A few questions from a SW rookie

This is my first 3reef posting, and I'm new to SW aquariums, but I had a few questions to throw out there as a way to learn more about this great hobby. For the record, my equipment was purchased used as an inexpensive start, and I currently have:

55 gallon tank
Marineland Magnum 350 canister filter
Hagan Aquaclear 300 power filter
40# of live sand
Misc. decorations and rocks included with my purchase

The fish I currently have are:

Yellowtail Damselfish
Three Spot Domino Damselfish
Blue Velvet Damselfish
Spotfin Squirrelfish

Now, the questions I have:

1. When I added water, salt, etc. to the tank, the specific gravity was higher than it should have been, so I removed some water and added fresh to adjust the SG level. Can I save the extra water I now have or is it better to get rid of it?

2. From what I have read on other forums, this is a matter of opinion, but i'll ask anyway. I bought a small live rock from Petco as a start to the tank, but I've been reading that many people do not like their rocks for various reasons. I'm looking for opinions here. So far it seems fine to me, and I have something interesting growing on it that I am posting about further into this topic. I also have a snail or two that I have seen, and I'm assuming that is where they came from.

3. I bought 1 Red Legged Hermit Crab and 1 Blue Legged Hermit Crab from Petco a few days ago. One started to crawl around right away, the other stayed in his shell, but I later realized he was dead. When I picked him up there was a worm underneath him. Not sure if it came from the dead crab, or the live rock. He disappeared into the sand before i could get him.. The next morning the other was also dead. Is there something special about these crabs that I am missing, or just bad luck?

4. On the live rock I purchased from Petco, there are all types of little things growing from it now. Most are tiny hair-like strands moving in the current, and are maybe 1/4" long. One is really interesting. It is 1/4-1/2" long, and has tiny hairs coming from its tip. I'm thinking it may be a baby feather duster. Attached is a picture I took for your review.

5. In the end, I'd like to include to my tank some misc. invertebrates, crabs, snails, maybe an anemone. Is there any special concerns on needs I should consider? Special lighting?

OK that's all for now, but I'm sure I'll have more. BTW the local stores I have to choose from are Petco, Petsmart (which have NO SW fish), That Fish Place (which I love but is a drive to get to), and very few small pet stores that carry fish.

Appreciate any and all help I receive.

 

First welcome to 3reef. This is the right place to get help. You bring up a lot of questions. I'll take a stab at some of them but others will chime in.

First question for you, how old is your tank?? Did add the fish right away or let it cycle first??

Second question, what are your water parameters?? SG,pH,Ca,Alk,NO3,Ammonia??

Finally, don't feel bad. You are making the same mistakes MANY of us did when we started. Not your fault,.....

Mark

 

looks more like an aptasia anemone to me





For those of you joining us that are new to the hobby - the best piece of advice you'll get around here as a saltwater newbie is 3Reef's slogan
"Go slow, let it grow."
And for those experianced hobbyists joining us - it's still good advice
good luck and post pics soon



Here are a few threads for you to read, then come back and ask about anything you still don't understand. we'll get you squared away and on the right path

http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/how-setup-saltwater-aquarium-89044.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/ultimate-newbie-guide-86462.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-articles-how-tos/all-about-sumps-filters-fuges-79852.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/protein-skimmers/all-about-skimmers-skimmers-skimmer-85389.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/general-reef-topics/handy-research-links-89299.html

 

The interesting thing is aiptasia. it is an anemone. As Mr. McDonald said, get rid of it. There are a lot of opinions on the best way to do this. the most common i hear is using a chemical called aiptasia X. some Peppermint shrimp will eat them but some won't. either way, i would do it soon. they can reproduce quickly. Also, like Mr. McDonald said, slow down. i wouldn't add anything else until you have all your parameters stable (temp, salinity, no ammonia, no nitrites, low nitrates).

 

I appreciate all the rapid responses. I'll give a general reply to everyone instead of one at a time.

In regard to water parameters, My PH is currently 8.0 and the SG is 1.026. The test kit that came with the set-up I bought is pretty old, so I'm headed out for a new one later today. (I'm not sure how accurate the readings are with the old kit). Can someone shed some light on the important things that should be tested, as I have heard different people state different things.

The temp has been staying right around 81, and that's without a heater. (Yes I know I still need to get a heater) The heater that I had was faulty, and caused the tank to go into the mid-90s last week. Luckily my daughter let me know while I was at work and I had her unplug it. When I came home the inside of the heater looked burned up. It doesn't seem to have had an effect on the fish as I lost none out of this.

This set-up is 2 weeks old, and I started merely with 2 damsels after the first week to get things rolling. My wife was gracious enough to buy 2 more on impulse without consulting me.

In regard to the Aiptasia, what are the problems with having these in a tank? I read that is you poke it and it goes back into the rock it is an Aiptasi, and if it doesn't, it is something else. I poked it and the "tentacles" went into the main structure, but it didn't go into the rock.

Will my current filtration be adaquate for my needs?

Appreciate the conversation.

 

aphasia's are pests that will quickly take over your tank. You need to test for nitrates and nitrites, as well as ammonia. May I suggest a marine lab test kit made by red sea, to get you started. It runs about 50-60 bucks but worth it, and will have most of what you need. You didnt mention how you tested salinity;(one of my first hard learned lessons) If you do not have a refractometer, make that second purches on your list. I know that great looking fish seems more important, but if you want to keep it live and well, these things come first. The worm eating your crab was probally a bristle worm just doing it's job. As for pet smart..STAY AWAY!.. I wont take my dog there! Look for a small local pet shop, mine is 26 miles one way, well worth the trip. If they do not specialize in salt water, they may know of a place; You may also find they are willing to work for you, and get what you need. Mine has also put me in touch with fellow hobbyists to trade corral and copeds.Please rermember to qt any new fish your wife buys. Sorry so long winded. WELCOME to three reef.

 

Looks like aptasia from the pic you posted. Maybe take another pic. Before you get to much rock in your tank, I would consider removing the damsels unless you plan on keeping them indefinitely, they are very hard to catch once you get the tank filled with rock.

The reason people say remove the aptasias are because they tend to spread like weeds and sting corals you place in your reef...

 

@dees_reef, I'm using a hydrometer for salinity testing.

The best place in my area for supplies and aquarium livestock is That Fish Place. This is a HUGE store with hundreds, if not thousands of fish, invertabrates, live rock, etc., as well as other types of animals. It's over an hour drive for me, but well worth the trip every time I go. They also ship aquarium livestock in addition to supplies. Here's a link in case you want to check it out.

(Aquarium Supplies, Pet Supplies and Pond Supplies by That Fish Place - That Pet Place

@Nor_Cal_Guy, I'll try to get a better pic and post it.

 

That place has a good selection of coral...lucky you! I have to drive all over Sacramento to get what I want. Seems like all I can find are frags, kinda burnt on frags these days, I want colonies.

 

I have a great PetCo store nearby that I frequent. All of the poor fish an inverts live under regular florescents. I did get a great score though. I bought two pieces of live rock because I saw brown button polyps on them. Got them home under the t5s and see they are gorgeous green. As far as any other sw life, I would try to avoid them.

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