new 10 gallon tank!

Coug, in your post you mentioned that you have only been replacing water from evaporation. Are you replacing it with fresh or salt water? Replacement should be with FRESH water as the salt does not evaporate. If you have been adding saltwater to the tank, your salinity is probably way to high. You need a Hydrometer, or preferably a saltwater refractometer to measure the salinity.

Mike

 

You can try ebay. Good Luck.

 

Knock...knock....Hey Coug...are you there?

(I think we scared him off...)

 

dang i was getting ready to chime in with my cents..

 

Coug: Dont be embarassed! Everyone gets bad advice the first time they delve into the saltwater hobby. Stick around 3reef.com and read some past threads and pick up some things here and there.

If you wanna start a tank, go fish only with live rock, as corals require much more attention and testing. Wow, the anemone was a really bad choice. Whomever sold you that should be fired, really. My tank is nearing 1 year and I waited months before I was ready for an anemone.

And like amcarrig mentioned, anemones sting ALWAYS. The tentacles are sticky and will sting like crazy, that is if it's healthy enough to sting.

 

Hmm, I have had my Long Tentacle Anemone for a while and he has been growing and doing well but it never stings me. It has gotten a lot stickier since I bought it but it doesnt sting. Is it unhealthy or have I just lost all feeling in my hands? lol

 

My curlycue has never stung me...I know it's sticky and potent, 'cause it's killed three heads of candycane coral! I guess it knows the hand that feeds it!

 

My long tentacle has killed a horseshoe crab so I am assuming mine stings too, I just never feel it.

 

Well, you guys have some great advice. I wish they had been more clear about the difference in having saltwater fish and anemones. I think it may already be too late for it, but if it's not the most I could do is take it back to the store and either give it to them or get store credit or something. Maybe it will come back to life. The damsel is as lively as it's always been, they're real timid fish. One thing I noticed about them when I first put it in the tank was that sometimes I'd come in and it would be a light purple, I'd leave the light on for 5 minutes or so and it's almost like it's beautiful blue color again. Has anyone else seen blue damsels do that.

I'm glad you mentioned that about the salt not evaporating. I knew that honestly and completely forgot about it. Yes I have extra salt water that I was filling it back up with what's the best way to fix this mistake before it gets worse? 25% water change with freshwater? How much is a hydrometer?

 

Someone mentioned getting rid of or cutting down on the aeration(bubbles). What is the general consensus on aeration in a saltwater tank? Can you have too much or too little?

Of all the fish tanks(freshwater of course) I've had I've never done water changes. I'm aware of how ammonia builds up in tanks, especially if the tank is overcrowded. But in a well balanced tank, isn't that the purpose of bio filtration and bacteria that have developed in the water, to remove the ammonia and control nitrates and nitrites(aka cycling)?