Hi Im new

[prthd]

so i bought a 75 gallon tank last weekend. i would like to know when i can start adding fish, shrimp, coral. i dont feel to confident in the local pet store advise. i currently have 3 pieces of curred live rock ranging from softball to bowling ball size. i also have 2 Damsels, i was told by one worker i could add them so i did. and today another workers says i shouldnt add anything for 3 - 4 weeks. The Damsels are doing great and my water levels are all good.

nice to meet you all

Dave

 

[coolhandgoose]

Hi welcome to the site!

Patience is the key to success in this hobby. Read lots. And of course post pictures! :)

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you. You stated that your tank is only a week old, has it gone thru a cycle yet? How many lbs of live(cured) rock did you purchase, because the rule of thumb is 1-2lbs per gallon. If it has cycled, then the damsels should be fine. You should be patient, and add fish slowly, at least once every 2-3 weeks. Now, inverts, as long as the tank is cycled, you can add them. They don't really contribute to the bio-load. And if you have good lighting, them you can start off with some easy(soft) corals and maybe a few lps's. Good luck and keep us updated...
Ps...we really, really like pics. :)

 

[yote]

Welcome aboard.Were glad to have you.

 

[EliWhitney314]

Welcome to the site and this great hobby.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hello!

 

[dcantucson]

:wave: Glad you're here. Welcome! :wave:

 

[prthd]

so i just bought some more live rock, im up to about 20 pounds. like i stated my tank is 75 gallons. whats the minimum pounds of rock i should have, ill post some pictures of my set up once the water clears up a little.

 

[Bifferwine]

Minimum 75 lbs of rock. You want to shoot for 1 to 2 lbs per gallon of tank size. So 75 to 150 total. But that can be a mix of dry and live rock; it doesn't all have to be live.

 

[rwynn]

The dry rock will become live rock in a month or so time, if you were wondering, WELCOME!

 

[prthd]

can i add live rock down the road thats cured or will is screw up my tank. like say 15 20 pounds a month

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah you can add it over time. That's not a problem.

 

[prthd]

can i add say 15 to 20 pounds of roch every month or will that scrfew up my tank

 

[Bifferwine]

Not if the rock is cured already. If you're not sure, you can leave it in a rubbermade with a powerhead and heater before you add it to your tank. Watch the parameters in the tub. If they stay at zero, the rock is safe to add to the tank.

 

[prthd]

whats a devent price for live rock, i went down to columbus ohio today to a place called aquarium adventures. they had it half off so it was 4.50 a pound. im getting excited cant wait to be able to add coral and a few shrimp.

 

[yote]

4.50 a pound is a pretty dang good price.

 

[Bifferwine]

That is a good price. My LFS sells live rock for $12 to $14 a pound. Even if you buy online, the cheapest you're going to be able to find is around $4 per pound.

 

[Ulta]

I would suggest keeping a look out for stuff on local forums and cragslist(especially being new to the hobby you will find lots of useful stuff). I got some nice 6 yr old live rock covered with Coraline and all kinds of stuff for only $1-3/lb from a guy who was tearing down his fish tank not too far from me. Some great deals and beats the heck out of LFS prices!

BTW, welcome! ^_^

Edit: Matter of fact I see your Ohio, The forums I found that stuff on was michiganreefers.com and MOST of the people are all down by the south border, Detroit area and Ohio. I'm up north so like 90% of that doesn't effect me but I still keep an eye out for my area :)

 

[prthd]

picstures of my tank

 

[prthd]

ok i must not of did that right, can someone please tell me how to upload pics.

thanks

dave