A
Anonymous
Guest
Here is the nature of my crime
Without proper research, and relying on a teen something Petco employee, I endevored to start a small marine tank (10 gallon). Here is my setup
10 gallon Marineland tank
2 energy saver florescent bulbs (like you put in normal lite sockets)
1 penguin biowheel powerfilter
1 powerhead for water movement
1 Airstone and air pump
1 submersible heater
0 protine skimmer (new to me)
1 hydromiter
1 master test kit (PH, Amonia, Nitrate, Nitrite)
20 lbs Live Sand
2 damselfish
First off I had no Idea about live rock, and found out about live sand at the time of purchace (that should have told me something) Also, I had no Idea and was not informed of the importance of a protine skimmer to a marine environment. And finally, Starter fish are prety normal for freshwater environments, but far more inhuman in a marine environment (in retrospect)
I mixed up my salt, filled the tank, added the live sand with a couple of ceramic and stone decorations intended for aquarium. when the temperature reached 79 degrees (my understanding is that it should be between 78 - 82) and specific gravity was approximately 1.023 I headed back to the LFS and bought my damsels and food.
I did look up the fish before I ran out and bought them. They were suposed to be to hardy species with mild demeanors a Lemon Damselfish and a yellow-tail Blue Damselfish. When I got them home and in the tank, they both emmediately began feeding somewhat aggresively, and I thought that this was good. The next day I noticed the Yellow-Tail hiding over by the power head and everytime he left his little corner the Lemon shooed him back. This on the otherhand was not good. Also, the "Lemon" had developed black spots at the base of its pectoral fins. These weren't suposed to be there....
I did a little research and found out that my Lemon is actually a Juvinile Cocoa and that the Juvies are "Highly Aggressive". Well Poo. I can't condem him just because I'm stupid. So I re-arranged the tank, and now the yellow has a home of his own that the Cocoa will leave him too.
The real kicker came about 1.5 weeks into the cycle, when the nitrites started to rocket. I got up (On a Saturday) and turned on the lites to a couple of miserable looking fish. they were panting and looked all washed out.
I sent my wife in a scurry to the LFS to pick up some salt and began to drain 75% of the water from the tank. I mixed the new salt with distilled water, since I have no purifying equipment, and warmed it to tank temperature (only 2 degrees diferent from the starting temp of the water) and siphoned it back into the tank. I fiugred syphoning it back would be more gentle than just dumping it.
By the end of the day, the fish were colorful and happy again, but the cocoa looked ever-so slightly pale. I continued to monitor the cocoa closely at feeding times, during water changes, and when testing water paramaters.
After a few days, when his color did not combe back as it should, I set up a 2.5 Gallon hospital tank for him and moved him there. I keep that water pristine by daily 75% water changes, with no substrate to hide detritus or junk and only one place to hide to make hime more comfy. He recovered there just fine.
The yellow-tail has had to bare the brunt of the tank cycle and has shown no further sign of distress. Nitrites are finally at 0 as of this morning, and some algea is starting to grow (I think this is a good sign, anyway it is not red) This evening I will move the cocoa and my new Blacktail to the 10 gallon tank which I am sure will cause another smaller cycle, but I should be able to handle it.
No other critters except for janitors will ever be added to this tank since I am sure it will not handle any more of a bio-load. This weekend I will also be adding a protien skimmer, and am considering adding live rock to help out the live sand and maybe (hopefully) get some macro-algea to grow and a couple of helpful stow-aways.
I have definitely learned how NOT to cycle a marine tank, and have inhaled as much information as I possibly can in the mean time (Like a beginner should NEVER start with a 10 gallon tank)
Hope my Horror Story is entertaining
[/list]
Without proper research, and relying on a teen something Petco employee, I endevored to start a small marine tank (10 gallon). Here is my setup
10 gallon Marineland tank
2 energy saver florescent bulbs (like you put in normal lite sockets)
1 penguin biowheel powerfilter
1 powerhead for water movement
1 Airstone and air pump
1 submersible heater
0 protine skimmer (new to me)
1 hydromiter
1 master test kit (PH, Amonia, Nitrate, Nitrite)
20 lbs Live Sand
2 damselfish
First off I had no Idea about live rock, and found out about live sand at the time of purchace (that should have told me something) Also, I had no Idea and was not informed of the importance of a protine skimmer to a marine environment. And finally, Starter fish are prety normal for freshwater environments, but far more inhuman in a marine environment (in retrospect)
I mixed up my salt, filled the tank, added the live sand with a couple of ceramic and stone decorations intended for aquarium. when the temperature reached 79 degrees (my understanding is that it should be between 78 - 82) and specific gravity was approximately 1.023 I headed back to the LFS and bought my damsels and food.
I did look up the fish before I ran out and bought them. They were suposed to be to hardy species with mild demeanors a Lemon Damselfish and a yellow-tail Blue Damselfish. When I got them home and in the tank, they both emmediately began feeding somewhat aggresively, and I thought that this was good. The next day I noticed the Yellow-Tail hiding over by the power head and everytime he left his little corner the Lemon shooed him back. This on the otherhand was not good. Also, the "Lemon" had developed black spots at the base of its pectoral fins. These weren't suposed to be there....
I did a little research and found out that my Lemon is actually a Juvinile Cocoa and that the Juvies are "Highly Aggressive". Well Poo. I can't condem him just because I'm stupid. So I re-arranged the tank, and now the yellow has a home of his own that the Cocoa will leave him too.
The real kicker came about 1.5 weeks into the cycle, when the nitrites started to rocket. I got up (On a Saturday) and turned on the lites to a couple of miserable looking fish. they were panting and looked all washed out.
I sent my wife in a scurry to the LFS to pick up some salt and began to drain 75% of the water from the tank. I mixed the new salt with distilled water, since I have no purifying equipment, and warmed it to tank temperature (only 2 degrees diferent from the starting temp of the water) and siphoned it back into the tank. I fiugred syphoning it back would be more gentle than just dumping it.
By the end of the day, the fish were colorful and happy again, but the cocoa looked ever-so slightly pale. I continued to monitor the cocoa closely at feeding times, during water changes, and when testing water paramaters.
After a few days, when his color did not combe back as it should, I set up a 2.5 Gallon hospital tank for him and moved him there. I keep that water pristine by daily 75% water changes, with no substrate to hide detritus or junk and only one place to hide to make hime more comfy. He recovered there just fine.
The yellow-tail has had to bare the brunt of the tank cycle and has shown no further sign of distress. Nitrites are finally at 0 as of this morning, and some algea is starting to grow (I think this is a good sign, anyway it is not red) This evening I will move the cocoa and my new Blacktail to the 10 gallon tank which I am sure will cause another smaller cycle, but I should be able to handle it.
No other critters except for janitors will ever be added to this tank since I am sure it will not handle any more of a bio-load. This weekend I will also be adding a protien skimmer, and am considering adding live rock to help out the live sand and maybe (hopefully) get some macro-algea to grow and a couple of helpful stow-aways.
I have definitely learned how NOT to cycle a marine tank, and have inhaled as much information as I possibly can in the mean time (Like a beginner should NEVER start with a 10 gallon tank)
Hope my Horror Story is entertaining
[/list]
