why yes i am a natural blue

natural blue · 08-02-2007, 10:49 PM

Hello people-
wonderful people of wisdom
beyond my understanding....
i have been absorbing information from this site- and it's links etc... i figured i'd join up and learn something. I have recently inherited this tank from my bro in law- and he gave me very detailed directions on how to keep it... that worked great until i started messing with the system... now i am obsessed about it!
so here i am let me see if i can describe this tank. kay...

55 gal with Live rock , two clowns, a mystery fish, two beautiful button polyps, a mystery very small anenome, some possible aiptasia, lots of little crabs, and snails,and the ghosts of about 15 starfish that perished when i moved it across the house to a cooler spot (i live in the desert, and summer was here)
after this accidental and shamey massacre, my nitrate levels went through the roof-
and well i can only assume they went through the roof cuz i never had tested them before-
but let's just say that the starfish ghosts had cursed me temporarily-
i changed water every two days-like a mad woman- 50%
the cascade filter did some good work because now the nitrate levels are good-
almost entirely gone-
and now my butterfly fish looks like he got ick-
he was purchased on july 3-
i gave him the freshwater treatment for four minutes-
that was cool to watch those pustules just pop themselves!
and he looks alot better- but he's not into food now-
that's probobly the shock of it all- so i also treated with some prime-
my approach thus far, has been to hope for the best

and i guess i need a shrimp- but i should wait till this blows over? or should i get one right this second?
i dunno.
that's why i am here.

IBMGeek · 08-02-2007, 11:17 PM

Welcome to 3reef! Seems like your up to a good start. Your in the right place feel free to ask questions.

omard · 08-03-2007, 07:16 AM

To 3Reef!!!

Glad to see you aboard! Please ask any questions you might have.

Get a basic SW test set kit. It is very important to have when just setting out.

Just "...hoping for the best..." will not work in this hobby. For certain, if something can go wrong, it will.

The Tao of Marine Aquaria
Tips for Our Hobby and Life

© 1997 Adam H. Whitlock
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/25/00

MDeth · 08-03-2007, 07:43 AM

Welcome

omard · 08-03-2007, 08:09 AM

"natural blue" what?

natural blue · 08-03-2007, 11:12 AM

thanks for the welcome-
My butterfly fish was laying down this morning- so i made an emergency hospital tank out of an empty instant ocean bucket and an airhose.
i am still "hoping for the best"
although i think it's time to recheck my water...
nitrate- up to 40
nitrite-.5
ph- too low
so i got this stuff, Kent superbuffer dKH
I'm going to try it out right now....

my other fish look healthy-
but i pledge to be more testy and vigilant!
yes hoping for the best might just be supplemental- to
actual prevention and understanding!
p.s. i have naturally blue hair- for reals.

IBMGeek · 08-03-2007, 11:19 AM

Im pretty sure butterfly fish are pretty difficult to maintain in an aquarium because there shy feeders.

natural blue · 08-03-2007, 11:56 AM

well-
this guy- (the one in the bucket)
he usually chowed pretty good- and he is really big-
like 4.5 in long- and i am thinking that he was too big for my 55 gal-
and since he lives with teeny tiny clowns- the atmosphere was pretty friendly-
I thought he had ick cuz he was salty looking and rubbing on the rocks- but after i fresh watered him- he looked less alty and more faded- and now his yellows are going orangey and i wonder if i can still save him- and how-
it's really sad to see him in the bucket like a flounder.

amcarrig · 08-03-2007, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by natural blue

so i got this stuff, Kent superbuffer dKH
I'm going to try it out right now....

Please buy yourself an alkalinity test kit before you start adding buffers or any other supplements. PH doesn't mean much as its level is determined by the alkalinity, magnesium and calcium levels in your tank. You need all three test kits stat.

PS. At the moment, I wouldn't suggest that you add anything as your tank is just starting to restabilize itself after being moved (which move caused some die off, hence, your nitrate spike).

natural blue · 08-03-2007, 12:40 PM

thank you amcarrig- i will go to the store asap.
and get testing.

also, i am considering a protein skimmer skimmer-

there was this interesting diy setup- i am not sure what you'd call it,
but there's an undergravel system, with powerheads in addition to the cascade. A tube attached to one of the powerheads ran up to a vessel containing filter media- renew, chemi pure, carbon and phos pure. also those lego looking bacteria guys.
this setup- is it taking away from my cascade's ability to work?
guy at the store said to remove the undergravel system-

if i get a skimmer, should i do away with this diy thing what ever you'd call it?