We all start somewhere... right?

Yea it's gonna take you a bit. I honestly haven't QT any of my fish. Over a year ago, I had 2 clowns and lost both to brooklynella.(sp?). Since then I added 2 more clowns, wrasse, hippo, and the fish I have in my 55, and never did a QT. I however feel I got very lucky. Starting this 125 though, I'm gonna QT anything new. My 2 tanks are relatively small, and haven't been super abundant with coral growth, so its not the end of the world to me to pull a few rocks to catch a fish. Not going to risk it though with the 125. Like I said, I have been very lucky. I actually had setup a QT tank at one point, but didn't end up using it. I haven't added a new fish for months though, and I know my luck will run out without doing a QT, so I've been buying coral. In the end, a QT is the only way to go, especially long term. Like I said, I've been lucky but if I go buy a clown tomorrow, and put it in without a QT, if my luck has run out and it has ich, now all the other fish I've kept alive and healthy for the last year are in jeopardy. You got the other side of the stick and got ich early, but I hope that has reinforced the proper procedure to you. A damsel you have today that is easily disposed of, may be your favorite fish in another year. I think my plan is to get all the fish I want for the 125 as fast as humanely possible and then go about just buying coral for the life of the tank.
 
This is why I didn't hesitate to setup the QT. My buddy with the 120 does not QT, and like you, has been EXTREMELY lucky. I never get lucky. I always get porked one way or another.
 
We all start somewhere... right?

Wow.... I've read many threads over the years about new people starting and being impatient and naive.... This one is by far the most extreme one so far.


My only piece of advice is to take some advice from those that you're asking for advice from....
 
The tank is done, and running. The damsels are gone. All problems resolved. Waiting till payday and putting a cuc in and calling it a day.

Again, thanks for all the pointers and bashing. The tank cycled just fine. Not everyone is a pro, and not every situation requires identical methods.
 
It was filled 8/31. It's been maintaining water parameters for a week and progressing through the algae phases as outlined by many people. The 4 Astrea snails are doing phenomenal at the cleanup of the dead diatoms, and the 4 nassarius snails are not doing a damn thing. Copepods are showing up everywhere and thriving. Next payday or two I will finish up the cuc, add a skimmer and pick up some more powerheads. By then the QT tank will be ready for the clown to move out. Also going to be changing the fuge around and making it better to populate pods in.
 
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Pigpen17 said:
They are, but 4 is not many. They turn your sandbed everytime they dig. Also, they eat meat, not algae. You will have to feed them.
Click to expand...
They come out and eat the frozen (thawed) shrimp off the top of the sand when I feed, but that's it. The sand doesn't appear to be altered. I was under the impression they continuously burrow, not dig and stop. I plan on getting more in the near future as well as some more Astrea and some hermits
 
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LeadFootedRacer said:
They come out and eat the frozen (thawed) shrimp off the top of the sand when I feed, but that's it. The sand doesn't appear to be altered. I was under the impression they continuously burrow, not dig and stop. I plan on getting more in the near future as well as some more Astrea and some hermits
Click to expand...

I think that's true, but I don't have a way to see if it is. :)

I have about 10 in my 56g, and I probablly could add more. Even thouogh I don't see it, I know they are putting in work. What's the old saying? "You can't see what I have prevented because I have prevented it."
 
I know the feeling. My tank has gone through all kinds of new tank issues. I didn't go crazy with a CUC though. I just worked though it. I knew going into this thing that my tank would go though a few phases of The Uglys. I am not a panicy guy when it comes to tanks. I know things just take attention and time.

There are some people who think your tank is not cycled. I could not tell you this or not, but once it is, a fighing conch could do work on your sandbed. Cerith Snails are said to eat Cyno and Diatoms. I keep some just for that reason. And I have a small army of Dwarf Ceriths that cleaned up my sandbed in about a week. I think I started with maybe 50? It didn't stay clean for long becasue whatever was causing my problems was still there, but it helped. In fact, they are maybe my favotite snail. Word of warrning though, they can look messy. They are tiny and go wherever they please, so a neat freak may hate them.
 
I don't have enough open exposed bed for a conch. The rock layout doesn't accomodate a conch well.

I'm not panicking and know the tank will continue to phase the uglies in and out. The diatom bloom was horrendous and ended about a week ago. The cleanup of that is still in need. The sand is ugly. The Astreas cleaned up the rocks pretty good. I've got a couple sprouts of hair algae one 1 rock in the display and 1 rock in the fuge, as well as some cyano on the top of the sand.
 
LeadFootedRacer said:
I don't have enough open exposed bed for a conch. The rock layout doesn't accomodate a conch well.

I'm not panicking and know the tank will continue to phase the uglies in and out. The diatom bloom was horrendous and ended about a week ago. The cleanup of that is still in need. The sand is ugly. The Astreas cleaned up the rocks pretty good. I've got a couple sprouts of hair algae one 1 rock in the display and 1 rock in the fuge, as well as some cyano on the top of the sand.
Click to expand...

In a 90g? That suprizes me. I have been thinking of getting one. Good thing I waited.
 
C3hutson said:
The ignorance displayed by OP is dumbfounding.
Click to expand...

I think it's cute when people use big words to kick someone when they're down. It really adds to the condescending superiority of the thing, even though you're still just saying "ur dum! Lulz!"
"Dumbfound" is a neat big word because some say its origin is similar to speechless, cause dumb is the old word for mute. So it's a funny thing to say you are, since if you were, you wouldn't be saying. Haha

Anyway, it's too bad you weren't actually dumbfounded by op's honest mistake which they acknowledge in the title of the thread. It would've been nice if you were so gob-stopped by op's ignorance that you couldn't even make pointless negative remarks. Too bad you weren't dumbfounded :)
 
I have been following this thread from the first day, and it has come a looooong way. Another example of RC getting newcomer on the right track.
 
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