More Tank woes!

[aaparkr]

I think your biggest problem right now is ich. After that is gone (lets say 3 weeks without spots) we can talk about the sand sifting star and the fact that you won't have a lot of other fauna in your sand... You might want to get something to eat the dead starfish after it eats all the little critters in the sand and starves, but all this is sub water column and shouldn't bother the pH a lot.

Tony

 

[Serra]

Lee is right. There is more to stocking than just inches. Here is a good article on stocking a tank and all the factors to consider. http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/73

Finding a good fish balance in your tank will help to avoid any future outbreaks. Stress will lower your fish's immunity. When I wiped out my 25, I allowed it tank to be empty for weeks. Another excellent article is: Fish Diseases and Treatment in Quarantine http://www.mycomas.com/content/blogcategory/15/86/

One of the hardest parts of this hobby (addiction) is patience. Most of us have gone through what you are going through. In my first tank I killed so many fish I almost put in plastic ones.

 

[aaparkr]

I don't like to think about all the critters that I've had that are no longer in my tank. There were 2 sand sifting stars and 1 horse shoe crab in the sand. I don't know who ate whom, but none are left. I have a lobster that is doing well. The Butterfly fish I've lost would've stocked a large show tank. We find what works and learn from our mistakes and the advice of others.

Tony