In a word ...devistated

Well to satisfy greysoul I am taking a look at the larger tank this afternoon/evening and more than likely going to ask for it, so the fish and you can breath a little easier. So even if I get the bigger tank you pretty much saying get the arrow crab out? BTW I already have a few books I bought a good while ago, the only reason I have bought these things is because no one objected at the lfs. When I asked about the importance of gallons needed to house they put above the specimen tanks, one of the guys I spoke to said hes had fishes that "ask" for a certain amount of gallons in a smaller than specified tank and the fish supposedly did fine. Mind you this is the guy who does all the set ups at the lfs.

Just to bury the hatchet I have a few questions for you.. I ask for your hopefully humble opinion when I ask, what should be my next/first step when setting up my larger tank? Does the live sand that supposedly cycles in one day be the best option so I can transfer my fish over asap? If I were to be buying LR in small groups of something around 15-20lbs., what would the procedure be if I wanted to cure them in in a five gallon bucket before introducing them to the larger tank. Thanks

 

It's not really about satisfying me, it's about the health of the fish and your long term enjoyment of this. It would kinda stink to have to return a fish that gets too big after you've grown attached. As for arrow crabs, I dunno, some people consider them reef safe others don't. I think it's an issue of can vs. do. They can pick at corals and other inverts, doesn't mean they all will.

As for the LFS thing, you'll find that it's rare to find someone at a LFS who isn't in it for money. Not all of them are in it JUST for money, but let's face it, money is a major motivator for retail stores. I am really glad I have a LFS that knows me and my tank and will be honest about things I ask about.... but if I really wanted to they would sell me anything in the store rather than try too hard to talk me out of it. It's the nature of the beast.

Anyone who would tell you that any dwarf angel will do well in a 12g tank is either greedy or severely misinformed. I'm certain there's someone out there who has done it and made it work..... but in general practice it's not a good idea.

That's why I suggest doing your own research before you ask the LFS for advice. If every book and website says a Xgal is way too small for Y fish then the LFS says it will do fine then you can pretty much be certain they just want your money and more money when the fish they sell you dies. My LFS I go to is very knowledgeable about dry goods, but ultimately they don't keep every fish they have for the long term. They keep them for days, weeks, (maybe months) in a holding tank, then they go somewhere else. It may be honest lack of knowledge, and they'd rather make a sale than admit they don't know something. If they will take back fish that's a plus.


... on your next question... larger tank and cycling....

My 58g tank cycled in about a week. Based on what I'd been told by a few sources at first I thought it impossible, then I did more research and found that yes it is possible. I wouldn't give any weight to a claim that some live sand will cycle in a day.... that's probably not going to happen. If it doesn't cost more and you like the look of the sand then use it, but don't buy marketing hype.

There are many good threads on 3rref about setting up your tank, so I wont delve too deep into that.

As for rocks, there's a lot of options. Base rock doesn't need to be "cured", Live rock can come in fresh off the reef entirely uncured or in various states of cured. Look around on craigslist for people selling tank cured rock, you can add it to the tank directly with little or no spike. If the LFS is cool they might be willing to cure some rock for you if you pay for it first. Of course the best bet is to buy all or most of your live rock when you set the tank up and let it cure as the tank cycles. If you can't do that you can bucket cure, just make sure you have good water that matches the parameters of your tank.

Also, the bigger the tank the less likely you are to crash it by small changes... you might find you can add 10 lbs of rock every couple weeks and not have a problem.

.... anyways best advise I can offer is search the forums for info on sand and live rock, tank set up, and other specifics.

-Doug