Please help the new guy

[Shark Bait100]

The best method is to calibrate the refractometer with 35 ppt/ 1.025 saline calibration fluid. Just zero-ing one on RO/DI water is not good enough, depending upon the quality of the refractometer. The plastic swing arm hydometers all vary quite a bit. The glass hydrometers need to be calibrated for the temp of the water to be acurate.

 

[tkdwoody]

Where do I get the saltwater to calibrate it

 

[kelley_mc]

I got mine here: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=18718

Could not find it locally.

 

[tkdwoody]

So when will i be ready to add any other livestock besides my one hermit crab?

 

[kelley_mc]

My opinion, months on the corals. Seriously, until you can keep the fish and inverts alive I wouldn't add any.

As for fish and inverts, once you are sure things are settled and the water is all testing OK, I would throw a couple snails in there and see how they do for a week or two. If all goes well, then maybe 1 fish or some more inverts. Just go SLOW. I always try to wait at least couple weeks between additions. I took me a year to get 5 fish in my tank.

 

[tkdwoody]

I appreciate the honesty...I would rather wait and not kill anything than rush it. What other invertabraes could I add besides the snails.
I was thinking of maybe adding a six line wrasse or green chromis in a week or two.

How many snails should I add. 34 gallon with a ten gallon sump. I've heard as many as 1 per gallon but I think that's more than I need I don't want them to starve. I do have a snail in the gravel that I haven't seen in awhile. How do I know if he's still alive and If he dies will he take the tank with him and I'll have to cycle it again. I don't want to go searching for him because I think I stirred up some crud the last time I did, I guess there is some bacteria down there.

 

[Gobie74]

Someone above mentioned that you should test for copper, have you done that? It couldn't hurt.

As a few people have mentioned, you have to slow down. If you buy more then 1 animal at a time, you've bought too much ( snails and hermits may be the exception )

You don't need to "cycle with a damsel", especially if you're not going to want the damsel later on. You could add a few drops of pure ammonia every day to establish your biological filter. If you add some, you should be able to test for it, and watch the level disappear into nitrite, then into nitrate. Then you'll know you have a bio filter working. Then you can !slowly! start adding animals, one at a time every couple of weeks.

 

[kelley_mc]

tkdwoody - In my tank I have astrea snails, cerith snails, trochus snails, peppermint shrimp, cleaner shrimp, harlequin shrimp, brittle stars, scarlet hermit crabs, and nassarius snails. I like inverts and they all do pretty well. You can add any of these and many others. I would skip the harlequin shrimp though, they only eat starfish.

As for fish, I like wrasses. A 6 line is not a bad choice but for some reason I think he should be a late addition to the tank, but I can't remember why.....

Many people have Chromis by themselves but they prefer to be in groups. Even though they are fine for smaller tanks, I didn't want to fill my tank with just a school of Chromis so I avoided them.

Gobie74 - Yes, thanks for the reminder, that is what I was getting at in my first post.

DO check for copper. You are using a hex tank as a sump and my guess is that this tank was used. If the fish in it were ever treated for ick with a copper based medication (most are) it will never be good for saltwater.

 

[tkdwoody]

I checked for copper last week and it was negative. Is it something that will appear over time???

What fish should I start out with, I was bitten by a damsel diving one day so I would rather get something else that doesn't school.
Suggestions??

 

[Neublian]

When adding fish people say to add the least agressive fish first and the most agressive fish last. A six line is a great little fish but some have been known to bully other smaller fish, which is why some people say to add it later.

Since you have a 34G, you shouldn't plan on having too many fish. Do some research on what's out there and figure out what you want. You should look at small blennies and gobies. Check out this list
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=2124
and see if there is anything you like. You can get most of these fish locally.

Again I must stress going slow. A few crabs and a shrimp can be very entertaining and won't create the bioload of a fish.

Oh, and welcome to the club!

 

[Chriskid]

I only brought up copper bc some one i know couldnt Keep any corals. and i tested there water and it had a small amount. just enough to kill them all. It ended up coming from ther tap.75% water change with my Ro water and it wuz fine. but its reel good if u dont have any.

 

[epstein]

woody....what water are you topping off/changing with ? What water did you start with?Everything is testing fine now ......But ....what was your foundation?

 

[tank o tang]

What is your water source? Maybe I missed it but figured I'd ask. If you bought a used ro/di is it possible for membrane to have been dried up?

 

[epstein]

same thing I was just thinking Tank......We never asked the obvious....Chris's post made me think about it as well.....

Brian

 

[tkdwoody]

I've been using the RO water from the store where i bought the tank. I'm having the new guy whip up a batch at his place which is what he's been using