Hi, Im alex, 19 years old. I just started my reef tank about 2 months ago. I am completely clueless to the whole reef tank business. I learned very little and so I started out with very little. I have a 20 gal long tank with a metal hallide light. Ive gone through 3 fish and now I'm on my last one. I started with a pink skunk, soon after a week I introduced a royal gramma. One day I came home and pink skunk jumped out. Then my sister felt bad so she bought me 2 oscellaris clown fish. Once I introduced them into the tank, I noticed the royal gramma would never come out to eat or anything, and 3 days later it dies. My clown fish died from ich I believe he was swimming really wierd and stayed at the bottom of the tank. It seemed as if his tail was getting eaten away at. Now i'm on my last fish. He has ich so I don't think I'll make it. I had the sudden urge to just give up, knowing that these fish were probably dying because on my ignorance. ZI have began just yesterday reading up on the internet on info on reef tanks. I didn't even have any test kits before yesterday. I bought them and the readings came out like this. Nitrite=0, pH=8.5, Phosphate= 0.25 or 0.5 (couldnt really tell), Ammonia= 0 or 0.1 (couldnt really tell), Nitrate=0 or 5 (again) What are normal readings on a tank that I should have. How regulalrly should I do tests and which tests whould I do regulary and how often? I have a hydrometer and it reads at 1.023 which is good correct me if i'm wrong. I was actually posting on reef central itself but I was told to start posting here so that people locally could actually help me out or get with me one day to talk to me more about it or even come to my house to check out my tank. Not to be rude in anyway but i feel somewhat iffy about it. Ive done an internet date once and it wasnt so bad she was amazing =) (lol) but meeting up with a stranger to talk about fish tanks or see my tank seems somewhat akward. It's not that I don't trust you people it's just.....O i guess you would understand, but maybe i'm wrong and it would be worth the experience. My last fish has ich and im not willing to give up on it what should I do to help him out?
sigh.......
- Thread starter Tri0 #3
- Start date
D
Deleted member 24321
Hey ALex,
Let me start by saying, it takes a lot of research to do a tank right. I was in your shoes when I was 15-17 and I lost many fish over a year or two and finally gave up. About three years ago, I wanted to start again, I think his name is Nigel, he used to work at the store on rt 10, turned me on to this site. I read and read and planned for about three months before I bought my 29 gallon. THree years later I went from a 58 and now have a 75. I've only lost three fish and 2 of them died in my Quarantine tank. The other I had for three years before he died. It's very tempting to just dive in this hobby but as you can see very frustrating if you don't know what you're doing. I would first read the "so you want to start a marine tank" it's on the home page. Then do a lot of reading here before you start adding fish again. If you take your time and have a lot of patience you can have a great tank. If you're not willing to spend the time learning about the water parameters and different fish, give it up, it's not the hobby for you.
Mark
Let me start by saying, it takes a lot of research to do a tank right. I was in your shoes when I was 15-17 and I lost many fish over a year or two and finally gave up. About three years ago, I wanted to start again, I think his name is Nigel, he used to work at the store on rt 10, turned me on to this site. I read and read and planned for about three months before I bought my 29 gallon. THree years later I went from a 58 and now have a 75. I've only lost three fish and 2 of them died in my Quarantine tank. The other I had for three years before he died. It's very tempting to just dive in this hobby but as you can see very frustrating if you don't know what you're doing. I would first read the "so you want to start a marine tank" it's on the home page. Then do a lot of reading here before you start adding fish again. If you take your time and have a lot of patience you can have a great tank. If you're not willing to spend the time learning about the water parameters and different fish, give it up, it's not the hobby for you.
Mark
Hang in there Alex. Everyone in this hobby has made mistakes. Most mistakes are made due to impatience. Slow down and learn as much as you can and you'll minimize your losses. You'll find a lot of people here willing to help out as well. If you feel wierd about meeting someone one on one, a good idea would be to attend a club meeting. The next on is down south on the 25th of this month. No membership/fee required. Give us a little more info about your setup and you'll get a lot more feedback. (Water source, substrate, live rock, filter, skimmer, etc)
dppitone
In Memoriam
Start with Damselfish. Either Blue Damsels, Domino Damsels, or Three-Striped Damsels. They are readily available at pet stores and cost $4 or $5 each, and are a good choice for a new system because they are less susceptible to disease and poor water parameters. You can have 4 damselfish in that sized tank.
Clownfish and Royalgrammas are intermediate level fish, so stay away from those varieties.
Sounds like your water quality readings are OK.
Clownfish and Royalgrammas are intermediate level fish, so stay away from those varieties.
Sounds like your water quality readings are OK.
D
Deleted member 24321
Trio,
you have no filter and no skimmer? do you have any water movement? do you have a power head at least? Again, go read the "so you want to start a marine tank" on the home page
you have no filter and no skimmer? do you have any water movement? do you have a power head at least? Again, go read the "so you want to start a marine tank" on the home page
PnoyReefeR
New member
did you ask TRi0 # 1 and 2 for advise hehehe j/p...=) goodluck and buy damsel to start just like what dip was saying...
sinkingbeach
New member
I'm not sure if you read this or not http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1
it's a good start. If you haven't read it and come back and ask more questions.
Substrate is the material on the bottom of your tank, sand, crushed coral, bare bottom, etc... Info on Protein skimmers can be found here http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/proteinskimmers/a/aa052200.htm
it's a good start. If you haven't read it and come back and ask more questions.
Substrate is the material on the bottom of your tank, sand, crushed coral, bare bottom, etc... Info on Protein skimmers can be found here http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/proteinskimmers/a/aa052200.htm
sinkingbeach
New member
Yes it is possible and many with nano tanks do run one without a skimmer. You will need to do frequent(daily) water changes to maintain your tank or you will find the leftover nutrients will cause unwanted algaes to grow along with a host of other problems.
Phyl
New member
You don't need a skimmer. Light bioload (one or two small fish), lots of inverts, and lots of rock should be enough to keep your system running just fine.
If you've had ich in your tank I'd recommend not putting a single fish in there for at LEAST 8 weeks. Let the tank sit "Fallow" (it can have inverts, just no fish) for those 8 weeks. Keep up with your water changes and you should be fine.
Once you're ready to add fish again only add one or two small fish total. A pair of OC is fine as long as they're purchased from the same tank (then at least one is likely to be juvinile).
Change water once a week and light feeding.
If you've had ich in your tank I'd recommend not putting a single fish in there for at LEAST 8 weeks. Let the tank sit "Fallow" (it can have inverts, just no fish) for those 8 weeks. Keep up with your water changes and you should be fine.
Once you're ready to add fish again only add one or two small fish total. A pair of OC is fine as long as they're purchased from the same tank (then at least one is likely to be juvinile).
Change water once a week and light feeding.
DMBillies
Active member
I'm not a super-expert, but I ran a 29 gallon for about 6 months without a skimmer (before upgrading tanks) and had no problems as long as I did 25% water changes every week (religiously). Doing a big water change every week (or multiple smaller ones) can get expensive, but with a small tank it's not too bad. Also, it saves you on needing to buy any additives (copper, idodine, etc.) because the new salt constantly replaces it. This solution only works if you have a very light bioload as Phyl says and to be honest, with a 20 gal. tank you probably shouldn't have more than 2-3 small fish anyway.
As far as damsels, they definitely are hardy. I'd just be careful because some of them get bigger than you'd want and they are known for being bullies. Depending on what else you might want in the tank, maybe not a good idea... especially if the damsel isn't the last fish you put in the tank.
Take the advice on the ich problem... ich's life cycle almost guarentees that if you put anything new in the tank you'll just have to deal with everything all over again. And, whatever you do, do not use a copper-based treatment in your main tank (only tank by the sound of it) because it will decimate your inverts and cause plenty of other problems.
As far as damsels, they definitely are hardy. I'd just be careful because some of them get bigger than you'd want and they are known for being bullies. Depending on what else you might want in the tank, maybe not a good idea... especially if the damsel isn't the last fish you put in the tank.
Take the advice on the ich problem... ich's life cycle almost guarentees that if you put anything new in the tank you'll just have to deal with everything all over again. And, whatever you do, do not use a copper-based treatment in your main tank (only tank by the sound of it) because it will decimate your inverts and cause plenty of other problems.
dflint
New member
just reading your post, wha is your water temperture? It should probably be a consitant 79-80 degrees. on a tank that small, with a powerful (and proobably hot) light you might be overheating the tank and then cooling it off alot after the ligths go out. just a guess of course...
I feel your pain on the fish killing, it feels awful. hang in there and read as much as you can before throwing anymore money or fish into it
I feel your pain on the fish killing, it feels awful. hang in there and read as much as you can before throwing anymore money or fish into it
michaelm2431
New member
[welcome] There's a lot of great advise here. Glad to see you found you're way over here. Be patient. Mike
if you have a sump i have a skimmer that you can have for 25. it needs to be in a sump though (there is a tiny crack in the inlet pipe). if you can fix it, it can hang on the back. it needs a pump though. o it's a berlin turbo, not the best but WAYY overkill for a 20. i had it on mine 
. how many watts is your mh? some advice for fish, just wait and when that 8 weeks or so is up then you can get more fish. (another shameless plug) when that 8 weeks is up and you don't have any other clowns, i have two tomato clowns that are yours for 20. they are a pair.
good luck man i feel ya.
. how many watts is your mh? some advice for fish, just wait and when that 8 weeks or so is up then you can get more fish. (another shameless plug) when that 8 weeks is up and you don't have any other clowns, i have two tomato clowns that are yours for 20. they are a pair. good luck man i feel ya.
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