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View Full Version : Really crappy way to start my salt water adventures...


greatXpectations
08-17-2008, 01:08 PM
A friend of mine gave me around 40-50 lbs of live rock, a clown, a goby, an urchin and a snail. I could get give detailed names, but i just woke up and it doesnt matter anymore anyways...

I hadn't set up my tank yet, was still waiting on my testing supplies, etc. so i didn't want to take the fish yet. He insisted, so i did, hoping i could keep them going until my stuff showed up.

On Friday i set up a 10g tank, 660 powerhead, heater (76 or so), nice helping of "live rock" from his tank. No sand. My 29g with sump isnt ready for water yet, so i had to create a temporary home...

Since i already paid for a refractometer and was just awaiting its arrival, i didnt want to buy a hydrometer. I took the water from his tank (30 g) and put it in the 10g hoping i could get away with that until I could mix some fresh salt water.

No testing supplies = no water data = I feel completely helpless and i hate it.

Ill admit, i wasn't too fond of the goby, but the clown was really cool and i was excited to have "rocky" He was fine the first day, nibbled on some food from the LFS, and tossed in a couple of blood worms since i was already feeding some to the big tank. He loved sitting in the current of the power head, and was constantly exploring the entire tank. Saturday, he was fine all day, seemed very active. Saturday night, midnight or so, i notice hes in the top corner riding the wave of the power head, but is nose down, and appeared to be struggling. I checked on him about an hour later and he was swimming the tank again but was acting a bit sparatic.

This morning i check the tank to find both fish in the back of the tank, hiding under LR, not moving. I thought i saw the clown move before i got to the tank, but im not sure. The clown was on its side. The urchin is still wiggling around, so i guess hes ok.

:( I'm really bummed out because i feel so helpless, and couldn't do anything for him. I don't even have a clue what did him in. Prob Ammonia or something from the old water, then being put into a 10. My friend admits he really neglected the tank, so i don't know what condition the water was in when i got it...

**sniff sniff**

Ive been quietly planning my SW tank for months now, and this is definitely not the way i wanted to start things...

Kuli_Loach
08-17-2008, 01:15 PM
Your friend should have known better if you didn't have the proper conditions to keep the fish under while you set another tank up. Borrow your friends test kit and hydrometer/refractometer and test your water, get it right. You should have rejected him insisting it but whats done is done and there is no what if's that should be said:hmm3grin2orange: . You were probably excited and were like "oh man i'm getting fish" and wasn't thinking about anything but them. I have been known to do that and many other fish keepers have as well. This post may come out a little rude but it is not meant to be that way seeing as I can not be for sure the way it is read LOL! :laugh1blue:

greatXpectations
08-17-2008, 05:03 PM
As i sit here and think about it...i think the stress of moving them is what did em in...it was a long trip in the heat, then being tossed into a smaller tank, etc etc...new food, etc...

Bummer, but eh...

Kuli_Loach
08-17-2008, 05:11 PM
How did you acclimate them?

greatXpectations
08-17-2008, 08:36 PM
i didnt...it was their own water from his tank...no new water or salt involved...

Kuli_Loach
08-17-2008, 08:38 PM
Temp and chem's were still probably diff. Probably what happened was an ammonia build up in there because of slight die off. Was the LR submerged when you brought it to your house?

greatXpectations
08-17-2008, 09:11 PM
yes, everything was submerged. Ammonia is what im guessing but i cant say for sure since i havent gotten my kit yet. I feel really crappy that i lost a fish, but i (in the back of my head) had a feeling it would happen. The rock was what i was after, the fish just came with it. I still feel bad though...he died for no good reason :(

The rock i have in my container is probably dead now, because its not submerged since all the water went into the tank. Im going to "cook" all the rock anyways, with some fresh from my LFS, so im not too worried. That gives me time to get the tank setup. I bought the Oak today to skin the new stand.

Must move forward...