Is my PetCo telling me lies?????

Hello everybody, this is not going to be a good first post but I am sorry. I have no idea what I'm doing and need help immediately if possible. I just set up a 20 gallon long saltwater aquarium about a week and a half ago. Well yesterday I went to my local PetCo to see what kind of fish I would have. An employee came over and asked if I needed help. Told him I was brand new to saltwater fish/corals and he said he can help no problem. He began to tell me he had almost 15 years of saltwater experience and I trusted him, which might be my downfall with my first tank. They had a variety of baby Tangs, tiny yellow ones, baby blue ones, and something called a desjardi(spelling) or something. Well, I really really liked them but wasn't sure how to care for them. He began to tell me about a product called Bio Spira and how it can be fish ready within minutes of being added to the tank. I asked him what type of fish I could have and that I was interested in those tangs specifically. He told me that if I used the Bio Spira, I could get 3 of them and they would be fine because fish never outgrow their aquariums. To make a long sotry short, I got the 3 baby tangs along with an anemone to give them "shelter" and he said that would not be a problem. Here is the problem now, the anemone looks really bad, not inflated or anything. I already lost one of my babies and the other two do not look good at all. I called them up today and they said they do not have any guarantee and do not accept them back. So what do I do now??? I am so mad at them. One of the things that dawned on me today was that when I was walking out of the store, the employee that helped me was laughing with other co-workers, but I wasn't sure what it was about. The tangs were $70 a piece and the anemone was almost 50 dollars.

Please help me, I am in over my head!


I posted this on reefmonkey but nobody helped me!

 

Get the nem out, it's a loss. Sorry. But if you don't it'll release toxins that will kill the 3 tangs. Once that's taken care of find someone to either give or sell the tangs too. There's not a Tang that will survive happily in a 20 gallon.

How long has your tank been set up?

Once you get this situation averted I suggest you do some in depth research. And keep the ?'s coming, you'll find the help you need here on 3reef!

 

wow is all i have to say. thats really bad. um yeah they def. lied to you, if your tank's not cycled ....then its not cycled that takes time no amount of chemical or additive will change that. the fish will most likely die and if the anemone dies it'll kill everything in there with it. remove the anemone take it to a different pet store maybe they'll give u credit or give it to a local reefer check out reef clubs in ur area, post on craigslist if u must but REMOVE the livestock ASAP.

can we have more specifics on what your set up is like? sum? skimmer? wat amount of rock etc? lighting? (you'll def. need lighting for the anemone.

 

Ya' wow. I guess I missed the week and a half part. You really need to get all of the animals out. The nem especially but the fish aren't going to survive the cycle.

 

I have had a bad experience at that particualr chain as well. Now that's not sayig all are bad. I would go and ask to speak to the store manager IMMEDIATELY!! Explain the situation and go from there.

 

Sorry for the false info that was given to you. If all possible I would stay away from that store. It clearly shows that they don't have any knowledge about saltwater tanks. Like stated above remove the anemone befour it kill your tank. Welcome to 3 reef!

 

Welcome to 3reef, and sorry about your situation. Follow the advise given immediately. Buy ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits. Test ammonia weekly until it is zero, then test nitrite until it is zero and then the nitrate. Once they are at zero then you may add fish one at a time. Read up on the fish you would like to have and find out what size aquarium they need then match fish to the aquarium you have.

 

Where are you located? I would not want to buy any other saltwater livestock or supplies from a store that gave you such bad information. Perhaps someone here can give the the name of a semi-local fish store to check out. Of course, 3reef is a great source for information as well but sooner or later you're going to succumb to an impulse buy and it would be nice to be in a shop that will give you advice with at least a little bit of truth to it.

 

Just wanted to sa Ive been there and feel your pain. I completely got ripped off from a different chain and had fish dieing left and right. Its terrible that they do this stuff.

Hang in there and these guys will get your sorted right.

 

Absolutely not. 3 tang and an anemone in a 20 gallon tank is 100% disaster. Get them out.