Ready To Go - But Don't Know Where...

[HUMNBIRD]

This Is My First Experience With A Reef Set Up. I Don't Know Where To Begin. Had Some Initial Troubles At First But Now Everything Is Great...! Right now I have two damsels in the tank, so I am assuming that they will have to go??? The tank is leveled at the moment with live rock from Fugi. What Do I Add In First? Polyps? Soft Coral? Hard Coral? Clams? Do You Just Place These Into The Tank Where I Want Them To Set Up Or Do They Decide For Themselves? I Really Don't Mean To Sound So Inexperienced But I Am With This And Everything I Have Read Contradics The Other. Can Anyone Help Me...?

[marxsman]

My first question. What kind of water did you add to the tank. Do you use RO or tap water? What kind of filtration do you have? What kind of lights are on the tank? Keep in mind your tank is 45 gal so you need to be picky about livestock.

[HUMNBIRD]

I Have Always Used Distilled Water In All Of My Tanks - Never Had A Problem - Is This Bad For Reef? I Cannot Off The Top Of My Head Remember Any Of The Equipment Except For The Seaclone Protein Skimmer - I Have No Idea Why That Is So Easy To Remember... I Have Not Gotten Any Lights As Of Yet - That Was Another Question I Meant To Add In The Above Question And Forgot To Ask... Any Help...? I Think I Had A Little Too Much Steeler's Football Last Night. Sorry I'm Not Much Help...!

[marxsman]

Ro/Di water is fine as long as the filters remained changed, some people still have problems with PO4 with ro units though. Also I would consider buying metal halides if you are wanting to keep anykind of corals and anemones. I would not put any corals in the tank until you get lights. Many corals do compete for space so you need to be selective of what kinds of corals and how big (will they get) and where to place them in the tank. I keep only soft corals but cut them down constantly. As for fish you will definately need to find smaller species.

[BubbaWPB]

Humnbird,

[BubbaWPB]

Dang it! I *HATE* when that happens! ....now where was I?

HUMNBIRD,
What you put in your tank is up to you. However, I would suggest that whatever you add to your tank, you do it slowly to allow your tank to adjust to its new inhabitants.

Lots of people have damsels in their tanks.... it depends what other fish you want in your tank and what type of damsels you have.... some are nasty-aggressive and others can be spunky community members.

Anyway, go slow. Make sure that your system can support what you add. Do research on the species you are thinking of adding next... google searches are a nice place to start.

Good luck and have fun!

[mikey]

i have 3 damsels in my tank...i used them to cycle and i recently added 1 black and white banner fish..and 1 stars and stripes puffer fish. i have about 40 lbs of live rock. i want to get rid of my damsels but its so hard cause they keep hiding under the rocks..their very agressive. can you please give me any advice on what to do.
thanks.

[vtec si]

i have 3 damsels in my tank...i used them to cycle and i recently added 1 black and white banner fish..and 1 stars and stripes puffer fish. i have about 40 lbs of live rock. i want to get rid of my damsels but its so hard cause they keep hiding under the rocks..their very agressive. can you please give me any advice on what to do.
thanks.

People still recomend the use of Damsel fish to cycle a tank? How cruel are LFS just to make a buck!

You can buy a fish trap or make on out of a 2 liter bottle.

Martin

[dougc]

Like any other family of fish, damsels vary in their ability to coexist with other tankmates. I sometimes think that they get a bad rap, partly because we are trying to cram too many fish into too little space. Behaviorily, they are interesting inhabitants. I can't tell you how many times, much to my chagrin, visitors oohed and aahed about a blue devil in a tank full of fish that I valued more.

The best thing you can do is educate yourself on the behaviors and territoriality of fish that catch your eye. Then sit down and plan the order in which you will add fish to the tank. The basic rule of tank stocking order is small to large and passive to aggressive. An aggressive fish may not bother more passive fish if they were in the tank first. Similarly, a smaller fish is less likely to bother a larger fish even if the larger one is more passive and easily bullied. Obviously, there are exceptions to these rules. Some of the dottybacks, which are stunning gorgeous, will attack newly added fish many times their size.

What kind of damsels do you have in the tank now? The other fish you wish to add may determine whether they can stay or must be removed.

As to corals, you must decide what you would like to have in the tank. Just as with fish, there are some rules to follow regarding compatibility, but they are mostly governed by chemical warfare, competition for space, and the need for light and food. Soft corals employ chemicals, including some nasty terpinoids, to defend their space. This can retard the growth and maybe kill other soft or hard corals. Some hard corals employ stinging tentacles to defend their space. The other factor to consider is lighting. Small-polyped stony corals typically do best under intense metal halide lights, but many soft corals and large-polped stonies can be kept under VHO, T5, or compact flourescent lighting. Although many tanks include a mix of corals with different requirements, this may not be the easiest path to success. Again, your best bet is to learn more about different kinds of corals and see what you like best. Then plan your tank around what you want to keep. For example, you don't need a calcium reactor to keep soft corals, but it can be a good idea if keeping lots of stony corals.

I have been where you are and know how frustrating it can be to get started. Forums like this are a great tool. Read everything you can get your hands on, both on the Internet and in books. Get your hands on a copy of "Ultimate Marine Aquariums", which includes descriptions and photographs of many wonderful reef tanks. More importantly, it lists the filtration, lighting, feeding regimes, and inhabitants of these tanks. I like to look at coffee-table books that feature pictures of actual reefs. Studying the photographs gives me ideas about what corals, gorgonians, and other things are found together.

The other suggestion I would give you is to join a local club. They are a great resource. The club I belong to holds meetings at members' houses, so I get a chance to see many tanks and many approaches to reefkeeping. The free advice, willing offered by all, is just a bonus.

You must decide whether you will be a coral gardener or a caretaker of a realistic slice of a reef. If I had an unlimited budget and time, I would have several tanks, each with its own theme. Since I only have one tank, the temptation is strong to cram one of everything into the glass box.

The important thing is to have fun. Reefkeeping is an absorbing, frustrating, and rewarding pastime. You will become a biologist, carpenter, electrician, zookeeper, and debtor. What more could you want?

[mikey]

thanks for the advice i really appreciate it...but how would you make one out of a 2 liter bottle?