Stressed Gsp Please Help

[herguitarist94]

okay sorry it took so long to reply guys. i just got back from pets mart and got a liquid ammonia test kit (only ammonia) and the results (according to the saltwater chart because i have a SP of 1.014) and it looks like about 1ppm which is really confusing.

You're confusing me here...SP of 1.04? Do you mean specific gravity (SG)? How did you measure that?

is it beginning its spike of ammonia, or ending it? which would mean my nitrates would start spiking right? since i cant test the nitrites or nitrates very accurately (because i have strips for those ), how can i tell if the ammonia is starting or ending its spike?

Keep up the testing.
It will still rise if you are doing something to cycle the tank i.e. adding a source of ammonia.
I'm afraid I don't know what stage you are at or what you are doing to your tank at all now.
Did you clean it all out and leave it empty and have a read/try to understand about cycling as recommended? I get the feeling you haven't yet.

also i bought some little snails for my future puffers (the little ones), and figured id let them breed in the tank while its cycling, and i put a tiny tiny piece of algae wafer to feed them with, and i dont see any snails, i think there under the rocks, say they don't eat the algae,because they die or something, will that effect the cycling?

You will most likely find that snails will die during a cycle. Best to have a completely empty tank for cycling really without anything alive in it.

yes i have read it and my tank is completely empty and yes i meant SG sorry and its at about 1.014 and was measured with a hydrometer, i am doing a test every week and the water was kind of cloudy but is really clear now and the ammonia is about 1.0-0.50 (using a liquid test kit) so i think the water is ending its cycle. but im not an experienced fish owner and ive been doing ALOT of research and i was wondering about getting the puffer, im kind of second guessing it. i think i would be better off with a smaller fish, like a clown fish (what ive been researching) and wanted to know what your thoughts about them are? (the false clown fish, like finding nemo, and no thats not my influence for getting it) im prepared to do all the extra matnence it takes for a saltwater tank (considering mine is alredy at brackish) so, a penny for your thought about clown fish? and thanks for all your help jennybugs what do you think about the clown fish idea?

 

[jennybugs]

Clown fish are full marine fish. They will not survive in anything less than marine strength salt water. If you want to do a marine fish tank then you need to do alot of reading up about FOWLR (fish only with live rock) systems as the equipment for this is so much more involved and expensive and there are alot more parameters to be considering (calcium, ph, magnesium, SG, dKH, alkalinity, phosphates, nitrates, etc), not to mention getting live rock and coral sand and making sure it's cured properly and cycling with that in the tank before you even think about fish. Then there's skimmers, powerheads etc to think of too.

I personally think you'd be better off with looking into other brackish fish to see what the choices are. There are loads out there to choose from that are not so demanding as pufferfish or marine fish.

Can I just ask, one thing I can't determine from your posts...how are you cycling the tank now? Have you just filled it with salt water and left it without adding an ammonia source? If so that is why your ammonia may be dropping. The tank needs a constant source of ammonia to process the good bacteria and then the bacteria can turn that into nitrite and then nitrate, thus completing the cycle.

 

[herguitarist94]

Clown fish are full marine fish. They will not survive in anything less than marine strength salt water. If you want to do a marine fish tank then you need to do alot of reading up about FOWLR (fish only with live rock) systems as the equipment for this is so much more involved and expensive and there are alot more parameters to be considering (calcium, ph, magnesium, SG, dKH, alkalinity, phosphates, nitrates, etc), not to mention getting live rock and coral sand and making sure it's cured properly and cycling with that in the tank before you even think about fish. Then there's skimmers, powerheads etc to think of too.

I personally think you'd be better off with looking into other brackish fish to see what the choices are. There are loads out there to choose from that are not so demanding as pufferfish or marine fish.

Can I just ask, one thing I can't determine from your posts...how are you cycling the tank now? Have you just filled it with salt water and left it without adding an ammonia source? If so that is why your ammonia may be dropping. The tank needs a constant source of ammonia to process the good bacteria and then the bacteria can turn that into nitrite and then nitrate, thus completing the cycle.

okay sorry its been so long. change of plans. i now have my tank at a SG of 1.022-23 and i have no sand or gravle in there at all. all i have in there so far is 6 lbs of live rock (i put the rock in before sand so if i get a crab or fish that digs in sand, it wont get crushed by the rock). im getting the other 13-14 lbs soon. then im going to get the 20lbs of "live sand" and then wait while the tank cycles. dont worie, i took out every last bit of gravle and rinsed the intire tank so its all new water. i have put some prime in it (2 days before i put the 6lb live rock in) then got the rock. i am going to get all rock, then sand in there and wait while the tank cycles with live rock/sand as a source of ammonia. when the water is right im going to get a small cleaning crew (snails, hermit crabs ect.) and when i think the tank is ready, the clown fish. then start investing in some soft corals for them to play/hide in, although i know they don't need them in a tank with no predators, i think they would appreciated it. i know im not quite ready for anemones, so im sticking to soft coral for now, but that's a long time from now. im going to take this slow, one rock at a time and make sure i do it right.

 

[Jonty]

Make sure you do this really slowly. Saltwater tanks are very expensive - you need a protein skimmer, hydrometer, loads of testing equipment, powerheads etc. Read up on everything and anything you can think of and listen to the advice you're given. Just remember, marine tanks are not for a beginner.

 

[jennybugs]

Make sure you do this really slowly. Saltwater tanks are very expensive - you need a protein skimmer, hydrometer, loads of testing equipment, powerheads etc. Read up on everything and anything you can think of and listen to the advice you're given. Just remember, marine tanks are not for a beginner.

Perfect advice!

Start looking at all the threads on the marine section now and maybe start a proper diary in the marine journal section. Then any questions you get you can post there, but don't forget the best way to find things out is buy lots of books and read up. I read up for over a year before I took the plunge into marine tanks and I had been fishkeeping for a fair few years before that.

Don't think your clownfish when you get them will automatically play in any corals. I've had mine for some time and they show no interest in the corals whatsoever. Most corals, even softies, need a certain amount of the right lighting to thrive. Some rely on light to gain their food and must have a particular minimum level of lighting.
What lighting does your tank have?
Anemones are an expert marine fishkeepers challenge and not for beginners at all. Most of them need very specific lighting and very stable tank conditions that do not fluctuate, hence most of them being only suitable for very big tanks and also very mature tanks and be kept by people who know exactly how to look after them.

 

[herguitarist94]

Make sure you do this really slowly. Saltwater tanks are very expensive - you need a protein skimmer, hydrometer, loads of testing equipment, powerheads etc. Read up on everything and anything you can think of and listen to the advice you're given. Just remember, marine tanks are not for a beginner.

Perfect advice!

Start looking at all the threads on the marine section now and maybe start a proper diary in the marine journal section. Then any questions you get you can post there, but don't forget the best way to find things out is buy lots of books and read up. I read up for over a year before I took the plunge into marine tanks and I had been fishkeeping for a fair few years before that.

Don't think your clownfish when you get them will automatically play in any corals. I've had mine for some time and they show no interest in the corals whatsoever. Most corals, even softies, need a certain amount of the right lighting to thrive. Some rely on light to gain their food and must have a particular minimum level of lighting.
What lighting does your tank have?
Anemones are an expert marine fishkeepers challenge and not for beginners at all. Most of them need very specific lighting and very stable tank conditions that do not fluctuate, hence most of them being only suitable for very big tanks and also very mature tanks and be kept by people who know exactly how to look after them.

i understand and im not going to get an anemone for a very very long time, not until i break out my 55 gallon tank in the garage (1-2 years). and i wont be getting any corals until i get the right lighting as well. im doing all my reading while i set up the rock and sand and cleaning crew. and let it sit while i do my reading. then take the apropreate steps to set up a clown fish environment. untill then im focusing on the rock, sand, and cleaning crew.

 

[jennybugs]

Don't be in a rush to put any CUC in until it iws well and truly cycled and they actually have something to clean up

 

[herguitarist94]

Don't be in a rush to put any CUC in until it iws well and truly cycled and they actually have something to clean up

hah okay. hey i got a question tho. say i found some snails at the beach. they looked like normal sea snails. could i put them in my tank??

 

[jennybugs]

I would make sure you know what snails they are first.