Newbie with some questions

thefreeviper

thefreeviper

Im new and still learning
Well like the title says im a noob. So ill start with explaining what i got and where and then proceed with a few questions i have. So i have a 55 gallon, it has a refugium ( i hope i spelled that right) and a protein skimmer, a T5 light system on it, and 2 of the fan flow things. ( sorry still trying to learn parts and names of everything.) i purchased it from a guy off Craigslist, gotta love that sight. he had it set for reef and raised corral to sell. it came with no live rock, but the sand was still in there in great shape (ive had alot of freshwater tanks). i got all this 2 days ago. on the way home i picked up 40 lbs of base rock, and 5 lbs of live rock. the guy at the aquatics store told me this would be best budget wise ( if i mention any advice it is from him, or ill state its from a website.) also got salt, hydrometer, test kits, and a few odds and ends. and then 3 damsels ( ill get to that in a min.) i have been researching for a while how to set up a tank so it was time to set up. i got everything put on it, sand cleaned up (rinsed) and then made the saltwater, put the rock in, and then put the water in. and then the fish. everything seems to be running fine. all the lvls are looking good. i know there going to spike but for now they look good. if i didnt know better i would think it was ready for fish. thats how good the lvls are. i also added a photo to this from the day one. so still kinda cloudy. its almost completly gone now lol.

im writing this part in part of some of the questions below. when i went into the aquatic store i had done alot of research and knowing it would be awhile before i can add coral fish ect. but when i was picking things up at the store that i needed the guy there seemed very much like he knew what he was talkin about, and convinced me to get 3 damsel's. which at the time i didnt think was bad, but doing my research today i found that websites say not to use fish not even damsels that it can hurt them. so now i feel like an A$$HOLE because i have 3 fish in here that are going to be in pain, and its because i let some jerk sweet talk me like he knew what was up. he also told me alot of other things im not sure about now, he says one thing but website forums say another. like using established bacteria is good. im not sure about that now.

so now on to a few of my questions.
well question number one is.... did the guy sweet talk me, or is it still fine for them to be in the tank and not being harmed.
#2 is the established bacteria a good or bad thing?
#3 when should i know my cycle period is over? like i said when i read everything and compare it to even todays test's im at perfect levels for having fish, but i expect that to rise.
#4 CRAP I LOST LIKE A MILLION QUESTIONS I HAD..... GREAT NOW IM GOING TO HAVE TO ADD ON TO IT LATER LMAO.

so in the end. ( which i know there was alot of reading, imagine typing it lol) i just want to make sure im doing the right thing. or if i have already messed up and need to start over or something. i did alot of looking online, but the guy at the shop made me think twice and now i dont want fish to suffer bc of me. and i dont wanna be the idiot who threw fish in like that. any help would be greatly appreciated. and if you have any further tips that i didnt touch on i will listen fully. i dont not take someones advice. i will hear it out and if im able to do it i will do my best to do so. again TY and have a great night/day/whenever you are reading this. :sfish:

ok so i edited this and changed the picture cause i relized that one looked horrible and i didnt like it. so new one is on here now. this is from today. day 2 and 1/2. :)
 

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Welcome to the forum. I'm new here too.
Others will be along to give you great advise. I'm sure they will want to know what your levels are first off. You may need to take the fish back to the lfs but, lets see what the experts have to say. Take a deep breath.....it will all work out. By the way.....your tank is beautiful!!! :)
 
Hi! Welcome aboard! You're right about the damsels. It's much better to cycle with a piece of raw table shrimp. My advice would be to go ahead and get them out and take them back and then start cycling with the shrimp, checking your levels every few days for ammonia nitrite and nitrate. There are lots of great sticky threads on caring for your new tank. The tank looks good, and he was right about starting with reef safe base rock. Much more cost effective. Established bacteria in a bottle may do some good or it may not depending on how old that bottle is and the temps it was stored at. It isn't necessary by any means. Good luck with your new tank, just remember not to rush it. :)
 
The only time we'll sale a customer a fish for a new tank, is when they've added quiet a bit of our cured live rock.
I'll use your tank as an example here:
For a 55 gal and wanting to add fish quick. We'd suggest that you add at least 10 pounds of our premium live rock. that you already have enough bacteria in place to keep avoid a cycle. BUT, even then we'll suggest that you only add one fish and bring us a water sample after 2 weeks before adding another fish.
 
ok thank you all. well first what is a LFS? im thinkin local fish store. i ill keep a good eye on all my levels. ive been checking them everyday. mainly cause i just wanna see how everything works lol. i know it will cost me alot to watch but hey will be worth it. and again ty for the comments.
 
Yes, lfs is local fish store. It took me awhile to figure out the codes!! I still don't know what ATO is that they talk about all the time!
Good Luck with your new tank!!
 
I cycled my tank with Dr. Tim's "One and Only"... I do recommend it if you have fish already.. get it on line and get it next day delivery... follow the instructions. IMO you will save the fish, but only really needed one to kick the Dr. Tim's cycle. It did cycle my tank without any spikes.. that is good.. and it worked perfectly.....but that is only one part of the picture .. .. it does not get you out of the dark ages and instantly into an established reef tank..... you still need to be patient and let the tank age and cure. Get some algae established. Let your sump mature.

While all that is happening lean, read, hang out here, and then learn, and read some more. That is where I am.... in all those learn and read stages.

I too bought my tank, sump, and skimmer off Craig's. I too was into fresh water... many here still are.

You are going to change your opinion about several things over the next few weeks. .. because you are going to learn a lot over the next few weeks. Then every time your think you have it figured out, you find out about a whole new additional facet of bio you still need to grasp. ..well.. welcome to the club.. me too.

You will find several here learning right along with you and sharing their mistakes and wins, .... I have no problem sharing my dumb mistakes (and there have been several) to learn, because I know others are having the same kind of problem and are afraid or too timid to share,.. .....those are welcome to learn by my mistakes..... .... and then there are several more with vast experience, .. a great place to be....---> Living Reefs
-randy-
 
Welcome to the site....well it could be worse...I have done worse in the years I have done this. You are at the hardest part right now...the wait and see...Damsels are tough, I hate to be mean but...if they are already there then let it play out...if you get a ammonia spike use some prime in the tank and the fish should make it...Prime will detoxify the water so they shouldnt get hurt that bad.
 
I would take the damsels out because it's not really fair to them to possibly live through a cycle and they are just about the meanest fish on the planet. They are well known for bullying other fish to death and will make it really hard to get the fish you want to live in there peacefully. Plus in saltwater you want to stick to 1 fish for every 10 gals until the tank is well established, and then you can mess with the stocking rules a bit. So by adding the three damsel you are almost to your stocking limit, and I don't image that damsels are the fish you fell in love with for a saltwater tank.

So I would pull them out now while it will be easiest. It will be an awful experience, but much easier than when you have other fish and corals. Then cycle your tank with some raw shrimp and then start thinking about the fish you really want to have, because once a fish goes in they are really really really hard to get out.
 
Ted said:
Welcome to the site....well it could be worse...I have done worse in the years I have done this. You are at the hardest part right now...the wait and see...Damsels are tough, I hate to be mean but...if they are already there then let it play out...if you get a ammonia spike use some prime in the tank and the fish should make it...Prime will detoxify the water so they shouldnt get hurt that bad.
Click to expand...

Partially true. Any amount of ammonia can damage the fish's gills. Also, do you even want aggressive fish in your tank once the cycle is over?
 
Hello and welcome! Do you want to keep the damsels permanently? If the answer is no (and keep in mind, you will be limited to about 6 fish in a 55 gallon tank), then try to catch them and take them back. Better to do it now than later, when you've got more stuff in the tank. Because they are hard to catch! You will probably have to remove all the rocks from your tank to do it.

Damsels are aggressive, so if you want to keep them, keep that in mind when choosing future fish. They will beat up and kill other more passive fish that can't fight back against them.
 
Bifferwine said:
Hello and welcome! Do you want to keep the damsels permanently? If the answer is no (and keep in mind, you will be limited to about 6 fish in a 55 gallon tank), then try to catch them and take them back. Better to do it now than later, when you've got more stuff in the tank. Because they are hard to catch! You will probably have to remove all the rocks from your tank to do it.

Damsels are aggressive, so if you want to keep them, keep that in mind when choosing future fish. They will beat up and kill other more passive fish that can't fight back against them.
Click to expand...

... yeah, but they look so cool... wink..
..do they pick on coral??? (damsels)
 
They do not normally pick on corals, but I had a blue damsel (my first fish) that was so territorial, that he would destroy any corals I put on "his" rock.
 
again thanks everyone for the advice. as far as wanting aggressive i kinda do lol. i wanted a lionfish, but after getting the 55 gal i found out i should get bigger for it since mine just wont be big enough for them to enjoy. so now i need to wait on him. thinkin of a fu man chu lionfish though. since there smaller. and would prob eat the damsels though. as far as taking them out i called the store i got em out of and they say they dont take fish back. ( gay). which is the same one that told me to put em in. so i guess i wont be going back to them. ill just go 14 miles further and go to the other aquatic store. as far as the bacteria in a bottle i looked it up and i think i would just rather go threw a normal cycle. plus theres lots of established bacteria in there. so im hoping that might cut some of my time down. if not owell lol.
 
and as for keeping em im not sure. they look awesome. one is a yellow tail, and the other is a jewel. i think they look kool. def the jewel. and stupid question but what is IMO. i see it being used alot around here and lost on that one lol.
 
thefreeviper said:
and as for keeping em im not sure. they look awesome. one is a yellow tail, and the other is a jewel. i think they look kool. def the jewel. and stupid question but what is IMO. i see it being used alot around here and lost on that one lol.
Click to expand...

I have a pair of yellow tails and love them. Mine are so velvet royal blue and golden yellow... they have adopted a small cave in my rocks ... wondering if I have yellow tail young ones in my future.

I watched the other day as one kept leading the other to the cave then darting in, turning around, and coming back to swim right next to the other until the second went into the cave. The first followed it in and they came out together. The first one is seen often checking out that little cave. I'm not convinced the second is intently interested.... yet.

-randy-
 
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