Guaranteed Reef in 24 hours - Page 2

Jstdv8 · 12/02/2009, 09:10 PM

that diatom bloom you have going is totally normal. if you leave it alone alltogether it will run out of the food it uses to survive because it multiplied to quickly and one day you wake up and its all dead. its almost like a miracle.

If you were to buy ALL of his stuff like he saud technically you could be ready to go as soon as the debris settles. But if you buy even one of those ingredients seperate from his tank its gonna cylce. You may run into a small cycle anyways by using all of his stuff becuase there are gasses trapped in the sand that might get stirred up and released into your tank. A few 25% water changes within the first few days with RO/DI water will cure that up though.

Lots of fish stores will only sell to you once you get your water tested. Ive found that if you go in there like you know everything he will assume you allready knwo what your doing and wont require a water test. However, that would negate any chance you had to get info from him as a starter in the marine hobby.

on a sour note, anybody in this bussiness that tells you not to ask stupid questions wouldnt get ANY of my bussiness as thats a big part of what he should be there for. to naswer your every question in a kind manner no matter how trite it may seem to him.
I havnt had luck with big chain fish stores, but I got loads of good info from all three of my local saltwater only stores when i was just starting out.

sedor · 12/02/2009, 09:11 PM

Although the man does seem like a bit of a tool, and it does seem that he is taking advantage of being the only store around, everything he said is somewhat true.

1) If you were to purchase sand, rock, and a tank from him and keep the sand and rock under water on a short trip home, then set the equipment up, you could technically add livestock right away. Though rushing into the hobby like this will almost guarantee failure once you get going.

2) He's right about natural SW. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it would be way to expensive to have a company bring him natural water. I disagree with him being so concerned about where you buy your water. Personally, I would want my customers to make their own because I wouldn't want fingers being pointed at me if and when a situation arose. Don't buy water from him...get an RODI unit and make your own. If he won't sell to you because of it, oh well there are a million websites that sell the same stuff, if not more.

3) The algae in your tank did not ruin it. It happens in every new tank. Your piece of art is going to get very, very ugly before it becomes a masterpiece

Trust me you will go through a lot of stages. I think I just got over something called dinoflagellates, and trust me...not fun. Don't add chemicals to your tank, its almost never a good idea. Besides when you start supplmenting your Ca, Alk and Mag of course, but that's a little down the road.

Long story short, take what any store says with a grain of salt. In fact take what anyone says with a grain of salt. The only difference between us on the forums and someone in an LFS is that we aren't trying to make a living off of you, so we are more likely to give honest answers. Unfortunately even our answers generally still mean spending your savings on that next big piece of equipment

spleify · 12/02/2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyrin01

That guy is a tool.

+1 there.

Well you have been given some good advice and some good links to read up on. Do you have something to measure your salinity? Its likely your salinity is too high for your fish if you have been topping off with saltwater. The diatoms are normal and will pass in time.

Good luck and do some reading and research and you will be good to go.

stevek480 · 12/02/2009, 10:37 PM

You should definitely test your salinity as soon as possible with either a hydrometer or a refractometer. A refractometer will cost more but it is more accurate and much easier to use IMO. Most likely if you've been topping off with saltwater your salinity is very high which could be killing your fish.

Regarding the LFS, I would definitely never do business there again. Even if another store is a longer drive it would be worth it not to support such a terrible store.

Good luck! By asking questions on here you will be off to a great start.

12/02/2009, 09:11 PM	#27
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	Although the man does seem like a bit of a tool, and it does seem that he is taking advantage of being the only store around, everything he said is somewhat true. 1) If you were to purchase sand, rock, and a tank from him and keep the sand and rock under water on a short trip home, then set the equipment up, you could technically add livestock right away. Though rushing into the hobby like this will almost guarantee failure once you get going. 2) He's right about natural SW. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it would be way to expensive to have a company bring him natural water. I disagree with him being so concerned about where you buy your water. Personally, I would want my customers to make their own because I wouldn't want fingers being pointed at me if and when a situation arose. Don't buy water from him...get an RODI unit and make your own. If he won't sell to you because of it, oh well there are a million websites that sell the same stuff, if not more. 3) The algae in your tank did not ruin it. It happens in every new tank. Your piece of art is going to get very, very ugly before it becomes a masterpiece Trust me you will go through a lot of stages. I think I just got over something called dinoflagellates, and trust me...not fun. Don't add chemicals to your tank, its almost never a good idea. Besides when you start supplmenting your Ca, Alk and Mag of course, but that's a little down the road. Long story short, take what any store says with a grain of salt. In fact take what anyone says with a grain of salt. The only difference between us on the forums and someone in an LFS is that we aren't trying to make a living off of you, so we are more likely to give honest answers. Unfortunately even our answers generally still mean spending your savings on that next big piece of equipment __________________ Ryan

12/02/2009, 09:10 PM	#26
Jstdv8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 1,420	that diatom bloom you have going is totally normal. if you leave it alone alltogether it will run out of the food it uses to survive because it multiplied to quickly and one day you wake up and its all dead. its almost like a miracle. If you were to buy ALL of his stuff like he saud technically you could be ready to go as soon as the debris settles. But if you buy even one of those ingredients seperate from his tank its gonna cylce. You may run into a small cycle anyways by using all of his stuff becuase there are gasses trapped in the sand that might get stirred up and released into your tank. A few 25% water changes within the first few days with RO/DI water will cure that up though. Lots of fish stores will only sell to you once you get your water tested. Ive found that if you go in there like you know everything he will assume you allready knwo what your doing and wont require a water test. However, that would negate any chance you had to get info from him as a starter in the marine hobby. on a sour note, anybody in this bussiness that tells you not to ask stupid questions wouldnt get ANY of my bussiness as thats a big part of what he should be there for. to naswer your every question in a kind manner no matter how trite it may seem to him. I havnt had luck with big chain fish stores, but I got loads of good info from all three of my local saltwater only stores when i was just starting out.

12/02/2009, 10:37 PM	#29
stevek480 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Flemington, NJ Posts: 605	You should definitely test your salinity as soon as possible with either a hydrometer or a refractometer. A refractometer will cost more but it is more accurate and much easier to use IMO. Most likely if you've been topping off with saltwater your salinity is very high which could be killing your fish. Regarding the LFS, I would definitely never do business there again. Even if another store is a longer drive it would be worth it not to support such a terrible store. Good luck! By asking questions on here you will be off to a great start.