Thank You and Cycling question.

[superfirefly]

I wanted to thank everyone on this forum for helping me make my decision to purchase a saltwater tank. After reading all the posts on this site I decided I was capable of setting up a SW within my budget. Thanks Again

Now for the questions. I purchased a 10G aquarium and filled it with 20Lbs LS and around 12 LBS of LR. They also sent me home with water from their system. The guy at the petshop said the rock and sand was already cycled and if my parameters looked ok in 2 - 3 days I should be ready to purchase my fish.

Does everone agree with this statement.

I also received a Black banded brittle star with my rock plus two smaller brittle stars. What should I be feeding these guys. The only info I found said they eat deitrus. But I have nothing in the tank right now producing deitrus. I have some krill that I feed my cichlids should I throw one or two of them in there for it to munch on.

Thanks for any input
SM

 

[cowman345]

In theory, what your LFS told you is correct. However, you can always expect SOME loss of life (read: waste) during transport home from the store, and or during setup. Before you add anything else, make sure your ammonia and nitrites are at 0ppm. I'd test your water after 3-4 days like they told you.

Brittle stars (I think) will take meaty food, but I wouldn't bother feeding them, there's prolly enough junk on the rocks to keep them happy for now.

-dave-

 

[superfirefly]

Thanks cowman, I tried testing my water perams lastnight and as I was adding the drops to the water in the ammonia test it started to coagulate. I thought my test kit from my freshwater would be ok. Boy was I wrong. So off the lfs I had to go again. So far all looks good.

As for the star I droped in a small peice of krill. With in two seconds of it hitting the sand bed the star was out and all dragging it back to his cave. I never would have though they could move so fast. It looks like he is doing well which made me feel good. What was even funnier is when a little peice broke off of the big peice of krill and one of the tiny dime size stars that came on the LR was trying to drag this little peice back to his cave. I think the krill was bigger than he was. He managed to drag it back to his cave though.

Thanks again
Steve

 

[cowman345]

I really wouldn't reccomend feeding it too much meaty food right now, it's going to create a ton of waste.... wait til you have an established tank for that. What you just fed them ought to be good for at least a week.

-dave-

p.s. it's normal for some ammonia tests to coagulate... my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test coagulates when I add the 2nd reagent, then you have to shake it really well and wait for 5 mins for color development.