Spots on FISH!!

You can fluctuate paramters like pH and cause stress. The tank is too young to undergo too many water changes so early.

 

I do not believe there is enough room and rock to support the current stock
I understand your new and this is an addiction. What I would suggest is try and return the Tang it will not like being in 30G tank and no amount of fresh water dips ( I do not agree with that treatment) will change that.
Stick to smaller fish. i would even suggest that your near capacity with the fish you have minus the tang.
Saltwater fish need space to roam and swim.

 

As far as the starfish goes, for the past 6 months I've fed my Chocolate Chip Star small pieces of tuna, or pellet fish food that doesn't float, every couple of weeks. Just set the food on a quiet rock or in a corner and place the starfish on top of the food. She'll get the idea.

 

Here is a link to some useful info on marine filtration. Please read it and it does touch on the wet/dry or trickle filter.


http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i5/Filtration/Filtration.htm

The problem being, when you add the new live rock, it will need to cycle as well, hindering this whole process, not helping it.

SAW, while I agree with the supplemental feeding of inverts, I am concerned it will add greatly to the already overtaxed water...

Water changes, while I am not a great advocate of them while cycling a tank, I think they are likely needed at this point to keep the fish from dying, assuming water params such as pH, temp, and SG are kept exactly the same with the new water. Of course, that also depends on the ammonia and so forth. If it is not too high, then I would wait on the water changes.

You really should have test kits for these measurements and test daily yourself.

And I agree with Jason, too many fish....

 

I have about $170 to spend on the tank on the 27th. What kind of stuff should I get. Should I go with some live rock or build my self a wet/dry?

 

Well, I am not trying to be harsh, but really, you seem to have set up a freshwater system and put saltwater in it. What with the biowheel and the UG filter, low watt lighting (which is OK for a fish only).

Have you gotten any beginner basic books? I would see if the store would take your animals back temporarily, get a book and see how you want to proceed.

If it were me, I would not have a UG filter. What substrate do you have? Gravel, crushed coral, surely not sand....it would clog the UG filter.

Which substrate, if any, do you like (after some research) and why? You really need to do this homework if you want to have any sort of success keeping marines.


Have you looked into protein skimmers at all? If you will be keeping stars, at some point you may want some easier corals as well....it is kind of an addiction. You should plan for the future... Wet dry - good for fish, bad for inverts. Live rock, good for all, BUT, you will be adding to your already overtaxed system if you add it now, after you have fish, and have not cycled your tank. It may kill what you have. It may not.

What were the results of your testing?

Again, sorry for all the ??? but...to help, I need the details ;D

 

I know I messed up hard core. I am using crushed coral. What would be the best idea skimmers wet/dry, or live rock. This setup is going to have what it has in it now minus the tang.(which is now being housed in a cycled tank at my friends hous). The biowheel I already had on order because I got a good deal on it and the ug filter came with the tank. Some time down the road I wanna get a cleaner shrimp.

 

Well, that's just great! My Chocolate Chip Starfish has been fine for 6 months. Now, after Urban_s comment about the starfish, my Star has a white patch on one of its legs, and the color is off on the tips of the other 4 legs!
Grrrr!
Now I'll re-test my water parameters and do some research. I'll let you know if I get any insight.

 

My Chocolate Chip is now dead.

 

I'm sorry Urban. It's tough losing one of your pets, even one you've had for a short time.
In my opinion, you've going to have to back off and approach this like a puzzle to be solved. Re-read Birdlady's last post. What's your goal? Fish? Fish plus some inverts like your starfish? A full reef tank?
Once you have a goal, then read, read, read. There's lots of good info, on this web and others. But, take it with a grain of salt. There's as many ways of setting up a tank as there are hobbyists. Types of filters, substrate, etc., are not bad, but some are better than others.