Started my tank the second time

[Yellowbelly]

Hi

I started my marine tank about 2 months ago and this is my set up:

1. 2ft tank

2. Top filter attached to a surface skimmer = overflow - that's what the guy in the shop told me?

3. 1 packet of sand

4. 1 Kg of live rock

5. 1 surface skimmer

6. Hydrometer

So what happen was that after setting up and cycling the tank for 3 days, I started by adding I added in 4 damsel and 2 live rocks and a few day later seeing that they are alright I added in fire goblin and dottyback, but my dottyback died the next day same for Fire goblin. So I went to purchase chemipure, for a while there was no death, so I added in fishes like oriole angel and a bicolour blenny but they

too died after a few days along with my Damsel.

I do not know what is wrong, I have check my Ph, it is at 8 which is within the normal range.

Now I have restarted the whole tank with my 2 remaining cleaner shrimps, 1 stripe damsel and 1 yellow belly damsel with no change of water.

Now I do weekly 10% water change and adding hagen cycle after each change.....so far they have been alright for about 3 weeks already. Can I start adding fish again ?

Oh yes, I even add in ammo lock 2 as well.

Any advise

[dradttg]

My initial set up when done by a LFS and I was able to add fish the very next day. One thing is for sure, my LR and sand are already cured and cycled.

I am no expert but I would like to suggest that you check for ammonia and nitrate.

Otherwise, Damsel are hardy fish so it is not a good test for water condition. Try to put in an angel fish and monitor for 2 weeks.

[Cleartank]

3. 1 packet of sand

Whats the actual weight any idea?

4. 1 Kg of live rock

Too little if you want to depend on biological filtration.....

So what happen was that after setting up and cycling the tank for 3 days, I started by adding I added in 4 damsel and 2 live rocks and a few day later seeing that they are alright I added in fire goblin and dottyback, but my dottyback died the next day same for Fire goblin. So I went to purchase chemipure, for a while there was no death, so I added in fishes like oriole angel and a bicolour blenny but they

too died after a few days along with my Damsel.

K, 3 days is definately too short for a cycle .... I think you should cycle your tank again with enough biological filteration (namely LR / Live Sand). LR are recommended to be added before you add you fishes so that when you add fishes.... ONE BY ONE WITH AT LEAST A WEEK IN BETWEEN... (unless in pair I guess) ..... No Chemical addition is good enough to replace a good old cycling process and if there is one, then the company who owns it must be damn rich by now........

Your death i think are also link to the above mention cause i think....

Cheers,

[Fireclown]

I guess you are gonna get bombarded with the 3 day cycling thingy.

You should test your water parameters like ammonia and nitrite before adding any LS. Since your tank had been casualty-free the past 3 weeks, i think it should have stablize by now. But pls do your parameter check.

My 2 cents...

[FuEl]

OMg...should'nt u be the least worried when your fishes start dying? And you just go and buy more fish...omg..btw..it's fire goby..not fire goblin.

Since you have left your tank for 3 weeks...i suggest you remove ur damsels if you want to add any other fish. Damsels will wack the poo out of any new fishies.

In a 2 feet tank..I would'nt go more than 4 damsel sized fishes. Pls add fish slowly..one fish a week.

[jd_n]

U need to do some reading up and ask ques here before u really go into marine.

3 days is not cycling, its merely starting. Most probably ur tank haven even start the cycling process at all yet.

1kg of LRs is definitely not enough to act as ur bio-filter. U nd at least 10kg easily, so better start gettin more LRs to put in ur tank then to waste money gettin fishes.

If u going for DSB. I dun think one packet of sand is enough.

Get ur equipments rite first before gettin LS. Use reliable brand testkits and do the necessary testin on ur water parameters first before even thinkin of adding any more things into ur tank.

[Cleartank]

OMg...should'nt u be the least worried when your fishes start dying? And you just go and buy more fish...omg..btw..it's fire goby..not fire goblin.

Maybe it is.... I think he also have a SpiderMAN hehehe

[soggy]

3 days you say? well, i seriously hope you have learnt from your mistake and hence ended the torment and misery of the livestock. 3 weeks isn't enough if you ask me, i think anything less than 1 month isn't enough actually. the longer the better. before you contemplate on getting more ls, get more lr and more sand which will in turn benefit your biological filteration. but getting more lr would be as good as cycling you tank again. so yup. make your sandbed deeper, get more lr. cycle for another month. check your parameters. and if they're ideal, you're good to go. there is simply no reason to go about this hobby by trial and error with the abundant information available on the net. but making mistakes would be inevitable. hence, learn from them and you'll have a good time reefing. cheers.

[ReeF_LoVeR]

3 days only for longkang fish.....

[hamannbmw]

1 KG LR

[Virus]

Yeah bro Yellow... i just started out Marine too but due to space and budget constraint, i can't keep big tank too so currently only kepping a size slightly bigger than 1.5ft only... and for this size i'm already using like...

1 and half bag of size1 sand... i think around 7.5kg... which brings like 3-4 inch to my bed ( tall tank )

Around 8kg of LR...

And i just let my skimmer and filter running and havne't put in anything for 2 weeks, just cleaning those LR occasionally for dust (hehehe funny also, maybe when i put in that time never clean probaly or what... always got like small particles settling on top one.)

So i guess for 2 ft you may need much more, maybe 2.5bag of sand and like... 10- 12kg of LR?

[SpiderOne]

importantly. U dont cycle a tank with water and sand only dude. u need a source of ammonia

[Yellowbelly]

Hi

Thanks for all the comments and feedback.

But first, I have to clarify that I might be a novist at this. The fact is that I did made some backgound check before I decide to embark on this.

3 days cycling - that was what I was told by the aquarium shop. I run it without anything but sand and the salt water for 3 days before I started adding live rock.

1 pack of sand - told by him also that it wil do, but more would be better, but since my tank is already populated with 2 damsel and 2 cleaner shrimps, can I add in another pack of sand ? of yes, I would do it. by the way, they told me adding some coral bits into the filter system will bring up the PH slightly true as well for beneficial bacteria ?

Whether I worry about my fishes kept dying...yes, I do which is why I went back to the shop, they ask me everything andI told them whatever I know....but they also say sometime fishes just die!?

I do not enjoy seeing my fishes die as well, it not the money, it just me that I am sad to bring a healthly fish home to kill them.

I know add only 1 fish at one time a week.

One more thing, the shop told me that by pumping air into the tank it wil control either nitrite or nitrate ( I can't remember ) is it true ?

Thanks guys.....I really appreciated it.

[terryansimon]

I never knew adding an air pump would reduce nitrite or nitrate. hmm.

I'm sorry but this may sound a bit...like an attempt to bite your heels.

if you did claim that you did read up, you wouldn't have listened to what the LFS people told you.

if I were you, I'll try to get rid of all lifestock I'd have now by giving it away or asking someone to adopt it for me for the time being. then I'll put the sand in, be it one or two packets, then the liverocks in. I'll throw a market prawn in there and let the tank cycle.

the information is pretty detailed so it'd be good if you can read the sticky thread here.

I'm sorry if I sounded like I'm scolding you. (=

[Yellowbelly]

As i said, I am a novist and since the LFS sold them ...so I assume I can trust them on their advise but nevertheless, since my tank now seems to be stable already with no death at all for the past 2 weeks, I think I would not give my fishes and shrimp away.

But can I still add in sand ?

[soggy]

yes you may add more sand, but a little at a time. not pour the whole bag in just like this. and the question that's probably at the back of everyone's mind would be which god forsaken lfs did you go to get all the advise?

[jc85]

Pls read up on the notes in the sticky. It will answer many of your questions.

if i'm u, I'll stop going to the LFS. Obviuosly, they are giving u all the wrong advise.

[Cleartank]

Sorry, Hijack this for a little story telling.....

LFS said .......

.... weird shrimp was spainish dancer but it was Emperor shrimp.... (nice chap, told me not sure, took me 1 hr to run search on web...)

..... undergravel good for marine setup.....

...... BTA name was purple base.......

....... tank no need to cycle, only need a chemical.... fish dead then buy another equipment then other then other then other............

Still want to listen to LFS.... thats for you to decide.....

[Yellowbelly]

Yeah, I understand now guys...would be adding another packet of sand a handful at a time.....but does it mean a handful a day or what ?

By the way, I just added a boxer shrimp and I notice that the 2 Shrimp Cleaners ganging up on him attacking him from left and right ??!!! in the end, I have to put the boxer shrimp in a small container.

By the way, I found out about sgreefclub on at the exhibition which ended today.

[Yellowbelly]

Top filter attached to a surface skimmer = overflow - that's what the guy in the shop told me? true ?

the logic seems so.

Anyway, what are the other LFS that you guys can recommend which I can go and maybe get some really correct answer ?

[reefer guy]

i dont know with our fellow reefers out here but seems to me that lfs u went to is a MLFS not an lfs.. MLFS = money laundering fish shop.... guess that shop should be blacklisted as bad lfs or shall somebody go down there to teach them proper setup so they can instruct newbies the right thing?

btw, as far as i know, spanish dancer is a sea slug.... correct me if im wrong....

yellowbelly, my advice is stop buying livestocks at the moment, whatever u got ask a fellow reefer to adopt it first while u properly cycle ur tank.... reef hobby is for the patient and responsible who takes time to make sure water parameters are of optimum quality, learn about the livestocks even before they purchase it and keep on reading and researching for better ways to make his/her tank a good reef habitat....

if u cant keep ur itchy hands off from buying, try keeping lou han....

[soggy]

nudibranch to be precise. dangerous creature.

[Cleartank]

This is Spainish dancer...

[Cleartank]

this my friends, is a Emperor Shrimp....

Anyone know more about this baby...

[FuEl]

hEY! Finally someone identified that shrimp...I have it in my 4 feet tank..somemore..added it about 2 weeks ago..havent seen it since...sigh..the thing with small buggers.