Brian60077
Member
A couple of my friends who have reef tanks are starting to p*** me off. I bought a betta tank almost 2 weeks ago and a Kenya tree coral, then found out about last Saturday's Reefing USA show here in the Chicago metro area. Bought 6 frags all soft corals, mainly some kind of leather since they are the easiest except for one small candy cane and a couple zoa frags. Put them in the betta tank on the live rock and they all opened up nicely almost immediately. Decided to look for a bigger set up, went to my local fish store on Sunday, since they posted they had several used set ups for sale. Glad I brought a tape measure with and measured as when I got home found out the one I wanted would not fit in the available space...... ugh. was thinking about doing what I did with the few fish only tanks I had, including the one that decided to empty itself after a few months.... a silicon seal evidently let go and drained the tank in about 4 hours. Granted the way those tanks were set up they were marginally stable at best, but they worked and were pieced together with the needed equipment. While looking at FB market place on Monday, which was also my birthday I found a complete Fluval evo 13.5 kit, including the live sand, and complete test equipment, 2 skimmers and a nice light timer/controller that was less than half of what it would have cost barely piecing together a set up new so I bought it. The person selling it was very local to me and nicely offered to deliver it to me as well. Monday afternoon I put the live sand that was in it back in the tank, made the salt water for it and filled the tank, set up the light and started figuring out how to program the timer/controller for the lights. Tuesday morning the water was 90% clear and stable temperature between 78.5 - 79.2 so I transferred the live rock and corals that were in the betta tank to it, cleaned out the betta tank and returned it to petco along with the clearly defective heater that the only way it shut off was being unplugged, then later in the afternoon went to my local fish store, bought some more live rock, and another zoa frag. Wednesday morning the water was completely clear, all corals were open, figured out the timer/controller programming and left it alone. Yesterday morning the tank water and corals looked even better, and then a friend asked if I wanted to meet him at the local fish store by me and then go to lunch, so I did. They had a cool looking pair of clown fish available, and I was going to purchase them and this is where the problem starts, My friend tells the sales person that I just basically set this tank up on Tuesday, it had the live sand that was already used in the tank before I bought it, as well as the live rock i had, plus added some on Tuesday and transferred my corals into it...... The sales person then says well, since you got the live sand the tank had in it and using it, plus the few small live rocks from your betta bowl that was only a week old, and added more live rock to it and the water is clear...... you MIGHT be ok to add them, however if I was you, and this is the same recommendation I would tell anyone, I would wait at least another week while adding the Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacteria like you have been before you add anything more, he said we almost always have paired clown fish available so no need to rush. Mind you this employee is one of the ones who used to work at the former Old Orchard Aquarium in Skokie who knows me, and knows I usually always had right at the edge of stability fish only tanks saying this. Asked the employee if he realizes that it is November in Chicago, almost the middle of November as well and soon the weather conditions will not be hospitle to transporting any fish, let alone salt water or corals and he says thats true, but shouldn't be an issue if due to weather conditions and temperatures being too cold, there's always next spring.
Went to lunch with my friend, let him know that he is annoying and likely is testing the waters putting his nose where it does not belong, and testing a former copper's patience with him. Later in the evening I went to another friend's house who also has a reef tank, surprised his floor holds it since it is an old house and his tank is a 250 gallon set up.... told him what I wanted to get at the store and yet another one who agrees with them.
DO THESE CHICAGO RESIDENTS NOT REALIZE IT IS ALMOST WINTER IN CHICAGO WHICH MAKES IT VERY RISKY TO TRANSPORT LIVE FISH/CORALS WITH THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES THAT ARE LIKELY?
Went to lunch with my friend, let him know that he is annoying and likely is testing the waters putting his nose where it does not belong, and testing a former copper's patience with him. Later in the evening I went to another friend's house who also has a reef tank, surprised his floor holds it since it is an old house and his tank is a 250 gallon set up.... told him what I wanted to get at the store and yet another one who agrees with them.
DO THESE CHICAGO RESIDENTS NOT REALIZE IT IS ALMOST WINTER IN CHICAGO WHICH MAKES IT VERY RISKY TO TRANSPORT LIVE FISH/CORALS WITH THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES THAT ARE LIKELY?
