HELP!!!! please??

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harlequine

New Member
Allright first things first... Im Jennifer, and I need help...

with what you ask??? A whole mess of things... my husband and I have been running a 46 gal FW for a long time now and i decided that I wanted to start a salt water tank GREAT right? Well thats what the guy at the LFS thought at least. I bought a 16 gal bowfront, and they told me to put the crushed coral, live sand, and live rock (which doesnt look much like a rock to me, i think its coral) and let it run for 24 hours then i can start putting fish in... so thats exactly what i did, ive got two clarkii's (sold to me as black percula) and a sebae nem (that i dont think thats what it really is....) and i think its called a peppermint shrimp...

NOW i find out i moved WAYYY too quickly and im kind of in a pickle as the LFS wont take back saltwater fish, and i would have to drive 2 hours to the nearest saltwater specialty store and i dont even know if they would take my animals....

and to top it all off the algae growing is really nasty brown looking and its spreading quickly... :(

I know i dont have the proper lighting and i know i shouldve researched this BEFORE i did it but slap on the wrist lets move on to the bigger picture...

what do i need to do to save this tank??????


(i can post pics if you would like to see...)
 
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AlexfromSATX

New Member
Hi Jennifer!! First There is not much you can do about the cycle while inhabitants are in the tank. To take care of the algea I would get a Turbo snail to help mow down some of the grass(if there is a lot as you are saying), and find a good Clean up crew; then do a water change, not a big one, but enough to pull some stuff out that may be effecting your fish. The nem I really would try to find a new home for, as they usually don't fair well in new set-ups, especially set-ups with low lighting, and can bring down your whole system if it dies while you are away. Other than that I wouldn't put anything else in the tank as far as inhabitants. I hope this helps a little bit. And welcome to Nanotank.com and the addiction of Salt Water!
 
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AlexfromSATX

New Member
Do you have the specs on your tank as far as Salinity, ammonia, Nitrate, and nitrite and temps? This also may help to establish what is going on in the tank. Everything about your set-up will help us help you out, including pics.
 
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harlequine

New Member
hey, sorry it took so long to reply, been busy... i dont know the specs on my tank as the LFS guy told me that i dont need a test kit bc i used live sand... (i know... FOOLED again...) but i get paid tomorrow so ill pick one up, and as far as the lighting goes he also said the one that came in the hood was fine which i doubt that it is... so theres another purchase ill be making...

please tell me what you recommend as i have no idea what i need.

Here are some pics, if you know what sort of anemone this is can you please please tell me??? Also, you can click the thumbnails for a bigger pic











 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Yep, well I'm glad you found us. Honestly I see three outcomes:
1. Make a couple semi-expensive purchases to get your livestock through this
2. Find a place to house your livestock while you get your tank up to snuff
3. Make slow purchases and hope your livestock is hearty enough to survive.

Lights ( I personally like T5 with individual reflectors) are a big thing for anemones
Filtration (you have live rock, the best biological filtration) might help to run some carbon
Water changes (do small water changes to keep your ammonia as close to zero as possible as long as your livestock is in that tank)

You could get a cheap ten gallon tank and put just your fish and anemone in there and do frequent water changes and just let your main tank cycle properly. But if you can find a local reefer who can house your livestock that would be better in my opinion.

Let us know which of the three you think is most feasible for you and we will do our best to help.

BTW :welcome to Nanotank!
 
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mathewkofalk

New Member
Wow i feel bad for U. My local shop told me i would wait 4-6 weeks for my tank to cycle after live rock is put in. They also gave me a small bottle of Stability which could bring my wait time down a bit. but i just got the water in tonight i cant wait to get the cleaning crew in, and hopefully some more fun stuff in a few weeks. I really want what the call a crimson Goby(which is really a dragonet), but was bummed to hear i have to wait a year or so to get one. Anywho good luck.
 
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Lmecher

New Member
Oh no, this is criminal. Never go back to that LFS again. That anemone looks like a bleached bta in the photo. I wish I could make the pictures larger. anemones need a mature stable tank at least 6 months up and running. I hope thid dose not turn you off to salt water, it is such a rewarding hobby. Again I can't see the fish well enough in the photo to make out what kind of clown it is. If you are refering to a black and white clown, they are ocellaris not percula. The brown algae you have is a diatom bloom, very common in a cycling tank, it should dissapate soon. I'd say get a few hermits but you don't want to add to your bioload. It may be a good idea to try and find someone local to house your fish and anemone while your tank cycles. You could try a local club, I would help out a fellow reefer in need. If you wish I could show you how to find clubs in your area. Fish folks are sometimes strange but we are very helpful to our own kind lol.
 
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