first post. im new. some questions i need answered...

[mindytoy]

hello guys. im new here so please dont bash on me. i think bringing the ocean to my room here in el paso texas is going to be hard but very worth it. ayways i already have a 55gallon freshwater and a 36 gallon fresh. now i got a steal on a surfline by marineland 90 gallon aquarium with stand. its the one thats shaped as an S.

i already bought 2 powerheads and a remora skimmer with pump. i also had a rio powerhed but that thing was murking the water.

anyways i only added 2 20lb bags of caribsea live sand and i think it is enough, about an inch of sand. i also only have 20lbs of fiji rock whic was cured. it has feather dusters and these thingys that look like little bumps or stumps they are red and look like squishy material like the head of a snail or so.

i now need lighting. thinking of that nova extreme or the odysea light. im also gonna buy 55 more lbs of live rock. loclly the fiji is $3.75 but it isnt cured.

so wuill i have to wait til its cured before adding anything?


also i went to the beach for vacation just got back yesterday. i brought with me a bunch of live hermits and clams, algea, snails, and like 3 small little rock crabs. as well as little pieces of bushy looking corral.

i tried to get the coral with the little fingers that suck you when you touch them but those would puck up and couldnt be pulled out. so i left them alone.

anyways are those safe to put in my tank yet or not? can hermits be in water or do they have to be outside water?

what about the clams and algea plants? it looks like moss sorta..

and the snails?

any help is greatly apreciated. and the water was 8 steps filtered also by RO/ID and salted with instant ocean..

[an411]

Its not recommended that you put anything from the ocean into your tank but that is your call really. Those things that you touch and they retract I think that you are referring to feather dusters.

[crsswift70]

To Reef Central

you could have a local ocean tank with the things you caught, but a reef tank mixed with local flora and fauna usually isn't a good idea. Not everything mixes well, especially crabs. Those corals you are talking about were actually sea anemones native to the gulf coast. The hermits you caught were probably what i've seen called "thin line" hermits. They live in the water. Some snails are great and are the same that you buy in a store; however some kill other snails and some just won't live in a tank.

[mindytoy]

what about the snails and clams? the hermits there was like 3 dif species. the coral i tried o get is the ones that look like a round dish with little spiky fingers and when you touch them they puck into a small black ball.

so i cant put any of this stuff in? its in a bucket without a powerhead or anything

[Tswifty]

Slow down first off...

You need to get more live rock in the tank, and allow it to cycle before adding anything else.

It sounds like your underskimmed also, especially if that is the regular Remora.

As far as lighting goes, you need to determine what you ultimitely want to keep before making a purchase. I would not suggest a Nova light unit unless it is the Extreme Pro version with individual reflectors.

I would suggest you do some reading and research first before jumping in. Your head and your wallet will thank you in the long run.

Here's a good link to some recommended reading materials:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/tips/index.php

[mindytoy]

all i want in that 90 gallon is a trigger, a clown, a dory fish (the blue ones), maybe a yellow tang, and a lion fish. i also want some coral in there. is the odysea any good? im going to get the nova extreme one i think..

so what do i do with the stuff in the bucket? run it with a power head? or what? i dont want to kill the little hermits and clams and all...

if i have to get more rock then why couldnt i add the clams and hermits is it cuz of the amonia thing?

also my skimmer is for 120 gallons i think, its a big skimmer with a big pump.

[jimbo78]

go with a nova extreme pro, the individual reflectors put off alot more light than the reg nova.

as for the bucket a powerhead and a heater should work. dont forget you will need to add a little freshwater a day to keep the evaporation from changing the salinity

definatly get more rock, i have 170 lbs plus in my 90, but that is excessive. you should go for 1-1.5 lbs lr per gallon.

your skimmer should be rated double what your tank volume is.

a trigger isnt really the best choice if you want to have corals and a cleanup crew

[jthao]

i suggest some more reasearch........
you can put stuff in your tank now... such as cuc and such. when you get new live rock, cure it in a trash bin instead of your DT. sounds good so far... but I suggest you do some reading.

[mindytoy]

ok i see...

so i cant get a trigger with some coral? i heard they are coral safe and the lionfish is too except i cant have shrimp with him or smaller fish?

so ive never seen anyone on here have clams is it because you shouldnt have them or what?

[crsswift70]

There is a whole section on this forum about clams (tridacna, squamosa, gigas, crochea). Many people have them. But, it takes a stable tank and usually good lighting to keep them. I think you maybe jumped in to this a little to quickly. Many of the questions you are asking can be answered by reading this forum. I would slow down, ask questions here before going to the fish store to ask them, and take it slowly.

[nikon187]

well a 90 isn't big enough for a regal tang to begin with ( dory) and especially with a yellow tang. The yellow is a better choice. The trigger, yes there are some smaller ones but they are hit or miss with coral ( pink tail, sargassam, crosshatch, blue chin ) if it is a clam you picked up, no it won't survive without propper lighting and a cycled tank of at least 6 months. Lionfish ( the volitan anyway ) wil outgrow your tank in a few years. they hit 16 inches full grown.

You need to slow down and do alot of reasearch before putting anything living in there.

[snorvich]

A lion fish will eat most anything that is half his size or smaller. Some of your other inhabitants would be meals. But as mentioned above, slow down. Nothing good happens quickly in this hobby. Reading saves money and animals.

[mindytoy]

sounds good. the biggest lionfish i have seen was like 8 inches. so the blue dory's get too big for a 90 gallon? i need some help picking fish. yes my aquarium isnt ready for them but i want to know which ones to get. also what kind of easy corals is there you guys can reccomend? so will the 260watt lamps be sufficient for the clams? oh and im very sorry they arent clams, they are OYSTERS...

[nikon187]

depends on the light. 250w metal halides? definety yes. 260w power compact no.. 260w T5 probably.. yes a 90 is too small for dory, they need a 6 foot long aquarium to be happy (125G)
The oysters might be fine maybe not

[mindytoy]

if the oysters die will that affect my water? or will the water still be ok?

also... its a 260w t5 odysea or current USa lights....

[nikon187]

do they have individual reflectors? one for each bulb? i assume its 5 54w T5 at 270w? the indi reflectors make all the difference with T5. do you know which corals you want to keep? this will play a huge role in what lighting you need. i would sugest a good T5 setup with 6 bulbs from TEK, Aquatinics, ATI or a good retro kit from reefgeek if you decide to upgrade.

Also, do you want any shrimp in the tank? ( Cleaners, peppermint, fire) If so then the lion may eat them if they are placed in after the lionfish. With the oysters, i would just watch your amonia lvs

[mindytoy]

actualy it is this one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN:IT&ih=017

so shrimp b4 lionfish?

[Tswifty]

Originally posted by mindytoy
so shrimp b4 lionfish?

Sure... Transport and life at the LFS is less than desired. Most likely he'll be pretty hungry by the time you get him to your taking. Having a meal in the tank for him already is certainly a nice gesture on your part.

Shrimp and Lionfish... Are you serious?

My lionfish used to inhale anything it could fit in its mouth... food, fish, shrimp... etc.

Seriously take the time to learn about the animals you wish to house... adding things because "they look cool" without properly researching their requirements is a recipe for disaster.

[Tswifty]

This is my last post on this thread... All I'll say before I go is, listen to the people trying to help you.

Originally posted by Tswifty8
Slow down first off...

I would suggest you do some reading and research first before jumping in. Your head and your wallet will thank you in the long run.

Here's a good link to some recommended reading materials:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/tips/index.php

Originally posted by jthao
i suggest some more reasearch........

Originally posted by crsswift70
Many of the questions you are asking can be answered by reading this forum. I would slow down, ask questions here before going to the fish store to ask them, and take it slowly.

Originally posted by nikon187
You need to slow down and do alot of reasearch before putting anything living in there.

Originally posted by snorvich
But as mentioned above, slow down. Nothing good happens quickly in this hobby. Reading saves money and animals.

[nikon187]

some shrimp seem to be allright with predetors if they are allready established in the aquarium first (Sometimes) My buddy has 2 cleaners with his large volitan and has had them all together for 3 yrs, the shrimp was the first thing in there after the hermit crabs.

No that light fixture will not be strong enough to keep clams ( if you still wanted clams ) It doesnt have individual reflectors so i think you may be stuck with softies and maybe a few LPS

[mindytoy]

ok the clams are gone. i got 52lbs of rock yesterday and arranged it, now i have like 70lbs and i think it is perfect, anymore and it would be filled with rock.

are hermits and starfish ok with triggers and lionfish??