New and need help...

Dinkin's Aquatic Gardens
Jump to Last
Newbee salts

Newbee salts

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 7, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
29
Location
Jacksonville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So i am very new at saltwater and i was stupid and did not do any research 1st now that i already set up my tank and stuff im starting to do research and found out that ive done every single thing all wrong and backwards apparently i dont even have proper equipment... I NEED HELP please.... Ok here goes please dont judge too hard this was just for fun for my kids... I have a 55g tank with a regular over the tank filiter and led lights on the hood my water temp is at 71 my salinity is at 1.022 i have live sand 1 30 pound live rock that i bought i also have 2 small around 2 pounds oyster bed rocks that i got from the ocean i have about 8 small fish that i caught from the ocean and 2 blue crabs and 20 hermit crabs and 7 shrimp all caught from the ocean i set up the tank and added everything within a 3 day peroid its been 5 days now and everything is still alive but my water is very cloudy still not clear at all i added some algae solution like the guy at the store told me too but what should i do i really like what I've set up for the kids and id like to make it into a hobby and make it real big and pretty like all the others I've been seeing .... What do I do next and how can I clear up the water?

15652045039141948230361.jpg
 
Deltec
Welcome to R2R! Yes unfortunately I would say things wern't done in the ideal manner. But were here to help :)
First and foremost, always double check that taking things directly from the ocean isn't against your local laws. It may not seem like a big deal but they heavily enforce taking things from the ocean without proper permits.
Secondly it appears that your tank may be cycling. What you can do to help it along is get a bottle of Bio Spira live bacteria to help it along. And do water changes to keep ammonia levels to a point where the fish will survive it as ammonia is very toxic to fish.
Others will chime in with more information. Good luck :)
 
Nutramar Foods
K, first things first, take a breath and put together a plan of action. Chasing problems blindly usually creates more problems. The first thing I notice is your water temp, you need to raise it up to at least 77 to 78 degrees. If you don't have any heaters then you can get them at most pet stores. 2nd, did you add sand before water, or the other way around? If you put in the water before the sand the sand will take even longer to settle down. Like @Crabs McJones said, your tank may also be cycling and watch out for ammonia, if you don;t have any ammonia testing kits you can also get them at most pet stores like a Petco or Pet Smart.
 
Welcome home, you will love it here!

Alright, so your tank has been set up for less than a week?

If so and you've added fish/life -- grab some biospira and dose it. I'd buy a couple of bottles. For new tanks, I reocmmend the seachem "ammonia alert" badge as well to tell you how well your biofilter is working. Any ammonia is very toxic.

Large water changes in this case in the short run are your friend, that's where I would start followed ASAP by biospira and the addition of that ammonia alert badge.
 
Crabs McJones said:
Welcome to R2R! Yes unfortunately I would say things wern't done in the ideal manner. But were here to help :)
First and foremost, always double check that taking things directly from the ocean isn't against your local laws. It may not seem like a big deal but they heavily enforce taking things from the ocean without proper permits.
Secondly it appears that your tank may be cycling. What you can do to help it along is get a bottle of Bio Spira live bacteria to help it along. And do water changes to keep ammonia levels to a point where the fish will survive it as ammonia is very toxic to fish.
Others will chime in with more information. Good luck :)
Click to expand...
How do i check for ammonia?
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Welcome! Like others have said, take a breath and prioritize things.
1st thing will be ammonia, like others already mentioned.

Since this is all wild caught, I wouldn't worry about temperature right now, as this isn't a reef tank yet, it's just a tank full of water with some critters in it.

The blue crab in the bottom left corner of your photo is likely going to eat your fish while they sleep. I would get it out of there.

Are there live oysters on the rocks? They're not likely to make it, and as they die, are going to really mess up that water. Best to get rid of them too.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Ecoscape Reef Rock
Welcome aboard. Sounds like you've got some really good advice already. Keep doing your research. Be patient and diligent. I think you'll find that the more you learn, the more fascinating this hobby becomes.
 
First off, welcome to our salty spot!
I’m curious if your water is straight from the ocean same as all your livestock? You mention wanting to have a pretty tank like others you have seen. I ask about your water because what you have set up right now is a biotope, meaning everything is from the same ecosystem. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, these tanks are super cool, but you’ll want to use synthetic salt if you aren’t already if you go more tropical. Also, couldn’t agree more with removing the crab!
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Dinkin's Aquatic Gardens

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
See comments…

New Posts

Top Shelf Aquatics
Dinkins Aquatic Gardens
World Wide Corals
Nutramar Foods
Tidal Gardens
TCK Corals
Deltec
Chewy.com
New Posts
Back
Top