Rate My Fish Tank

Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:49 am GMT   Reply      

yet again I seem to have found an LFS that is more concerned about the sale as opposed to the hobby!!!!!!!!
Went to the store yesterday {Saturday} to look at and buy an algae blenny - after talking to the LFS for quit awhile he sells me a Bullet Goby, so I get him home and acclimate him into the tank [which I did to fast] and 4 hours later he's dead - - - during this 4 hour death watch I read everything I can find on himand figure out that mt LFS knowing I have crushed coral substrate sold me a fish that sifts sand, and the poor little guy was imasiated when I got him [very thin compared to posted pics of them] - I didn't realize this I haveing never read on them and took his word for it - I'm just so sick and depressed that the only decent advise I can get is from people in here - -I'm thankful for it but we are not face to face you know??? BUT none the less I havn't been sent in the wrong direction yet so....... whats my next fish? I'm looking for a scavenger that can live on other regularly fed food as well ...any thoughts? also any help on proper salt water acclimation steps and times??

Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:04 am GMT   Reply      

i think i made a post on that some wher here.on the lfs.give em hell snowboss!! you could get a algea bleny.i have had all kinds of substrate , crushed coral is hard for scavengers to get in to.

Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:19 am GMT   Reply      

how hard is it to switch substrate - -or mix it ? I have 20lbs of crushed coral in there now, about an inch deep - -could I add a 20 lb bag of live sand and just mix it up?

Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:26 am GMT   Reply      

no i would not mix. the sand would just sink below the crushed coral and pack. since you dont have that much in your tank it would not be that hard.

Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:31 am GMT   Reply      

am i going to start another cycle? am i correct in saying that the bio load is being supported by the matierials in the substarte somewhat?

Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:42 am GMT   Reply      

no, but the sand will take some time to establish if its not live. yes but your tank is so new , it is probably still a negative load on biological activity. thats why i waited for so long to add anything . my rocks and sand where like little towns of bugs not only that but live phytoplankton . my tank was biologicly stable .

Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:42 am GMT   Reply      

I just finished a major cleaning and water change inbetween these posts..... I set up a ten gallon tank yesterday and let the salt water "cure" over night, pulled out the live rock and decorations i have in the tank and put them in the "change tank" then I put the 2 Dams in there and totaly cleaned the main tank -I leaft one of the filters untouched {it was cleaned 2 weeks ago} compleately cleaned the other one, the intake sponge on the power head and added a canister type pre filter on the other power head, changed the carbon bag in the HOT filter and rolled the substrate over and over until the dark brown crap was pretty much gone and run through the filters - - then refilled the tank and put everything and the fishies back in - -it is really cleaning up nicely now as the filters put the finish on it - I know some people {PIMP,lol} don't like to hear the words, "big water change" and I don't really like to do them either, but, this one was much needed - - I was pleased to see little critters in there so I didn't remove the substrate and "wash" it - like i stated, I just rolled it around to stir up the gunk I have gotten in there from the over feeding learning curve.


The next tank will be sand, and it will run for a minimum of 2 months before any live stock is added - -as much as it pains me to lose fish I am enjoying this learning curve on the small tank and figure if i can master a little rig - - the big one will be a cake walk..... easier to stay on top of suttle changes compared to catostrophic changes that occur in a small one

Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:48 am GMT   Reply      

PIMP - - gimme a call man - -sorry ive lost your number - -and Im having a major issue here - AL

Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:30 pm GMT   Reply      

vigorously stirring substrate will probably raise the nitrates in the tank. a few sections should be siphoned at a time

Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:07 pm GMT   Reply      

as ive done somthin . .see my new post - - bad bad day here - -thanks for the advise though

Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:14 pm GMT   Reply      

I started with crushed coral too only b/c i had it in my fresh water tank before. I was contemplating live sand too. It's a great way to establish bio filtration but i stayed with crushed to save a little dough and reduced the depth dramatically from what it was before so buildup of detritus was reachable. I liked the ph factor of the coral. High ph can keep algae in check as well. Pimp made a good point though about certain critters not being able to drill through it as easily to help clean. All in all if you don't want to toss the coral all together, you may be able to do a 50/50 substrate(coarse bottom and fine on top) and separate with some type of mesh product. Warning though: Dead pockets may form underneath giving way to unwated algae and if left unattended can create some form of gas thats toxic to fish. It begins with an "s" i forgot the name..... not too mention a "trap for crap" raising nitrates.

Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:21 pm GMT   Reply      

adding both substrates will have tragic results. the sand will go right to the bottom of the tank. will get no oxegen and you will have problems.with sand you need to put live rock on the bottom of the tank on the glass, pouring sand around the rocks preventing packing. if you place rock on the sand it will pack,

Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:28 pm GMT   Reply      

I have no experience with sand but good info .....never heard the term pack? meaning clump up?

Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:34 pm GMT   Reply      

yes . i did not read your post right. the way you are talking about is substrate suspension, they did this in the late 80s and 90s. anthony calfo has written alot on this topic.substrate on the bottom of the tank is more benifical,more stable.