try to help this jackass take care of these poor doomed fish, or do I wait 'till he leaves and kidnap them? My office is dreary enough without a bunch of floaters to look forward to..What would YOU do?
Answers:
Unfortunately, he isn't doing anything illegal. They're his fish and there are no cruelty laws that I know of in regards to how he's keeping them. He is free to do what he wants with them, and it's legally none of your business.
So, it depends- which do you value more?
The fish?
Or your job?
If the latter, do whatever, talk to him, steal his fish, whatever else. You'll get fired before long, so do whatever.
If you value your job, leave him be and let him learn his mistake the hard way. Yes, I know this way is harder for the fish, but he obviously isn't going to listen to you.
You gave him your advice. Continuing in that vein will only piss him off. His ego is more important to him than these fish.
When the fish start getting sick, simply raise an eyebrow at him and say nothing.
The only thing I can think of that might let you help these fish AND keep your job is to buy him new tanks.
Me, I'd ignore him, and his floaters. If I worked closely with someone with that sort of ego, I'd have to go find different work. If it was just an office, and I didn't have to deal with his ego daily in the course of my job to where it effected MY work, I'd just let it go.
If you have a family that depends on your income, their interests in regards to your level of income should be a priority over a few fish and a mgr with an ego.
Talk to him again, I wouldnt suggest kidnap, but maybe getting someone with power to do something. He shouldnt be doing that at all...
I would bring him some evidence and say that your wrong and put the fish in at least a 55 gallon for now... He might need a 100 gallon to put all of the fish in there together.
Tell him who the boss is
If you take the fish, that could cause a huge problem between you and your boss, and could even risk you losing your job. Maybe bring in an outsider to talk to him (family friend or spouse) and get them to casually say "Wow, thats a really small tank for those fish...surprised they are not belly up yet!"
This way, it will not cause any tention between you and your boss in the work place (which is the worst) and it may make him realize that he should get a bigger tank if more then one person tells him so.
Since he is your manager, you are in the losing position, even if you are right. Stinks but true.
Have you considered job hunting? I have a hard time working for morons too.
What I would personally do is "bombard" him with credible, well written documentations. Print it out and show it to him. Care sheets, minimum requirements, etc. There are a ton to be found on the internet. I would say in this situation knowledge is the best route and even if he is stubborn, he might break down and admit he's wrong when presented with a lot of info.
Good luck!
well there going to die in weeks if not days and theft is theft so dont take the fish.
I dont like to see fish die but in this case if you let them die Hope he'll give up on the idea.
all i can say is that,that guy is a freaking moron,what the hell is he thinking,you know what give it another shot.and if he doesnt bite then take the fish save their lifes.
great question by the way
hoped i helped
Obviously he's totally clueless and thinks he knows the answers. I would imagine dealing with a person like that anything you do or say will only cause you grief at work. Just add him to the long list of people that buy fish and don't want to be confused with the facts.
MM
Send him to the link in my profile... we'll straighten him out! We have a group of knowledgeable fish owners who can attempt to talk some sense into him, save the fish, and let you keep your job.
Nosoop4u
Answers:
Unfortunately, he isn't doing anything illegal. They're his fish and there are no cruelty laws that I know of in regards to how he's keeping them. He is free to do what he wants with them, and it's legally none of your business.
So, it depends- which do you value more?
The fish?
Or your job?
If the latter, do whatever, talk to him, steal his fish, whatever else. You'll get fired before long, so do whatever.
If you value your job, leave him be and let him learn his mistake the hard way. Yes, I know this way is harder for the fish, but he obviously isn't going to listen to you.
You gave him your advice. Continuing in that vein will only piss him off. His ego is more important to him than these fish.
When the fish start getting sick, simply raise an eyebrow at him and say nothing.
The only thing I can think of that might let you help these fish AND keep your job is to buy him new tanks.
Me, I'd ignore him, and his floaters. If I worked closely with someone with that sort of ego, I'd have to go find different work. If it was just an office, and I didn't have to deal with his ego daily in the course of my job to where it effected MY work, I'd just let it go.
If you have a family that depends on your income, their interests in regards to your level of income should be a priority over a few fish and a mgr with an ego.
Talk to him again, I wouldnt suggest kidnap, but maybe getting someone with power to do something. He shouldnt be doing that at all...
I would bring him some evidence and say that your wrong and put the fish in at least a 55 gallon for now... He might need a 100 gallon to put all of the fish in there together.
Tell him who the boss is
If you take the fish, that could cause a huge problem between you and your boss, and could even risk you losing your job. Maybe bring in an outsider to talk to him (family friend or spouse) and get them to casually say "Wow, thats a really small tank for those fish...surprised they are not belly up yet!"
This way, it will not cause any tention between you and your boss in the work place (which is the worst) and it may make him realize that he should get a bigger tank if more then one person tells him so.
Since he is your manager, you are in the losing position, even if you are right. Stinks but true.
Have you considered job hunting? I have a hard time working for morons too.
What I would personally do is "bombard" him with credible, well written documentations. Print it out and show it to him. Care sheets, minimum requirements, etc. There are a ton to be found on the internet. I would say in this situation knowledge is the best route and even if he is stubborn, he might break down and admit he's wrong when presented with a lot of info.
Good luck!
well there going to die in weeks if not days and theft is theft so dont take the fish.
I dont like to see fish die but in this case if you let them die Hope he'll give up on the idea.
all i can say is that,that guy is a freaking moron,what the hell is he thinking,you know what give it another shot.and if he doesnt bite then take the fish save their lifes.
great question by the way
hoped i helped
Obviously he's totally clueless and thinks he knows the answers. I would imagine dealing with a person like that anything you do or say will only cause you grief at work. Just add him to the long list of people that buy fish and don't want to be confused with the facts.
MM
Send him to the link in my profile... we'll straighten him out! We have a group of knowledgeable fish owners who can attempt to talk some sense into him, save the fish, and let you keep your job.
Nosoop4u
Selling fish tank for $700...is that too pricey?
I live in california and am selling my fish tank for $700, i paid about $1000 for everything. I bought everything for my fish tank: including the tank- 55 gallons,gravel,penguin filter,top fin water heater, 5 big rocks (two of which make bubbles and one a shipwreck), a bubble window maker, assorted plastic plants, 10oz can of fish food (extra), plus the stand (wooden). Should i try to sell it at this price or lower it a bit. I did pay quite alot for my fish tank but im out in cali. I will only sell it to someone who is in cali who will be able to pick it up from my house. If you seen it you'd understand why i am trying to sell it at such a price. I've only had it for about 4 months and have taken good care of it. If you have any suggestions let me know. Thanks.
Answers:
YES, I can buy that stuff new (55 gal setup) everyting from a store here in Michigan for $700 or less. Your stuff may be nicer than I'm anticipating (I'm thinking mid grade on everyting as high end stuff usually can't be purchaced just anywhere). The rule of thumb for selling used stuff like this is 50% of the purchace value, food is free to the purchacer.
It dependes some people might think so and some people might
Yodalahehooooo!!!
Thats a very reasonable price for all the buyer is getting. I have a 55 gallon and thought about selling it but i couldn't! I love it too much. But that is a fair price and I hope who ever gets it takes care of it. Good luck!
Way too pricey. You may want to checkout craigslist to see what others are selling their 55 gallon comparable setups for to get an idea...
some people may be willing to pay that price--i personally wouldn't want anything but the tank, stand,heater, and filters. i would want to get the other stuff myself to personalize it and make it my own
I did the same thing, I had a 55 gallon with all the trimmings, and put WAY too much money into it. I would see if you get any responses with the $700 pricing. If not maybe try dropping it down to 6. It is a shame isn't it? I ended up keeping mine, its wasn't worth selling it. Good luck!
I think it might be a little high, but you might find someone to take it at that price, especially if it is in good condition and still looks new. Some people also like to price things high so they can barter down and still get a fair price.
If you need to sell it fast, lower the price closer to $500.00. If you can hang on to it for a while, keep it at $700.00 and see what happens. Having a really good, professional looking photo of it will help you sell it faster. As backwards as it sounds, the better the photo, the more you can get for your stuff.
it's a fair price, If you have that knid of money to spend on a fish tank. I could get a 55 gallon tank for 50 buck that works fine, but i only use tanks for breeding but i would say a little over priced.
no...thats a really good deal...
Where in california do you live...i might be interested?
Just like before... way too much.
No way too much! I can get a 55 gallon new tank and stand hood, light, heater, and filter from wal-mart for around 250.00! I just bought a tank 150 gallon for 750.00 brand new at petsmart. here in n.c. but if cali's that high I'am glad to be down south!
I think it might be a little high. Like everyone else I think that I could get most of that stuff cheaper where I live. I would run an add or post it on some message boards and say its for pick up in Cali and if you dont get anyone to bite lower the price..
Way too much.
walmart has a complete 55 gallon kit with heaters, filters, lights, and hood and glass tank for 160
stand is about 100 there.
so thats 250
gravel about 20 at walmart for that much
all of the little toys arent worth that much either, especially used.
even it its only been used for 4 months, it is still all used.
id ask for 150-200
maybe a little more if the stand is nice
Answers:
YES, I can buy that stuff new (55 gal setup) everyting from a store here in Michigan for $700 or less. Your stuff may be nicer than I'm anticipating (I'm thinking mid grade on everyting as high end stuff usually can't be purchaced just anywhere). The rule of thumb for selling used stuff like this is 50% of the purchace value, food is free to the purchacer.
It dependes some people might think so and some people might
Yodalahehooooo!!!
Thats a very reasonable price for all the buyer is getting. I have a 55 gallon and thought about selling it but i couldn't! I love it too much. But that is a fair price and I hope who ever gets it takes care of it. Good luck!
Way too pricey. You may want to checkout craigslist to see what others are selling their 55 gallon comparable setups for to get an idea...
some people may be willing to pay that price--i personally wouldn't want anything but the tank, stand,heater, and filters. i would want to get the other stuff myself to personalize it and make it my own
I did the same thing, I had a 55 gallon with all the trimmings, and put WAY too much money into it. I would see if you get any responses with the $700 pricing. If not maybe try dropping it down to 6. It is a shame isn't it? I ended up keeping mine, its wasn't worth selling it. Good luck!
I think it might be a little high, but you might find someone to take it at that price, especially if it is in good condition and still looks new. Some people also like to price things high so they can barter down and still get a fair price.
If you need to sell it fast, lower the price closer to $500.00. If you can hang on to it for a while, keep it at $700.00 and see what happens. Having a really good, professional looking photo of it will help you sell it faster. As backwards as it sounds, the better the photo, the more you can get for your stuff.
it's a fair price, If you have that knid of money to spend on a fish tank. I could get a 55 gallon tank for 50 buck that works fine, but i only use tanks for breeding but i would say a little over priced.
no...thats a really good deal...
Where in california do you live...i might be interested?
Just like before... way too much.
No way too much! I can get a 55 gallon new tank and stand hood, light, heater, and filter from wal-mart for around 250.00! I just bought a tank 150 gallon for 750.00 brand new at petsmart. here in n.c. but if cali's that high I'am glad to be down south!
I think it might be a little high. Like everyone else I think that I could get most of that stuff cheaper where I live. I would run an add or post it on some message boards and say its for pick up in Cali and if you dont get anyone to bite lower the price..
Way too much.
walmart has a complete 55 gallon kit with heaters, filters, lights, and hood and glass tank for 160
stand is about 100 there.
so thats 250
gravel about 20 at walmart for that much
all of the little toys arent worth that much either, especially used.
even it its only been used for 4 months, it is still all used.
id ask for 150-200
maybe a little more if the stand is nice
Selling fish for profit?
i am wondering if there is a website or if petshops will buy fish that i have raised most of the fish i am selling are oscar fish and jack dempsy fish which are fairy expensive..thanks
Answers:
Even most of the privately owned pet shops won't buy them anymore. At most, they will give you store credit, or an exchange in which they will benefit from.
Best thing you can do is put ads in your local paper. You can try craigslist, but they have banned the listings of pets for sale. However, you can list it in the pets section, and add an "adoption fee."
Good luck, but don't expect much of a profit. It will probably be more work on your part than its worth.
Go to your local pet stores and ask. but the only pet stores that will buy the will be privately owned ones. pet stores like petsmart will not buy them. and you would probably be better off putting an ad in the paper to sell them b/c the pet store wont give you very much for them
At most what petstores will give you is the wholesale price they have to buy there own fish
EB
As with the rest of the people said trying a local fish store wont be that good of a profit, i had to give away some big fishes for free because i couldn't find a buyer that i knew i could trust.
If you really need to get rid of them try finding a good local fish store and just give it to them, bargaining will most likely get you no were.
If you really want profit try www.aquabid.com or www.craigslist.org or news paper ads
Its hard to sell fishes to commercial establishment, but trying to sell them in species specific forum with people that appreciate that particular species you have, would be your best bet.
You can try your local pet stores. Like others have said, they generally won't give very much or will only give store credit. Taking out adds in the paper or searching for yahoo pet groups in your area are good ideas. Also you can check out www.aquabid.com It's an online auction site for fish stuff. That's where I sell my bettas and buy most of my fish related stuff.
Is that you muffin boy??
I'm sorry there is this other Austin I know and we call him muffinboy, if it isn't you.
Okay, stores don't really buy fish but if they do it is just store credit. I don't know if there is a website.
Answers:
Even most of the privately owned pet shops won't buy them anymore. At most, they will give you store credit, or an exchange in which they will benefit from.
Best thing you can do is put ads in your local paper. You can try craigslist, but they have banned the listings of pets for sale. However, you can list it in the pets section, and add an "adoption fee."
Good luck, but don't expect much of a profit. It will probably be more work on your part than its worth.
Go to your local pet stores and ask. but the only pet stores that will buy the will be privately owned ones. pet stores like petsmart will not buy them. and you would probably be better off putting an ad in the paper to sell them b/c the pet store wont give you very much for them
At most what petstores will give you is the wholesale price they have to buy there own fish
EB
As with the rest of the people said trying a local fish store wont be that good of a profit, i had to give away some big fishes for free because i couldn't find a buyer that i knew i could trust.
If you really need to get rid of them try finding a good local fish store and just give it to them, bargaining will most likely get you no were.
If you really want profit try www.aquabid.com or www.craigslist.org or news paper ads
Its hard to sell fishes to commercial establishment, but trying to sell them in species specific forum with people that appreciate that particular species you have, would be your best bet.
You can try your local pet stores. Like others have said, they generally won't give very much or will only give store credit. Taking out adds in the paper or searching for yahoo pet groups in your area are good ideas. Also you can check out www.aquabid.com It's an online auction site for fish stuff. That's where I sell my bettas and buy most of my fish related stuff.
Is that you muffin boy??
I'm sorry there is this other Austin I know and we call him muffinboy, if it isn't you.
Okay, stores don't really buy fish but if they do it is just store credit. I don't know if there is a website.
Secret to keeping your channel catfish(es) alive... HELP!!?
they keep dying!!!!!!
Answers:
channel catfish, in my opinion, shouldn't be so readily available in the aquarium trade. I saw your other question where you put 20 (?!) into a tank. You are aware of the needs of this fish aren't you? How large were the individuals you bought?
How large is your large tank? if it's under 500 US gallons, it's too small for a channel catfish to live out it's days, they really need a 1000 US gallon tank or indoor pond. they can reach anything between 25"-30" long, not including whiskers. Get a tape measure out and have a look at that!
As someone else said in your previous question, bioload and cycled tanks may also be an issue, catfish are BIG poopers!
Don't put them in your aquarium...seriously.
Answers:
channel catfish, in my opinion, shouldn't be so readily available in the aquarium trade. I saw your other question where you put 20 (?!) into a tank. You are aware of the needs of this fish aren't you? How large were the individuals you bought?
How large is your large tank? if it's under 500 US gallons, it's too small for a channel catfish to live out it's days, they really need a 1000 US gallon tank or indoor pond. they can reach anything between 25"-30" long, not including whiskers. Get a tape measure out and have a look at that!
As someone else said in your previous question, bioload and cycled tanks may also be an issue, catfish are BIG poopers!
Don't put them in your aquarium...seriously.
Second part to who killed my fish.?
I clean the bowl once a week. I had just cleaned it. I am not dumb. You can see that someone did it. There was a ring around the bowl . I do not keep him in the sun I have had him for a year and he has been just fine. He was fine on Friday. I am a good pet owner
Answers:
Any cleaning stuff accidently sprayed in the bowl would do it. You can't rely on other people to be as careful as you would. Maybe you could leave them a note for the next fish you get and request they be careful when cleaning around the bowl. You could also put a piece of saran wrap around the top of the bowl, poke some tiny holes in it for air so it wouldn't happen again. I'd remove the saran wrap when you got in Monday morning. Or get one of those small tanks that have a lid. I don't think you should give up on the hobby, we all have fish die from time to time. Not too big of a deal, just think this time you can get a prettier one or a fancier one like a crown tail. Good luck. Sorry your fish died.
i did it...im sorry
i apologize
aww asif aww yep deffo the evil cleaners i wud tell ur boss to get the cleaners to pay for a new 1 if u got a cctv cam in ur office have a look c who it is ahh evil nasty cleaners tuts tuts omfg some ppl on ere r so stupid not u i mean thoes 2 who answerd ur question tuts
I DID IT!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII DID IT! THERE! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!! Sorry but you just spent too much time with that fish and sometimes a man needs a little attention...
uh the guy on top of me did it!!!
The cleaning people may have *UNKNOWLINGLY* sprayed some kind of cleaner or furniture polish near your fish's bowl. That would account for the "ring" in the bowl.
I can't imagine anyone doing this on purpose unless you have made a real enemy at work. Hard to believe anyone would take it out on a fish no matter how much they dislike you.
Re-think this. It really COULD have been an accident. Most people do not know how easy it is for a tiny bit of chemical to kill a fish. Bettas are very sensitive anyway.
I'm not sure I'd ever keep another pet at work.
Please don't keep fish in a bowl.
It sounds like the fish was exposed to some sort of chemical, whether in tap water or cleaning chemicals.
I wasn't inferring you are dumb or a bad pet owner i was just listing a possibility that may have been the case as far as the ammonia burns. Many people post questions on here and have no idea how to properly care for fish so i stated the basics of ammonia burns cause i did not know you or how well educated you are as to keeping fish. Didn't mean to offend you by any means. As you may realize from others posts not many people who keep fish know how to care for them. the maintenance crew at your workplace may be one of those people and accidental sprayed cleaning supplies near the Betta's bowl not knowing this could potentially kill the fish or they may have been a really cruel person with no respect for others property. Anyway you should find who was on duty last night and see if you or your boss can confront them. If it was an accident there is nothing you can do but if it was intentional than maybe some compensation can be given to you. Again i did not mean to offend you by any means and hope this may help get some resolution to your problem.
Answers:
Any cleaning stuff accidently sprayed in the bowl would do it. You can't rely on other people to be as careful as you would. Maybe you could leave them a note for the next fish you get and request they be careful when cleaning around the bowl. You could also put a piece of saran wrap around the top of the bowl, poke some tiny holes in it for air so it wouldn't happen again. I'd remove the saran wrap when you got in Monday morning. Or get one of those small tanks that have a lid. I don't think you should give up on the hobby, we all have fish die from time to time. Not too big of a deal, just think this time you can get a prettier one or a fancier one like a crown tail. Good luck. Sorry your fish died.
i did it...im sorry
i apologize
aww asif aww yep deffo the evil cleaners i wud tell ur boss to get the cleaners to pay for a new 1 if u got a cctv cam in ur office have a look c who it is ahh evil nasty cleaners tuts tuts omfg some ppl on ere r so stupid not u i mean thoes 2 who answerd ur question tuts
I DID IT!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII DID IT! THERE! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!! Sorry but you just spent too much time with that fish and sometimes a man needs a little attention...
uh the guy on top of me did it!!!
The cleaning people may have *UNKNOWLINGLY* sprayed some kind of cleaner or furniture polish near your fish's bowl. That would account for the "ring" in the bowl.
I can't imagine anyone doing this on purpose unless you have made a real enemy at work. Hard to believe anyone would take it out on a fish no matter how much they dislike you.
Re-think this. It really COULD have been an accident. Most people do not know how easy it is for a tiny bit of chemical to kill a fish. Bettas are very sensitive anyway.
I'm not sure I'd ever keep another pet at work.
Please don't keep fish in a bowl.
It sounds like the fish was exposed to some sort of chemical, whether in tap water or cleaning chemicals.
I wasn't inferring you are dumb or a bad pet owner i was just listing a possibility that may have been the case as far as the ammonia burns. Many people post questions on here and have no idea how to properly care for fish so i stated the basics of ammonia burns cause i did not know you or how well educated you are as to keeping fish. Didn't mean to offend you by any means. As you may realize from others posts not many people who keep fish know how to care for them. the maintenance crew at your workplace may be one of those people and accidental sprayed cleaning supplies near the Betta's bowl not knowing this could potentially kill the fish or they may have been a really cruel person with no respect for others property. Anyway you should find who was on duty last night and see if you or your boss can confront them. If it was an accident there is nothing you can do but if it was intentional than maybe some compensation can be given to you. Again i did not mean to offend you by any means and hope this may help get some resolution to your problem.
Seachem Prime for cycling through nitrite stage?
Would seachem prime really detoxify my nitrite levels when they spike? If so this would keep the fish safe through the nitrite cycle (rescue fish I am aware that he should not ideally be in an uncycled tank). If this would work plz give some advice on how best to use it. If it would not work for some reason plz let me know.does it really detoxify nitrite and ammonia or is it just misleading and clever advertising??
Answers:
I personally don't like any of the cycling aid products on the market. While salt will certainly help witht he nitrites and will in no way harm your goldfish at thosse levels, waterchanges to keep the nitrites low are the best way to handle the last stage of the cycle.
MM
You can use it but its better just to change water to keep nitrites at bay until the cycle is complete. Aquarium salt helps the fish though the nitrite spike. Salt 1 teaspoon per gallon, if you have fish that can tolerate salt. After cycle is complete ditch the salt. I assume this is a freshwater aquarium.
Salt is scary, if you use too much,yes, and I was scared to death to use it my first time. I freaked out! But, when used correctly, it works miracles. I need to correct the formula though. It is 1 tsp per 5 gallons, not 1 gallon. Goldfish can tolerate salt at this level.
Prime and Amquel and other detoxifiers don't completely remove ammonia or nitrites or nitrates. What they do is convert deadly ammonia into less deadly forms of nitrites or nitrates, so it doesn't get rid of anthing completely. There is nothing like patience and dedication to just seeing the cycling process through via the regular means of water changes. It's difficult to be patient, but it pays off the best.
Answers:
I personally don't like any of the cycling aid products on the market. While salt will certainly help witht he nitrites and will in no way harm your goldfish at thosse levels, waterchanges to keep the nitrites low are the best way to handle the last stage of the cycle.
MM
You can use it but its better just to change water to keep nitrites at bay until the cycle is complete. Aquarium salt helps the fish though the nitrite spike. Salt 1 teaspoon per gallon, if you have fish that can tolerate salt. After cycle is complete ditch the salt. I assume this is a freshwater aquarium.
Salt is scary, if you use too much,yes, and I was scared to death to use it my first time. I freaked out! But, when used correctly, it works miracles. I need to correct the formula though. It is 1 tsp per 5 gallons, not 1 gallon. Goldfish can tolerate salt at this level.
Prime and Amquel and other detoxifiers don't completely remove ammonia or nitrites or nitrates. What they do is convert deadly ammonia into less deadly forms of nitrites or nitrates, so it doesn't get rid of anthing completely. There is nothing like patience and dedication to just seeing the cycling process through via the regular means of water changes. It's difficult to be patient, but it pays off the best.
Saw the fish at Walmart, terrible conditions.?
Just happened to go to Walmart yesterday (not that I shop there) and I went by the fish aquariums and I was shoked at the conditions of the fish. There were so many fish that were dying. I have some koi at home and seeing how bad of a condition the koi were in I wish I could have bought them all to save them. They had scales missing, eyes sucked in, broken fins and pink lines in their fins from ammonia burn and they were just floating around half dead. Just another reason why I hate Walmart (fish cruelty)!
Answers:
the problem is u shouldnt class everything as all bad. like, you cant say that all petcos are bad, just like all walmarts are bad.
There are some good ones out there, but your right, most of them are in really bad shape.
The only thing to really do is not buy fishes from them, simple as that, dont support their business.
Other than that, theres nothing else you can do. Complain to the company might work, but they must recieve plenty of complants against them. Just dont buy from them and dont support their practices.
My Walmart got rid of their fish. They just don't have the expirenced people or tanks or conditions to carry fish, exspecially tropical fish. Whatever you do, don't go back there and buy those koi. By not selling their fish, Walmart will get rid of them and you don't infect your pond!
2 things you can do...you can call spca and file a complaint or call the store manager (name and number on the top of your receipt) and make a complaint that you did call the spca or you can also contact peta...its sad I have seen it myself with their beta fish, but do something PLEASE!
It all depends on each individual department head. Some care about their department and obviously some don't.
My experience has shown me there are lots who don't. The fish in two stores I go to are also in deplorable condition.
Can you remember back when the motto of Walmart was "buy american" ?
our walmart keeps pretty good care of the fish.
Thats why because them emploes dont care underpaid 2 dollars and hour no education manager gets 5 an hourtrying to make a living go to petsmart or petco better buisness.
I agree with bettachris, I bought two angelfish from petsmart once only because they were some of the best angels i seen, let alone in a pet store, but anyways now they are some of my best fish! Now about 6 months ago i went to petsmart again looking for some more quilty fish and found these poor, poor sickly fish. i was ashamed they were even selling them. So they are some good ones, and some bad ones. Sometimes its even just the shipment of fish they get in but its mostly there ignorance.
I'm sure there are some pretty good walmarts out there somewhere,but most just aren't.I mean,who keeps bettas in water 1 inch deep?I hate it,but it's happening every day,and lots of fish are dyeing because of it.And the goldfish?Some walmarts put about 15-20 in one tank together!
I bought fishies from there and they were soooooo mean they killed my other 1s!! Then I got little goldfish there and they infected my whole 29 gallon tank. My poor little fishies I had had for over 3yrs(life exp. was 1 1/2 - 2yrs) and the goldfish had a disease tht killed them off 1 by 1! It was sooooo sad!
saw the same thing here in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida store went back everyday for 10 days and NEVER saw an associate in that section, went and had the manager paged and waited 45 minutes and they never showed up either, I hate walmart and will never set foot in one again!!
Answers:
the problem is u shouldnt class everything as all bad. like, you cant say that all petcos are bad, just like all walmarts are bad.
There are some good ones out there, but your right, most of them are in really bad shape.
The only thing to really do is not buy fishes from them, simple as that, dont support their business.
Other than that, theres nothing else you can do. Complain to the company might work, but they must recieve plenty of complants against them. Just dont buy from them and dont support their practices.
My Walmart got rid of their fish. They just don't have the expirenced people or tanks or conditions to carry fish, exspecially tropical fish. Whatever you do, don't go back there and buy those koi. By not selling their fish, Walmart will get rid of them and you don't infect your pond!
2 things you can do...you can call spca and file a complaint or call the store manager (name and number on the top of your receipt) and make a complaint that you did call the spca or you can also contact peta...its sad I have seen it myself with their beta fish, but do something PLEASE!
It all depends on each individual department head. Some care about their department and obviously some don't.
My experience has shown me there are lots who don't. The fish in two stores I go to are also in deplorable condition.
Can you remember back when the motto of Walmart was "buy american" ?
our walmart keeps pretty good care of the fish.
Thats why because them emploes dont care underpaid 2 dollars and hour no education manager gets 5 an hourtrying to make a living go to petsmart or petco better buisness.
I agree with bettachris, I bought two angelfish from petsmart once only because they were some of the best angels i seen, let alone in a pet store, but anyways now they are some of my best fish! Now about 6 months ago i went to petsmart again looking for some more quilty fish and found these poor, poor sickly fish. i was ashamed they were even selling them. So they are some good ones, and some bad ones. Sometimes its even just the shipment of fish they get in but its mostly there ignorance.
I'm sure there are some pretty good walmarts out there somewhere,but most just aren't.I mean,who keeps bettas in water 1 inch deep?I hate it,but it's happening every day,and lots of fish are dyeing because of it.And the goldfish?Some walmarts put about 15-20 in one tank together!
I bought fishies from there and they were soooooo mean they killed my other 1s!! Then I got little goldfish there and they infected my whole 29 gallon tank. My poor little fishies I had had for over 3yrs(life exp. was 1 1/2 - 2yrs) and the goldfish had a disease tht killed them off 1 by 1! It was sooooo sad!
saw the same thing here in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida store went back everyday for 10 days and NEVER saw an associate in that section, went and had the manager paged and waited 45 minutes and they never showed up either, I hate walmart and will never set foot in one again!!
Sand or gravel?
which is better for a fresh water tank? which one is easier to clean? how would you clean either one?
Answers:
I've always been a fan of gravel. Its easier to clean for me. I just do that by scooping it all into a bucket and then scooping handfulls into a strainer, under running water. it gets out alot of the gunk but still leaves a little "slime" on there, which is good for the fish. I bought this stuff once that was almost like sand and it was impossible for me to clean. I didnt like it, and never used it again. Thats just my opinion though. I've never had a tank bigger than a 29 gallon so removing all the gravel isnt a big deal for me. For big tanks people usually leave the gravel in there and buy this funnel thing that cleans the gravel right in the tank (they're sold at all pet stores and stores like walmart in the pet section)
Definantly go for the gravel its easier to clean and you don't have to replace it as often. The sand you have to replace every time you clean the fish tank out and it gets EVERYWHERE!! WELL GOOD LUCK! :)
gravel is way eaisier to clean and it looks better...
Gravel. That's the extent of my knowledge.
Gravel. Sand is nearly impossible to clean. And you need special filtration, usually used with marine setups. Cleaning is simple with a siphon-vacuum cleaner. You dig down with the cleaning tube, about 1-1//2" dia, to pull all the 'stuff' out of there. It's also a good time to to a thorough job on the glass with a scraper. Usually, you'll siphon out about half of the water while you're cleaning. This is also a good time to do that partial water change you've been postponing. I usually do all this about twice a year. But mine is in full shade.
both you use a sypthoin. i have had both and the sand gets looking dirtier faster and gravel hides it better. both work well sand is easier to clean because you can see the mess but gravel looks nicer.
All Depends on what You Like!
Nothing is the easiest to clean then the largest gravel is next in line with sand being the most diffilcult to clean. The best for most fresh water fish is the smallest gravel you can find. This is slightly larger than sand. With this size grain you can have plants and a wide variety of fish. I don't do this for all of the tanks though since I don't know what type of design you want or what type of fish this is my preference for the largest number of fish and designs.
Gravel is better for a freshwater tank. It is very easy to clean. As far as cleaning gravel goes, I always rinsed it under water then put it in a pot full of boiling water to kill any diseases or bacteria that would possibly harm other fish whenever I did tank cleanings.
gravel...they have fish tank pumps that clean gravel
i prefer gravel because sand makes your tank cloudy.(that's my experience)
Answers:
I've always been a fan of gravel. Its easier to clean for me. I just do that by scooping it all into a bucket and then scooping handfulls into a strainer, under running water. it gets out alot of the gunk but still leaves a little "slime" on there, which is good for the fish. I bought this stuff once that was almost like sand and it was impossible for me to clean. I didnt like it, and never used it again. Thats just my opinion though. I've never had a tank bigger than a 29 gallon so removing all the gravel isnt a big deal for me. For big tanks people usually leave the gravel in there and buy this funnel thing that cleans the gravel right in the tank (they're sold at all pet stores and stores like walmart in the pet section)
Definantly go for the gravel its easier to clean and you don't have to replace it as often. The sand you have to replace every time you clean the fish tank out and it gets EVERYWHERE!! WELL GOOD LUCK! :)
gravel is way eaisier to clean and it looks better...
Gravel. That's the extent of my knowledge.
Gravel. Sand is nearly impossible to clean. And you need special filtration, usually used with marine setups. Cleaning is simple with a siphon-vacuum cleaner. You dig down with the cleaning tube, about 1-1//2" dia, to pull all the 'stuff' out of there. It's also a good time to to a thorough job on the glass with a scraper. Usually, you'll siphon out about half of the water while you're cleaning. This is also a good time to do that partial water change you've been postponing. I usually do all this about twice a year. But mine is in full shade.
both you use a sypthoin. i have had both and the sand gets looking dirtier faster and gravel hides it better. both work well sand is easier to clean because you can see the mess but gravel looks nicer.
All Depends on what You Like!
Nothing is the easiest to clean then the largest gravel is next in line with sand being the most diffilcult to clean. The best for most fresh water fish is the smallest gravel you can find. This is slightly larger than sand. With this size grain you can have plants and a wide variety of fish. I don't do this for all of the tanks though since I don't know what type of design you want or what type of fish this is my preference for the largest number of fish and designs.
Gravel is better for a freshwater tank. It is very easy to clean. As far as cleaning gravel goes, I always rinsed it under water then put it in a pot full of boiling water to kill any diseases or bacteria that would possibly harm other fish whenever I did tank cleanings.
gravel...they have fish tank pumps that clean gravel
i prefer gravel because sand makes your tank cloudy.(that's my experience)
Same question about what to feed a snail?
i asked this question yesterday but i should've put the kind of snail. it is an aquatic snail. it lives in my tropical fish tank. it's called a mystery snail. it's shell is yellow and it's body is a slight orangish color.
any help would be nice!
Answers:
I have had the same kind of snail, and we feed him shrimp pellets along with him cleaning the algea off of our tank. He loved them and grew very big.
they usually just eat the algea n stuff that grow in the tank but you can buy thses little algea wafers but mine never really ate those
good luck!
Snails are mainly herbivores so they need mostly plant matter in their diet. They do also need calcium to build and maintain their shells, so feeding vegetables high in calcium such as mustard greens, collards or broccoli is a good idea. I would suggest adding food specificall for your sanil after turning off the tank lights so that the fish are less likely to eat it before the snail finds it. Remove any leftovers in the morning.
For more excellent information on snails and all other things aquatic, feel free to visit the link in my profile.
MM
any help would be nice!
Answers:
I have had the same kind of snail, and we feed him shrimp pellets along with him cleaning the algea off of our tank. He loved them and grew very big.
they usually just eat the algea n stuff that grow in the tank but you can buy thses little algea wafers but mine never really ate those
good luck!
Snails are mainly herbivores so they need mostly plant matter in their diet. They do also need calcium to build and maintain their shells, so feeding vegetables high in calcium such as mustard greens, collards or broccoli is a good idea. I would suggest adding food specificall for your sanil after turning off the tank lights so that the fish are less likely to eat it before the snail finds it. Remove any leftovers in the morning.
For more excellent information on snails and all other things aquatic, feel free to visit the link in my profile.
MM
Salwater Aquarium help!?
I dont no if i should go with the 24 gallon jbj nano cube or the 29 gallon oceanic bio cube... i want more space but good lighting.also i live outside of phill and im not sure were i can find a retailer that sells them.
Answers:
It all depends on what you want in the tank and how much work you want to put in it. I would go for the bigger one because of all the different types of fish and corals. Not to mention everywhere you read about fish it say things like nothing less than a 30 gallon so you would be able to have all of those kinds of fish like tangs or some eels. So basically it all depends on what you want.
I'd go for the bigger tank, because the more space, the lower margin you have for error.
Well first get the phone book out or go to yellowbook.com and try finding fish stores once you find them call them up and see if they carry them and ask how much, try to find the cheapest but i would go for the bigger tank because more room is always a good thing.
honestly the difference in whjat can go in a 24 gallon compared to a 29 gallon as far as stocking is no different. They are both very similar tanks. I think the biocube has better lighting in it and its larger but as i said befor there isnt much of a difference with the extra 5 gallons. If you like the nanocube/biocube look i would reccomend the 29 gallon aquapod hqi. i feel it is the best nanotank with everything built in. it has the best lighting with 2 models i believe one with 70 watt 14k metal halides and one with the 150watts. Obviosly more wattage means more money. Hope this helps and good luck.
Answers:
It all depends on what you want in the tank and how much work you want to put in it. I would go for the bigger one because of all the different types of fish and corals. Not to mention everywhere you read about fish it say things like nothing less than a 30 gallon so you would be able to have all of those kinds of fish like tangs or some eels. So basically it all depends on what you want.
I'd go for the bigger tank, because the more space, the lower margin you have for error.
Well first get the phone book out or go to yellowbook.com and try finding fish stores once you find them call them up and see if they carry them and ask how much, try to find the cheapest but i would go for the bigger tank because more room is always a good thing.
honestly the difference in whjat can go in a 24 gallon compared to a 29 gallon as far as stocking is no different. They are both very similar tanks. I think the biocube has better lighting in it and its larger but as i said befor there isnt much of a difference with the extra 5 gallons. If you like the nanocube/biocube look i would reccomend the 29 gallon aquapod hqi. i feel it is the best nanotank with everything built in. it has the best lighting with 2 models i believe one with 70 watt 14k metal halides and one with the 150watts. Obviosly more wattage means more money. Hope this helps and good luck.
Saltwater to Freshwater?
What are the steps that one would need to take to transform a saltwater tank into a freshwater tank? How would I go about cleaning it before use?
Answers:
What you'll need to do will depend a little on the material the tank is made of and the types of freshwater fish you plan to keep.
As far as the substrate, this is probably a crushed coral or shell material. This would be okay to rinse off through a strainer under hot water and reuse if your planned fish are African cichlids, or other species that need a higher pH. If you're not planning to keep any of these, I would suggest changing to standard aquarium gravel or sand, depending on the needs of your fish and your preferences.
You'll mosy likely need to clean the walls of the tank, and if these are glass, you can use a standard algae scraper and vinegar and hot water to remove any coralline algae or tube worms that have attached to the glass. If there are stubborn spots, you might need to use a razor to scrape them off. Be aware if the glass itself looks cloudy, there may have been permanent etching from the high pH - this won't be something you're able to get rid of, because the glass itself has become pitted. It doesn't look quite as bad when the tank has water in it, but it may still be noticeable. If the tank is acrylic, you'll need to be more careful about cleaning the walls, because this is more likely to be scratched. Use the hot water still, but use either a pad made for cleaning acrylic, and be sure no particles of the substrate get causght between the pad and the tank surface, or use the edge of an old plastic card (credit card type) to scrape.
If there are heaters, powerheads, or filters that were for the tank, these should be able to be used as well, just clean with hot water and use vinegar to remove salt build-up.
Other than these specifics, everything else would be the same as setting up a freshwater tank from scratch.
well, you'd really have to be careful because if any remains of salt could kill your fish. really have a good couple of goes at the walls, the filtres, just about everything that was in your tank. may even be a good idea to wipe the light (the plastic covering it)
swish hot water in there aswell. add some water purer for fresh water fish in aswell.
after that you should be fine
Not much to worry about here. Remove any gravel/ sand or filter media you were using in the saltwater aquarium as this will hold large concentrations of salt. Some salt is ok for most freshwater fish and even suggested.
To remove the calcerous algeas on the tank low concentrations of vinegar are helpful, but they can be scraped off with a little elbow grease. BUt this does not need to be removed.
Remeber you will need to recycle the tank as different bacteria live in freshwater when compared to salt.
Answers:
What you'll need to do will depend a little on the material the tank is made of and the types of freshwater fish you plan to keep.
As far as the substrate, this is probably a crushed coral or shell material. This would be okay to rinse off through a strainer under hot water and reuse if your planned fish are African cichlids, or other species that need a higher pH. If you're not planning to keep any of these, I would suggest changing to standard aquarium gravel or sand, depending on the needs of your fish and your preferences.
You'll mosy likely need to clean the walls of the tank, and if these are glass, you can use a standard algae scraper and vinegar and hot water to remove any coralline algae or tube worms that have attached to the glass. If there are stubborn spots, you might need to use a razor to scrape them off. Be aware if the glass itself looks cloudy, there may have been permanent etching from the high pH - this won't be something you're able to get rid of, because the glass itself has become pitted. It doesn't look quite as bad when the tank has water in it, but it may still be noticeable. If the tank is acrylic, you'll need to be more careful about cleaning the walls, because this is more likely to be scratched. Use the hot water still, but use either a pad made for cleaning acrylic, and be sure no particles of the substrate get causght between the pad and the tank surface, or use the edge of an old plastic card (credit card type) to scrape.
If there are heaters, powerheads, or filters that were for the tank, these should be able to be used as well, just clean with hot water and use vinegar to remove salt build-up.
Other than these specifics, everything else would be the same as setting up a freshwater tank from scratch.
well, you'd really have to be careful because if any remains of salt could kill your fish. really have a good couple of goes at the walls, the filtres, just about everything that was in your tank. may even be a good idea to wipe the light (the plastic covering it)
swish hot water in there aswell. add some water purer for fresh water fish in aswell.
after that you should be fine
Not much to worry about here. Remove any gravel/ sand or filter media you were using in the saltwater aquarium as this will hold large concentrations of salt. Some salt is ok for most freshwater fish and even suggested.
To remove the calcerous algeas on the tank low concentrations of vinegar are helpful, but they can be scraped off with a little elbow grease. BUt this does not need to be removed.
Remeber you will need to recycle the tank as different bacteria live in freshwater when compared to salt.
Saltwater Tank?
Im starting a salt water tank. 125 Gallons. I would like to know what things I need to purchase and how to keep the tank running smoothly. Please give me as much information on salt water tanks as possible.
Answers:
"As much as possible" may be more than your bargained for. I see you've already decided on a good sized tank, so I won't go into those, but here's a listing of other items you should get, and some optional items that may make the tank maintenance a little easier:
FILTER: You'll need to get one that's properly sized (filters 5x-10x the tank volume per hour). There are lots of choices, and what you'll need will really depend on budget, what you're trying to keep, and personal preference. I'd consider the best to be a refugium or wet/dry trickle filter. Next best would be a canister, followed by a biowheel, then a standard hang-on-tank. Unless you're using a fine sand or oolite substrate, you can also use an undergravel filter to supplement filtration, but I'd suggest powering it with a reversible powerhead to blow the water up through the substrate (prevents stuff from building up under the filter and clogging it). If the tank is predrilled for an overflow, the refugium or wet/dry are what it's set up for, but you can also do an over-the-rim for this. Because of the length of this sized tank, if it's not predrilled, you might want to use two hang-on filters to make the distance from the filter to any point in the tank at less.
POWERHEAD(S): To provide more water circulation in hard to get to places. This also helps circulate dissolved oxygen to the bottom of the tank.
HEATERS: For a saltwater tank, I'd suggest getting 2 and putting one on each end. This will provide more even heating, and your tank has a back-up if one gives out. Figure the correct size as 5 watts per gallon divided by 2 heaters. If you need to heat the water more than 10 degrees above the room temperature, go one size higher. Also plan on 1-2 thermometers to position in the tank to check the temperature.
LIGHTING: If you never want anything but fish, you can use the standard lighting and hood made for your tank. You might want to upgrade the lamps to a 10,000K tube or a 50/50 actinic. If you're going to try corals, anemones, etc., go with a compact fluorescent, metal halide, or combo system - these will provide more intense light that they'll need for photosynthesis.
SUBSTRATE - you want something made of aragonite to help keep the pH from changing, I like the smaller shell material that Carib-Sea puts out - it doesn't have to be live sand, either. Some folks like crushed coral, but the particle size is bigger than I like, and it tends to have a lot of dust that never rinses completely out. Another very fine grained material is oolitic aragonite (looks like small white balls) and aragonite sand. Here's an idea of the materials available: http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/d... While it's possible to keep a marine tank with regular aquarium gravel or no substrate, the aragonite will keep the pH from falling below 7.8 (it should be 8.2-8.4). Figure at least a pound of substrate per gallon of volume.
SALT MIX: If you're only keeping fish, you can go with one of the less expensive brands of synthetic sea salt. If you get any invertebrates (shrimp, snails, crabs, corals, anemones, etc.), switch to a better quality mix before you add them. These cost a little more, but you won't need to be using additives for the trace elements they need either.
HYDROMETER: This measures the amount of salt that's dissolved inwater. There are two kinds you can get, one made of glass that floats on the surface (more accurate, but easy to break) and a plastic container that has a needle that rises and falls as the amount of salt changes (less accurate, bubbles attaching to the needle gives false readings). For fish only, you want the specific gravity to read 1.020 - 1.026. If you're keeping inverts, you want it to be 1.024 - 1.026.
WATER TESTING KIT: minimum of pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
CLEANING SUPPLIES: elbow length gloves, gravel vacuum, 5 gallon bucket, large plastic container and powerhead for mixing the salt (to be done well ahead of water changes), algae scraper, razor blades (for coraline algae and diatoms that like to attach to the glass).
WATER CONDITIONER: for removing chlorine or chloramine from your tap water (unless you plan to use a reverse osmosis filter or buy RO water).
The following are optional, but strongly suggested:
PROTEIN SKIMMER: This removes dissloved and small organic materials that would normally contribute to the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in your tank. Not 100% necessay for fish-only tanks, but will be handy if you have inverts to keep up good water quality by removing organic materials that become nutrients for algae.
GLASS COVER: This reduces evaporation and keeps the fish inside the tank, although with a metal halide lighting system, it can overheat your tank.
LIVE ROCK: This give the tank a more natural appearance, provides hiding places for the fish and inverts, and increases the biological filtration. Not to mention, you get all kinds of cool critters that hitchhike into your tank. You should purchase 1 pound of Pacific-origin or 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of Atlantic or Carribean origin rock per gallon of tank volume. The difference is that the Pacific origin rock is more porous, so it provides more surface area for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize, so you can use less, but still get the same amount of biological filtration.
CHILLER: If you use metal halide lighting, or the water temperature regularly gets above 85o (for corals or anemones, fish can take a little more heat), you may need to invest in a chiller to keep the tank cool. The water temperature should run 76-80oF.
I'd also recommend a good reference book for saltwater tanks. Either of these would be a good one to start with: The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5
Some web sites you can check out for more info on keeping saltwater are the following:
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cl... - very basics
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ - more than you could want to know
you are going to need a lot of money, patentice, tester's,and money!...good luck.
salt water mix
hydrometer
filter
protien skimmer
heater
marine substrate like live sand
corals
and other FW stuff , like conditioners, testing strips, lights etc.
You should let the tank run for 2 weeks with some inverts. Cycling the tank.
Then stock, but remember stock slow.
well you will need for start salt to prepare the water for your tank, live rock 1k per gallon I believe is the amount they recomend once you fill your aqurium with the salt and have the live rock you will need to let it do the cycle it will take about 4 weeks before you can put the forst fish, if you do it before your fish will die for sure get a test kit to check the nitrate, amonia, ph, kh, etc you will also need to have a sump, this is like a smaller fish tank (usually below your main tank) where you will put all your filter, resine, heater and the most important of all the skimmer, this can be one of the msot expensive things for your saltwater fishtank but is worth it, you will reduce possible problems with amonia or nitrate or other, so make sure to buy a good one from the begining there are many blogs that can help you with this, good luck
There's a site call Doctors Foster %26%26 Smith. They give really good advice on any question about anything dealing with animals. We bought a lot of our stuff from them. Everything from pumps, filters, brine shrimp, live rock, food, actual fish, shrimp, lights, salt mix. You name it they more than likely have it. Be sure not to get sea urchins. They may look cool or pretty but once they die they will poisen your whole tank and then there is nothin you can do. Keeping up with a saltwater tank is a lot of hard work but if done properly its very rewarding. I hope this helped and if you want to know anything else just ask.
Answers:
"As much as possible" may be more than your bargained for. I see you've already decided on a good sized tank, so I won't go into those, but here's a listing of other items you should get, and some optional items that may make the tank maintenance a little easier:
FILTER: You'll need to get one that's properly sized (filters 5x-10x the tank volume per hour). There are lots of choices, and what you'll need will really depend on budget, what you're trying to keep, and personal preference. I'd consider the best to be a refugium or wet/dry trickle filter. Next best would be a canister, followed by a biowheel, then a standard hang-on-tank. Unless you're using a fine sand or oolite substrate, you can also use an undergravel filter to supplement filtration, but I'd suggest powering it with a reversible powerhead to blow the water up through the substrate (prevents stuff from building up under the filter and clogging it). If the tank is predrilled for an overflow, the refugium or wet/dry are what it's set up for, but you can also do an over-the-rim for this. Because of the length of this sized tank, if it's not predrilled, you might want to use two hang-on filters to make the distance from the filter to any point in the tank at less.
POWERHEAD(S): To provide more water circulation in hard to get to places. This also helps circulate dissolved oxygen to the bottom of the tank.
HEATERS: For a saltwater tank, I'd suggest getting 2 and putting one on each end. This will provide more even heating, and your tank has a back-up if one gives out. Figure the correct size as 5 watts per gallon divided by 2 heaters. If you need to heat the water more than 10 degrees above the room temperature, go one size higher. Also plan on 1-2 thermometers to position in the tank to check the temperature.
LIGHTING: If you never want anything but fish, you can use the standard lighting and hood made for your tank. You might want to upgrade the lamps to a 10,000K tube or a 50/50 actinic. If you're going to try corals, anemones, etc., go with a compact fluorescent, metal halide, or combo system - these will provide more intense light that they'll need for photosynthesis.
SUBSTRATE - you want something made of aragonite to help keep the pH from changing, I like the smaller shell material that Carib-Sea puts out - it doesn't have to be live sand, either. Some folks like crushed coral, but the particle size is bigger than I like, and it tends to have a lot of dust that never rinses completely out. Another very fine grained material is oolitic aragonite (looks like small white balls) and aragonite sand. Here's an idea of the materials available: http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/d... While it's possible to keep a marine tank with regular aquarium gravel or no substrate, the aragonite will keep the pH from falling below 7.8 (it should be 8.2-8.4). Figure at least a pound of substrate per gallon of volume.
SALT MIX: If you're only keeping fish, you can go with one of the less expensive brands of synthetic sea salt. If you get any invertebrates (shrimp, snails, crabs, corals, anemones, etc.), switch to a better quality mix before you add them. These cost a little more, but you won't need to be using additives for the trace elements they need either.
HYDROMETER: This measures the amount of salt that's dissolved inwater. There are two kinds you can get, one made of glass that floats on the surface (more accurate, but easy to break) and a plastic container that has a needle that rises and falls as the amount of salt changes (less accurate, bubbles attaching to the needle gives false readings). For fish only, you want the specific gravity to read 1.020 - 1.026. If you're keeping inverts, you want it to be 1.024 - 1.026.
WATER TESTING KIT: minimum of pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
CLEANING SUPPLIES: elbow length gloves, gravel vacuum, 5 gallon bucket, large plastic container and powerhead for mixing the salt (to be done well ahead of water changes), algae scraper, razor blades (for coraline algae and diatoms that like to attach to the glass).
WATER CONDITIONER: for removing chlorine or chloramine from your tap water (unless you plan to use a reverse osmosis filter or buy RO water).
The following are optional, but strongly suggested:
PROTEIN SKIMMER: This removes dissloved and small organic materials that would normally contribute to the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in your tank. Not 100% necessay for fish-only tanks, but will be handy if you have inverts to keep up good water quality by removing organic materials that become nutrients for algae.
GLASS COVER: This reduces evaporation and keeps the fish inside the tank, although with a metal halide lighting system, it can overheat your tank.
LIVE ROCK: This give the tank a more natural appearance, provides hiding places for the fish and inverts, and increases the biological filtration. Not to mention, you get all kinds of cool critters that hitchhike into your tank. You should purchase 1 pound of Pacific-origin or 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of Atlantic or Carribean origin rock per gallon of tank volume. The difference is that the Pacific origin rock is more porous, so it provides more surface area for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize, so you can use less, but still get the same amount of biological filtration.
CHILLER: If you use metal halide lighting, or the water temperature regularly gets above 85o (for corals or anemones, fish can take a little more heat), you may need to invest in a chiller to keep the tank cool. The water temperature should run 76-80oF.
I'd also recommend a good reference book for saltwater tanks. Either of these would be a good one to start with: The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5
Some web sites you can check out for more info on keeping saltwater are the following:
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cl... - very basics
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ - more than you could want to know
you are going to need a lot of money, patentice, tester's,and money!...good luck.
salt water mix
hydrometer
filter
protien skimmer
heater
marine substrate like live sand
corals
and other FW stuff , like conditioners, testing strips, lights etc.
You should let the tank run for 2 weeks with some inverts. Cycling the tank.
Then stock, but remember stock slow.
well you will need for start salt to prepare the water for your tank, live rock 1k per gallon I believe is the amount they recomend once you fill your aqurium with the salt and have the live rock you will need to let it do the cycle it will take about 4 weeks before you can put the forst fish, if you do it before your fish will die for sure get a test kit to check the nitrate, amonia, ph, kh, etc you will also need to have a sump, this is like a smaller fish tank (usually below your main tank) where you will put all your filter, resine, heater and the most important of all the skimmer, this can be one of the msot expensive things for your saltwater fishtank but is worth it, you will reduce possible problems with amonia or nitrate or other, so make sure to buy a good one from the begining there are many blogs that can help you with this, good luck
There's a site call Doctors Foster %26%26 Smith. They give really good advice on any question about anything dealing with animals. We bought a lot of our stuff from them. Everything from pumps, filters, brine shrimp, live rock, food, actual fish, shrimp, lights, salt mix. You name it they more than likely have it. Be sure not to get sea urchins. They may look cool or pretty but once they die they will poisen your whole tank and then there is nothin you can do. Keeping up with a saltwater tank is a lot of hard work but if done properly its very rewarding. I hope this helped and if you want to know anything else just ask.
Saltwater tank refugium question!!?
ok i have a salt water refugium set up. It is an actuall refugium not like a 10 gallon tank or anything. My only question is this, should i have like an air stone in it as it does not seem like there is allot if any movement of water though it.
The water is filling up and leaving the other side but it just looks like for the most part it is stagnant and just sitting there. Would an air stone be ok and should i do that?
Answers:
The amount of water leaving your tank is the same amount being returned by your return pump.
Therefore if you have 400gal per hour going into one side, you have 400gal per hour coming out of the other side of your sump or fuge (or sump fuge mix)
A refugium is designed to spread that current out over a large space so it will pass through everything you have in it at a slower pace (Not blasting on one rock or blowing your plants(micro algae) all over the place.
NO Definitely DO NOT put an airstone in there, the bubbles will stick to everything in there and end up in your tank.
no, dont put an airstone in it. that is how the flow in a refugium is supposed to be.
The water is filling up and leaving the other side but it just looks like for the most part it is stagnant and just sitting there. Would an air stone be ok and should i do that?
Answers:
The amount of water leaving your tank is the same amount being returned by your return pump.
Therefore if you have 400gal per hour going into one side, you have 400gal per hour coming out of the other side of your sump or fuge (or sump fuge mix)
A refugium is designed to spread that current out over a large space so it will pass through everything you have in it at a slower pace (Not blasting on one rock or blowing your plants(micro algae) all over the place.
NO Definitely DO NOT put an airstone in there, the bubbles will stick to everything in there and end up in your tank.
no, dont put an airstone in it. that is how the flow in a refugium is supposed to be.
Saltwater tank- ready for a cleanup crew?
ok, i have a 55gal reef tank, and it has been setup for about a month, and has 60lbs of fully cured liverock...my ammonia, nitrites are at 0 and my nitrates are at 5 or less...i was just wonding if you all think its fully cycled and ready for a fully cleanup crew
for that past 3 weeks i have had 5 snails and 5 crabs in the tank, everything is good but one hermit crab died somehow.he was unactive since the day i got him anyways.but no excuse.also i have 2 blue damels in the tank for over a week now and they seem very active and eat a lot..advice? thanks.
Answers:
Sounds good. You can be safe to add a cleanup crew personally i like the mexican turba snails they do the most bang for your buck and the nassarius snails do a great job stirring up the sand bed. Be careful what you add as far as fish go the damsels can get agressive to new tank mates. You always have the option of returning the damsels to the place you got them. If you plan on adding corals i would stay away from adding any more hermits they tend to crawl on coral making them close up and not feed. Hate to see corals wither away due to 3-5 dollar hermit crabs. You can add some peppermint shrimp those are nice to take care of any aiptasia that will most likely pop up from your live rock. Skunk stripe cleaner shrimp are always great to have in a tank because they will clean the fish of most parasites. Also cool to watch cause they set up station in your tank and you will see the fish waiting their turn to get groomed by them. Dont add to much at once do some research and figure out where you want the tank to be years down the road and slowly build towards that goal. Avoid species that will not peacefully coexhist with what you ultimately want to keep because murphey's law says those will be the ones to really thrive in your tank. Good luck and any other questions you may have fee free to email me with.
i think your tank sounds great and ready to go!
I think it is fully cycled, since you have been running it for a month. As long as the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH are at a good level and stay that way, it should be just fine to add some.
If your nitrites ammonia and nitrates spiked then yes you are done cycling and ready for the clean up crew if they haven't spiked then i would wait at least another month.
yes, your tank is cycled, great job
you can start adding fish, but be very carful, and do a lot of research on which ever fish you want
especially about compatibility with the ones you have already
hope that helps
Good luck
EB
for that past 3 weeks i have had 5 snails and 5 crabs in the tank, everything is good but one hermit crab died somehow.he was unactive since the day i got him anyways.but no excuse.also i have 2 blue damels in the tank for over a week now and they seem very active and eat a lot..advice? thanks.
Answers:
Sounds good. You can be safe to add a cleanup crew personally i like the mexican turba snails they do the most bang for your buck and the nassarius snails do a great job stirring up the sand bed. Be careful what you add as far as fish go the damsels can get agressive to new tank mates. You always have the option of returning the damsels to the place you got them. If you plan on adding corals i would stay away from adding any more hermits they tend to crawl on coral making them close up and not feed. Hate to see corals wither away due to 3-5 dollar hermit crabs. You can add some peppermint shrimp those are nice to take care of any aiptasia that will most likely pop up from your live rock. Skunk stripe cleaner shrimp are always great to have in a tank because they will clean the fish of most parasites. Also cool to watch cause they set up station in your tank and you will see the fish waiting their turn to get groomed by them. Dont add to much at once do some research and figure out where you want the tank to be years down the road and slowly build towards that goal. Avoid species that will not peacefully coexhist with what you ultimately want to keep because murphey's law says those will be the ones to really thrive in your tank. Good luck and any other questions you may have fee free to email me with.
i think your tank sounds great and ready to go!
I think it is fully cycled, since you have been running it for a month. As long as the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH are at a good level and stay that way, it should be just fine to add some.
If your nitrites ammonia and nitrates spiked then yes you are done cycling and ready for the clean up crew if they haven't spiked then i would wait at least another month.
yes, your tank is cycled, great job
you can start adding fish, but be very carful, and do a lot of research on which ever fish you want
especially about compatibility with the ones you have already
hope that helps
Good luck
EB
Saltwater tank question?
I have a 30 gallon tank with stand, and recently decided to go from freshwater to saltwater.
So to start my reef/fish tank up I need 30lbs of sand? 30lbs of live rock?
Now I need to know what kind of heater for a 30 gallon tank (i eventually want soft corals as well, but not until 6 months or so so my tank is fully cycled)
What type of light is best for the top of my tank are, 30 x 12 3/4'
What type of protein Skimmer, filter, powerheads, and will I need a sump?
Thanks in advance!
Answers:
Lots of questions, so be prepared for a rather long answer!
First, though, you don't mention if your stand is iron or wood, but if it's iron I would suggest getting a plastic tablecloth to cover it - if the salt gets on the metal, it will corrode. If it's wood, it should be solid wood, not the pressboard. I knew someone who had a 55 gallon on a pressboard stand and it developed a small leak which seeped into the wood and softened the glue holding the pressed wood together. You can guess what happened next. Saltwater is expensive enough to warrent buying a new stand or protecting the one you've got so your tank isn't damaged.
Now to your actual questions:
SUBSTRATE - You're correct in getting 30 pounds. You preferably want something made of aragonite to help keep the pH from changing. I like the smaller shell material that Carib-Sea puts out - it doesn't have to be live sand, either. Some folks like crushed coral, but the particle size is bigger than I like, and it tends to have a lot of dust that never rinses completely out. Another very fine grained material is oolitic aragonite (looks like small white balls) and aragonite sand. Here's an idea of the materials available: http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/d... While it's possible to keep a marine tank with regular aquarium gravel or no substrate, the aragonite will keep the pH from falling below 7.8 (it should be 8.2-8.4, especially if you want a reef tank). You can buy the substrate dry, or as "live sand" which (supposedly) contains the nitrifying bacteria. I haven't been a fan of the pre-bagged live sand, as the bacteria needed for the tank are aerobic, and there's no telling how long bags have been sitting on store shelves. I've also seen a few of these bags with red slime algae growing in them, and I doubt that's something you want to introduce. These also cost about twice as much as the dry. If you find a store that sells live sand by the cup out of their tanks (where there's aeration) you can use this to seed the tank. Just keep an eye on any fish in that or connected tanks - you want to avoid buying if you see fish that appear unhealthy, you don't want to introduce any parasites or diseases to your tank either.
LIVE ROCK: This gives the tank a more natural appearance, provides hiding places for the fish and inverts, and increases the biological filtration. If you use this, the bacteria in the live rock will also seed the substrate, which is why I said that live sand isn't necessary. Not to mention, you get all kinds of cool critters that hitchhike into your tank. For best filtration, the general "rule of thumb" is 1 lb of Pacific origin rock per gallon or 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of Atlantic or Carribean rock per gallon (the Pacific is more porous, so less is needed to produce the same results). Although many people like the Figi live rock, I also like the Atlantic/Carribean aquacultured rock - to me it provides more color sooner than the Pacific. Since any organisms the require good light or high circulation at the bottom of the pile may die, I recommended getting dry "base rock" (also called reef or lace rock, or travertine) for the bottom, then placing good quality live rock at the front and top. The organisms from this will colonize the dry rock where the proper conditions exist for them.
HEATERS: For a saltwater tank 30 gallon or larger, I'd suggest getting 2 and putting one on each end. This will provide more even heating, and your tank has a back-up if one gives out (and they eventually will). Figure the correct size as 5 watts per gallon divided by 2 heaters. If you need to heat the water more than 10 degrees above the room temperature, go one size higher.
LIGHTING: For a 30 gallon, a compact fluorescent or T-5 system should be fine for many of the corals and anemeones sold, but do some research on the species before you buy. Some need even higher levels and should have metal halides (or a combo) for the best success. For a saltwater system, I would recommend at least 1/2 of the tubes be 10,000K and the others either 50/50s or 03 actinics. This gives the coloration of a reef about 30 feet underwater, and gives the proper wavelengths necessary for organisms that use photosynthesis. I use the Coralife compact fluorescents with the blue "twilight" feature on my smaller tanks (the twilight isn't necessary for most tanks, but it make the tank look like it's lit by moonlight and is thought to benefit corals).
FILTER: It's possible that you may want to just use your old filter if it's properly sized (filters at least 5x-10x the tank volume per hour - check the gallons per hour rating). If you need a new one, or are looking to upgrade, there are lots of choices, and what you'll need will really depend on budget, what you're trying to keep, and personal preference. I'd consider the best to be a refugium or wet/dry trickle filter (as a sump), as these provide extra water volume for the tank as well. You can do one of these without needing to drill the tank if yours isn't predrilled, but it would better to have the sump above the main tank in this case, so you get at least one direction using gravity flow, but this will also mean a slightly lower water level to accomodate water in the plumbing if the electric fails. Having a second tank gives you more surface area for a biological filter, and you can use macroalgae to remove some of the nitrates. If you do a refugium with gravity flow into the main tank, you'll be able to produce copepods and small shrimp which will get caught in the gravity flow and provide occassional "treats" for your fish. If you keep the sump and main tank on opposite 12 hr. photoperiods, this also make the pH more stable (has to do with products of photosynthesis).
Next best would be a canister, followed by a biowheel, then a standard hang-on-tank. Unless you're using a fine sand or oolite substrate, you can also use an undergravel filter to supplement filtration, but I'd suggest powering it with a reversible powerhead to blow the water up through the substrate (prevents stuff from building up under the filter and clogging it). The more surface area you get for bacteria, the better your biological filter will function, so the canister will probably have the next most area to the refugium or wet/dry. The canister has the advantage of being the only filter that forces water through the media, rather than allowing unfiltered water to bypass the media as it becomes clogged. The downside of these is that you have to break down the filter to clean, so it's somewhat more inconvenient.
The biowheel is considered a good choice for added biological filtration, but don't discount "traditional" filters like the AquaClear filter which have a large sponge filter to add surface area. While these can clog and allow unfiltered water to bypass media if you don't clean the media regularly. The media, however, is much more easily accessed than that of the canisters, and these are less expensive as well.
Another thing to consider is circulation of the water in the tank. If you use a wet/dry, refugium, or canister, you'll probably only use oneor more powerheads so wastes from the opposite side of the tank make it to your intake to be removed. With a biowheel or traditional hang-on, you can get two filters for about the same price, and place them so they are closer to all the sources of wastes.
POWERHEAD(S): To provide more water circulation in hard to get to places, and to keep particles in suspension for filter-feeders (and the filters). Red cyanobacteria (red slime algae) doesn't like high current, so an extra powerhead (or two!) is one thing you can use for prevention. This also helps circulate dissolved oxygen to the bottom of the tank. Even though you want extra circulation, you also want some areas of the tank with higher and lower areas of current for the animals to choose their own level of preference.
PROTEIN SKIMMER: This isn't 100% required, but will make a difference in water quality for sensitive fish and inverts. You can get these in venturi models (my preference, but more expensive) or models which need an air pump and wooden airstone (the wood produces finer bubbles than the "traditional" airstones). Effectiveness here is related to the height of the column through which the bubbles rise, with longer being better. These are great for removing organic materials that raise your nitrates before they become nutrients for algae. Most people on this forum like the Coralife skimmers.
Some of the other items you'll need to have on hand:
SALT MIX: If you're only keeping fish, you can go with one of the less expensive brands of synthetic sea salt. If you get any invertebrates (shrimp, snails, crabs, corals, anemones, etc.), switch to a better quality mix before you add them. These cost a little more, but you won't need to be using additives for the trace elements they need either.
HYDROMETER: This measures the amount of salt that's dissolved in water. There are two kinds you can get, one made of glass that floats on the surface (more accurate, but easy to break) and a plastic container that has a needle that rises and falls as the amount of salt changes (less accurate, bubbles attaching to the needle gives false readings). For fish only, you want the specific gravity to read 1.020 - 1.026. If you're keeping inverts, you want it to be 1.024 - 1.026.
WATER TESTING KIT: minimum of pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. I like the API Saltwater Master test kit, it has all the tests listed above, with more for nitrate and pH, since you'll continue to monitor these after the tank has cycled.
CLEANING SUPPLIES: elbow length gloves, gravel vacuum, 5 gallon bucket, large plastic container and powerhead for mixing the salt (to be done well ahead of water changes), algae scraper, razor blades (for coraline algae and diatoms that like to attach to the glass).
WATER CONDITIONER: for removing chlorine or chloramine from your tap water (unless you plan to use a reverse osmosis filter or buy RO water, which is the preferred water source). If you use tapwater, I would also suggest buying a phosphate removing pad that you can cut to size for whatever filter you choose. Public water supplies are permitted to add a small amount of phosphate to the water as a method to prevent pipe corrosion, unfortunately, it acts as an algae fertilizer.
The following are optional, but strongly suggested:
GLASS COVER: This reduces evaporation and keeps the fish inside the tank. If you ever go to a metal halide lighting system, though, it can overheat your tank.
CHILLER: If you use metal halide lighting (and even the CFs put out some heat), or the water temperature regularly gets above 85o (for corals or anemones, fish can take a little more heat), you may need to invest in a chiller to keep the tank cool. The water temperature should ideally run 76-80oF.
Before going out and buying all this, I would suggest some (additional, as if this weren't enough!) reading to see what you're getting into by keeping saltwater. I did research for almost 2 years before I set up my first saltwater tank, and I had about 20 years of freshwater aquarium experience already. Rushing into a saltwater setup usually doesn't give you good results, and the equipment and fish are a little too expensive to be finding out in a few weeks you got something that's not appropriate for what you want for your tank. I'd also recommend a good reference book for some research. Either of these would be a good one to start with: The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5
Here's an excellent web site where you can check out for more info on keeping saltwater: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
Although your 30 gallon may seem large to you, just be aware that marine fish tend to be more aggressive and territorial than freshwater community fish (more like cichlids in their personalities), plus the organisms are less tolerant of poor water conditions, so the stocking level for a saltwater tank is much lighter than for freshwater. Plus the fish tend to be larger in size, although there are a few smaller species (and peaceful ones as well). I started my first saltwater tank in a 29 gallon, and added a second 55 gallon six months later. Marine tanks a bit addictive.
Good luck with your tank!
So to start my reef/fish tank up I need 30lbs of sand? 30lbs of live rock?
Now I need to know what kind of heater for a 30 gallon tank (i eventually want soft corals as well, but not until 6 months or so so my tank is fully cycled)
What type of light is best for the top of my tank are, 30 x 12 3/4'
What type of protein Skimmer, filter, powerheads, and will I need a sump?
Thanks in advance!
Answers:
Lots of questions, so be prepared for a rather long answer!
First, though, you don't mention if your stand is iron or wood, but if it's iron I would suggest getting a plastic tablecloth to cover it - if the salt gets on the metal, it will corrode. If it's wood, it should be solid wood, not the pressboard. I knew someone who had a 55 gallon on a pressboard stand and it developed a small leak which seeped into the wood and softened the glue holding the pressed wood together. You can guess what happened next. Saltwater is expensive enough to warrent buying a new stand or protecting the one you've got so your tank isn't damaged.
Now to your actual questions:
SUBSTRATE - You're correct in getting 30 pounds. You preferably want something made of aragonite to help keep the pH from changing. I like the smaller shell material that Carib-Sea puts out - it doesn't have to be live sand, either. Some folks like crushed coral, but the particle size is bigger than I like, and it tends to have a lot of dust that never rinses completely out. Another very fine grained material is oolitic aragonite (looks like small white balls) and aragonite sand. Here's an idea of the materials available: http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/d... While it's possible to keep a marine tank with regular aquarium gravel or no substrate, the aragonite will keep the pH from falling below 7.8 (it should be 8.2-8.4, especially if you want a reef tank). You can buy the substrate dry, or as "live sand" which (supposedly) contains the nitrifying bacteria. I haven't been a fan of the pre-bagged live sand, as the bacteria needed for the tank are aerobic, and there's no telling how long bags have been sitting on store shelves. I've also seen a few of these bags with red slime algae growing in them, and I doubt that's something you want to introduce. These also cost about twice as much as the dry. If you find a store that sells live sand by the cup out of their tanks (where there's aeration) you can use this to seed the tank. Just keep an eye on any fish in that or connected tanks - you want to avoid buying if you see fish that appear unhealthy, you don't want to introduce any parasites or diseases to your tank either.
LIVE ROCK: This gives the tank a more natural appearance, provides hiding places for the fish and inverts, and increases the biological filtration. If you use this, the bacteria in the live rock will also seed the substrate, which is why I said that live sand isn't necessary. Not to mention, you get all kinds of cool critters that hitchhike into your tank. For best filtration, the general "rule of thumb" is 1 lb of Pacific origin rock per gallon or 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of Atlantic or Carribean rock per gallon (the Pacific is more porous, so less is needed to produce the same results). Although many people like the Figi live rock, I also like the Atlantic/Carribean aquacultured rock - to me it provides more color sooner than the Pacific. Since any organisms the require good light or high circulation at the bottom of the pile may die, I recommended getting dry "base rock" (also called reef or lace rock, or travertine) for the bottom, then placing good quality live rock at the front and top. The organisms from this will colonize the dry rock where the proper conditions exist for them.
HEATERS: For a saltwater tank 30 gallon or larger, I'd suggest getting 2 and putting one on each end. This will provide more even heating, and your tank has a back-up if one gives out (and they eventually will). Figure the correct size as 5 watts per gallon divided by 2 heaters. If you need to heat the water more than 10 degrees above the room temperature, go one size higher.
LIGHTING: For a 30 gallon, a compact fluorescent or T-5 system should be fine for many of the corals and anemeones sold, but do some research on the species before you buy. Some need even higher levels and should have metal halides (or a combo) for the best success. For a saltwater system, I would recommend at least 1/2 of the tubes be 10,000K and the others either 50/50s or 03 actinics. This gives the coloration of a reef about 30 feet underwater, and gives the proper wavelengths necessary for organisms that use photosynthesis. I use the Coralife compact fluorescents with the blue "twilight" feature on my smaller tanks (the twilight isn't necessary for most tanks, but it make the tank look like it's lit by moonlight and is thought to benefit corals).
FILTER: It's possible that you may want to just use your old filter if it's properly sized (filters at least 5x-10x the tank volume per hour - check the gallons per hour rating). If you need a new one, or are looking to upgrade, there are lots of choices, and what you'll need will really depend on budget, what you're trying to keep, and personal preference. I'd consider the best to be a refugium or wet/dry trickle filter (as a sump), as these provide extra water volume for the tank as well. You can do one of these without needing to drill the tank if yours isn't predrilled, but it would better to have the sump above the main tank in this case, so you get at least one direction using gravity flow, but this will also mean a slightly lower water level to accomodate water in the plumbing if the electric fails. Having a second tank gives you more surface area for a biological filter, and you can use macroalgae to remove some of the nitrates. If you do a refugium with gravity flow into the main tank, you'll be able to produce copepods and small shrimp which will get caught in the gravity flow and provide occassional "treats" for your fish. If you keep the sump and main tank on opposite 12 hr. photoperiods, this also make the pH more stable (has to do with products of photosynthesis).
Next best would be a canister, followed by a biowheel, then a standard hang-on-tank. Unless you're using a fine sand or oolite substrate, you can also use an undergravel filter to supplement filtration, but I'd suggest powering it with a reversible powerhead to blow the water up through the substrate (prevents stuff from building up under the filter and clogging it). The more surface area you get for bacteria, the better your biological filter will function, so the canister will probably have the next most area to the refugium or wet/dry. The canister has the advantage of being the only filter that forces water through the media, rather than allowing unfiltered water to bypass the media as it becomes clogged. The downside of these is that you have to break down the filter to clean, so it's somewhat more inconvenient.
The biowheel is considered a good choice for added biological filtration, but don't discount "traditional" filters like the AquaClear filter which have a large sponge filter to add surface area. While these can clog and allow unfiltered water to bypass media if you don't clean the media regularly. The media, however, is much more easily accessed than that of the canisters, and these are less expensive as well.
Another thing to consider is circulation of the water in the tank. If you use a wet/dry, refugium, or canister, you'll probably only use oneor more powerheads so wastes from the opposite side of the tank make it to your intake to be removed. With a biowheel or traditional hang-on, you can get two filters for about the same price, and place them so they are closer to all the sources of wastes.
POWERHEAD(S): To provide more water circulation in hard to get to places, and to keep particles in suspension for filter-feeders (and the filters). Red cyanobacteria (red slime algae) doesn't like high current, so an extra powerhead (or two!) is one thing you can use for prevention. This also helps circulate dissolved oxygen to the bottom of the tank. Even though you want extra circulation, you also want some areas of the tank with higher and lower areas of current for the animals to choose their own level of preference.
PROTEIN SKIMMER: This isn't 100% required, but will make a difference in water quality for sensitive fish and inverts. You can get these in venturi models (my preference, but more expensive) or models which need an air pump and wooden airstone (the wood produces finer bubbles than the "traditional" airstones). Effectiveness here is related to the height of the column through which the bubbles rise, with longer being better. These are great for removing organic materials that raise your nitrates before they become nutrients for algae. Most people on this forum like the Coralife skimmers.
Some of the other items you'll need to have on hand:
SALT MIX: If you're only keeping fish, you can go with one of the less expensive brands of synthetic sea salt. If you get any invertebrates (shrimp, snails, crabs, corals, anemones, etc.), switch to a better quality mix before you add them. These cost a little more, but you won't need to be using additives for the trace elements they need either.
HYDROMETER: This measures the amount of salt that's dissolved in water. There are two kinds you can get, one made of glass that floats on the surface (more accurate, but easy to break) and a plastic container that has a needle that rises and falls as the amount of salt changes (less accurate, bubbles attaching to the needle gives false readings). For fish only, you want the specific gravity to read 1.020 - 1.026. If you're keeping inverts, you want it to be 1.024 - 1.026.
WATER TESTING KIT: minimum of pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. I like the API Saltwater Master test kit, it has all the tests listed above, with more for nitrate and pH, since you'll continue to monitor these after the tank has cycled.
CLEANING SUPPLIES: elbow length gloves, gravel vacuum, 5 gallon bucket, large plastic container and powerhead for mixing the salt (to be done well ahead of water changes), algae scraper, razor blades (for coraline algae and diatoms that like to attach to the glass).
WATER CONDITIONER: for removing chlorine or chloramine from your tap water (unless you plan to use a reverse osmosis filter or buy RO water, which is the preferred water source). If you use tapwater, I would also suggest buying a phosphate removing pad that you can cut to size for whatever filter you choose. Public water supplies are permitted to add a small amount of phosphate to the water as a method to prevent pipe corrosion, unfortunately, it acts as an algae fertilizer.
The following are optional, but strongly suggested:
GLASS COVER: This reduces evaporation and keeps the fish inside the tank. If you ever go to a metal halide lighting system, though, it can overheat your tank.
CHILLER: If you use metal halide lighting (and even the CFs put out some heat), or the water temperature regularly gets above 85o (for corals or anemones, fish can take a little more heat), you may need to invest in a chiller to keep the tank cool. The water temperature should ideally run 76-80oF.
Before going out and buying all this, I would suggest some (additional, as if this weren't enough!) reading to see what you're getting into by keeping saltwater. I did research for almost 2 years before I set up my first saltwater tank, and I had about 20 years of freshwater aquarium experience already. Rushing into a saltwater setup usually doesn't give you good results, and the equipment and fish are a little too expensive to be finding out in a few weeks you got something that's not appropriate for what you want for your tank. I'd also recommend a good reference book for some research. Either of these would be a good one to start with: The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5
Here's an excellent web site where you can check out for more info on keeping saltwater: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
Although your 30 gallon may seem large to you, just be aware that marine fish tend to be more aggressive and territorial than freshwater community fish (more like cichlids in their personalities), plus the organisms are less tolerant of poor water conditions, so the stocking level for a saltwater tank is much lighter than for freshwater. Plus the fish tend to be larger in size, although there are a few smaller species (and peaceful ones as well). I started my first saltwater tank in a 29 gallon, and added a second 55 gallon six months later. Marine tanks a bit addictive.
Good luck with your tank!
Saltwater tank problem.?
I just set up my gf 55gallon she has about 50lbs of live rock, 3in. bed of sand, 220watt power compact, and some corals. the problem is she is growing this brown alge stuff all over her rock, sand and edges of her glass. she has a few corals and i told her to feed micro-vert 50 drops a day only 2 days a week but she is dumb and feed it for 4 days straigt. and now the brown stuff doesnt stop growing so we scrubed the rocks and turned them over and kept the light off for a day and nothing happened. the next day we turn the light on at 3p.m. and by 10p.m. the brown stuff was growing again.
Answers:
sounds like you go some brown algae. What do you have in the tank for a cleaner crew? new tanks often go through a few algae blooms this may be one of them. That stuff can grow back very fast. Does it seem like any stringy hairs are coming up off it or just flat slimy coverage?
New tanks (2-5 months) go through a couple of different algae blooms.
Don't turn your lights off, Just cut them back a couple of hours per day.
Make sure you have a GOOD cleaner crew.
For a 55 gal tank, I would have about 35 small blue leg hermits, About 40 ASSORTED snails, about 4-6 Scarlet Reef Hermits, a sand sifting seastar, 1 skunk cleaner shrimp, 1 blood red cleaner shrimp...
Use RODI water for topups and water changes.
Check your Phosphates and Nitrates.
Heavy skimming.
Check out this sight for cleaner crews.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
I wouldn't buy a cleaner pack but if you go to the inverts section you can pick what you NEED.
When you do water changes, try to syphen some of the algae out fithout disrurbing your sand bed .
I should have mentioned this before but DO NOT SCRUB YOUR ROCKS.
this will only get rid of a lot of your beneficial bacteria and micro organisms that help your tank.
Have fun.LOL and enjoy.
Answers:
sounds like you go some brown algae. What do you have in the tank for a cleaner crew? new tanks often go through a few algae blooms this may be one of them. That stuff can grow back very fast. Does it seem like any stringy hairs are coming up off it or just flat slimy coverage?
New tanks (2-5 months) go through a couple of different algae blooms.
Don't turn your lights off, Just cut them back a couple of hours per day.
Make sure you have a GOOD cleaner crew.
For a 55 gal tank, I would have about 35 small blue leg hermits, About 40 ASSORTED snails, about 4-6 Scarlet Reef Hermits, a sand sifting seastar, 1 skunk cleaner shrimp, 1 blood red cleaner shrimp...
Use RODI water for topups and water changes.
Check your Phosphates and Nitrates.
Heavy skimming.
Check out this sight for cleaner crews.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
I wouldn't buy a cleaner pack but if you go to the inverts section you can pick what you NEED.
When you do water changes, try to syphen some of the algae out fithout disrurbing your sand bed .
I should have mentioned this before but DO NOT SCRUB YOUR ROCKS.
this will only get rid of a lot of your beneficial bacteria and micro organisms that help your tank.
Have fun.LOL and enjoy.
Saltwater tank- adding clean up crew in which order?
I am recieveing my clean up crew tomorrow it is
1 linkia starfish
10 nassarius snails
10 cerith snails
10 blue leg hermes
3 emerald hermits
1 coral banded shrimp
in which order should i add them, and in which manner...i was assuming i would set up 2 acclimation tanks and do the stargish and shrimp 1st (speratly of corse)
then to the 20 snails.and then her emeralsd/blues
so, for any of these can i just float em and add like 1/2 cup water every 20 minutes or somthing? thanks.
Answers:
You can aclimate the snails and crabs in the bags that they come in for 1 hour, Just pour about 2-3 oz. of your tank water into the bags every 10minutes for the hour. you wan't to at least double the water that was in the bags.
Put the animals in the tank.
The shrimp can be aclimated the same way BUT for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. DON"T BE SURPRISED if it blows it's claws off when you try to put it in the tank, This is a defence mechanism, they are very slow moving critters so they sometimes do that to lose some weight to move faster.LOL
The claws will grow back the next time they molt.
Some people say not to get a coral bandid shrimp(probably because they look mean) but I have always had 1 in all of my tanks. they are to slow to catch anything and usually hide until you feed the tank. AWSOME SHRIMP, BEAUTIFUL
My wife named one of ours Freddy Kruger.LOL
I aclimate starfish the same way but use less water at one time and aclimate it for AT LEAST 2 hours.
Try NOT to expose it to air when removing it from the bag.
I tilt the bag sideways and slide my hand under it and PLACE it in the tank.
You may want to get some Astraea snails to add to the crew, they do a great job of helping keep your glass and rocks clean, Looking at the amount of snails you are getting, I would add about 15 Astraea's (don't know the size of your tank.
The snails that you are getting will probably dissapear under your sand bed and you will hardly ever see them. (Astraea's don't do that)
A skunk Cleaner shrimp would also be VERY good for cleaning your fish and leftover food.
Also, some empty shells for the hermits would be good.
Some of these hermits and snails WILL die in your tank, you will have to add to the crew over time for loss and "crap" controle. (load in the tank)
The cleaner crew is not considdered as a load on the tank.
Depending on the size of your tank it looks like you are off to a great start.
idk but how many gallon is your tank
You can float and added water every 15 to 20 minutes for and hour or so..Check the salt and ph of the bag water and the water in your tank if they are close then accumulation time can be shortened.
You can add all that you named in any order and at the same time if you wont..It wont cause an over load on your tank.
1 linkia starfish
10 nassarius snails
10 cerith snails
10 blue leg hermes
3 emerald hermits
1 coral banded shrimp
in which order should i add them, and in which manner...i was assuming i would set up 2 acclimation tanks and do the stargish and shrimp 1st (speratly of corse)
then to the 20 snails.and then her emeralsd/blues
so, for any of these can i just float em and add like 1/2 cup water every 20 minutes or somthing? thanks.
Answers:
You can aclimate the snails and crabs in the bags that they come in for 1 hour, Just pour about 2-3 oz. of your tank water into the bags every 10minutes for the hour. you wan't to at least double the water that was in the bags.
Put the animals in the tank.
The shrimp can be aclimated the same way BUT for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. DON"T BE SURPRISED if it blows it's claws off when you try to put it in the tank, This is a defence mechanism, they are very slow moving critters so they sometimes do that to lose some weight to move faster.LOL
The claws will grow back the next time they molt.
Some people say not to get a coral bandid shrimp(probably because they look mean) but I have always had 1 in all of my tanks. they are to slow to catch anything and usually hide until you feed the tank. AWSOME SHRIMP, BEAUTIFUL
My wife named one of ours Freddy Kruger.LOL
I aclimate starfish the same way but use less water at one time and aclimate it for AT LEAST 2 hours.
Try NOT to expose it to air when removing it from the bag.
I tilt the bag sideways and slide my hand under it and PLACE it in the tank.
You may want to get some Astraea snails to add to the crew, they do a great job of helping keep your glass and rocks clean, Looking at the amount of snails you are getting, I would add about 15 Astraea's (don't know the size of your tank.
The snails that you are getting will probably dissapear under your sand bed and you will hardly ever see them. (Astraea's don't do that)
A skunk Cleaner shrimp would also be VERY good for cleaning your fish and leftover food.
Also, some empty shells for the hermits would be good.
Some of these hermits and snails WILL die in your tank, you will have to add to the crew over time for loss and "crap" controle. (load in the tank)
The cleaner crew is not considdered as a load on the tank.
Depending on the size of your tank it looks like you are off to a great start.
idk but how many gallon is your tank
You can float and added water every 15 to 20 minutes for and hour or so..Check the salt and ph of the bag water and the water in your tank if they are close then accumulation time can be shortened.
You can add all that you named in any order and at the same time if you wont..It wont cause an over load on your tank.
Saltwater starter supplies?
I have head from some online sites that if you have a good skimmer and enough live rock in your saltwater tank you don"t need any other filtration for a 30 gallon. Is this true and if it isn't can you give me a link to an online store that has what i need for a 30 gallon filtration wise?
~THANKS~
Answers:
It is true that if you have enough live rock and sand,,Plus good water movement from power heads you don't need a filter..But I still use a fliter just to keep my water nice and clear.
When i started salt with a 28 gallon tank I used a whisper filter from walmart that is designed for a 60 gallon tank.That is all you need.
I have a filter on my sw aquarium and I only need 3 lbs. of live rock, my tank is 20 gallons, I have a Bio-wheel 200, the bio-wheel is great, and live rock is sooo expensive here is a good priced website(the link is the filter that i suggest): http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...
It is safer to have a filter
~THANKS~
Answers:
It is true that if you have enough live rock and sand,,Plus good water movement from power heads you don't need a filter..But I still use a fliter just to keep my water nice and clear.
When i started salt with a 28 gallon tank I used a whisper filter from walmart that is designed for a 60 gallon tank.That is all you need.
I have a filter on my sw aquarium and I only need 3 lbs. of live rock, my tank is 20 gallons, I have a Bio-wheel 200, the bio-wheel is great, and live rock is sooo expensive here is a good priced website(the link is the filter that i suggest): http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...
It is safer to have a filter
Saltwater reef tank, 55 gal. how long for nitrites?
anyways, i have a 55 gal reef tank, it has been set up for only a few day.
the ammonia is at 1 today and was at about 1.5 yesterday...
so it came down a little but there is no nitrites OR nitrates (well, it could have been 10ppm, its hard to tell)
i use an API test kit.
i have 60lbs FULLY cured live rock (that has only been in the tank for 1-2 days, and
30lbs agronite and 20lbs live sand
i also put in 1 lbs live sand from an established tank...the live rock was also from an established thank.
my problem is, i still have ammonia in the tank, but no nitrites...how long before they how up? i have shown from .5ppm to1.5ppm of amonia for 3 days now...
i guess i just expected the amonia to go away in like 2 days and have nitrites start showing up...thanks.
Answers:
It pretty much should be anytime now really. Once your ammonia has been in the tank, if it's being oxidized, the nitrites are beginning to develope. It's only just a matter of time now, but for your bacteria to build up and clear the nitrite stage, be patient with that, because it's going to take longer to clear that stage then it will with the ammonia. You also can help keep the ammonia levels down by reducing the amount of food going in the tank, and if you have an established tank, adding filter media or gravel from it will help, but in your case, it would have to be another salt water tank.
You can also get more advice if you google up fishless cycling.com, full staff on hand to answer anything you need.
JV
i personally never put a living thing (petliving thing, not like the bacteria on the rocks and stuff) in a tank before 2 weeks of starting the cycle.
if the nitrites haven't shown up yet it will be a few days and it will be a few weeks before the nitrites go down to 0, which is when you should add the fish.
the ammonia is at 1 today and was at about 1.5 yesterday...
so it came down a little but there is no nitrites OR nitrates (well, it could have been 10ppm, its hard to tell)
i use an API test kit.
i have 60lbs FULLY cured live rock (that has only been in the tank for 1-2 days, and
30lbs agronite and 20lbs live sand
i also put in 1 lbs live sand from an established tank...the live rock was also from an established thank.
my problem is, i still have ammonia in the tank, but no nitrites...how long before they how up? i have shown from .5ppm to1.5ppm of amonia for 3 days now...
i guess i just expected the amonia to go away in like 2 days and have nitrites start showing up...thanks.
Answers:
It pretty much should be anytime now really. Once your ammonia has been in the tank, if it's being oxidized, the nitrites are beginning to develope. It's only just a matter of time now, but for your bacteria to build up and clear the nitrite stage, be patient with that, because it's going to take longer to clear that stage then it will with the ammonia. You also can help keep the ammonia levels down by reducing the amount of food going in the tank, and if you have an established tank, adding filter media or gravel from it will help, but in your case, it would have to be another salt water tank.
You can also get more advice if you google up fishless cycling.com, full staff on hand to answer anything you need.
JV
i personally never put a living thing (petliving thing, not like the bacteria on the rocks and stuff) in a tank before 2 weeks of starting the cycle.
if the nitrites haven't shown up yet it will be a few days and it will be a few weeks before the nitrites go down to 0, which is when you should add the fish.
Saltwater Question?
I plan to set up my g/f 55 gallon and cycle it with some of the water from my 55 gallon about 15 gallons of my water. But my question is, if i remove the water from my tank today and store it until Friday will it still be good?
Answers:
I wouldn't I would wait for the new tank and then put the water from th old tank directly into the new one
I don't think it would be in the best quality, but probably still usable.
I wouldn't do it.
If you are going to be using live rock and a sand bed in your new tank you can just seed the sand with a couple of cups of sand from your established tank.
You can also add a few pieces of small live rock from your old tank and replace them later.
I have done this in MANY tanks now and they cycle VERY fast, 2 to 4 weeks.
The bacteria that is needed to cycle the tank doesnt really live in the water it is more in the rock, sand and filter. So when you set up her tank you can just take a cup of your sand or maybe a small piece of your live rock and add it into her tank. Another thing you can do is use one of your filter pads. replace one of yours with a new one and add your filter pad into her filter. this will make the tank cycle really fast. hope this helps and good luck with the new tank.
Answers:
I wouldn't I would wait for the new tank and then put the water from th old tank directly into the new one
I don't think it would be in the best quality, but probably still usable.
I wouldn't do it.
If you are going to be using live rock and a sand bed in your new tank you can just seed the sand with a couple of cups of sand from your established tank.
You can also add a few pieces of small live rock from your old tank and replace them later.
I have done this in MANY tanks now and they cycle VERY fast, 2 to 4 weeks.
The bacteria that is needed to cycle the tank doesnt really live in the water it is more in the rock, sand and filter. So when you set up her tank you can just take a cup of your sand or maybe a small piece of your live rock and add it into her tank. Another thing you can do is use one of your filter pads. replace one of yours with a new one and add your filter pad into her filter. this will make the tank cycle really fast. hope this helps and good luck with the new tank.
Saltwater Question?
If i cut one of my mushrooms in half then seperate the 2 halfs, will it grow into 2 different mushrooms or will it just die
Answers:
yes it will but youll need to put the other half on a rock to keep it going.
look up frag on www.saltwater.com they have a forum there that tells you step by step how to do it
haha prob die
yes you can do it if you attach the half that you cut off onto another rock, I use elastics until they attach themselves.
Mushrooms will spread all by themselves, usually pretty quickly.
Yes as long as you got part of the mushrooms mouth in each cutting. You then should put them both on some live rock either with elastic like someone else stated above or try to put it in a area of the tank that has lower currents so it doesnt get blown off the rock. here is a website that will also help. http://www.fragoutpost.com/coral-propaga... good luck with the tank and feel free to email me with any other questions you may have.
Yes you can frag the mushroom and put the piece you cut on another piece of rock..The hard part is getting the piece you cut to stay on the rock.When i fragged my mushrooms I superglued them to the rock but they still came off so I went to walmart and got some wedding veil type material and wrapped it around the rock that the muchroom piece was on and secured it with two rubber bands with in a week or two the mushroom frag was attached securly to the rock.
Answers:
yes it will but youll need to put the other half on a rock to keep it going.
look up frag on www.saltwater.com they have a forum there that tells you step by step how to do it
haha prob die
yes you can do it if you attach the half that you cut off onto another rock, I use elastics until they attach themselves.
Mushrooms will spread all by themselves, usually pretty quickly.
Yes as long as you got part of the mushrooms mouth in each cutting. You then should put them both on some live rock either with elastic like someone else stated above or try to put it in a area of the tank that has lower currents so it doesnt get blown off the rock. here is a website that will also help. http://www.fragoutpost.com/coral-propaga... good luck with the tank and feel free to email me with any other questions you may have.
Yes you can frag the mushroom and put the piece you cut on another piece of rock..The hard part is getting the piece you cut to stay on the rock.When i fragged my mushrooms I superglued them to the rock but they still came off so I went to walmart and got some wedding veil type material and wrapped it around the rock that the muchroom piece was on and secured it with two rubber bands with in a week or two the mushroom frag was attached securly to the rock.
Saltwater live rock?
Is $7 per pound to much money for live rock? I do live in wisconsin so that could cause the price to be higher. it is premium fiji cured rock.
Answers:
I live in Ohio and all of the petstores that carry it charge $4.99 per lb. I would say that $7 is pretty high but if its the only place that sells it, find out if they cure it, and how long they it cure it, cause my local fish place cures his rock for 3 weeks!
7 dollars is high but not unheard of.
i was walking though a shop yesterday and it was 5.99 per pound.
Im getting my live rock from a dealer in flordia which is selling online on ebay for 1.99 per pound,
Which is probably the lowest price around.
If you would like there site please send me an email.
Answers:
I live in Ohio and all of the petstores that carry it charge $4.99 per lb. I would say that $7 is pretty high but if its the only place that sells it, find out if they cure it, and how long they it cure it, cause my local fish place cures his rock for 3 weeks!
7 dollars is high but not unheard of.
i was walking though a shop yesterday and it was 5.99 per pound.
Im getting my live rock from a dealer in flordia which is selling online on ebay for 1.99 per pound,
Which is probably the lowest price around.
If you would like there site please send me an email.
Saltwater Live Rock help!!?
I have had my live rock in my tank for a bout a month now and i have a 75 gallon tank with 1 sargent major, 1 chromie,1 clown fish, 2 hermi crabs, 2 white snails that stay under the sand, and last but not least 2 chocolatechip star fish. and my live rock is starting to get like this copper color on it one of my big rocks have it all on the side of it and theres patches on the other rock i just recently took out my cc and replaced it with dry sand and also some live sand and my sand has a little patch of what seems to be the same color stuff . i under stand that you have to have something moving your sand around and i havent seen the sails do it because the only come out at night and my starfish stay at the top of my tank. so what i need to know is if its normal and what i should do and is it due to the sand
Answers:
2 nassarius snails is not enough for a 75 gallon tank. Id reccomend a sand sifting star and a few more nassarius snails (the white ones). is the cooper color stuff look like it is encrusting? Is it kind of lime greenish? this is probably corraline algae. you may notice in time it will turn pinkish then purple. It can become many colors its very normal. Actually really pretty once it gets deep pink and purple. It is normal for the stars to stay near the top sand sifting stars will live in the sand bed and turn up the sand much better than the nassarius snails but both serve purpose eating extra food in the sand bed and turning the sand up. So everything you are saying is very normal but for a 75 gallon tank you may want to add more snails. Id reccomend more nassarius and some mexican turba snails to eat the stuff off the rock work and glass.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
Read up on all of these and i'm sure you will find the right combination of cleaners for your tank.
It is normal. The rust color is called diatoms and this is a natural part of a maturing saltwater tank. This should subside in a few more weeks.
I agree that you should increase the cleaning crew (snails, hermits...etc) but this will do little in terms of contriolling the diatoms.
Other algeas will soon take over and kill off the rust colored algea you are now seeing. This will most likely also spread onto your sandbed.
Answers:
2 nassarius snails is not enough for a 75 gallon tank. Id reccomend a sand sifting star and a few more nassarius snails (the white ones). is the cooper color stuff look like it is encrusting? Is it kind of lime greenish? this is probably corraline algae. you may notice in time it will turn pinkish then purple. It can become many colors its very normal. Actually really pretty once it gets deep pink and purple. It is normal for the stars to stay near the top sand sifting stars will live in the sand bed and turn up the sand much better than the nassarius snails but both serve purpose eating extra food in the sand bed and turning the sand up. So everything you are saying is very normal but for a 75 gallon tank you may want to add more snails. Id reccomend more nassarius and some mexican turba snails to eat the stuff off the rock work and glass.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate...
Read up on all of these and i'm sure you will find the right combination of cleaners for your tank.
It is normal. The rust color is called diatoms and this is a natural part of a maturing saltwater tank. This should subside in a few more weeks.
I agree that you should increase the cleaning crew (snails, hermits...etc) but this will do little in terms of contriolling the diatoms.
Other algeas will soon take over and kill off the rust colored algea you are now seeing. This will most likely also spread onto your sandbed.
Saltwater fish?
what are all the saltwater fish in the aquarium in the dentist in finding nemo?
i am planning on replicating the set up.
Answers:
Movies are great entertainment, but don't reflect real-life fishkeeping. A complete "Nemo" themed tank would not really possible to do. Pufferfish (Bloat) are very aggressive and should be kept in a tank by themselves. Even then, connsidering the adult sizes of the fish and their personalities, you'd need a tank over 100 gallons. A Pacific Blue (hippo) tang like Dory needs a 100 gallon tank itself by the time it reaches 12-14 inches. Moorish idols (Gill) are difficult to keep alive even by expert fishkeepers (although a Heniochus looks similar and is far easier to keep).
A 70 gallon is the minimum size Bubbles would be okay in. You could add an Ocellaris clown (Nemo), a royal gramma, also called a bicolor pseudochromis (Gurgle), a 4 stripe damsel (Deb), and a cleaner shrimp (Jacques) without any problems.
And if you don't have any experience with saltwater tanks, do a lot of research before trying to set this up:
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cl...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
erm all i remember was the clown fish. the blow fish and the angel. and there was a starfish and a shrimp too.
finding nemo was a very wrong movie, as it makes alot of folks want to set it up for their kids, but they want to do it in a 10 gallon or small tank.
The fishes in that fishtank are really for 75+ gallons.
Just to get that out of the way.
Anyway,
false percula,
moorish idol,
puffer,
cleaning shrimp,
There was a species of wrasse,
star fish.
There are probably a few more.
in the movie also includes
blue tang,
another false percula,
and maybe a few others.
but you stepped in the rght direction getting help first.
Again, finding nemo set ups need to be large. moorish idols need alot of room.
Just make sure that they will get along together in real life. Not all fish get along!
http://web.mit.edu/seagrant/edu/res/nemo...
You cant replicate it, the fish aren't compatible the Moorish idol is IMPOSSIBLE to keep in an aquarium even experts can't do it.
There is a similar fish to the Moorish Idol that you can keep called Pennant coralfish
The puffer is a porcupine and should be kept alone.
Clownfish, Moorish Idol, Puffer Fish, Cleaner Shrimp, Royal Gramma, Starfish, and 4 - Stripe Damselfish. But I highly doubt that they would get along together. Moorish Idols and Puffer Fish are not very friendly in a tank with those fish. Not to mention the tank size would have to be over 500 gallons. I'll provide links for every type of fish.
~ZTM
im young so i might b wrong clownfish,yellow tang ,starfish,im srry i cant remember the others
i am planning on replicating the set up.
Answers:
Movies are great entertainment, but don't reflect real-life fishkeeping. A complete "Nemo" themed tank would not really possible to do. Pufferfish (Bloat) are very aggressive and should be kept in a tank by themselves. Even then, connsidering the adult sizes of the fish and their personalities, you'd need a tank over 100 gallons. A Pacific Blue (hippo) tang like Dory needs a 100 gallon tank itself by the time it reaches 12-14 inches. Moorish idols (Gill) are difficult to keep alive even by expert fishkeepers (although a Heniochus looks similar and is far easier to keep).
A 70 gallon is the minimum size Bubbles would be okay in. You could add an Ocellaris clown (Nemo), a royal gramma, also called a bicolor pseudochromis (Gurgle), a 4 stripe damsel (Deb), and a cleaner shrimp (Jacques) without any problems.
And if you don't have any experience with saltwater tanks, do a lot of research before trying to set this up:
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cl...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
erm all i remember was the clown fish. the blow fish and the angel. and there was a starfish and a shrimp too.
finding nemo was a very wrong movie, as it makes alot of folks want to set it up for their kids, but they want to do it in a 10 gallon or small tank.
The fishes in that fishtank are really for 75+ gallons.
Just to get that out of the way.
Anyway,
false percula,
moorish idol,
puffer,
cleaning shrimp,
There was a species of wrasse,
star fish.
There are probably a few more.
in the movie also includes
blue tang,
another false percula,
and maybe a few others.
but you stepped in the rght direction getting help first.
Again, finding nemo set ups need to be large. moorish idols need alot of room.
Just make sure that they will get along together in real life. Not all fish get along!
http://web.mit.edu/seagrant/edu/res/nemo...
You cant replicate it, the fish aren't compatible the Moorish idol is IMPOSSIBLE to keep in an aquarium even experts can't do it.
There is a similar fish to the Moorish Idol that you can keep called Pennant coralfish
The puffer is a porcupine and should be kept alone.
Clownfish, Moorish Idol, Puffer Fish, Cleaner Shrimp, Royal Gramma, Starfish, and 4 - Stripe Damselfish. But I highly doubt that they would get along together. Moorish Idols and Puffer Fish are not very friendly in a tank with those fish. Not to mention the tank size would have to be over 500 gallons. I'll provide links for every type of fish.
~ZTM
im young so i might b wrong clownfish,yellow tang ,starfish,im srry i cant remember the others
Saltwater aquarium??
how much would a new small saltwater aquarium be for a 10 gallon aquarium? my mom and i want one sooooooo bad!
Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanx!
Answers:
The first guy is an idiot and his answer is misleading. First you need to research about fish and the cycling process. I did not do this when i first got my tank and my fish died.
A ten gallon tank with a filter and light should cost around 40-60 dollars on average, there are some that are more expensive as well... You will also deep sea salt, a hydrometer which measures the amount of salt in the water, because there is a specific amount you need, you cannot add too much or too little salt to it or your fish will die!
You will also need a thermometer and heater for your tank.
All that will probably cost around 180-300 dollars depending on which brands you get...
good luck with your new hobby.
It'll cost a ton. The tank is hundreds of dollars. Plus you have to get the salt, filter, decorations, food and the fish. Its pricey. My friend spent $1000 on his.
not as much as if you screw up.
It sounds like you are rushing into this, and SW can be alot to do it right, and it can cost alot more if your tank keeps crashing if you dont know enough about it.
You will need to do alot of research as it isnt as simle as add water +salt and fish.
it can cost from 30 dollars to 500 dollars.
you will need substrate like sand, salt mix, heater, filter, live coral (optional but will benefit), and the stuff needed for a FW tank.
Again it isnt something to go rushing into. and do alot of research. or go FW.
You CAN do it, but it's tough because salt water fish/ invertabraes need to have consistant water quality/ temp./ ph levels, etc...You will need about 20 lbs. of crushed coral for the substrate, a canister filter (mechanical), a protien skimmer (one ran by a air pump will do), a good sea salt (many on the market), a good water quality test kit (ph, ammonia) and depending on what type of inverts you want to keep, quality lighting (actinic blue/ flouresant and high output white for anemonies) I would suggest pecula clownfish with a nice ritterie anemonie with a nice piece of "live rock". I wish we could discuss further.good luck, it's an amazing hobby.
It really won't cost that much.
Maybe $200 - $250 USD.
You can buy a nano cube 12 gallon tank which pretty much has everything you need to get started.
Just buy your salt water pre-made from your local fish store (LFS). Be sure to change about a gallon per week.
Many people use nano cubes as micro reef tanks, I strongly recommend that you do not do this. Nanos have proven to be ineffective at keeping healty corals over time.
I would recommend you just pick out 1-4 small salt water fish for your tank. (Start with a green chromis or two when cycling the tank for the first 6 weeks, then add 1 clown, 1 mini blue tang, 1 royal gramma). Also maybe add a cleaner shrimp, they are useful at keeping away ich.
Be sure to change 1 gallon of water per week, and change out the carbon maybe once a month. This will help keep the yellow cast out of the water.
You can do it, but be prepared to spend between $200-$400 when all is said and done.
You would have to be a fish expert because it is very hard to keep fish in a ten gallon tank if not you would have to make it be freshwater. You need to read up and need to have at least a 55 gallon tank and it will cost you anywhere from 100 to 500 bucks and try on e bay also the fish cost about 50 bucks
Most good fish stores are now offering deals on saltwater tanks for 10 gallons i now mine does 2 clowns when done cycling the live rock crushed coral salt mix the tank a hydrometer heater filter and thermometer for like 3 hundred. so its a pretty good deal all in all considering the live rock is like 100 and the two fish there are like 60.
first of all, if you are a beginner go with a freshwater. altogetehr, a 10 gallon with everythign including fish will be about 100-120.
It would depend on the species of fish or coral you are interested in. As far as coral or invertebrates you would need basic equipment such as heater, small power head which circulates the water, live rock which serves as a biological factory basically to mature the water, sand as a substrate, and a small filter. You can get away with those little 10i whisper filters and don't worry you can use black carbon with most invertebrates (corals, shrimp, starfish etc.). The black carbon will help with the toxic turpenoids that corals secrete which can be thought as chemical warfare. But this is only in the case when the same coral species usually comes in contact but has different DNA. You CAN USE carbon based filters in a marine tank regardless of what they 16 year old pet smart employee tells you. There is alot of research that proves its benefits in a saltwater aquarium. The only disadvantage is you will have to buy trace element additives more often but you need them anyways for inverts. You can see it can get quite in depth but don't worry. All together around 200 bucks to get started. Maintenance wise you are looking at element additives, frozen food, salt mix, refractometer or hydrometer that measures the salinity of the water, and a tiny gravel vacuum cleaner based on the 10-gallon aquarium you desire. But the best recommendation as mentioned by vudu maker is to buy a nano-cube. They just came out with a 6-gallon reef cube for only $90 that has the proper lighting, filtration, and dimensions. Sorry about the lengthy answer but I hope this helps you out! Good luck!
research, research research, is the one thing you really want to do at first before considering to start up a SW tank
http://www.peteducation.com/category_sum...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
EB
Evelyn emailed me the link to your question, since I've been keeping saltwater tanks for a little over 9 years now. First, I'd have to say a 10 gallon is very small for a saltwater tank. It will be harder for you to keep a stable temperature and water chemistry, and these are something you need to have. Also, when you consider the sizes and personalities of most marine fish, very few would be able to live in a tank of that size, and you would probably only be able to keep 1-2 fish at most. I would suggest you consider a larger tank, something on the order of a 29 gallon or a 55 gallon. Even though these are larger, they'll be easier for you to maintain.
Aside from that, here's a basic list of items and some approximate prices:
a tank: ($10 [10 gallon], $52 [29 gallon], $109 [55 gallon])
a heater - ($25-$35 each, depending on type and brand) - I would suggest one that is fully submersible and has an adjustable temperature. You want to get a heater that's 5 watts per gallon of tank volume. One will do for the 10 gallon, but for the 29 or 55, I would suggest getting two and putting one on either end of the tank. This will allow more even heating, and give you a backup in case one heater fails (and they all do eventually). If you get two, divide the total wattage in half and get two of the size heater that would have at least that amount. If you would need to heat the water more than 10 degrees above room temperature at any time of the year (the tank should be at least 76o, so if the room temperature would ever be below 66-68o) get the next largest sizes of heater.
a thermometer - ($2+) - to monitor the tank temperature
a filter - ($30+ depending on type and brand) - you want one that will turn over at least 10 times the volume of water in the tank per hour, so check the GPH rating. There are a number of types you can buy, from a regular hang-on-tank like an Aquaclear (cheapest) to a biowheel (more expensive), or canister filters (most expensive) to a wet/dry trickle filter or refugium. Obviously, the more efficient the filter, the more expensive it will be, and you can easily spend over $100 for a good canister or trickle filter, but if you're handy, there are DIY trickle filters you can make for a lot less, and instructions for various types are on the web.
1-2 powerheads - ($20+ each) - to increase water circulation in the tank
salt mix - ($15-25 per 20lb bag depending on brand) If you only plant to keep fish, Instant Ocean is economical and good. If you plan to keep invertebrates, you may need to use supplements, or go with a higher-end brand. Since you have a larger tank, you will get more fore the money if you buy salt mix by the bucket (enough for 150 gallons in most brands).
hydrometer - ($8-10) This is used for mixing salt to the proper concentration. There are no easy # cups per # gallons because the salt will compact as it absorbs moisture from the air. You'll need a specific gravity of 1.020-1.026 for fish, 1.024-1.026 if you keep inverts.
substrate - (~$25 per bag, you'll need two for a 55) This should be aragonite or crushed coral to help raise the tank's pH. Saltwater should be maintained at 8.2-8.4.
lighting - ($25+) depending on what you intend to keep. For $25, you can get a basic lighting set-up that can be used if you only keep fish and non-photosynthetic inverts. If you want to keep corals or anemones, you'd need a minimum of a compact fluorescent system and these will run about $150.
Cleaning supplies - 5 gallon bucket (for dirty water), large plastic container with lid for mixing saltwater (a plastic garbage can is great for this), optional powerhead to mix saltwater, siphon, long-sleeved gloves (you shouldn't put your hands in the tank), algae scraper.
Saltwater test kit - ($15) - for testing your water quality - API Saltwater Master kit is a good one.
The following items aren't 100% required, but are strongly suggested:
protein skimmer (~$100+) - this isn't 100% required, but is strongly recommended if you're keeping anything other than fish. These use a stream of small bubbles to remove dissoved organics from the water and deposit them into a collection cup. The organics would otherwise contribute to your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Do NOT get the Skilter protein skimmer/filter combinations - everybody that I've ever talked with that's used these have had problems with them leaking!
live rock - (~$8 per pound) While not strictly required, it's strongly recommended to use. The live rock has bacteria to help break down the wastes from your fish, some of which are toxic to them. You can make "caves" for them to swim in and out of, and these give the tank a more natural appearance. The recommended amount is 1 lb per gallon of Pacific origin rock to 1 1/2 to 2 lb per gallon for Atlantic/Carribean origin. The difference here is that Pacific rock is more porous, so there's more surface area for bacteria to colonize and less is needed for the same effect.
glass cover - ($8 for a 10 gallon, $12 for a 24 inch, you'll need two for a 55, or $15 for a 29) This keeps the water from evaporating too quickly or from splashing the lights, and keeps fish from jumping out of the tank.
Plus:
fish - (~$5+ per fish depending on the species)
food - You can use marine pellets or flakes as a staple, but you should supplement this with frozen plankton, enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, squid, clams, krill, Marine Cuisine, Emerald Entree, silversides, or dried seaweed depending on the dietary needs of the fish you decide to keep.
A reference book - I highly recommend The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5
There are lots of other things you could get or may need, but the list above will give you a good idea of what you should have on hand to start.
For maintenance, you should first set up the tank with freshwater and make sure everything is operational, then add the salt to the proper concentration. I would recommend that you do a fishless cycle (explained in a link I'll add at the end) to prepare the tank before you add any fish. Take time to acclimate the fish to the tank correctly (also explained in the Fishlore link). Once you add fish, do 25% water changes once a week. Tubes for the lighting should be replaced every year, especially if you're keeping invertebrates or using a compact fluorescent. Even though the light will still work, it loses the intensity at the wavelengths needed for photosynthesis in 10-12 months.
Fish in saltwater tend to be more aggressive (territorial) than freshwater fish, so do some research on the size, activity level, and compatibility of any species in which you're interested. Some general rules are not to mix fish from the same family, coloration, or body shape. This means that most species will be one to a tank, with the exceptions of the few that can be kept as pairs or in schools.
I can't emphasize enough the research that should be put into a marine tank before going and and buying the equipment. There's a lot that's involved, and the fish are rather expensive compared to a freshwater tank. But once you get past the intial set-up, the work involved isn't that much more than freshwater if you've planned the tank well.
Some additional reading on keeping saltwater:
http://www.fishlore.com/saltwaterbeginne...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
I usually provide the link to the peteducation websites, but Evelyn has already included them in her answer.
Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanx!
Answers:
The first guy is an idiot and his answer is misleading. First you need to research about fish and the cycling process. I did not do this when i first got my tank and my fish died.
A ten gallon tank with a filter and light should cost around 40-60 dollars on average, there are some that are more expensive as well... You will also deep sea salt, a hydrometer which measures the amount of salt in the water, because there is a specific amount you need, you cannot add too much or too little salt to it or your fish will die!
You will also need a thermometer and heater for your tank.
All that will probably cost around 180-300 dollars depending on which brands you get...
good luck with your new hobby.
It'll cost a ton. The tank is hundreds of dollars. Plus you have to get the salt, filter, decorations, food and the fish. Its pricey. My friend spent $1000 on his.
not as much as if you screw up.
It sounds like you are rushing into this, and SW can be alot to do it right, and it can cost alot more if your tank keeps crashing if you dont know enough about it.
You will need to do alot of research as it isnt as simle as add water +salt and fish.
it can cost from 30 dollars to 500 dollars.
you will need substrate like sand, salt mix, heater, filter, live coral (optional but will benefit), and the stuff needed for a FW tank.
Again it isnt something to go rushing into. and do alot of research. or go FW.
You CAN do it, but it's tough because salt water fish/ invertabraes need to have consistant water quality/ temp./ ph levels, etc...You will need about 20 lbs. of crushed coral for the substrate, a canister filter (mechanical), a protien skimmer (one ran by a air pump will do), a good sea salt (many on the market), a good water quality test kit (ph, ammonia) and depending on what type of inverts you want to keep, quality lighting (actinic blue/ flouresant and high output white for anemonies) I would suggest pecula clownfish with a nice ritterie anemonie with a nice piece of "live rock". I wish we could discuss further.good luck, it's an amazing hobby.
It really won't cost that much.
Maybe $200 - $250 USD.
You can buy a nano cube 12 gallon tank which pretty much has everything you need to get started.
Just buy your salt water pre-made from your local fish store (LFS). Be sure to change about a gallon per week.
Many people use nano cubes as micro reef tanks, I strongly recommend that you do not do this. Nanos have proven to be ineffective at keeping healty corals over time.
I would recommend you just pick out 1-4 small salt water fish for your tank. (Start with a green chromis or two when cycling the tank for the first 6 weeks, then add 1 clown, 1 mini blue tang, 1 royal gramma). Also maybe add a cleaner shrimp, they are useful at keeping away ich.
Be sure to change 1 gallon of water per week, and change out the carbon maybe once a month. This will help keep the yellow cast out of the water.
You can do it, but be prepared to spend between $200-$400 when all is said and done.
You would have to be a fish expert because it is very hard to keep fish in a ten gallon tank if not you would have to make it be freshwater. You need to read up and need to have at least a 55 gallon tank and it will cost you anywhere from 100 to 500 bucks and try on e bay also the fish cost about 50 bucks
Most good fish stores are now offering deals on saltwater tanks for 10 gallons i now mine does 2 clowns when done cycling the live rock crushed coral salt mix the tank a hydrometer heater filter and thermometer for like 3 hundred. so its a pretty good deal all in all considering the live rock is like 100 and the two fish there are like 60.
first of all, if you are a beginner go with a freshwater. altogetehr, a 10 gallon with everythign including fish will be about 100-120.
It would depend on the species of fish or coral you are interested in. As far as coral or invertebrates you would need basic equipment such as heater, small power head which circulates the water, live rock which serves as a biological factory basically to mature the water, sand as a substrate, and a small filter. You can get away with those little 10i whisper filters and don't worry you can use black carbon with most invertebrates (corals, shrimp, starfish etc.). The black carbon will help with the toxic turpenoids that corals secrete which can be thought as chemical warfare. But this is only in the case when the same coral species usually comes in contact but has different DNA. You CAN USE carbon based filters in a marine tank regardless of what they 16 year old pet smart employee tells you. There is alot of research that proves its benefits in a saltwater aquarium. The only disadvantage is you will have to buy trace element additives more often but you need them anyways for inverts. You can see it can get quite in depth but don't worry. All together around 200 bucks to get started. Maintenance wise you are looking at element additives, frozen food, salt mix, refractometer or hydrometer that measures the salinity of the water, and a tiny gravel vacuum cleaner based on the 10-gallon aquarium you desire. But the best recommendation as mentioned by vudu maker is to buy a nano-cube. They just came out with a 6-gallon reef cube for only $90 that has the proper lighting, filtration, and dimensions. Sorry about the lengthy answer but I hope this helps you out! Good luck!
research, research research, is the one thing you really want to do at first before considering to start up a SW tank
http://www.peteducation.com/category_sum...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
EB
Evelyn emailed me the link to your question, since I've been keeping saltwater tanks for a little over 9 years now. First, I'd have to say a 10 gallon is very small for a saltwater tank. It will be harder for you to keep a stable temperature and water chemistry, and these are something you need to have. Also, when you consider the sizes and personalities of most marine fish, very few would be able to live in a tank of that size, and you would probably only be able to keep 1-2 fish at most. I would suggest you consider a larger tank, something on the order of a 29 gallon or a 55 gallon. Even though these are larger, they'll be easier for you to maintain.
Aside from that, here's a basic list of items and some approximate prices:
a tank: ($10 [10 gallon], $52 [29 gallon], $109 [55 gallon])
a heater - ($25-$35 each, depending on type and brand) - I would suggest one that is fully submersible and has an adjustable temperature. You want to get a heater that's 5 watts per gallon of tank volume. One will do for the 10 gallon, but for the 29 or 55, I would suggest getting two and putting one on either end of the tank. This will allow more even heating, and give you a backup in case one heater fails (and they all do eventually). If you get two, divide the total wattage in half and get two of the size heater that would have at least that amount. If you would need to heat the water more than 10 degrees above room temperature at any time of the year (the tank should be at least 76o, so if the room temperature would ever be below 66-68o) get the next largest sizes of heater.
a thermometer - ($2+) - to monitor the tank temperature
a filter - ($30+ depending on type and brand) - you want one that will turn over at least 10 times the volume of water in the tank per hour, so check the GPH rating. There are a number of types you can buy, from a regular hang-on-tank like an Aquaclear (cheapest) to a biowheel (more expensive), or canister filters (most expensive) to a wet/dry trickle filter or refugium. Obviously, the more efficient the filter, the more expensive it will be, and you can easily spend over $100 for a good canister or trickle filter, but if you're handy, there are DIY trickle filters you can make for a lot less, and instructions for various types are on the web.
1-2 powerheads - ($20+ each) - to increase water circulation in the tank
salt mix - ($15-25 per 20lb bag depending on brand) If you only plant to keep fish, Instant Ocean is economical and good. If you plan to keep invertebrates, you may need to use supplements, or go with a higher-end brand. Since you have a larger tank, you will get more fore the money if you buy salt mix by the bucket (enough for 150 gallons in most brands).
hydrometer - ($8-10) This is used for mixing salt to the proper concentration. There are no easy # cups per # gallons because the salt will compact as it absorbs moisture from the air. You'll need a specific gravity of 1.020-1.026 for fish, 1.024-1.026 if you keep inverts.
substrate - (~$25 per bag, you'll need two for a 55) This should be aragonite or crushed coral to help raise the tank's pH. Saltwater should be maintained at 8.2-8.4.
lighting - ($25+) depending on what you intend to keep. For $25, you can get a basic lighting set-up that can be used if you only keep fish and non-photosynthetic inverts. If you want to keep corals or anemones, you'd need a minimum of a compact fluorescent system and these will run about $150.
Cleaning supplies - 5 gallon bucket (for dirty water), large plastic container with lid for mixing saltwater (a plastic garbage can is great for this), optional powerhead to mix saltwater, siphon, long-sleeved gloves (you shouldn't put your hands in the tank), algae scraper.
Saltwater test kit - ($15) - for testing your water quality - API Saltwater Master kit is a good one.
The following items aren't 100% required, but are strongly suggested:
protein skimmer (~$100+) - this isn't 100% required, but is strongly recommended if you're keeping anything other than fish. These use a stream of small bubbles to remove dissoved organics from the water and deposit them into a collection cup. The organics would otherwise contribute to your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Do NOT get the Skilter protein skimmer/filter combinations - everybody that I've ever talked with that's used these have had problems with them leaking!
live rock - (~$8 per pound) While not strictly required, it's strongly recommended to use. The live rock has bacteria to help break down the wastes from your fish, some of which are toxic to them. You can make "caves" for them to swim in and out of, and these give the tank a more natural appearance. The recommended amount is 1 lb per gallon of Pacific origin rock to 1 1/2 to 2 lb per gallon for Atlantic/Carribean origin. The difference here is that Pacific rock is more porous, so there's more surface area for bacteria to colonize and less is needed for the same effect.
glass cover - ($8 for a 10 gallon, $12 for a 24 inch, you'll need two for a 55, or $15 for a 29) This keeps the water from evaporating too quickly or from splashing the lights, and keeps fish from jumping out of the tank.
Plus:
fish - (~$5+ per fish depending on the species)
food - You can use marine pellets or flakes as a staple, but you should supplement this with frozen plankton, enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, squid, clams, krill, Marine Cuisine, Emerald Entree, silversides, or dried seaweed depending on the dietary needs of the fish you decide to keep.
A reference book - I highly recommend The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5
There are lots of other things you could get or may need, but the list above will give you a good idea of what you should have on hand to start.
For maintenance, you should first set up the tank with freshwater and make sure everything is operational, then add the salt to the proper concentration. I would recommend that you do a fishless cycle (explained in a link I'll add at the end) to prepare the tank before you add any fish. Take time to acclimate the fish to the tank correctly (also explained in the Fishlore link). Once you add fish, do 25% water changes once a week. Tubes for the lighting should be replaced every year, especially if you're keeping invertebrates or using a compact fluorescent. Even though the light will still work, it loses the intensity at the wavelengths needed for photosynthesis in 10-12 months.
Fish in saltwater tend to be more aggressive (territorial) than freshwater fish, so do some research on the size, activity level, and compatibility of any species in which you're interested. Some general rules are not to mix fish from the same family, coloration, or body shape. This means that most species will be one to a tank, with the exceptions of the few that can be kept as pairs or in schools.
I can't emphasize enough the research that should be put into a marine tank before going and and buying the equipment. There's a lot that's involved, and the fish are rather expensive compared to a freshwater tank. But once you get past the intial set-up, the work involved isn't that much more than freshwater if you've planned the tank well.
Some additional reading on keeping saltwater:
http://www.fishlore.com/saltwaterbeginne...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
I usually provide the link to the peteducation websites, but Evelyn has already included them in her answer.
Saltwater Aquarium Sick Damsel?
I am on week 3 of cycling my tank. One of my blue damsels is sick, it started will just a small portion of his body missing some scales, then it progressed to most of his body and gils. Now he seems bloated and has all his remaining scales are raised and he isnt eating..what is wrong with him? what should I do? Will he infect the other fish?
Answers:
Are your other damsels attacking this one it is very common for damsels to attack the weakest one in a tank sine all your other fish are okay i would watch for the other fish attacking this one.
take him out of the tank! he will infect other fish! he is gonna die but it isa better 1 fish dying than a whole tank bcuz thats what will happen if you dont take him out!
aspca.org
adopt an animal save an animal
i'm also on around week 3 of cycling. have you been checking your water with your hydrometer? take the water into a local fish store and have them check it. when i first started i had 2 damsels. then i got 2 emerald crabs and a peppermint shrimp. one of my damsels and emeralds died.. i think it was because of a 'hitchhiker' crab that came home in the live rock. lol
it sounds like it might be a water problem though
are you feeding them too much? or not enough?
only leave the light on for about 10 hours/day. i leave mine on for only about 5 hours for a half hour at a time.
Sounds like your damsel is sick and disease will spread quick in a marine tank. How large is the tank? how many other fish and what species? Do you have at least 1lb-1.5lbs of live rock per gallon? Do you have live sand for substrate? Do you have a test kit for pH, amonia, nitrite, and nitrate? If you do what are your readings? what is the temp of the tank? what is the sg (specific gravity)? what kind of filtration do you have in the tank? Post more info or email me and ill be happy to help. Id have to know more information, anything you can think of dealing with your water parameters and setup to really get to the bottom of it. Sounds like the damsel is most likely stressed from the levels in one of your water parameters going out of line due to the tank still cycling or the damsel could have already been ill befor you got it in your tank and the added stress from the water parameters going out of line are adding to it. A 25-30% water change may help. Again feel free to email me if you still are having problems and good luck with your new tank.
ADDITION: yes it very well could be ammonia poisoning but it can also be nitrite poisoning. It may also be from an insufficient ammount of oxygen in the water but being that you said its only this one fish than i dont think its the case but lets not rule that out 100%. If you are using an airstone to add oxygen this doesnt really help as much as you may think. Disolved oxygen gets into your water more so by breaking the water surface the benefit of having an airstone is if you have a hood or any type of cover the airstone will aloow frsh air under the hood allowing fresh oxygen disolve into your tank through the water surface. One way of breaking the water surface more effeciently would be to not fill the tank all the way up so that the water coming out the filter will splash more on top of the water. Another way would be with use of powerheads. If it is amonia or nitrite poisoning that is the problem than doing a 25-30% water change will help dilute the nitrites or amonia. If it is any of these three issue that are causing your fish to be sick id hate to say it but it may be too late for the fish being your tank is so new. Hope this helps.
Answers:
Are your other damsels attacking this one it is very common for damsels to attack the weakest one in a tank sine all your other fish are okay i would watch for the other fish attacking this one.
take him out of the tank! he will infect other fish! he is gonna die but it isa better 1 fish dying than a whole tank bcuz thats what will happen if you dont take him out!
aspca.org
adopt an animal save an animal
i'm also on around week 3 of cycling. have you been checking your water with your hydrometer? take the water into a local fish store and have them check it. when i first started i had 2 damsels. then i got 2 emerald crabs and a peppermint shrimp. one of my damsels and emeralds died.. i think it was because of a 'hitchhiker' crab that came home in the live rock. lol
it sounds like it might be a water problem though
are you feeding them too much? or not enough?
only leave the light on for about 10 hours/day. i leave mine on for only about 5 hours for a half hour at a time.
Sounds like your damsel is sick and disease will spread quick in a marine tank. How large is the tank? how many other fish and what species? Do you have at least 1lb-1.5lbs of live rock per gallon? Do you have live sand for substrate? Do you have a test kit for pH, amonia, nitrite, and nitrate? If you do what are your readings? what is the temp of the tank? what is the sg (specific gravity)? what kind of filtration do you have in the tank? Post more info or email me and ill be happy to help. Id have to know more information, anything you can think of dealing with your water parameters and setup to really get to the bottom of it. Sounds like the damsel is most likely stressed from the levels in one of your water parameters going out of line due to the tank still cycling or the damsel could have already been ill befor you got it in your tank and the added stress from the water parameters going out of line are adding to it. A 25-30% water change may help. Again feel free to email me if you still are having problems and good luck with your new tank.
ADDITION: yes it very well could be ammonia poisoning but it can also be nitrite poisoning. It may also be from an insufficient ammount of oxygen in the water but being that you said its only this one fish than i dont think its the case but lets not rule that out 100%. If you are using an airstone to add oxygen this doesnt really help as much as you may think. Disolved oxygen gets into your water more so by breaking the water surface the benefit of having an airstone is if you have a hood or any type of cover the airstone will aloow frsh air under the hood allowing fresh oxygen disolve into your tank through the water surface. One way of breaking the water surface more effeciently would be to not fill the tank all the way up so that the water coming out the filter will splash more on top of the water. Another way would be with use of powerheads. If it is amonia or nitrite poisoning that is the problem than doing a 25-30% water change will help dilute the nitrites or amonia. If it is any of these three issue that are causing your fish to be sick id hate to say it but it may be too late for the fish being your tank is so new. Hope this helps.
Saltwater aquarium salinity problem/question?
I can't seem to get the salinity specific gravity up to 1.024. i add more salt and it goes up for a bit but then settles back down to 1.021 to 1.020. I feel like i've already added quite a bit more than the 1/2 cup per gallon as recommended on the instant ocean package that i used. I have a 37 gallon viaaqua tank. a fluval 204 canister filter. 12 pounds of live rock, 40 pounds of live sand and 30 pounds of regular sand (aragonite). 5 scarlet hermits and 5 nassarius snails. i'me using a red sea hydrometer (swing arm). my other water parameters seem to be okay. ph about 8.2. temp about 82 F. nitrates and nitrites okay.
Answers:
Don't pay attention to the "1/2 cup per gallon" given in the directions on the salt. In my experience, this is hardly ever an accurate measurement to get the salinity high enough for a tank with inverts. If anything it usually works out closer to 3/4 cup or more for me. Go by the readings of the hydrometer, just make sure that there aren't any air bubbles attached to the needle if you use a floating needle variety, and rinse the hydrometer well between and before each use to make sure there isn't dried salt making the float "stick" or weighing it down. The glass floating hydrometers are more accurate, but can be harder to read if there's any current (they are also much easier to break!). Take an average of three readings from different points in the tank and take an average if the readings seem to fluctuate.
The temperature would only affect the salinity by about 0.001 for every 10oF change in temp, and the salinity should go down as the water evaporates. Hardness shouldn't be a factor. If you have "salt creep" along the filter or rim, this could cause the salinity to go down.
you seem to know alot about your aquarium. anyways back to the point, im thinking its the brand of salt your using. try looking for a more reccomended salt brand.try asking your local pet store or ask anoter question on petqna.com . hope this helps!
check for what temperature the hydrometer is calibrated to give a reading at. Higher or lower water temperatures may cause it to read differently. Another thing is are you adding the salt directly in the tank? you should always premix the salt befor you put it in the tank. If you are getting a low reading and keep adding salt wait till the next day to take a sg reading. As the salt disolves in the water the sg will rise. 1.020-1.021 is ok you are still in the safe zone for most marine inhabitants. So dont worry to much for now let the salt disolve and take another reading tomorrow and if it is still low then remove 5 gallons into a bucket and add about 1 cup of insant ocean salt, mix it up really good and let it sit for an hour. I sometime like to take an airpump and an airstone and put it in the bucket where i am mixing salt to let the water airate. then add it back in wait an hour or so and take another sg reading.
Addition: Hmm thats interesting water hardness may affect it but if you keep adding salt the sg is going up. Try getting a different hydrometer see if the readings are the same. seems more like a faulty hydrometer. i mean its simple science you add salt the salinity will rise. You are right as the water evaporates the sg should and does go up. Befor you add anymore salt to the water go get a different hydrometer and see if the readings match. Like is said befor 1.020-1.021 is still in the safe zone for pretty much any marine fish or invert. It wont have any terrible outcome on the inhabitants of the tank so leave it be till you get a new hydrometer.
Answers:
Don't pay attention to the "1/2 cup per gallon" given in the directions on the salt. In my experience, this is hardly ever an accurate measurement to get the salinity high enough for a tank with inverts. If anything it usually works out closer to 3/4 cup or more for me. Go by the readings of the hydrometer, just make sure that there aren't any air bubbles attached to the needle if you use a floating needle variety, and rinse the hydrometer well between and before each use to make sure there isn't dried salt making the float "stick" or weighing it down. The glass floating hydrometers are more accurate, but can be harder to read if there's any current (they are also much easier to break!). Take an average of three readings from different points in the tank and take an average if the readings seem to fluctuate.
The temperature would only affect the salinity by about 0.001 for every 10oF change in temp, and the salinity should go down as the water evaporates. Hardness shouldn't be a factor. If you have "salt creep" along the filter or rim, this could cause the salinity to go down.
you seem to know alot about your aquarium. anyways back to the point, im thinking its the brand of salt your using. try looking for a more reccomended salt brand.try asking your local pet store or ask anoter question on petqna.com . hope this helps!
check for what temperature the hydrometer is calibrated to give a reading at. Higher or lower water temperatures may cause it to read differently. Another thing is are you adding the salt directly in the tank? you should always premix the salt befor you put it in the tank. If you are getting a low reading and keep adding salt wait till the next day to take a sg reading. As the salt disolves in the water the sg will rise. 1.020-1.021 is ok you are still in the safe zone for most marine inhabitants. So dont worry to much for now let the salt disolve and take another reading tomorrow and if it is still low then remove 5 gallons into a bucket and add about 1 cup of insant ocean salt, mix it up really good and let it sit for an hour. I sometime like to take an airpump and an airstone and put it in the bucket where i am mixing salt to let the water airate. then add it back in wait an hour or so and take another sg reading.
Addition: Hmm thats interesting water hardness may affect it but if you keep adding salt the sg is going up. Try getting a different hydrometer see if the readings are the same. seems more like a faulty hydrometer. i mean its simple science you add salt the salinity will rise. You are right as the water evaporates the sg should and does go up. Befor you add anymore salt to the water go get a different hydrometer and see if the readings match. Like is said befor 1.020-1.021 is still in the safe zone for pretty much any marine fish or invert. It wont have any terrible outcome on the inhabitants of the tank so leave it be till you get a new hydrometer.
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