newbie needs help

[ad6735]

hi everyone...

first of all, i'm glad to find this forum...a lot of good info here!!!

okay now for my question...

my wife and i purchased a 20gal tank mh lights (in an eclipse hood). also bought 5lbs of lr and 1 bag of live sand (made about a 2in substrate)...cause that's what are lfs said is all we need to get started..we got a rio600 powerhead(?) also,test kit, heater, and thermometer. we left hoping to start off a small reef system..

after one week, did our test and everything was well within the recommended standards. so we bought a pair of Percula clowns.

everything was cool until the 2nd day...1) looks like the clowns were doing a full swim against the current, then 2) one of them died...

1) were we too early to introduce our first fishes?

2) is our current waaay to strong for the tank?

3) do I need to get a skimmer, a wet/dry filter, or any other type of equipment?

the live rock and sand seem to be healthy, saw some type of lifeforms on the rock and the water looks alive (I think I saw a baby snail on the glass)

please help, my wife is pretty bummed about the clowns

[Jimbo]

Hi

You could have had a "mini-cycle" after you added the fish. A lot depends on if the lv and ls you got were cured and cycled. Most people would say wait until at least 2 weeks or longer before adding fish. Have you done a test for amonnia and nitrite since the fish died. It could of just died of shock also. I've only had my tank going for a week, but have added lv I know that was cycled and sand inoculations from several other tanks. I also have a refugium with macro algea in it. I only added a couple of snails and 2 hermits and they seem happy. The fish may have been sick when you bought them, bring some of your water to your lfs and the dead fish, if your parameters check out they should replace it.

Have a good day!

[tangirl]

Was very early to add fish. Your tank has to cycle. Monitor it and you should see an ammonia spike and then it will come back down as the good bacteria builds up in the tank.

You'll want about 4 inches of sand. Don't buy live sand from your LFS if it's the dry stuff in the bag. If it was the dry stuff in the bag, it's not live sand. Live sand is actually wet and bagged to order and loaded with all kinds of creepy crawlies (and generally runs $5-$8 a pound). Add a couple more inches of plain old sand and the critters from your live rock will eventually move into the sand, making it live sand.

5 pounds of live rock is not enough for a 20 gallon. I'm very surprised they told you it was plenty, generally they would try to push it. (I have a bad taste in my mouth over most LFS's). I have over 120 pounds in my 75g.

Do you have a sump? Would be a really good idea. My sump is half refugium and half sump. Refugiums provide more space for critters like copepods, amphipods and bristleworms to grow and keep your tank clean.

Read, do some research, and double check everything your LFS tells you with this board and others like it. Let the tank sit for a while to give the pods and what not a chance to populate the tank. You'll find all kinds of neat stuff in the rock if you look closely enough. I love looking at my refugium.

Just a quickie answer. You'll get much better inswers from others here. Welcome to the board.

[ad6735]

thanks guys,

i knew i was spending a bit too much...

is there a physical sign that the cycle is going through its phase (algal bloom, cloudy water, etc)?

I do see some critters on the rocks (sounds like a drink)..a small fanworm and mini-anemones(?)..no movement yet in the sand...

i did test the waters after my clown went to the BIG SLEEP..again everything is within standards...

I'll let you guys know in 2 weeks....

[FishDaddy]

Hi ad,

Good to have you with us!
From your description of what happened and the length of time, I would surmise that the tank had not yet fully cycled.
2-3 weeks is fairly normal cycling time. Tests should show "0" Ammonia; "0" Nitrite; and Nitrate less than 10 ppm.

While you are waiting for the tank to stabilize, I would highly recommend getting and reading Robert Fenner's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist or John Tullock's Natural Reef Aquariums if you don't already have them.

I would also recommend Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals for anyone planning to keep corals.

None of these books are very expensive but can save you much in the long run.
Dick

[tangirl]

Originally posted by ad6735
thanks guys,

i knew i was spending a bit too much...

lol - that's just the tip of the iceberg

I do see some critters on the rocks (sounds like a drink)..a small fanworm and mini-anemones(?)..no movement yet in the sand...

Get a small flashlight and check the rock out at night - all kinds of neat stuff. Have to be quick though - they'll duck right back in. After a year I still find new stuff from time to time.

I'll let you guys know in 2 weeks....

You had better!

And I meant to say sorry about the clown earlier.