I'm new to the salt water thing, currently I have a 46 gallon bow face tank, with a cf300 filter, live sand , live rock and temp is sitting right around 77 . My ammonia is a little high but not much and everything else is where it should be chemical wise. The tropical fish store told me to put some damsels in there to test it out and they seemed fine but this morning only 1 of 3 survived the night. What could be my problem here? Could it be the slightly high ammonia? I was also told to get a wave pump as it will help with water getting to the appropriate level quicker and help with the fish life. Any suggestions appreciated.
Need advice on what my next step should be
- Thread starter Kross714
- Start date
gone fishin
New member
Like mentioned above post up your test results. The LFS gave you some bad advice to add some damsels to the tank. Any level of ammonia is toxic to fish, so I would suspect that is what did your fish in.
did you use actual live rock or was it dead dry rock to start?
What was your initial ammonia level and has it been going down?
Other than the damsels did you add anything else to the tank?
did you use actual live rock or was it dead dry rock to start?
What was your initial ammonia level and has it been going down?
Other than the damsels did you add anything else to the tank?
The tank was set up 3 days ago, I was hesitant to add fish so soon but he said the fish would actually help the levels. The live rock is living from the tank at store to my tank. Have about 15 lbs but feel i need to bump it to about 30 lbs and also the live sand. I will test the water again tonight and post results. Thanks guys
gone fishin
New member
I would agree your little light on the rock.
Baccara
New member
The best thing you can do at this point is not touch your tank for at least a month or two, with the exception of adding food. research and then do some more research. This forum is filled with so much knowledge and experience.
The most difficult aspect of this hobby is the patience.
The most difficult aspect of this hobby is the patience.
rsain
Empiricism's Evangelist
Need advice on what my next step should be
I'm sure you will hear the following repeatedly:
LFS have things to sell. We don't. Best advice is here if you search well.
What to do today:
1. get test kits - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
2. Test today. Report levels here.
3. Go ready the sticky on setting up your tank. Your tank is not cycled yet.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074
3.5 Go here and download the file. Use it. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2089309
And after today:
4. Be patient.
5. Read more.
6. Be patient.
-ryan
I'm sure you will hear the following repeatedly:
LFS have things to sell. We don't. Best advice is here if you search well.
What to do today:
1. get test kits - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
2. Test today. Report levels here.
3. Go ready the sticky on setting up your tank. Your tank is not cycled yet.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074
3.5 Go here and download the file. Use it. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2089309
And after today:
4. Be patient.
5. Read more.
6. Be patient.
-ryan
Last edited:
Relojdepeso
Member
Also read up on the nitrogen cycle
rsain
Empiricism's Evangelist
Some edits to my post above:
3. add the following to immediate reading: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2152814
And after today:
4. Be patient.
5. Read more. (some good ones: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1990809 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1379607
6. Be patient.
3. add the following to immediate reading: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2152814
And after today:
4. Be patient.
5. Read more. (some good ones: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1990809 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1379607
6. Be patient.
IdahoCindy
Member
I would return the damsel, poor thing.
Martini5788
New member
Yes return the damsel if you can catch it, you can add prime to detoxify ammonia if it gets too high. It can take weeks for a take to cycle and become safe for critters, and patience is your best friend. As well as a good quarantine protocol that works for you. It's a major pain in the long run if you don't do it right the first time, believe me I speak from experience.
rsain
Empiricism's Evangelist
Need advice on what my next step should be
Did you go back and read those threads? Will take a while but you won't regret it!
Rock- shoot for 50 ish lbs (depending on density, but that's a good start). See other posts for details about combining live and dead rock.
Dead Shrimp = good move. It will begin to decompose... Starting the CYCLE.
Get a nitrite test kit. NH3 becomes NO2 and then on to NO3. Once the first two spike then drop to zero you are coming along nicely. This takes time (sometimes a month or more). Ghost feed mildly (some do, some don't).
After the cycle you can start thinking about critters. Plan, research and study the care of each species... What does it need? Space? Holes? Sand? Etc.
Quarantine all new fish for about 6 weeks (see quarantine posts in sticky section). It's a hard lesson to learn the easy way and a easy one to learn the hard way. Then you can add one fish. 
take it slow. Learn your tank. Record data! Consistency is queen here. You can't see consistency unless you plot your data.
Save your damsel. Take it back to the LFS.
Be patient. Expect months of waiting and planning. Do not rush this hobby. Talk to folks in here. Lots. Read even more.
-ryan
Ps. Be patient. Read more. Lol.
Did you go back and read those threads? Will take a while but you won't regret it!
Rock- shoot for 50 ish lbs (depending on density, but that's a good start). See other posts for details about combining live and dead rock.
Dead Shrimp = good move. It will begin to decompose... Starting the CYCLE.
Get a nitrite test kit. NH3 becomes NO2 and then on to NO3. Once the first two spike then drop to zero you are coming along nicely. This takes time (sometimes a month or more). Ghost feed mildly (some do, some don't).
After the cycle you can start thinking about critters. Plan, research and study the care of each species... What does it need? Space? Holes? Sand? Etc.
Quarantine all new fish for about 6 weeks (see quarantine posts in sticky section). It's a hard lesson to learn the easy way and a easy one to learn the hard way.
Then you can add one fish. take it slow. Learn your tank. Record data! Consistency is queen here. You can't see consistency unless you plot your data.Save your damsel. Take it back to the LFS.
Be patient. Expect months of waiting and planning. Do not rush this hobby. Talk to folks in here. Lots. Read even more.
-ryan
Ps. Be patient. Read more. Lol.
Last edited:
A1t2o
New member
Yeah, the fish store doesn't care if you kill the fish cause then you will come back and buy more. They also want to look good, so they will try to find stuff for you that they "think will work" rather than disappoint you and have you leave empty handed. They think that giving you something that is "close enough" is good customer service but its really just kicking the can down the road and you will have to spend more money later to fix it or replace it.
So my shrimp is in full decay mode and my ammonia levels just aren't spiking much, max of about .50 but mostly .25 and nitrates are at 0 still and ph levels have held steady at 8.0 , live rock is getting a layer of algae on it but nothing much...is there something I'm doing wrong to no be getting any significant spikes in my chemical balances?
ZeeSparrow
New member
Did you take the damsel back to the store? Those ammonia spikes are harmful to it, so I hope so!
Did you read the sticky on setting up at the top of this forum (and probably linked above)? Ammonia will rise, may start to fall as nitrite starts to rise, then both will fall as nitrate begins to rise. Ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate. Once ammonia and nitrite are both zero, then the nitrification process has been established and your tank is "cycled".
Read the sticky.
Did you read the sticky on setting up at the top of this forum (and probably linked above)? Ammonia will rise, may start to fall as nitrite starts to rise, then both will fall as nitrate begins to rise. Ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate. Once ammonia and nitrite are both zero, then the nitrification process has been established and your tank is "cycled".
Read the sticky.
