Hello...

The welcome message said I should introduce myself and I guess I listened.
I just started my first salt water tank I have had fresh water tanks in the past. I finally started ignoring people saying it was to difficult, and decided to try it. So far I am very happy with it even if it has only been 3 days. I started with some live sand, about 15 pounds of rock, and two clowns. I have a 45 gallon bowed tank. I'm a chemistry student so I am hoping that might help a little. Wish me luck!

 

Welcome to 3reef.

oliceman
1) Did you cycle your tank before hand? 3days?
2) It would be a + if you added some more LR.

 

Good luck, it isn't that much harder, just a little more work. Take your time, and read alot.

A few notes: Did you use a cycling product? If not, I'd consider getting one ASAP, or better yet, removing the clowns until after a cycle, the ammonia spike could kill them or permanently damage them!

I'd get about 30 more pounds of rock, its your filter, so more is better, to a point

Welcome to 3reef, ask plenty of questions, and enjoy Steve Wrights and others chemistry answers, they're over my head sometimes

 

It has not cycled, yet I am trying to find a good place to buy some more live rock, my local fish store has it for 7.99 a pound or I would have more :/. The lady at the fish store said the clown fish would be a gamble but they may survive as long as I am okay with having a chance of loosing 24$ in fish, I'm getting a little attached hopefully they survive lol. I had not discovered this forum before I bought my clowns, or I would have bought something a little more hardy.

 

I'd ask your LFS to take them back and hold them for you while you cycle the tank! Do you have test kits?
You should be able to get a cycling product from your LFS that will help you.
If you choose to keep the fish, get alot of WC's ready to keep the nitrites and ammonia from spiking to high to kill the fish.
But personally, I'd take them back, get a cycling product, use it, then add fish food for a week to get the bacteria built up, then once your ammonia is zero, go get your fish back

And don't buy live rock, buy dry rock, it'll become live! online $2/lb shipped
Aquarium Rock for Saltwater and Reef Aquariums

 

Hello and welcome ;D

This is to be helpful , the hardieness of he fish isnt the issue its the fact that the ammonia burn the gill of the fish much in the same way ammonia in high ammounts can burn human lungs, its just not a good idea.

for the fish there are a few things you can do, Prime made by seachem will really help with the ammonia and nitrates and so on it works well but really is a bandaid for a newer tank, a proper cycle is really what you need. You can also use bacteria supplements along with dry reef rock to make he cycle safer and faster but again a proper cycle is more of what you need.

 

Thank you that is good to know, I feel bad for my fishes and that answers my question if I can add some dry rock. I was told having some fish helps the cycle.

 

They do, but so does a raw dead shrimp, or fish food, and those 2 are already dead

 

aww I already feel bad for my clowns don't rub it in!! I guess they wouldn't tell you that at the fish store, when a moron like me will buy two fish. Is it to late to put a shrimp in?

 

oh and I just noticed the rock post