my saltwater tank is progressing.....
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,168
Likes: 4
From: New Orleans
Okay, I know my shit about fish, and have been researching a salt water setup for 6+ months now.
In freshwater tanks, you usually add all the water and gravel and all the so it looks like it's ready for fish. Then you dump in some 2$ wal-mart fish by the dozens and let them get the water dirty. The ammonia level, along with the nitrates and nitrites will spike for that first week, usually. After that, they will stabalize, and you will be in good shape to put the real fish in. Theoretically, you could use this same method for saltwater aquariums. Problem is, it's really hard to get your hands on dozens of CHEAP salty fish.
I run a 40 gallon tank with $200 of malawian mbuna cichlids. Next summer about 70 pounds of Fuji rock, and saline filled water will be entering that tank, allong with mushroom polyps, and a purple tang or two. Give me your aim screenname, and i can hook you up with some helpful links for your saltwater journey.
i will probably start buying my stuff for my tank in about a week or so!
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,168
Likes: 4
From: New Orleans
Nissan: Shift_Recall
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Bay Area, CA
Nice, I just setup a 80 gal tank. Decided to just stick with freshwater fish and live plants tho.
If you don't want to wait so long on adding fish by doing a fishless cycle, just find a place that sells Marineland Biospira packs and start off with a few of the heartier fish that you may already have planned to add to the tank. Biospira is the actual live benificial bacteria that would normally develop in a tank when cycling. It fully establishes your tank within 12-24 hours.
If you don't want to wait so long on adding fish by doing a fishless cycle, just find a place that sells Marineland Biospira packs and start off with a few of the heartier fish that you may already have planned to add to the tank. Biospira is the actual live benificial bacteria that would normally develop in a tank when cycling. It fully establishes your tank within 12-24 hours.
Last edited by supapoopa; Nov 8, 2006 at 12:05 PM.
Thread Starter
aka Heywoodjablowme
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,562
Likes: 0
From: Nashville, TN
wagers on thread popping up in 2 weeks wondering why fish are all dead for?
no offense man, but too many people get into salt water tanks without really knowing what they are getting into.
But have fun and you need to wait at least 3 weeks if not a month for some tanks to be stable enough for fish.
no offense man, but too many people get into salt water tanks without really knowing what they are getting into.
But have fun and you need to wait at least 3 weeks if not a month for some tanks to be stable enough for fish.
they all come to the front of the tank when i walk up & i've gotten them to realize when i open the lid, that it's feeding time LOL
Thread Starter
aka Heywoodjablowme
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,562
Likes: 0
From: Nashville, TN
started off w/ 3 of each of the following :
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=115
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=102
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=104
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=115
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=102
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=104
Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis
Becareful w/ the damsels. They get very aggressive towards other fish. I would suggest when you start to spend some money on new fish, you get rid of the damsels. They will terrorize your tankmates.....goto www.reefcentral.com for more info....