Starting a new tank... help?

maurice · 09-20-2007, 08:36 PM

Hey i just started my first salt water tank, i went to the pet store and she said to get a live rock and it has an anemone on it.... the dude looked happy as hell yesterday but now it looks like its dying i think.... I tested all of my levels in my tank and they are all fine and dandy... what could cause my friend to go from awesome to crap in one day? Also i was reading on here and it said they are pretty hard to take care of... but she told me it was no big deal... im begining to wonder if she was just trying to make a sale....i just got two domino? fish today and i dont want them to die too, i follow all of the directions and everything but something just isnt working right for me... any help?

ckusnierek · 09-20-2007, 08:44 PM

WELCOME TO TRT!!!

How llong has the tank been running? We need more specs:
size
filtration
lighting
Skimmer?

Most anemones require intense lighting to thrive. And it was hitchiking on LR The LFS would not have jsut gave it to you if it was one of themore soughtafter anemones like, BTA,LTA Carpet, Seabe, or even a condy.

If this tank is a new tank set up within a few weeks that chances are it is not ready to support Live stock.

You say you just started it... If you mean like this week it will take a few days for the cycle to start untill then your parameter will read normal.

maurice · 09-20-2007, 09:17 PM

14 gallon, aquatech filter, florescent lighting.... and no skimmer.... just started it like less then a week ago... the chick told me it would be cool... guess not.... but she also said i needed a fish to get my sand started on the cycles and what not... the anemone was 20 bucks extra.... i dont know what kind it was though..... im sad i really thought he would make it....

ChrisPrusha · 09-20-2007, 09:29 PM

Yeah, this is a little early for livestock. I'd take the rock back and see if you can get a refund. Then purchase a good book or two and read, read, read.

Try The Conscientous Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner.

holyscoly · 09-20-2007, 09:32 PM

take it slow your tank has sto start a cycle and just being a week old it hasent probably even started i would get about 8-10 lbs of live rock see how it looks and let it cycle for about a month u DO NOT need fish to cycle your tank, check your levels ammonia,nitrite,nitrate and ph if all is well add a fish wait a week or so and ad something else a true cycle can take 6 months or more u will get all types of algea i would also consider a nano skimmer if you can to get those phosphate and nitrates down this will avoid the nusence algeas goodluck and remember take it slow.

maurice · 09-20-2007, 09:33 PM

so take the LR back? How in the hell do i get started then... does anyone have any good links? When my anemone dies is it going to like let out some stuff that destroys my two little fishies? Sorry im such a noob but it seems like i cant get any good help/suggestions/ guidance anywhere else...

ChrisPrusha · 09-20-2007, 09:41 PM

The reason I suggest taking the LR back is to save the anemone. The fish should go back, too. Your tank needs to cycle before you should add livestock.

Don't get too frustrated...if this hobby was easy, everybody would be doing it.

maurice · 09-20-2007, 09:45 PM

ahhhhh!11 lol i hope she takes them back... im really kind of upset b/c i sat there and told her everything and she said it should be fine to put them in there.....so more or less buy more liverock and get all other live things out and let it sit for a while ehh..

ChrisPrusha · 09-20-2007, 09:47 PM

Yes.

And get a good book while you are waiting, and ask away here, too!

Geoff · 09-20-2007, 09:51 PM

Welcome to TRT!!!

ooooh, bad advice from the LFS.

could you return everything? that place will not give you good advice in the future, so i would just go somewhere else after researching here for a bit.

a couple of quick notes:
a tank does not need fish to cycle. the LR itself will do it.
it takes a couple of months for a tank to cycle, it does not matter what is in the tank it just takes that long.
a skimmer is pretty much a must for a SW system. smaller than 20g you can get away with not having one, but it takes extra maintenance and care during water changes.
those fish you have, are the meanest things known to man. nobody should suggest anybody should get those for any reason.
a 14g tank will only support 2 small fish if you are lucky.

get a refractometer to test your water. everything else is a waste of money. not having a refractometer is prolly why the anemone went from ok to horrible in a day. anemones are 99% water. so if the water chemistry is different from one tank to another this can be very problematic for the anemone. i am betting your salinity was not even close to the same as the LFS. the anemone is doing an emergency water replacement to get things back on track. it may not die right now because of this, but i am sure that is what it is doing. depending on the anemone it may starve because of lack of light, but that is another long topic.

i am sorry, you are having a bad first experience with a SW aquarium.

unfortunately it is not that uncommon, keep posting questions. we can help you get things under control.

G~

maurice · 09-20-2007, 10:20 PM

Any more suggestions?

tony9758 · 09-20-2007, 11:02 PM

aiptasia??
I thought I had an anemone at first too!!

Harry_Y · 09-20-2007, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maurice

Any more suggestions?

Read "The Conscientous Marine Aquarist", It will be time well spent, Excellent common sense approach to SW.

This is my second time around at salt water, the first time was 20 years ago, so I'm starting back up again myself.

Read, relax, and enjoy the hobby.

Set it up with sand and rocks, wait a couple of weeks, then toss in a few snails, and crabs (a Few!, not a fleet).

Wait and other week or two

Test and if all is well you can add a small hearty fish.

Wait again.

Test, if all is well add another one.

Wait some more.

Pass the time by reading and watching the cool things pop up out of your Live rock.

It is an eco system your setting up it has to go through stages, you can help it along but for the most part it just takes time.

Have Fun!

Reefyone · 09-21-2007, 09:30 AM

If you will not be able to return the anemone to LFS, what else you may try:
(based on my humble experience with purple tip condy anemone)

1. Watch for ammonia in the tank, especially after adding the new LR, the API test kits are cheap and good.

2. Shrinking could be reaction on the water parameters, different from the store, salinity, alkalinity, anything else. If the tank experiences the pH swings in the evening - it may shrink in this time and open again in the morning.
Mine reacts so on any rapid water parameters changes - for better or for worse. If dosing anything - the dripping is better, than pouring.

3. Flow - mine eventually found the place for itself in uplifting flow, under small powerhead intake, could be power filter intake, slightly aside and intake should be protected.

4. Light - you may mount it close to the top, as a volcano flame, closer to the light. Unfortunately, 7W/gal for 12" deep tank was the minimum for mine, more, that 7W/gal is necessary for the health (you will see the difference in a couple of days). I supported the 72W power compacts light for 10g tank by direct sunlight, southern window.
Now have 70W DIY metal halide, it's brighter even with the same wattage. Only the cheap lamp from EBay has a strange spectrum, listed as 14,000K.

5. Watch for corals, shouldn't touch it, especially the yellow polyps. Can be close, but no direct contact.

Seems, all.
The bad thing with anemones is, if they start looking bad - no one will take them, kind of stuck with them for a long time.

Good luck!

maurice · 09-21-2007, 05:29 PM

hey he looks like he is coming back from the dead... I got some "stabilize" to help get the bacteria started... but other than that all looks well.. in the process of finding a new lfs so i can have a reliable provider.