Newcomer (1 month in)

[XxScarfacexX619]

Today I plan to put some fiji premium rock in my tank, i can only afford about 20 lbs for now, I am also going to put live sand (im debating on mixing it with non live sand due to the cost of live sand...) I currently have a 20lb bag of live sand bought at petco for $25, but Ive seen other sand for $12....

Anyways, I already have the tank running for one month, inside have damsel, two clowns and anenome....

Will putting in live rock and sand, along with a 5% water change cause alot of disturbance in the tank? Will it make the fish upset

 

[matty0206]

You should post a pic, is the tank just bare with the fish and anemone? I would seriously reconsider the way you are going. If you add live rock and sand with fish and an anemone already in the tank you run the risk of losing them. You are going to have a cycle from the rock and sand which will cause an ammonia spike. If you do this you need to test daily and do water changes as needed if you see ammonia start to climb. I am not sure who gave you advice about how to start a tank but you might want to get a second opinion.
Another option is to cycle the rock in another container until it tests good and has gone through a cycle and then add it to your tank. You don't need to use live sand, if you use live rock or even a small piece of live rock, your sand will become live in time.

 

[3Twinklets]

You always need to watch for ammonia when adding uncured things to your tank. Your tank is not really established enough to begin to add more livestock. If the livestock that you have now are doing OK, then keep up with water changes and do not add anything else until your tank is at least 6 month old. At this time, beneficial bacteria should have had a chance to get started. Beginning a new reef takes patience.

 

[XxScarfacexX619]

Im buying the rock from a guy who has his own little shop, trying to expand, he isnt a LFS but he is trying. He said his live rock has been through a cycle and already comes with some beneficial algei/bacteria....So if i do decide to add the live rock in my tank today there is a possibility i can loose my anenome and fish?

 

[matty0206]

Im buying the rock from a guy who has his own little shop, trying to expand, he isnt a LFS but he is trying. He said his live rock has been through a cycle and already comes with some beneficial algei/bacteria....So if i do decide to add the live rock in my tank today there is a possibility i can loose my anenome and fish?

If his rock is in fact cycled the best way to do it is to make sure it stays submerged in saltwater or at least wet when you transport it home. You will still have a cycle from the move, temp drop, exposure to air, etc. but you can minimize it by keeping the rock submerged or at least wet with towels. Do you have a good test kit? If not you should get one and test daily for a little bit. If ammonia rises then you are having a cycle, at to high of levels yes your fish and anemone could die.

 

[XxScarfacexX619]

Here are some pictures...I plan to scrub off the brown stuff (have no clue what it is...can be bacteria?..

 

[matty0206]

Ok yeah you need to slow down and do some reading. Your corals should be open but are not probably due to some or all of your levels being off. I am honestly not bashing you just don't want to see you fail. Read about the nitrogen cycle and different algae you have. The brown stuff is diatoms which come during a cycle. You will need to get snails and hermits or some form of cleaning critters to take care of the algae. Saltwater is very different than fresh and takes time. The most important thing you need to do is get a test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph and some way to check salinity. Test those and post the results here before you add or clean anything.

 

[XxScarfacexX619]

The rock thats inside isnt live rock..thats just how the tank came, and i left it inside so the fish can have some hiding spots....I dont have a test kit...should the test kit be only for ammonia?...

 

[matty0206]

Get a multi test kit, red sea or API. They are not the best but they work fine and are readily available at petsmart/petco and will test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.