new tank running

[mattythek]

Hey guys i just added 3 hermits, 5 snails and 3 damsels to my tanks and they seem to be happy. I dont have my live sand substrate down yet because i bought the fish and didnt wanna cloundthe tank and didnt wanna keep them in the bag for way to long my saltwaterfish store is almost an hour away, what should i do when adding substrate i have and very light bottem of crushed coral right now can i lay live sand on top of bad idea also with the fish and inverts can they handle the cloudyness or what? also how long until i can start adding keepers?

[ihavtats29]

if you turn off all circulation and put the live sand in a cup and slowly sink the cup into the water it wont cloud up that water as bad as if you just dumped it in,

[MinnFish]

I don't know where to start. You are going in the wrong direction. Can i assist you in turning bad to good? First, gather all that you have bought and return it to the LSF. All that you have acquired will die or suffer greatly. Have you purchase LR? If not, stop what you are doing. This is a quick lesson in setup. Fill tank with saltwater, add sand (opposite if you wish, sand then water). Let circulate until you can see clearly. Add LR (live rock). Let the ammonia spike (show sign). When ammonia reads 0, then nitrite will spike. When that reads 0. Then you are set to add a CUC (clean up crew). This process will take 3 to 4 weeks. I can get into more details. Just wanted you help you save your money and livestock for now. Hope i could help.

[chatyak]

Do what minnfish said. Your tank is going to die...how old is your tank... is it just setup?

[mattythek]

i bought a used tank,ive had my take running since last sunday the bio-wheel was built up before my use so the lady said as long as i checked my levels and everything looks good, i know i am doing everything in the wrong order but thats due to money
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
ammonia 0
pH 8.2

[MinnFish]

Do you have LR?

[mattythek]

no i have not bought live rock yet, i was gunna add over time they have some fake shelter right now just a plastic model rock

[crsswift70]

It probably sounds harsh, but they are kind of trying to help There is so much that needs to happen correctly to have a sustainable in tank environment. The beginning for everyone is the cycle. Your tank needs to build up the necessary bacteria to handle the waste that will come from animals introduced to the tank. Live rock, cycle, refugium, sumps, skimmer, lighting.. you at least need to know what all of these things are before even putting water in a tank. Read, read, then read some more. As harsh as some of the folks sounded, they are just trying to keep you from getting frustrated, killing animals and getting a bad taste in your mouth for the hobby. My advice.. slow down. If you can take those animals back, or hold them in a friends tank, do that while you read. There is a good chance they will die or just be put through heck when you finally figure out what you need to be doing.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1031074
here's a good place to start.

[MinnFish]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1220315

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1031074

Please read these, they are very helpful info. This will have you on the right track in no time. BTW,
To Reef Central

[MinnFish]

Originally posted by crsswift70
It probably sounds harsh, but they are kind of trying to help As harsh as some of the folks sounded, they are just trying to keep you from getting frustrated, killing animals and getting a bad taste in your mouth for the hobby. My advice.. slow down. If you can take those animals back, or hold them in a friends tank, do that while you read. There is a good chance they will die or just be put through heck when you finally figure out what you need to be doing.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1031074
here's a good place to start.

Sorry, if i came off as being harsh. Same answer, from different gender . Just don't like to see people misled and taking advantage of. He did say money was a issue (as we all came agree to). Going in the given direction, he would have wasted lots of money and time. Just trying to catch his attention before the train wreck.

[reefworm]

research, research, research, then more research. thoroughly study each phase of your build before you proceed. you've done well to ask here - you've gotten excellent advice. go to the links MinnFish has posted for you, and begin building a library. with this hobby it really pays to slow down and be patient. this system is so much more complex than a typical freshwater setup. I can't begin to say how much I lost in livestock, $$$ and frustration back when I was starting out.

Welcome on board RC! We'll help all we can.

I wish you well,
-rw

[mattythek]

Heh its not being harsh i thank you guys very much id be lost without yuh ... quite obvious heh, will read up as for mytank should i get some live rock now to help the cycle, also i have a bag of live sand that will help right? i can just progressivly add the rock over time also correct?
thank you so much for all you help
-matt

[MinnFish]

Yes, get LR now. Use calculator on homepage for sand. The LR and LS will start the cycle (no need for damsels, shrimp or chemical). If, you need to add additional LR. Cycle in separate container (rubbermaid) before adding to DT. Uncured LR will cause a cycle in already cycled tank (possibly kill off some wanted hitchhikers). I (we) can't stress enough, read, Read, REad, REAd and READ. We are here to try to answer all the question you may have. Enjoy your nite.

[reefworm]

since I can't seem to sleep, I'll add an amen to MinnFish [again], and to say that the research and reading become enjoyable in themselves. by doing so, and visiting here regularly, you'll be amazed at how much you'll learn and how quickly you'll learn it. it's terrific when the interactions begin to make sense, and you can anticipate needs and reactions. you'll also begin to appreciate how delicate these systems are, and why we must be diligent to protect the world's existing reefs.