Newbie: issues: Home has built in FO,LR 55gal

Really taken advantage of. April 2013 Home I purchased has built in 55 gallon salt water tank. I had a "aquarium store" owner come out to look at it. He removed white fish previous owner left. I purchased 2 clown fish & huge cleaning crew for $70 snails, crabs. All dead but 5. ( $400 later his employee who was cleaning my tank & educating me quit. He took all my live rock back to his store to clean?? returning to me 3 weeks later filled with bristle worms. Which I think killed the cleaning crew. ?? I can't lift 5 gallon buckets of saltwater to change out monthly. So I find new guy, $200 to clean tank, change water, vacuum, new heater (which he installed sideways because it was too long and piled with rust colored algae ? ?) within 2 weeks tank walls green, film on top of water, he said I can just add distilled water for evaporation? Is that true? Other rip off place had me buy gallons of their water for evaporation. Trying to educate myself but keep getting conflicting info from "specialists" my young daughter & I love tank but its a money pit and I hate seeing another snail or crab dead every day. Not fun.

 

Welcome to 3reef Gloria,

Wow what a nightmare.

Knowledge and research is your friend and the local fish stores enemy it sounds like.
1st we need to get down what testing equipment you have? To measure salinity you need to have at least a hydrometer better yet a refractometer.
You can buy bottled distilled water for top off fairly cheaply, a better solution is to get an RO unit.
Tank definitely has potential but it's not a cheap hobby. I believe once you get the basics down you can do it much cheaper than what you have been paying.
Know what you want and the specifics before you talk to the local fish store again, start by researching here. Once the guys at the fish store realize you have some idea what you're talking about you will get better service.

Bristle worms are by and large harmless and a good member of the clean up crew. The snails and hermits demise was probably caused from either lack of food or a decline in water quality. There could be another predator in the tank but I doubt it.

So start with measuring salinity, then figure out how and what you are going to use to top off the tank.

You can clean up the old dead coralline algae with a scrapper and some elbow grease, it all does not have to be clean in one day. Remove or replace the old backround.

Please forgive me if you are already aware of the basic husbandry aspects of the hobby. Let us know where you want to begin and how far you want to take the tank.

 

I am turning off my light and have been told I need new lights. Maybe too much light has been the problem. The prior owner didn't take care of anything and left me a mess I'm finding out. 2 different bulbs in light and it looks awful. There are so many long thick grey & bright pink worms I'm creeped out. I saw part of one poking out and it was at least 6 inches so who knows how long that big fatty is. I did panty hose trick (didn't work) now I'm trying the Hefty thin throw away storage plastic container filled with shrimp & food. i made x knife slits to see if any of the worms go in but don't check out. The huge fat worms freak me out. LOL! I'm on a mission. I also have those predator plants that eat fish food and can actually eat my fish & critters. ( My fish guy squirted stuff on some but more grew back in other spots quickly (2 days) Thanks for tips. I topped off with distilled water. Ive got to make this work. My daughter is in first grade and when asked if she has pets she says, 2 dogs, cat, 2 clown fish Marlin & Coral, big black starfish Fred, green crab Crabby, snails, mini black & white starfish & mini snails. )

 

Lesson #1: Take everything the guy from the local fish store tells you with a big grain of salt.

Too much light is rarely a problem: What lighting type do you have now? Do not let them talk you into new lights until you know for sure you need them and why. Lights are expensive and if are only going to keep fish and simple inverts do not invest a lot of money.

Bristle worms are good guys for the most part and an important part of a healthy tank. When you over feed you have an over abundance of them. Available food source regulates population numbers.

Predator plants must equal Aiptasia, an Anemone? They will not eat fish nor can you just blow them off the rock work. They are a pest Anemone worry more about them than the Bristle worms.

 

Gloria, As you have found out most/all Live fish stores will take advantage of a newbie if they think they can get away with it. READ, RESEARCH, READ some more Then research some more. IMO go to the top or home page of 3reef (this place ) on the right side of the page at the top is a search box for google BUT it searches 3reef type in setting up a tank or something similar and prepare to spend some time reading a LOT of usefull information. Anytime something comes up you don't understand type that in, still no good answer, post your question here and prepare for a lot of good folks to come to your rescue. This hobby is a lot of work but quite satisfying too.

Welcome aboard and keep smiling, you will succeed!!

 

Just read and educate yourself about this hobby. The reward is great. There is so much information out there.

 

This is what kills me. I'm still a newbie, but now realize from reading on here and starting to have a better understanding of this hobby that I have been getting ripped off by my LFS. What pisses me off is I still have to shop there cause it's one of two LFS close to me. My most recent experience.. I traded my Queen Angel back in to my LFS which they originally sold me when it was a juvenile and I had no clue it would outgrow my tank. Well it got HUGE and I brought it back. The owner was in there and I asked him to make a trade. He was like "this fish isn't even a true Queen Angel, it's crossed with some other breed, I'll give you $20 store credit for it". Funny ******* I bought it from you little over a year and a half ago! Anyway... Research on here what you want to do, the people on here will set you straight with info THEN go into your LFS armed with info. That or drain the tank and put an Iguana in it

 

CBS- the hi-breds are usually worth more money! Did you tell him that you bought it there? don't be afraid to call him out in a non aggressive manner

 

Trust me I did !!! I ended up getting two Pajama Cardinals out of the deal, and that was like pulling teeth to get. The experience still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. What can you do when it's one of two stores in the area. I cut them out of the rotation and now shop at a different LFS and will make the hour drive to Orlando if I need anything else. This store is well known in my area for doing this type of thing with customers.

edit: @Gloria: I didn't mean to take over your topic. This is to show you how LFS will take advantage any way they can to a newbie. Same store also told me I needed to upgrade my lighting to a $350 set up for a FOWLR tank.

 

Welcome to 3reef Gloria! Hopefully, you've been reading on the basics and that will help a lot. Try to concentrate on getting the tank stable and then I have to admit, bristleworms give me the willies but they don't need to be a primary concern right away. Please continue to ask questions here. This is a friendly and very helpful forum!