This is so exciting!

A

Amazz

Reefing newb
I started with a 29 gallon biocube in September. I collected some starfish, crabs, snails, and a belted sandfish from the Gulf of Mexico. Everything went into the new tank on day one. I had no idea what the whole cycling thing meant!! Unbelievebly, after some serious nitrate spikes, EVERYTHING is still alive three months later.

As incredible luck would have it, a friend just GAVE me his 90 gallon tank. We carefully moved everything and had it running the same day. I think we avoided cycling because everything was kept wet and it was really just a considerable water change. In just under two weeks, I have collected two sharpnose puffers, a tiny lionfish, rock beauty, juvenile french angel, yellowhead wrasse, hermits, and two arrow crabs. So far, so good. I applied for a permit to possess a tiny spiny lobster so that should be entertaining. I see a 200 plus setup in my distant future! I'm here to learn because I know very little. I like getting my water offshore because I get weird things appearing in my tank like tube worms and other stuff.
 
PLEASE PLEASE research before collecting.
I kind of threw up in my mouth a little when you said "I know very little".

Both of your angels will require a tank larger than 90 gallons.

Congrats on the upgrade though. And welcome to the site.
 
I should have been more specific +

I know very little about aquariums. I know a lot about fish and their behavior. No need to throw up. Anything that outgrows my tank will go the neighbor's custom 350 gallon setup. She's more than eager to take my fish when the time comes. I'm the one with the license and means to collect. She currently has to buy everything. In three months of having the initial 29 gallon biocube, the only fish that died were purchased damsels. My collected fish seem to be hardier. But yes, I'm here to learn.
 
Oh kid, those poor fish.

First you should research every fish BEFORE you buy it or collect it. Many of those are totally unsuitable for your tank, however you cannot return to them to the wild now because you might introduce a novel disease into the area.

Also you should only add one fish every 3 or 4 weeks. You have to let the bacteria population grow and catch up to the waste level in the tank before you add more. You probably have caused your tank to go through another cycle, which is extremely harmful to living creature you have in your tank.

Also you are at your limit for fish in that tank.
 
Thanks, a little question +

We tried to plan the tank move intelligently. How much cycling do you think it's doing? I was told by a maintenance guy that I would avoid cycling by doing the following (I kind of trusted him since he had been serving this particular tank for over 5 years.) The live rocks were transported in coolers submerged with the aquarium water. The sand was kept wet as well. Filters and bioballs were also kept saturated in the original water. We kept about half of the original water and added the other half from 3 miles offshore, very clear water near the gulf stream. I agree I'm at my fish limit. Would it be ok to add just a few clean-up crew? I was thinking some snails and starfish?? A large lionfish was removed from the tank before the move. Right now, inch for inch I'm not too much over what the tank used to have as far as fish.
 
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Little Fish: one more question +

You mentioned that many of my fish are unsuitable for my tank. Would you be more specific? Are you talking about them getting too big or conflicting personalities? The angels are very small. The lionfish is the smallest fish in the tank. Everybody is getting along and thriving so far.
 
Its cycling because there is more fish poop than bacteria, not because the bacteria died off in the transfer, you did the transfer just fine.

A clean up crew would be fine to add, stick to snails though. It sounds like you already have several starfish more wont be helpful, they arent even considered to be part of a CUC. Serpent or brittle stars however can be very helpful additions to a CUC
 
The angels arent suitable for your tank, and they should be moved into a properly sized home before they stress and die.

And less than two weeks is a pathetically short time to consider anything as thriving. This hobby is not a race and nothing good in this hobby happens fast. I am seriously concerned about how your tank is going to look like in a few more weeks.
 
Your comments are riddled with assumptions +

The man who helped me move the tank has been designing and relocating tanks for 26 years. I certainly don't have more poop now. Have you ever seen first hand how much a 9 inch lionfish eats and poops? It's like dropping a grenade in the sand. That fish was not going to make the move. We ate him for dinner that night. You see, lionfish are an invasive species in Florida. This one was caught locally and grew and grew and grew. Their sting packs a wallop and I have been stung twice while diving. The flesh is a delicacy and completely safe to eat. Furthermore, I'm not a kid and probably old enough to be your mother. Are you always this condescending to new members/beginners. With all due respect, I should probably search for a local south east Florida group... People who collect and understand local wildlife. I would consider a starfish to be good at clean up when it had nearly devoured my little dead damsel over an out of town weekend.
 
I assume little_fish means you have more fish poop in your tank now than you did before you added all of those fish within two weeks of relocating your tank. Which would be a correct assumption.

We are well aware of the lionfish and their invasiveness on the reefs of Florida. We have several members here from around your area, and most of us as well read on many areas of this hobby, including the repercussions of when non-native species are introduced into a habitat.

As for the condescending goes... there are people here of all ages and walks of life that I have learned things from, both older and young than I. Where the information comes from shouldn't matter. You may be old enough to be Hannah's mother, or my mother or whoever's mother, but that doesn't matter. Age doesn't matter, knowledge does.
 
How could you eat your pet...it may be a delicacie but...geesh I could never eat any of my fish...I don't think anyone is trying to be condescending...we are just trying to help you and inform you about your mistakes so you can correct them and learn from them.
 
Lol! I ate the fish in the tank BEFORE I +

Took possession of the tank. It wasn't my pet and I didn't kill it. I couldn't kill my own pet. Funny, we have a lionfish in the tank at school. We are worried about it getting big, which it is. We can't possibly eat "Larry".

Sorry, but I have to go with 26 years of experience and my tank guy telling me my local fish choices are fine. There were two other fish in the old tank that we're released because I didn't want them.
 
Re: Lol! I ate the fish in the tank BEFORE I +

Waddi said:
Ever heard of a thing called money?? Yea. People lie for it.
Click to expand...

Not sure what your point is. Money? Paid Zero to tank consult guy. Not sure I line thus forum. I think I'm in the wrong place. Really?
 
with all due respect ma'am , webe all had LFS guys with 10-20 in some cases even more ( my oldest was 45 years in the biz) years down right lie to us to make money in the long run , they may not charge us for consultation but one wrong piece of advice can and in most cases does cause major problems with our systems that eventually are a giant money pit, with your experienc in life (as you said you may be old ebough to be Little_fishs mom) im preety sure your aware of the saying "nothing in life is really free" . also these are good people here, we make no money eighter from you, and are here to help and share our experiences. little fish has gotten on my case many times, i take it for what its worth, some advice i have plain out ignored with very bad results,
 
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howdy and welcome to the site..:D
We have all had our experiences with LFS and maintenance guys in our endeavors with this hobby, myself being one of them.. I ran into a guy that had been in the business for over 35 years and he wanted no money from me upfront, came setup everything for me, said no charge just keep me in mind when I wanted something for the tank.. Well I did purchase what he said was fine for the tank and within a few months ( and a couple dead fish) I had a total crash of the tank.. Needless to say it was an expensive lesson and years have gone by since then and we all need to second guess what someone in the "industry" tells us.. Better off safe then sorry a few months down the road.People here arent here to punish or belittle anyone just passionate about what we do and want to make sure people dont make the same mistakes most of us have made one time or another..
Best wishes and good luck..
 
Oh and those fish you released. They are most likely dead now. Once you take something out of the wild it is very hard to send them back and have them survive.
 

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