3 Very Urgent Questions To Ask About MARINE FISHES

[Giritharan]

To Everyone,

I have bought:

Equiments:

2ft tank,
blue lamp,
Powerhead Filter,
Protein Skimmer, worth 42$ each
Hydrometer, worth $6.80
temperature checker, included with hydro

Marine stuff:

Coral Sands,
1.2 kg Live Rock with some weed growing, worth $25/KG
Crush Gravel, free
A small Gravel, worth 14$ each
2 bacteria pills, worth 2$ each
Oxygen liquid, worth 5$ each

I have already Setup the tank 2 days ago which was on tuesday singapore time, everything is on place. accep the live rock and bacteria pills next day, at least 17 hours before i put in the live rock and add bacteria,

Now my water has have a steady ph reading, just in between the green bar, from my hydro..

My questions are,

1) When i turn on the protein skimmer, there is so so so much of foam coming out.. wetting the whole place
so i off it, but my filter is non stop running day and night, What Could Be problem?

2) Is all my setting right and items right, i dont know weather my live rock is dead as it still looks red and green stuff which maybe weeds still looks green, I am bein reading in forums about this ammonium and nitrate, should i buy the readings meter,, or just remain my ph level stable using only hydrometer

3) This saturday.. i am gonna put fishes, what cheap fishes should i put, i taught of putting 3 clown fishes only, corals and other marines are currently to expensive. As if they die.. my money floats away

 

[wayne]

OK, we have a lot to learn here.

First of all a hydrometer measures salinity, how much salt is in the water. You need another test kit for pH and you do need to get one immediately. pH must be 8 - 8.3. You also need test kits for ammonia and nitrite.

White foam means your skimmer needs adjusting, I cannot tell you how to do this, but at the moment the foam is too wet. Ask the people who sold it to you.


Red and green on the live rock is good. Other things will likely appear but you must have patience.

Patience is very important. Do not add fish this week - get all the test kits and, if you can , agood book like Mike Palettas. If you put fish in now they will likely die. When you have test kits test your water. Test pH , ammonia and nitrite when ph is good and both ammonia and nitrite are zero , you can add fish. You have added live rock and bacteria (I think bacteria waste of money) , they will cycle your tank.

Please ask more questions, but ask before you add fish!

 

[HappyPlaty]

Hi i am from singapore too! May i know what type of skimmer is it ? where u bought it from,which shop is it? what type of corals are u planing to keep? i think u need a more powerful light.
May i know how old are u ? Where did u buy the live rock from?maybe i also want to get it.

 

[Giritharan]

Thanks Wanye,

I learn alot this past few days, ok .. i will not add anything till, i get the ammoni, nitrate zero and ph reading about 8.0-8.3,

I have just bought a Ph meter yesterday, hehe water turns light blue, Still ok.. because i have not added fish.. but for the ammoni and nitrate i have to buy, o my hydromter, says that salt level is ok

To HappyPlaty,

I am 19 this Nov and my name is GIRITHARAN. Nice,, you too want to start Marine. Thats cool, But remeber it took me like 3 months to decide, asking around and finding information in the net and also IT is NOT CHEAP,, Lets see wat i have in the moment, o before that,, here is the address of where i bought,

Rainbow Pet & Aquarium Center

Look For Leaw Lee or Joseph

Blk 151 Serangoon North Ave 2 #01-73
Singapore 550151 Tel: 62873988 Fax: 62838062,,,,,,,,

Ok my setup,

1. Normal 2ft Tank with Light and under water Power-head,,($38)

2. Gravel Sand and mesh Gravel,($8)

3. Sander Aquarientechnik Protein Skimmer, ($40)

4. Deep Six Hydrometer,($28) Bargain 4 ($25)

7. Cheap in tank Thermormeter, ($8) (Dont get sticker or outside tube as it is not accurate)

8. Marine Salt with two different bacteria Pills and Oxygen, ($28)
(*Note For two feet tank, you should have one bottle and a half salt to fill up or your setting)

9. Bio Volca rocks for bacteria Growed, ($14)

10. AE Test Ph, ($9)

Yea I planing to get uv and white light together for $38 next week as this light source have enought watts to make the corals open ,, Make it very pretty to fall in love

For Corals, Dont get it until your water is cycled, as it is very very
expensive and also Corals CANNOT STAY IN WATER ABOVE 25 dgrees or it will die and starts floating, i am planning to get corals with 27 and below,, once i get .. i will tell you,

K gotta go, coming back later,

 

[HappyPlaty]

Well as for me,i am thinking of keeping marine,i have not gotten any tank yet but i am going to get by the end of this year.i have read alot about marine,so thats why i ask u where u bought the live rock.
May i know where did u buy all the things from? is it all from Rainbow Pet,or from other shop or farm ?

 

[Giritharan]

hi, i bought everything form the shop including live rock accep the tank, light and airfilter. I got that in Yishun. And Also if you are planning to keep marine.. i suggest you do not buy those cheap salt, or you will hand up ph unstable, and many funny stuff that you willl not aspect, GOod LuCk

 

[HappyPlaty]

Thanks but can i have a picture of your tank ?

 

[Giritharan]

Sure,, I will get For you, Give me 1 day or more, just keep on checking the forum, but rember my tank is very empty hehe

 

[sugarbear001]

Welcome to the Tank Giritharan and HappyPlaty

 

[Giritharan]

Regarding The Bacteria Pills I got, As wat i learn, they said it will help to reduce the ammoniun,

Today I have adding

1 clown fish,
2 blue yellow fine fish,

Both are $5 Dollars each
If they survive, i am planning to put not more then 12 fishes inside and 5 more kg of live rocks and 4 corals and some inverts
Example, snails

Good Luck

 

[HappyPlaty]

NO !!!!!!!!!!!!! TOO MANY FISH !!!!
if u want to put alot of fish u need a bigger tank,for a 2 feet tank the max is only mabe 5 or 6 fishes.
May i know where to find live sand in singapore ? Today i went to rainbow pet, they are selling some corals and anemone.
can u name any goot marine shops in singapore that u know Giritharan??

 

[HappyPlaty]

Giritharan, u know that there is a singapore forum? the web site is www.sgreefclub.com/forum/
Have u seen it before ??
When can i get your picture?

 

[wayne at home]

I assume your levels have settled out at zero Girtharan? If not I shall be very disappointed with your lack of patience and ethics. 3 or 4 fish is a god limit for that tank - 12 has to be a joke right?
The live rock contains the filter bacteria you need, buying more is awsting your money, and will do nothing special or extra if you suddenly get ammonia.
You would have been better advised spending your money on a good book. Do you have the test kits yet?

 

[Giritharan]

To HappyPlaty,

O yea sure, That shop in Seragoon is A little too Expensive because it is around the Neighbourhood, I know There is Extremely Many Many BiG BiG Shops IN Lim Chu Kang, which sell both marine and saltwater,, AND it is ALso Much So Cheaper The shops is bigger then a Soccer field i can say.. and it is hard to go inside unless you got a car.. or you can also take a free bus or service bus 175 from Chao Chu Kang MRT station, I never bein there... Regarding the Live Sands, the best is to make your live sand, Methods Below

Fill Your tank with Normal Coral Sand which are pack.. then just add in Live Rocks, And Be Extremely Patient,,, Example Wait like for 1-2 months and you will see weeds and stuff starts to grow.


To Wayne,

I got The test kits, only ammonium .. but nitrate still not yet.. maybe wed my payday. I See the Fishes so Happly Swimming and my tanks powerhead filter creates its own Mini Wave The ammonium is Zero before adding fishes, then when up to 0.4mg/l after adding 3 fishes an hour later... Hmm wat should i do, the shop person told me to add the bacteria pills, I got the feeling the shops salt water comtaminated my tank I need your advice

Regarding the fishes,

I taught of adding including wat i have in tank,

3 clown fishes
2 starfish
2 SeaHorse
3 Yellow Fine Fishes

What you think?

Could You tell me some nice corals that will also help to reduce the ammonium.
And Also there is some Algae Growing on the air tubes .. should i remove

 

[HappyPlaty]

Can u recommend a shop that that sells crushed coral sand ?
If u ever do go to the farm tell me about it.

 

[wayne at home]

OK the ammonia went up basically because you have fish peeing in there - if you have enough bacteria of the right types this should be turned to nitrite which is still very harmful and then less toxic nitrate. These bacteria should have come with the live rock, you shouldn't need the bacteria. Test ammonia everyday, and if it goes any higher you need to do a water chnge, and kep doing them till the bacteria grow and your levels go down.
Clowns are good, seahorses are not - 99.99% of the time they die in tanks as they are slow and cannot get food. As a new aquarist you will find these very difficult. They cannot live with clowns or other fast fish. Beware the blue and yellow fish - are they what we call damsels - they can be very aggressive and kill other fish. Starfish aren't fish and don't count. In 2 foot tank, eventually 2 clowns and a damsel
Corals will not reduc ammonium. Algae migh, but beware itmight take over your tank. What colour is the algae? What does it look like?

 

[Giritharan]

To Wayne,

Today My Clown Fish Died, His top body turn a little brownish and he died at 12.00 am about 16 hours after adding the fishes. But the Yellow and blue Damsels are extremely very strong but extremely shy. I call the shop and they said that clown fish are not good for the first few weeks cycle, after that once the ammonia reduce you may add in.

Regarding the Algae it is extremely little Greenis and transparent attaching to the tubes and plastic and protein skimmer and the Damsels are so eager to eat and spit it

Regarding the Ammonia, Hmm by just adding 3 fishes the ammonia when up to bewteen 0.4-0.8 mg/l Wierd!!! If the ammonia is still same or getting higher in the next 4 days, i am gonna change the water.. COULD I ASK YOU, HOW DO WE CHANGE THE WATER IF THERE IS FISHES INSIDE, WILL IT UNSTABLE THE WATER AND CYCLE.

Regarding the corals .. can i put about 5-6 so it will also look more like a reef to me. If i am putting, i will not add starfish as they tend to eat the corals. And also How long Do you think my fish tank will get matured. O my Ph level is 8.0, just nice. And water temperature 28C. Hmm Also Should i add in more LIve rocks to make the ammonia stable

To HappyPlaty,

About the Coral sand, it is exactly like normal sand in the beach. But Do not go And pick them. you may not know wat is in it. The best is go and buy from the shop and make it live by adding live rocks I geting the camera from my cousin later so i will take picture and show you and Wayne

 

[HappyPlaty]

how much did u spent in all ? So what type of light are u planing to get?
where can i find a shop/farm selling beautiful corals?

 

[wayne]

Unfortuneately the ammonia will likely still rise. The fish are continuing to pee, also your live rock may also contain some dead creatures - these need to rot off , then ammonia will reduce (this is called curing the rock). This is why you sohlud have waited , to let the live rock prepare itself.
pH at 8 is good, so is temperature. I think you should make another 10 gallons of water , or more tonight and leave it to stand. After 24 hours start to do 25% or more water changes else your other fish will be poisoned. I do not like to use fish to cycle - it is not good for the fish as you are discovering. I like to just use rock. You must get ammonia down as quickly as is safely
possible.
Do not buy corals yet, till all this is finished and your ammonia and nitrite is steady at zero for some weeks or they are 100% doomed.
Remember - more patience and water changes

 

[Giritharan]

Finally Here is ALL my Pictures.