Hello!

Hi, I stumbled to this website while looking for some info building my own refugium. I'm so glad to be a member!!!

I took over a friend's 50 gal salt water tank a couple months ago and knew nothing about it, except knowing clearly there will be tons of headache ahead...It's a FOWLR tank with a canister filter and pretty messed up, with only a couple of blue damsels still kicking.

I overhauled and cycled the tank and it was looking pretty good. After adding some new fishes, the two blue damsels wouldn't stop harassing them. No being able to catch the blue damsels easily, I had to took out all the live rocks to get to them and sent them away.......

Continued to add a cow fish, a blue tang and a yellow tang, then the marine ich struck.....and yes, because I didn't quarantine before the introduction. I managed to save the cow fish and the yellow tang after battling the marine ich for three weeks in the quarantine tank and they were just released back to the display tank a couple days ago. They seem to be doing OK so far.

Here I am, a newbie learning about salt water fish tank by paying quite a bit of tuition to his local fish store.

I'm learning to build my own refugium and hope you guys don't mind me asking tons of questions.

Thanks.

 

Welcome to 3reef. Two tangs in a 50 gallon tank is definitely looking for trouble, one is a problem because tangs like to have lots of room to roam.

Ask away with your questions.

 

A cow fish?

Those things can be a bit deadly....

 

welcome to 3 reef. I must agree, two tangs in a 50 is a no no

 

welcome to 3 reef tdm850

learning some lessons the hard way is how many of us started in the hobby

the good news for you is that advice on this site is free and the person who offers it, doesnt want anything in return

so asking here is going to be cost effective, when compared to asking at the LFS, who might want something from you

if it where my tank, I would probably want to trade the blue tang out ( Yellows are hardier IME and less ich prone)

Steve

 

Thanks for the great insights, guys. I guess the fish store always tell you everything will get along just fine.

Now I only have one yellow tang left so I'll take up the advice not to add any more tangs.

My family likes the cow fish a lot since it always swims up to people and beg for food. I lost a clown fish (in quarantine tank) and an anemone (in display tank) over two separate weekends when we were gone for a couple days. Do you guys think the cow fish did it? I'm thinking to get reef eventually. Do you think the cow fish will stat chew on it, too?

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the great insights, guys. I guess the fish store always tell you everything will get along just fine.

Now I only have one yellow tang left so I'll take up the advice not to add any more tangs.

My family likes the cow fish a lot since it always swims up to people and beg for food. I lost a clown fish (in quarantine tank) and an anemone (in display tank) over two separate weekends when we were gone for a couple days. Do you guys think the cow fish did it? I'm thinking to get reef eventually. Do you think the cow fish will stat chew on it, too?

Thanks.

 

I don't know if a cow fish would eat an anemone, but I don't think so. Anemones are really sensitive to water parameters, though, so you really shouldn't have one in a new tank like this one.

Cow fish can release a poison into the tank, which may have killed the nem, though.

 

The last time I saw the anemone alive was the anemone taking a piece of shrimp I offered and the cow fish was fighting hard and tried to get to the shrimp. I left for the weekend then. When I came back, the cow fish was working on the anemone's flesh......

You were totally right though. If I had known better, I would have had waited another 6 or 7 months before introducing the nem....Darn LFS, he would sell me a shark if I asked....It's my own fault for not being educated enough

 

Hello !
I am also a new member. Would a newcomer be warmly welcome here? Good day you guy !