jdhettema
Reefing newb
Hey all,
Pardon my newness and lack of knowledge here, but I promise you I have been researching like crazy to get up to speed on things.
A friend had been "pestering" me to get started on an aquarium and I finally gave in. He sold me a 12g JBJ Nano with a 5 lb live rock from his tank for $100. He taught me how to cycle the tank and I filled it and started the process 5 weeks ago.
After about two weeks I noticed aptasia on the rock he gave me. After going to my LFS, I learned I had two options: 1. Dump Aptasia-X into my tank (Chemicals = bad to me), or 2. Get a peppermint shrimp. I decided on #2.
My LFS clerk told me that I could put the shrimp in my tank and not feed him! He said that the shrimp could find enough food off of the rock to be fine. He told me, "We don't even feed our shrimp in the store."
Because I am dumb and new, I took his advice. Well..... today I found my little shrimp (Which my wife named "Atticus") lying lifeless on the sand. I just had my water tested and Im sorry I don't have the numbers, but Ammonia and Nitrites were 0 and Nitrates were low. I had put a purple star polyp (1st coral) in there the day before and the I thought the shrimp was eating it (which he probably was based upon the fact that he was STARVING). The next day, he was dead. I hate that I killed one of God's creatures by starving him. I definitely don't want to repeat that.
Am I off here? Has anyone else had another experience like this with a LFS? Any thoughts would be helpful.
Thanks,
JD
Pardon my newness and lack of knowledge here, but I promise you I have been researching like crazy to get up to speed on things.
A friend had been "pestering" me to get started on an aquarium and I finally gave in. He sold me a 12g JBJ Nano with a 5 lb live rock from his tank for $100. He taught me how to cycle the tank and I filled it and started the process 5 weeks ago.
After about two weeks I noticed aptasia on the rock he gave me. After going to my LFS, I learned I had two options: 1. Dump Aptasia-X into my tank (Chemicals = bad to me), or 2. Get a peppermint shrimp. I decided on #2.
My LFS clerk told me that I could put the shrimp in my tank and not feed him! He said that the shrimp could find enough food off of the rock to be fine. He told me, "We don't even feed our shrimp in the store."
Because I am dumb and new, I took his advice. Well..... today I found my little shrimp (Which my wife named "Atticus") lying lifeless on the sand. I just had my water tested and Im sorry I don't have the numbers, but Ammonia and Nitrites were 0 and Nitrates were low. I had put a purple star polyp (1st coral) in there the day before and the I thought the shrimp was eating it (which he probably was based upon the fact that he was STARVING). The next day, he was dead. I hate that I killed one of God's creatures by starving him. I definitely don't want to repeat that.
Am I off here? Has anyone else had another experience like this with a LFS? Any thoughts would be helpful.
Thanks,
JD