About ready to give up

pmanzi · 09-05-2005, 05:59 PM

I am having a real hard time getting this hobby off the ground, am I alone or does everyone have this much trouble getting started. First I lost all fish to ich outbreak. After that I tore down the tank, replaced by canisters with a wet-dry, added a protein skimmer, went from FO to including live rock and setup a quarantine tank. after everything was back up and cycled I put 2 damsels in the show tank, they did fine for two weeks so I went this weekend and purchased a lawnmower blenny, Kole tang, and flame angel and placed them in the quarantine tank. They where all happy, eating well, and I was adding seachem paraguard. After 2 days in the quarantine tank the flame angle died. He never showed signs of stress, and was eating just a few hours before that. I realize this is an expensive hobby but I feel like I am just throwing money away. Is there something I am forgetting to do? Does everyone have these problems?
Thanks for letting me rant.

allaboutfish37 · 09-05-2005, 06:27 PM

hi yes well sounds like you are going to fast,you have to take your time.how big is the tank?and the quarantine tank.?to much to fast

seawillow · 09-05-2005, 06:30 PM

Sorry to hear that you're having such a hard time getting your tank established. I think my first question to you would be...how long has your tank been set up. I've found that being in the retail pet store business and giving people advise on setting up salt tanks that the first and foremost problem that people seem to have is going too fast. I have always said that having a reef tank (or even a FO) has taught me tons of patience. The key is to go slow, spend the money you need to to get the proper equiptment and just take it slow.....Hope the tables turn and you start having better luck!!

Bruce · 09-05-2005, 07:26 PM

i agree with allaboutfish, putting 3 pretty big fish in a newly cycles tank is means for disastor, just start out slow and it should be ok

, good luck

Matt Rogers · 09-05-2005, 07:40 PM

I love angels too, but I would add an angel to the tank much later, personally a year after cycle or at least 6 months. I would not add tangs first either as they can bully new fish. Like others have said, take your time and you will hit less bumps. I know it can be very stressful but the rewards are many down the road. Hang in there!

Birdlady · 09-05-2005, 09:24 PM

I will agree with the above, but also add that a marine tank can not hold as many fish as a freshwater. Plan your fish ahead of time, check for compatiblity, and once you come up with your fish list...stick to it. Impulse purchases of fish nearly always ends in disaster.

I would certainly, ALWAYS only add one fish at a time. That includes quarantine. QT can be a very stressful time for the fish as well. If one has a disease, you have just exposed them all to it and in stressful conditions, it can kill them. How are you filtering your QT tank? Toxic ammonia can build up right quick. I suggest a 50% water change on a QT every other day.

I also don't really care for medicating a QT tank unless you have a fish in QT specifically for treatment of something specific. Medications can also be quite stressful for fish.

Things we need to know to help out better would include

size of tank, when it was set up, filtration methods, and what water parameters are you testing for and what are the results..

Patience is a virtue...we don't always have it, but this hobby will sure give it to ya!

pmanzi · 09-06-2005, 06:05 AM

Thanks everyone.
The display tank is 75 gallon the QT is only 10. There is a Top Fin Power filter on it and an airstone. The water on both the display and QT is testing at 0 nitrate, 0 nitrite, 8.4 PH, 0 ammonia, the spg I noticed is a bit high at 1.026 I started doing some water changes last night to lower that. I started setting up the tank in April, I ich and rebuild was in august. It is interesting that everyone is saying that this was to much to add at once, everything I added was at the suggestion of the LFS, the bleeny to turn over sand, the tank for algae, and the angle just because it was a hearty fish.
Based on everyones comments how long should I wait before adding more fish? Also how long do you normally keep fish in the QT?
Anyone know of any good LFS in Georgia?
Thanks again for everyones advice and willingness to help those of us who keep asking what you must consider the basics that we should already know.

APC · 09-06-2005, 06:54 AM

Where in GA are you? I live in Atlanta. The reef store and more in buckhead is good. Marine Fish in Roswell is okay as well. By and large I have found that you are better off getting advice on-line (here at 3reef for example). I also have had good luck buying my corals on line (in fact, all of my corals are from on-line vendors). The risk with the LFS is that you can get someone with a lot of knowledge, or you can get someone that is clueless. Same is true of on-line forums of course, but it is easier to get a bunch of opinions on line and to look for a concensus.

pmanzi · 09-06-2005, 07:34 AM

Marine Fish is where I purchased the three fish over the weekend, and also where I got the fish with ich. I have also been to the fish store and more and have great luck with their freshwater fish. The only issue with both of these is that they are 30 - 40 miles from me (I am in Suwanee), so you really need to be able to cut out a weekend afternoon to make the trip.

APC · 09-06-2005, 08:04 AM

I am in the same boat, I live in Kennesaw - it is a major hassle to get to either place. The fish store has amazing stuff, but they are pricey. Sorry to hear about Marine Fish - but that is a good heads up for me. I have bought snails and crabs from them. Also my lawn mower blenny. They all are doing fine. I was going to go to MF this weekend and get a tank raised clown...I think I may make the trip to Buckhead and hit the fish store and more insted.

Definitely post your questions on line before you buy anything. The group on 3reef is very responsive. It is a great avenue to get advice.

There is a thread out there on mail order fish - it was posted last week. I really prefer to work on line - the LFS in Atlanta are not easy to get to, and product is not always great.