NewtoReef Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Hi! I sure am glad I found this site, nice to know theres a club in Austin. I found the link through aqua-tek.com. I am brand new to saltwater tanks. I found a 55g tank complete with all pumps some slightly living rock 2 clowns and a damsel on craigs list for 150$!! i managed to save almost all the water. I transfered the water to another 40g tank and cleaned out the 55g using only water. I made it to petco(yuck but only thing open late night.) 1 minute before they closed and purchased 20pounds of sand, 10 live 10 substrate. Completed my aquascape at about 1am and reintroduced the fish to the newly cleaned tank. 15hours later and the fish seem unaffected they are actively exploring the tank and feeding normally! for a newbie I think im doing pretty well at this point. I would really like to start putting more live rock into the tank but am unsure of which type would be good for someone just starting out. Also whether it is cheaper/more effective to order online or seek out stores in our vicinity. Thanks alot, I hope I can find out more of whats going on inside my tank and get that puppy bumping with some more life soon . Gabriel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Welcome to the club and hobby. Did you get any test kits? I would keep an eye on your ammonia and nitrites for a couple weeks in case you get a small cycle. If they start to rise you should do some water changes. Depending on how much rock you need it may be over kill to try and order it. I would shop around for pieces you like locally and add them slowly. This will also help keep your tank stable. Adding a bunch at once, especially any that is shipped, would start a cylce and possibly kill your fish. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Hi! I sure am glad I found this site, nice to know theres a club in Austin. I found the link through aqua-tek.com. I am brand new to saltwater tanks. I found a 55g tank complete with all pumps some slightly living rock 2 clowns and a damsel on craigs list for 150$!! i managed to save almost all the water. I transfered the water to another 40g tank and cleaned out the 55g using only water. I made it to petco(yuck but only thing open late night.) 1 minute before they closed and purchased 20pounds of sand, 10 live 10 substrate. Completed my aquascape at about 1am and reintroduced the fish to the newly cleaned tank. 15hours later and the fish seem unaffected they are actively exploring the tank and feeding normally! for a newbie I think im doing pretty well at this point. I would really like to start putting more live rock into the tank but am unsure of which type would be good for someone just starting out. Also whether it is cheaper/more effective to order online or seek out stores in our vicinity. Thanks alot, I hope I can find out more of whats going on inside my tank and get that puppy bumping with some more life soon . Gabriel. I've only got 6 months experience, but I have learned that you'd probably want to buy your rock locally from a running tank. When it's shipped from an online store there will be a lot of die-off. You'll have to "cure" it in a trashcan with saltwater and a powerhead for weeks, then scrub it with something to get all the dead stuff off, and then MAYBE it can be put in your tank. If you buy it at a local store, they'll charge up to $13 /pound sometimes. I've found most of my rock on craigslist, either listed separately or with an entire setup. Another member and I are picking up rock this Friday from a CL ad for the whole setup, but I just asked if he was interested in selling only the rock and he was. Of course, I don't think he has any fish in it anymore. Welcome to the club by the way. And always ask here first before you do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewtoReef Posted October 17, 2007 Author Share Posted October 17, 2007 See! im learning allready! I do have 2 test kits, a PH and KH. Im not quite sure how to determine my levels through the test yet. I cant really tell what the color changes are telling me and how many drops are needed. they came without instructions so im a little lost. they are Tetratest brand. Im heading up to aqua-tek to browse and get some more information today. I have done some looking for LR on CL but ive been a little wary due to my freshness to the hobb. If you get a surplus of LR from the seller on CL let me know. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elbeau Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Welcome to the club and to the hobby! I agree that buying live rock form local shops or craigs list is by far the best way to go. Also, the advice to add each piece slowly is true. Each new piece could destabilize your tank a bit, but don't let that deter you, live rock is a must-have. The fish you have are good choices for starting up. Some people might disagree with me on this, but I've started up several different tanks over the years and I've found that pearly jawfish are hardy enough to survive the cycle plus they are wonderful characters to have in your tank. Also, I've always put a cleaner shrimp in right away. It seems to make a big difference protecting the fish from Cryptocaryon disease which has hit every single startup I've ever done. I've also never lost a cleaner shrimp during the first month cycle. I won't go on with too much advice except to say that no matter how much live rock or sand you put in, every tank goes through so many changes the first month that you cannot ever assume you're safe from a nasty cycle. Patience is key...I say that because it's my biggest weakness Anyways, if you want to learn a lot of things not to do, take a look at my blog entry about my first tank: http://www.austinreefclub.com/blog/elbeau/...p?showentry=204 Have fun and enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Oh, and don't use tap water. Use Reverse Osmosis (RO) or RO/DI (deionized) water. Just go ahead and look for a RO unit. I thought with a 40 gal I wouldn't need one, that I'd just buy the water at the Local Fish Store. But every time I went to the LFS for water, I ended up spending $100. Plus when I put my fan on the tank it started going through almost 3 gal per day. I just have a little RO unit I got off of craigslist for $50. My friends call me the Craigslist Queen, but that's one of the best places to find things. You can look on this site, and on maast.org and on reefcentral.com. I'm just now finding out about some of these sites myself. Also saltwaterfish.com has some great information, but the people are extremely into their tanks. You have been warned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewtoReef Posted October 17, 2007 Author Share Posted October 17, 2007 Wow nice responses! I just got back from Aqua-tek and got some really good information, my salinity is at .24, my ph is a little below 8 and my nitrates are maxed out. Im getting ready to do a 40% water change using RO and some buffer. Aqua-tek was amazing, it was hard to resist buying something but i made it out empty handed. wish i had known about the cleaner shrimp before I went, now I have an excuse to go back tommorow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Sounds like you are off to a good start. Definitely go buy an Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate test kits. It is worth the $40 or so it will cost you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewtoReef Posted October 17, 2007 Author Share Posted October 17, 2007 OK! thanks alot everyone. I will keep posting my progress/questions. I will switch over to the reefkeeping forum so all this information doesnt get swept away to quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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