I am usually a lurker to forums, never a poster; however, I would like to share my story in hopes it helps someone.
I have always wanted a fish tank, but I moved so often that I was not able to have one. Last year, my SO and I purchased a home. We were finally stable! For my birthday he bought me a fish tank. I was so excited. He went to a fish store and was given advice on maintaining a saltwater tank and left with a brand new 30 gallon tank. He said we would need to get it set up with water and cycle it for a month and then we can start adding to it. That weekend we went to the store together and I purchased the water and let the cycling begin.
One month later...
We revisit the fish store. I really trust the guys here. They received so many great reviews on yelp and google. We were informed that the next step is to add live rock and let it cycle. I was disappointed that I couldn't have fish. Why didn't they tell me this one month ago? Anyway, we purchased about 10 or so pounds of live rock and let it cycle again.
One month later...
We visit the fish store and are ready to buy fish! I inform the fish experts that I am a noob. I know absolutely nothing. They suggest I bring in a sample of water for them to test so that they can confirm my tank is ready. I am a little disappointed again because I still did not understand the complexities of owning a marine tank. However, I am appreciative that they are pushing me in the right direction. I had no idea that the water needed to be tested. This would also have been helpful on day one.
One week later...
I return to the store with my water. The store is not very close to our home and we can only go on the weekend. They tell us our parameters are off. We need to buy pH buffer, calcium, alkalinity buffer. We do this and go home and add the buffers according to the instructions.
Two months pass by...
We let two months pass as directed with the cycling and then returned with a sample of our water. The results said we were ready! My boyfriend and I were over the moon. I was so excited! I wanted a starfish and a purple fish. He wanted a crab and a goby. We also got another blue and yellow fish. This was fantastic. After months of waiting, we would finally be able to enjoy our tank. The fish experts told us to acclimate for 30 minutes on a slow drip and sold us some hoses and food. We went to the hardware store for buckets.
When we got home, we started the drip. When the water was doubled from the drip, as instructed, we moved our new pets into the aquarium. For hours we sat watching the fish. The decorator crab immediately started decorating himself. The starfish moved to the top of a rock. It was beautiful and we were both pleased/
One day later....
I notice a few strings in the tank, like silk. I immediately started researching. Silk in tank? Strings in tank? Was it poop? What did fish poop look like? Did the fish bring it with them? I couldn't find anything.
One day later...
The starfish is laying on the bottom of the tank in the sand. One of its legs is full of the silky stuff. We immediately believe it was attacked. Who was the culprit. We took turns watching the tank to see who was attacking our starfish, Patrick. No one seemed to be bothering it.
The next day...
The starfish is even worse. Three of its legs are deteriorating. This, I was sure of. We started googling. And then we found our answer. It was melting. Apparently, these are sensitive creatures and our pH was too low. I called the fish shop and requested to speak to a manager. They said our pH was too low and I couldn't support a starfish. I referenced the receipt they gave me and how they reviewed it and said I could have a starfish. (The fish store guy helped us pick our pets). The manager said someone at the store made a mistake. He suggested a refund. I denied and requested he train his team so that this would not happen again. A few days later Patrick died. It was the saddest thing because we just sat and watched him die. I couldn't help him. It was then that I learned that this hobby requires A LOT of research. You have to know what you are doing and shouldn't expect the fish store to teach you. They want to sell fish.
Heartbroken from the death of Patrick, my boyfriend and I started researching nonstop. Oh! We should test the pH ourselves! Oh! We should check the temperature! Oh! Some fish don't get along! Oh! we need several test kits. We need to regulate the lighting properly. We learned so much (and are continuing to learn).
A week later...
Diatoms overrun our tank. We contact another store and do some research online for a solution and get a salinity remover. We wash our rocks with a toothbrush. We clean the glass. We are up until 2 am trying to save our tank. It's terrible. But then things get even worse.
One week later..
Our purple and yellow fish is acting weird. He keeps hiding in a rock and has something weird on its side. We research and research but cannot find a solution. We are testing the water every day and treating it as instructions say. I'm devastated.
One day later...
I can't find the goby. We check everywhere. It's feeding time and he is nowhere in sight. We go to dinner.
Two hours later...
My boyfriend tells me not to enter the bedroom. He didn't want me to see the carnage. The decorator crab killed the goby and was eating it. It also attacked our purple and yellow fish.
---
This whole experience went from happiness and pure excitement to complete depression in weeks. In the end, we can only blame ourselves. WE should have researched. WE shouldn't have relied on the store's advice. WE are accountable.
I thought that the best advice would come from the fish store. They're the experts, right? Wrong. All they did was take over 1k from us. Their mission was to sell, and sell they did.
My advice to anyone new to the hobby would be to research, research, research before you start. Know your tools. Know how to maintain a tank. And before you buy anything, know who it gets along with. Know what kind of environment it needs. We have two fish left and will only keep these two until we are comfortable running a tank. We are keeping a journal to document the tank levels every day. I'm sure this is a fun hobby. We got off to a terrible start but I'm sure with time, and study, we will eventually have a nice stable tank and hopefully upgrade to a much larger one.
I have always wanted a fish tank, but I moved so often that I was not able to have one. Last year, my SO and I purchased a home. We were finally stable! For my birthday he bought me a fish tank. I was so excited. He went to a fish store and was given advice on maintaining a saltwater tank and left with a brand new 30 gallon tank. He said we would need to get it set up with water and cycle it for a month and then we can start adding to it. That weekend we went to the store together and I purchased the water and let the cycling begin.
One month later...
We revisit the fish store. I really trust the guys here. They received so many great reviews on yelp and google. We were informed that the next step is to add live rock and let it cycle. I was disappointed that I couldn't have fish. Why didn't they tell me this one month ago? Anyway, we purchased about 10 or so pounds of live rock and let it cycle again.
One month later...
We visit the fish store and are ready to buy fish! I inform the fish experts that I am a noob. I know absolutely nothing. They suggest I bring in a sample of water for them to test so that they can confirm my tank is ready. I am a little disappointed again because I still did not understand the complexities of owning a marine tank. However, I am appreciative that they are pushing me in the right direction. I had no idea that the water needed to be tested. This would also have been helpful on day one.
One week later...
I return to the store with my water. The store is not very close to our home and we can only go on the weekend. They tell us our parameters are off. We need to buy pH buffer, calcium, alkalinity buffer. We do this and go home and add the buffers according to the instructions.
Two months pass by...
We let two months pass as directed with the cycling and then returned with a sample of our water. The results said we were ready! My boyfriend and I were over the moon. I was so excited! I wanted a starfish and a purple fish. He wanted a crab and a goby. We also got another blue and yellow fish. This was fantastic. After months of waiting, we would finally be able to enjoy our tank. The fish experts told us to acclimate for 30 minutes on a slow drip and sold us some hoses and food. We went to the hardware store for buckets.
When we got home, we started the drip. When the water was doubled from the drip, as instructed, we moved our new pets into the aquarium. For hours we sat watching the fish. The decorator crab immediately started decorating himself. The starfish moved to the top of a rock. It was beautiful and we were both pleased/
One day later....
I notice a few strings in the tank, like silk. I immediately started researching. Silk in tank? Strings in tank? Was it poop? What did fish poop look like? Did the fish bring it with them? I couldn't find anything.
One day later...
The starfish is laying on the bottom of the tank in the sand. One of its legs is full of the silky stuff. We immediately believe it was attacked. Who was the culprit. We took turns watching the tank to see who was attacking our starfish, Patrick. No one seemed to be bothering it.
The next day...
The starfish is even worse. Three of its legs are deteriorating. This, I was sure of. We started googling. And then we found our answer. It was melting. Apparently, these are sensitive creatures and our pH was too low. I called the fish shop and requested to speak to a manager. They said our pH was too low and I couldn't support a starfish. I referenced the receipt they gave me and how they reviewed it and said I could have a starfish. (The fish store guy helped us pick our pets). The manager said someone at the store made a mistake. He suggested a refund. I denied and requested he train his team so that this would not happen again. A few days later Patrick died. It was the saddest thing because we just sat and watched him die. I couldn't help him. It was then that I learned that this hobby requires A LOT of research. You have to know what you are doing and shouldn't expect the fish store to teach you. They want to sell fish.
Heartbroken from the death of Patrick, my boyfriend and I started researching nonstop. Oh! We should test the pH ourselves! Oh! We should check the temperature! Oh! Some fish don't get along! Oh! we need several test kits. We need to regulate the lighting properly. We learned so much (and are continuing to learn).
A week later...
Diatoms overrun our tank. We contact another store and do some research online for a solution and get a salinity remover. We wash our rocks with a toothbrush. We clean the glass. We are up until 2 am trying to save our tank. It's terrible. But then things get even worse.
One week later..
Our purple and yellow fish is acting weird. He keeps hiding in a rock and has something weird on its side. We research and research but cannot find a solution. We are testing the water every day and treating it as instructions say. I'm devastated.
One day later...
I can't find the goby. We check everywhere. It's feeding time and he is nowhere in sight. We go to dinner.
Two hours later...
My boyfriend tells me not to enter the bedroom. He didn't want me to see the carnage. The decorator crab killed the goby and was eating it. It also attacked our purple and yellow fish.
---
This whole experience went from happiness and pure excitement to complete depression in weeks. In the end, we can only blame ourselves. WE should have researched. WE shouldn't have relied on the store's advice. WE are accountable.
I thought that the best advice would come from the fish store. They're the experts, right? Wrong. All they did was take over 1k from us. Their mission was to sell, and sell they did.
My advice to anyone new to the hobby would be to research, research, research before you start. Know your tools. Know how to maintain a tank. And before you buy anything, know who it gets along with. Know what kind of environment it needs. We have two fish left and will only keep these two until we are comfortable running a tank. We are keeping a journal to document the tank levels every day. I'm sure this is a fun hobby. We got off to a terrible start but I'm sure with time, and study, we will eventually have a nice stable tank and hopefully upgrade to a much larger one.
But please promise us you will not give up on this wonderful hobby ! I know its lots of reading but they are many good books and videos on YouTube that give you the walk around of the general stuff. Its hard to understand when you do the research on the spot and under the stress of something bad happening. I think we have all been there at some point no matter how experienced we are .... if not this forum would be dead :beachbum:
