New Guy Kinda Lost On Set-up

[new2saltyfish]

First off i'm new here so if this has already been posted please re-direct me but i searched (i think the right way) and couldn't find anything. Ive had freshwater tanks before but am now trying to do a salt water tank for a change. It's a 30 gallon tank all ready with the water salinity ready and the ph about 7.9, and amonia at about 0.5. I was told by one person to add live rock first but then told by another person to add damsels to let the tank set itself. So i added 2 damsels one of which died today. The water has been sitting for about a week and a half before i put the fish in. After all of that, my main question is WHAT DO I DO NEXT? do i add fish to let it set itself anf let them die off, or do i need live rock?

 

[mantis147]

I left the water running in my tank for two weeks then added 20kgs of live rock & the sand. Two clowns were added at the four week stage with no deaths! Just keep an eye on the test kits to make sure everything is ok! But my personal opinion would be to place the liverock in first because the fish are more likely to die through cycling which I think is a little cruel.

 

[rhysiboy]

your 1st major mistake. YOu added damsels satans spawn. It is not nescery to use fish to cycle the tank in saltwater because live rock doesthat for us. Get rid of the damsels and add live rock much nicer on the fish and you wont end up with limited stocking options later on

 

[new2saltyfish]

ok thanks. stupid petco advise. how many lbs of live rock would you suggest for a 30gal?

 

[mantis147]

I think it was 1.5lbs per gallon.

 

[new2saltyfish]

ok thanks for everything. ill keep you posted on the progress

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, take the damsel back and get between 30 and 45lbs of LR for your tank

Do you have any powerheads?

 

[new2saltyfish]

powerheads?

 

[Redstratplayer1]

In most salt water tanks live rock and water movment (power heads) are your filter.You want around 25x your tanks size in flow .U need atleast 600 gallons per hour (gph) of flow.

I say you should not add any fish for the moment and read the stickes at the top off the page.

stickys

 

[new2saltyfish]

o ok. for a filter i have a marineland emperer 280 bio-wheel power filter. Im trying to decide know what kind and where to get live rock. Anyone have any info on whats they best place to buy? it has 280 gph. and says for up to a 50 gallon aquarium. and forgot to add that i have about an inch and a half to 2 inches of live sand already in the tank.

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, 280gph will turn the tank over less than 10 times per hour, you want to get it up closer to 20. I'd invest in a 300gph range powerhead to boost things up in that department. Also, ditch the wheel portion of the bio wheel. They are notorious for being detritus traps and therefore create nitrate problems for many nano tank owners. Consider running bags of activated carbon and/or a phosphate remover like rowaphos.

 

[new2saltyfish]

well i got about 35 lbs of live rock in the tank and it looks great. But i noticed tiny millipede looking bugs crawling around on the rocks. is that bad?

 

[maidenfan]

sounds like you got bristle worms they can grow large but are good scavengers as part of the clean up crew

 

[new2saltyfish]

ok, as long as they won't hurt anything. i also have brown tube like things with a fan of anenome feather things that go in and out which are pertty cool.

 

[maidenfan]

bristleworms can be harmful if they get to large or if they get to many in number but they are quite normal hitchhikers

sounds like you may have some feather duster worms they are a nice thing to watch