I just got a used 55 gal tank...

[Guest 1st tank]

Hi all,

 

I just picked up a used 55 gal tank that has been setup for 2 years. The tank had been neglected for a while and the only think in it was a very small snowflake eel.

 

The tank was only half full of water. It has a bunch of live rock in it and about 25 lbs of live sand. I put all the rocks, water and eel in 2 20 gal rubbermaid storage containters for the trip home. I set everything back up once I got home and then checked the salt level. It was sky high. The needle was straight up. So I slowly over night added fresh and salt water to get the SG back to 1.024. Then I checked the nitrate level. It was over 40 after adding about 15 gallons of water to the tank.

 

I am not sure how that eel has survived, he must be a really tough creature considering he has been living in the "dead sea" for who knows how long. After observing the live rock for 2 days now, I don't see any life in it. No worms or algae or critters of any kind. Do you think the bacteria is still in there? I am concerned because the heater seems to be working overtime. I noticed that the temp of the tank before I took it apart was really high! I think it was about 90 degs. If it was at 90 deg for a long time, would that kill all the bacteria in the live rock.

 

I am going to do a 50% water change tomorrow to get the nitrates down. Not all at once of course...tank 25% out, fill up, take 25% out, fill up, take 25% out, fill up. I read this on a forum a few weeks ago.

 

How long should I wait before I can get fish? The tank has been going for 2 years, so certainly the bacteria is in there, right?

 

I also want to seed the live rock with corline algae. Where can I get that stuff from? Do I need to do that before I get fish? I also want to get some plants, sea weed, kelp and some other stuff. Should I do this before I get fish?

 

What kind of fish can I get to go with the eel? I have been looking at compatability charts on the web, but they only say "Eels" not snowflake eel. From what I read, most eels are fish eaters, but the snow flake is a crab/shrimp eater so he is supposed to be ok with fish.

 

I need some advice. I want to go to Roozens this weekend, but I am gun shy about buying fish. I have lost 3 in my 12 gal tank. The first was doing great until I added some new live rock which messed up the water levels. The next 2 were sick when I bought them. I think one of the fish had ick, so I am letting that tank sit for 6 weeks.

 

Sorry this is so long. I really need help. I am so very hooked with this salt water stuff!!! What a great hobby!

 

 

 

By the way I am a WAMAS member. I paid via paypal but I don't know how to change that.

[rrubberbandman]

Hi,

welcome aboard.......i dont know if the rock is worth salvaging......it could possibly be used for base rock after you get youre water parameters in check.....0 ammonia....0 nitrites...0-10 nitrates.........this part of the job should be accomplished before the fish additions.

if your concerned about the exact parameters in this section at the top is a water parameters for beginners topic.....it has everything you need to know.

Bryan

[dhoch]

Ok,

 

first for the membership... go here: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10294 and let Howard know...

 

Eels are incredibly tough creatures... snowflakes in particular.

 

I doubt the bacteria is gone, but some of the critters may be... some will come back though with time and proper care...

 

Before adding anything additional I would wait 2-3 weeks and make sure everything is stable (in terms of parameters... nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia and specific gravity)... sounds like you have a swing arm... get a refractometer (it's the best purchase you can make).

 

As for good inhabitants it really depends on the eel (size etc)... snowflakes have been know to go after small to even large fish, but this is not typical (I've personally never experienced and I've had eels a number of years, but I know a large one at an LFS took down an 8" Lion Fish), but some individuals and typically when they are bigger.

 

For a tank that size (55) not to many bigger fish will do, but some good ideas would be:

pygmy angels

wrasses

damsels

clowns

dwarf lions

 

All with the caveat that the eel may or may not see them as food (typically once they are established as tank mates he wont')

 

As for roozens, I wouldn't recommend them as a place to go by fish...

 

Dave

[rrubberbandman]

ditto on avoiding rooozens for fish

[inedukated]

Your rock probably still has micro-bacteria on it, so you're not going to be able to see it. It may not have the "critters" on it like you want, but they come naturally with time and correct parameters.

 

Step 1) Patience. Do not rush out into anything, keep checking your water parameters (get a test kit - Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite pH for starters). I'd wait a month or so before you even consider getting new fish

 

Step 2) Read & Research. The board is full of so much useful information. I honestly don't know how I didn't kill everything in my tank prior to joining. Also, post any questions you have.

 

Is your tank covered? Eels love to jump out of tanks and dry out and die on your floor. This MAY explain why the previous owner did not fill the tank up all the way. Just a thought.

 

I'd say keep the rock. It's not worth throwing out, because all rock, including "dead" rock, can be "reborn" with bacteria and critters....and coraline algae will just come with good water and good lighting.

 

-Ben

[stevil]

Hi all,

 

I just picked up a used 55 gal tank that has been setup for 2 years. The tank had been neglected for a while and the only think in it was a very small snowflake eel.

 

The tank was only half full of water. It has a bunch of live rock in it and about 25 lbs of live sand. I put all the rocks, water and eel in 2 20 gal rubbermaid storage containters for the trip home. I set everything back up once I got home and then checked the salt level. It was sky high. The needle was straight up. So I slowly over night added fresh and salt water to get the SG back to 1.024. Then I checked the nitrate level. It was over 40 after adding about 15 gallons of water to the tank.

Good - Where is the eel now?

 

... Do you think the bacteria is still in there? ... If it was at 90 deg for a long time, would that kill all the bacteria in the live rock.

Not totally sure, but you'll want to bring the temp down slowly down and keep it between 78-84. Exact temperature shouldn't matter at this point, but make sure it's stable.

 

I am going to do a 50% water change tomorrow to get the nitrates down. Not all at once of course...tank 25% out, fill up, take 25% out, fill up, take 25% out, fill up. I read this on a forum a few weeks ago.

That is a good plan. You may want to continue to do this - even a gallon a day for a while.

 

How long should I wait before I can get fish? The tank has been going for 2 years, so certainly the bacteria is in there, right?

Don't know. I'd wait 4-6 weeks and test every few days, just to make sure things are stabilized. Do you have a basic test kit for pH, nitrates, nitrites and ammonia?

 

I also want to seed the live rock with corline algae. Where can I get that stuff from? Do I need to do that before I get fish? I also want to get some plants, sea weed, kelp and some other stuff. Should I do this before I get fish?

Coralline may already be there and natrually grow over time. Your lighting and tank conditions will determine how readily it grows. I would look for some coralline encrusted rock from an established tank. Don't by "purple up" or any other additives - no need. You don't need to have coralline growing everywhere before you get fish, but you do need to make sure your tank is cycled and will not cycle again. It will take many months, maybe years, for coralline to cover everything.

 

I need some advice. I want to go to Roozens this weekend, but I am gun shy about buying fish. I have lost 3 in my 12 gal tank. The first was doing great until I added some new live rock which messed up the water levels. The next 2 were sick when I bought them. I think one of the fish had ick, so I am letting that tank sit for 6 weeks.

I would go window shopping, but I wouldn't buy any livestock just yet, especially not fish. Maybe get some cleaner crew (crabs, snails) next weekend at the soonest.

 

Questions:

Do you have lights? What kind?

Is there a sump?

Do you have a protien skimmer?

Is there adequate flow in the tank, particularily is the surface of the water agitated for oxygen exchange?

[Charlie97L]

I'd say keep the rock. It's not worth throwing out, because all rock, including "dead" rock, can be "reborn" with bacteria and critters....and coraline algae will just come with good water and good lighting.

 

-Ben

 

ditto... all you need once you get it under control is to get like, 1 piece of established rock, and your rock will be re-seeded. don't get rid of the rock!!! i've done this several times already with batches of LR. it just takes patience, which is key in this hobby.

 

if you do, give it to me!

 

by the way, WELCOME!!! when you're ready for some frags, give me a holler. i've got a bunch growing out right now.

[Guest 1st tank]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome and much needed help.

 

I will try to answer your questions LIFO....

 

 

"Good - Where is the eel now?"

 

He is hiding under a rock. He is still alive but they were feeding him by hand and I am afraid of him. I need some tweezers to feed him I guess.

 

 

"Do you have a basic test kit for pH, nitrates, nitrites and ammonia?" Yes I checked ph=0, nitrites=0, ammonia=0, nitrate=40.

 

 

"Questions:"

 

"Do you have lights? What kind?" - one 48" flourescense not sure what kind.

 

"Is there a sump?" No but I want to get a hang on the back type. I want to put mangroves in it....

 

"Do you have a protien skimmer?" No - I want to get one.

 

"Is there adequate flow in the tank, particularily is the surface of the water agitated for oxygen exchange?" The TetraTec 300 is suposed to work like a wet/dry trickle system from what I read. I don't really care for it, but it does have a great power head that is pumping alot of water. I also added a submursable power head to add more current.

 

The snowflake eel is very small. He may be 8" long. I really didn't want him because I am afraid of snakes. (I know he is not a snake.) He is very pretty when you get a glimps of him.

 

Where is a good place to buy fish? How does the online ordering of fish work? Is there a good online place. I don't like the idea of letting them pick the fish with out seeing it first....

[dhoch]

Don't be afraid of him, they are wonderful creatures...Also their teeth are typically flat when they are that small, and don't get sharp untill much bigger (18"+) and then it's only males.

 

Their bite will not hurt, but it will startle you (I know I've been bitten by them a couple of times that I can remember)....

 

Feeding tongs can be had at any LFS...

 

I looked up your location... now I see why roozens...

 

It's worth it to try to get to some of the other LFS... Fins & Feathers, BRK... you can always head the other direction to Dr. Macs (but his fish selection is not as good as his corals)...

 

Richmond and Atlantis Aquariums is also an excellent choice for an LFS (If you go there tell Marvin that WAMAS sent you... he's the owner and a good guy)...

 

I would highly recomend you go to the new to salt water that David Morgunda is hosting (you can find info on it here: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10621)

 

Also if you want to make the drive up to frederick I'm having a tank tour on the 19th...

 

As for feeding the eel he should be feed ~1-2/week... you can feed him shrimp (from the sea food counter), mussels, squid, even silver sides... crab of course if you want to go that way is his natural food... If you don't have tongs you can use a wooden shis-ka-bob sqewer...

 

Dave

[Sharkb8]

IMHO - I would think at that high temp and ion concentration, there aint much bacteria left in there. Bacteria do require an environment that at least resembles their native habitat, just like fishies. And those bacterial colonies that may have survived, may not be the ones you want surviving (the high temp and salt may have selected out beneficial bacteria in favor of other, less desirable bacteria - but its hard to determine to what extent, etc.). Easiest way to fix this bacteria/critters problem is to 1) get your params under control, 2) get better lights, and 3) obtain a chunk of rock from a member willing to part with a chunk. The chunk o' rock don't have to be pretty, just lively with critters hiding inside and maybe even some algae growing on it (macro or otherwise). The lights are needed because the bugs (bacteria) need a light cycle to grow best (and to grow the best ones, etc.). But first get those parameters under control and COVER the tank well so Mr. Snake doesn't go walkin!

 

Oh, and welcome!! And don't be afraid to ask for livestock samples (rock, macro, critters, etc.). We have a very generous membership in that regard. Such things may be obtained in the members' section.

[jason the filter freak]

I've been away from the Fourms for a while and read though this, I love snow flakes so much they are awsome little creatures, and personally I've never been attacked by one. I would reccomend you take extra percautions to keep the guy in your tank though, they've been known to go though very small spaces and frequently have been known to hop out of tanks.

[davelin315]

My guess is that the bacteria, which is very hardy, will be just fine. It actually will most likely reproduce much quicker during times of higher temperatures, but with very little life in the tank, it's probably somewhat dormant. Also, bacteria will form spores when conditions are not right, so I wouldn't worry too much about the rock. Give it some time to adjust and it'll be just fine again.

 

As far as the eel, don't worry about it. Even if you're afraid of it, you'll soon learn to like it. If you end up not wanting it, let me know and I'd love to take it in at Floris. Otherwise, I'd encourage you to keep it. They have lots of personality and are great to have. The kids at school absolutely love the eel we have, despite the fact that some of them are a bit afraid of it.

 

Also, I wouldn't worry about it eating other fish, especially at 8" long. That's just a baby and it won't eat anything as far as fish that are decent sized. Heck, it might not even eat tiny fish. The eel we have at school lives with a pair of 3 stripe damsels that love to bat it with their fins. We like to hold a "suicide watch" as if the eel ever gets sick of being smacked in the face with fish tails he could easily take the damsels out, but the likelihood of that is slim to none.

 

Chances are your lights are just normal output (NO) fluorescents. That means that you could get away with some very simple corals if you wanted, but chances are you will be limited to some mushrooms, zoanthids, and maybe a couple of soft corals, not much else. Doesn't mean you can't add life to your tank, just that you won't get away with fancy corals.

[Guest Lynne]

Hi Everyone,

 

For some reason my account is locked, I tried to post under my original account - 1st tank, but it keeps telling me I don't have permission to post in this forum.

 

I am still not having luck getting my snow flake eel to eat. I stopped by the seafood store and got a clam for him to eat. When I put it in the tank he wanted to eat it and went after it, but he can't seem to work his mouth. He tried to eat it several times, but he can't bite down. His bottom jaw is crooked and doesn't line up to the top jaw. I have seen him open and close his mouth several times before, but sometimes it looks like his jaw is locked up.

 

Is there any eel specific disease or vitamin deficiancy associated with an eels head or jaw? Or could this be an injury? The people I got him from said he was eating before we got him.

 

I am really upset because I know he is hungry, but he can't eat.

 

Lynne