HOLY SH$%!!! Your not gonna believe this...

[harmonic]

A few of you guys know I've had a 55g FOWLR setup and cycling for just a few days now, and had finally made up my mind and planned on a reef setup for later this year. My wife had been tight lipped about this whole deal, acting as if she wasn't interested and just tolerating all my spending and the mess I've been making.

When I left for work this morning I had a 10g setup on my desk here with a couple of plecos and some rainbowfish in it.

When I got home this afternoon, I had a 10g NANO REEF!!! My wife was sitting there grinning from ear to ear... She had gone out and dropped about $250 on this thing- looks like 10lbs of LR, live sand, a millennium 2000 power filter, a 36w actinic PC, 2 orange colored clownfish (I don't know what kind, they're not in my book), a "bulb aneneme"??? and a royal gramma. At least she did by some test kits I didn't have yet. the alkalinity is 5 on this thing, pH 8.3, trites <.2, trates 0, and 10 ammonia??? I have no idea how the chemistry works here- how can this thing have 10 ammonia 3 hours after setup???
I have no idea how to care for an aneneme, or clownfish, or grammas. What in the world am I supposed to do here?

The fish look good enough, but the aneneme is all shrunk up and "drooping" over the side of its rock... I don't even know what this thing eats. I don't know whether or not to be upset. I know I didn't want to have to learn by trial and error though. Oh well.

???????

[Penguin]

Wow, what a surprise! Unfortunately, as you know you shouldn't be reading any ammonia if your biological filter is cycled. Ammonia is toxic to your fish, and especially your anemone (probably why it's slumped over). Do you have anybody who could temporarily hold your animals while your new tank cycles? Maybe the LFS would be willing to hold them for you? You can cycle your tank with a small piece of shrimp or something until you have zero ammonia and nitrite. If you leave the fish in there for the cycle, it will be very stressful and you may lose them to ammonia poisoning or disease.

Clownfish and royal grammas are pretty easy to care for. They'll both eat just about any prepared fish food of the proper size. Try different types of flake, frozen mysis or brine, krill, etc. But even 3 small fish is quite a lot for a 10g nano. You may run into problems with this stocking level. I have not kept anemones, but I know they need good lighting and periodic target feeding. Your 36w PC should probably be sufficient.

Here is a site where you can try to identify your clowns and anemone, and read up on them a little: http://biodiversity.uno.edu/ebooks/intro.html

You need to get the anemone out of there soon though, or it's surely a goner! Preferably the fish too. Good luck. HTH

[harmonic]

That's what I'm gonna have to do. This poor aneneme must be in shock by now, every time it crawls under its rock my wife will turn the rock over so she can see him.

It's good that she share in the expereince, but I can't handle doing thins like this without procedure. I actually have a plan book for my FO tank... oh boy...

[FISHme]

The tank should have been cycled before any livestock was added.
Most everything will probably die !!!!

[harmonic]

Good news. My friend (the one who gave me the old LR) has taken the clownes and the gramma for me. She couldn't take the aneneme because of light or depth issues... I didn't really understand the explanation. I called the lfs about the aneneme and they couldn't take it. I've got light and current for it and some "reef vital DNA" formula that might help. A 20% wc today lowered the ammonia from .10 to .08, trites are registering now but less than 1. If it survives till tomorrow evening I'm sure one of the shops down in louisville will take it.

[hcp28]

It's not his fault Mark his wife was just trying to do something nice for him. Harmonic it's usually a flame free board here I'm glda you got those fish out, the nano should cycle pretty fast probably in a few days or weeks. Remember to add the fish back in slowly, may the gramma then the bigger clown then the smaller one. bigger clown should go in first to prevent it from killing the smaller one when it is introduced.

Henry

[FISHme]

Henry, I understand. It wasn't meant as a flame , just a fact. (Peace)

[harmonic]

I didn't think anything of it FISHme, don't worry 'bout it. I've got the situation under control now. The aneneme is still alive, actually not looking to bad today. I'm pretty sure Sandy's pet shop or greentree over in Indiana will take him in trade for some credit.

[FISHme]

Harmonic, right , no prob.
Glad to see you are taking the right measures to get things going in the right direction.
Good luck !!!!