Beginner Help

[ksquared]

All,

I have acquired a 20 gallon saltwater tank (2ftX1ft) from a coworker that is relocating (I have never owned an aquarium). He has given me a box full of items including: filters, light bulbs, cleaners, etc. Since receiving the tank about a month ago, I believe the tank is doing well. The sand and rock are live according to him. This is hard because I don't know where to start but i'm going to try. The rock takes up most of the real estate (5 lbs, 1ft) , it has many little caves and pores, reddish in color, and arches. I have a filter system that waterfalls into the tank, a bubbler that hangs behind the rock, and another small bubbler that sticks to the side of the tank. I have a brittle star, a chocolate chip starfish, a yellow goby, an unknown fish (orange body with a purple face), a new clown fish, 5 snails, feather tube worms (later to be explained) and numerous small hermit crabs. I have red mushroom like animals that budded into new ones and a green spongy looking plant. With all that being said, I have bought a refractometer which instantly changed the water (for the better). The mushroom like animals started budding, the hermit crabs started multiplying, and the fish and starfish actually move around. The first problem is that the feathered tube worms died except for one. I checked the controls; nitrates, pH, alkalinity, etc. and all seems to be normal. I did fix the bulbs (the blue ones do not come on at night because of an electrical problem) and fixed the filter. The tube worms are high up on the rock and I am scared that once I fixed the filter system it's more like a strong current up there. The lights stay on for 12hrs a day if that info helps. The second problem I have is that my clown fish never seems to sleep. He just swims in the corner all day and night and he gets bullied by the orange and purple fish when he tries to come down to the rock. Should I get him a mate or anemone? And finally, given the size of my tank, the size of the rock, and the amount of fish, snails and hermit crabs. Can I even fit an new anemone, plants, or frags?

Anything helps, thank you!

KK

 

[goma]

Welcome to RS!!

Regarding an anemone, it is best to have a mature tank before adding one. Some say you can do it in 6 months but many recommend waiting for the tank to be a year old. Anemones like mature and stable environments which may also be difficult to do on such a small tank. So for now, I would skip the anemone, the clownfish will be fine with out it.

Some reading on anemones:

http://www.karensroseanemones.net/beforeyoubuyone.htm

What kind of lighting do you have? That will dictate what kind of corals you can keep.

The red mushroom like animals I am guessing are just that, mushroom corals. They are hardy and good beginner corals

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=597+598

 

[Snid]

Welcome Aboard, Matey!

Once you get 5 posts you'll be able to post pictures, which will help us see more clearly what you have described (very well I might add, most newcomers post things like "I have a new 20 gallon tank with stuff in it, what should I do?").

The clownfish swimming all the time is really quite normal. If he ever gets too tired, he'll move down to the bottom of the tank and sit.

Having too much current is hard to do with most things in a reef tank. Sometimes it seems like it is too much, but consider what ocean tides are really like. It's hard for us to replicate that much current in our tanks because water would be splashing out all over the place.

Anemones are best left for more experienced reefers. As Goma has said, they are also best left for more mature tanks. That being said, there are corals that aren't as difficult to care for that Clownfish with make their homes in that resemble Anemones. Once everyone has a better idea of what you have with pictures, they might be able to chime in on what corals you could add, if any.

I wouldn't add another Clownfish, unless the fish is so new that it wouldn't be too aggressive. Clownfish pairs are usually best introduced at the same time. I'd also strongly recommend looking into the Quarantining Process for any new additions.

Also curious about what types of snails you have. maybe when you are able to take pictures, all will be revealed. Do you have empty sea shells of various sizes for the Hermit Crabs to move into? They need to be able to change their shells. If they don't see a viable new home readily available, they might take it from a snail, thus killing it.

Lastly... How was the tank transplanted from your coworker? The move process could very well be part of the reason as to why there was some die off.

 

[ksquared]

Thanks for the advice Goma: I looked at your picture of the mushroom corals and that's them! Thank you for helping me put a name to the coral. Snid: From looking online my snails resemble the Turban snail. As for empty shells, I don't have many. They have multiplied from 6 to 17 and I am scared that they are going to overpopulate my tank. When I moved the tank we left half of the water in the tank exposing some of the tube worms (they inhabited the top of the rock in the crevices). The tube worms lived for almost three weeks before they started dying. Also, at one point (before they died) the chocolate chip star fish was laying directly on a few like a blanket almost. I wasn't sure if that might have something to do with it. My coworker had the tank for three years before I inherited it. If the sand was live, i'm not sure if the sloshing around of the water and sand hurt the tank as well. The lights in the tank are fluorescent 15-25 watt bulbs. The previous owner did not clean the tank or the salt off. I had to rewire the eroded lights and weld new clasps on (with help of course...not saying girls aren't capable). One of the main lights will just not work so I have only one on the timer. The blue lights are small LED lights and after trying to rewire them, they work when they want to.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics

 

[Snid]

You can always check with your LFS (Local Fish Store) to see if they take donations with the excess Hermit Crabs. More often than not they will take freebies in exchange for some store credit or something. Push for some store credit. *wink-wink* *nudge-nudge*

Featherdusters easily get damaged or die from air exposure, so that was most likely the cause.

I'm pretty sure that Hermit Crabs will attack Turban Snails for their shells, so you'll probably want to look into getting an more of an assortment of different sized shells to add to the system to help preserve your Snails since you say you don't have many.

Kudos for the DIY repairs on the lights.

 

[ksquared]

Thanks! That sounds like a plan, I will probably go out today and purchase some more shells.