gmubeach January 16, 2008 Share January 16, 2008 My advice is to test your water see what the parameters are. Do you have a way to test the amount of salt in your water? Next test ph and cacluim and nitrates. Was he damaged in any way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 16, 2008 Share January 16, 2008 For those of you who don't know (which would be all of you with the exception of YBeNormal and Skipperawe himself), this is a 6th grader at my school. As you also know, I'm not shy about asking for donations, so if you have things you can give him, please offer them up! Skipperawe (boy, that feels weird calling you that, maybe I'll start calling you that at school, too ), I will give you some livesand and round out your rock collection for you. When your water is settled down (which should be almost immediate with established sand and rock additions) I'll hook you up with some corals as well. One thing to do is to list the equipment that you have, other than your tank size. Here's what people typically are looking for: Lights - what kind of lighting, how many watts, and what Kelvin rating Filtration - what do you have on your system to keep the water clean? Circulation - how do you move the water around in your tank? Parameters - what are the levels in your tank (average temp with high and low swings, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, the list goes on and on, let me know if you need some test kits for the basics) Welcome to the club! Now I'm going to rope you in to set up the tank in 6th grade (I finally drilled it with our Vice President this past weekend)... Oh, and it looks to be Amphiprion ocellaris or a False Percula clown. The differences are very minute and it's especially difficult to tell on a juvenile fish, but my educated guess based on what I can see is that it's not a true Percula clown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal January 16, 2008 Share January 16, 2008 (edited) For those of you who don't know (which would be all of you with the exception of YBeNormal and Skipperawe himself), this is a 6th grader at my school. Well Skipperawe, if your life is anything like the 6th grader in my house, I guess you probably don't have too much time to go reading a couple of 300+ page books for your new hobby, so disregard my other post. Looks like Dave, or rather, Mr. Lin to you I guess, is going to set you up with some more live rock, sand, and some test kits to make sure your water is OK. In the meantime you should continue to research different types of fish, corals, and other critters (shrimp, snails, crabs, starfish, etc. . . ) and what it takes to keep them. Try to envision your tank the way you want it to be when you are all done, then come up with a stocking list and plan. For example, Fish: 2 false perculas 1 shrimp goby 2 neon goby Invertebrates: 2 nassarius snails 2 cerith snails 4 nerite snails 1 brittle starfish (not the green kind) 1 skunk cleaner shrimp 1 pistol shrimp (paired with the shrimp goby) 1 emerald crab Corals: pumping xenia various zoanthids various mushrooms (discosoma, ricordia florida, ricordia yuma) kenya tree coral neon green candy cane coral The above list is just an example, but you get the idea. Once you come up with a plan, you can put it on here and ask what others think about it. Then we can see about getting you some of what you need. Oh yeah, one last thing but very important: Make sure everything plugged into your tank is protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet or plug. Edited January 16, 2008 by Rascal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 16, 2008 Share January 16, 2008 Wow a 6th grader with a saltwater tank! That was my dream, but I grew up so poor. Anyway I defently take back my previous comments! He is good with a camra though I liked those pictures he took, Anyway I hope hes doing well with his tank:) Still think he should try and get parmaters tested. Local fish stores will usaully test it for you if you bring them a sample. Anyway good luck on the tank:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 16, 2008 Share January 16, 2008 Wow a 6th grader with a saltwater tank! That was my dream, but I grew up so poor. Anyway I defently take back my previous comments! He is good with a camra though I liked those pictures he took, Anyway I hope hes doing well with his tank:) Still think he should try and get parmaters tested. Local fish stores will usaully test it for you if you bring them a sample. Anyway good luck on the tank:) Closest one to us charges for each test, I think it may even be $2... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 16, 2008 Share January 16, 2008 Thats alot for a test! I get mine tested for free, but I still have a testing kit anyway maybe you can help him out? since you live close! Anyway hope all goes well with his tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 Take your time with the tank and keep asking questions. I'd be happy to hook you up with some softies, zoanthids, LPS and even a some of the hardier SPS when your tank is ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 Can he grow sps in a 12 gallon nano? I have a 24 with two bulbs and I havn't even attempted it yet. However I have been able to grow a clam crocea? but hes right under the light he has nearly doubled in size since I got him so I guess hes happy. Davelin can I drop a few small hermit crab shells off with you for him...I know the local fish store charges a fortune for them... I have plenty my friends brought them back from me when they went to the bahamas. Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe January 17, 2008 Author Share January 17, 2008 thanks for all of the help guys and im sure im not ready for and corals... by the way all is well in my tank and nothing is dead (other than Drake, Sniffle). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 17, 2008 Share January 17, 2008 Sadly saltwater fish and invertbrates(THINGS WITHOUT A BACKBONE) can be very senative and thus sometimes they die. The best advice I can give is to take things slow and try and find good source of knowledge like wamas. Anyway would you guys advise him to keep the light on off for 10 hours a day instead of 12? It would help keep aglee growth undercontrol if I'm wrong just post the right answer below mine. Thats how I started my tank off I slowly kept turning the lights on for longer and longer until I was ready. The slower you add stuff the less bad things should happen. My biggest mistake in this hobby was getting exciting run out and buying something when my tank really was not ready. Anyway I hope your tank is doing well Troy. Be pacient and keep us informed with pictures. I would defenlty try and think what your best move would be. Rock. Sand, Inverbrates? You have alot to think about. Oh and the most important thing that I can stress is don't let your tank get in the way of your studies. Education is for a life time. You can't let a tank hurt your chance at nailing a good job/college in the future! How is your clownfish doing anyway? What do you feed him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastiireefs January 18, 2008 Share January 18, 2008 Oh and the most important thing that I can stress is don't let your tank get in the way of your studies. Education is for a life time. You can't let a tank hurt your chance at nailing a good job/college in the future! haha my tank and marine experience is what i hope to get me into college and a job in the future!!! :D not to steer you in the wrong direction! I had aspired to saltwater when i was in 6th grade but wasnt able to start till 9thgrade, so i spent those 3 years soaking up all the knowlege i could get a hold of! but yes, do some research (its fun!) and ask many questions!! these people are great ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman January 18, 2008 Share January 18, 2008 my snail is dead!!!!!!!! i took him out of the tank but im worried still... what do i do! Get a new snail... Snails just up and die sometimes. Especially in a newer tank. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe January 19, 2008 Author Share January 19, 2008 (edited) ok, first is first I will give you guys an update. My clown is fine and I feed him flake food called TetraMarine Saltwater Flakes. Next, DaveLin what is this about a sixth grade tank? I'd love to help but which class is it in? If you can give more details thats great. Skipperawe Edited January 19, 2008 by skipperawe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 19, 2008 Share January 19, 2008 Sounds good to me:) anyway I hope your tank looks great and you have a great teacher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 ok, first is first I will give you guys an update. My clown is fine and I feed him flake food called TetraMarine Saltwater Flakes. Next, DaveLin what is this about a sixth grade tank? I'd love to help but which class is it in? If you can give more details thats great. Skipperawe That's Mr. Lin to you, buddy boy... :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe January 21, 2008 Author Share January 21, 2008 That's Mr. Lin to you, buddy boy... :wink: OK, I'll remember that Mr. Lin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 (edited) Welcome to the club im 15 years old and got my first tank one year ago, my main piece of advice about being a kid with a saltwater tank is to get you parents into it. I got my mom into the hobby early on and its been a big help. Also i dont remember reading if you said this or not but it might help to get a timer for your lights, i think i got mine at target and its been a big help for those days when you dont get home in time to turn on your lights. Good Luck, Connor Edited January 21, 2008 by Connor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe January 27, 2008 Author Share January 27, 2008 i've already dragged my dad into it. he's helping a lot all of my corals are doing great! lorenzo has switched shells and chosen one i think is about 5 times as big as it needed to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach January 27, 2008 Share January 27, 2008 Sounds good to me what kind of corals do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 31, 2008 Share January 31, 2008 All right little man... time to post up some new pictures and update us on how things are going! Also, did it end up being enough sand or did you need more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe February 1, 2008 Author Share February 1, 2008 (edited) ok, i prefer to be referred to as skipperawe or any form of that word not little man. :wink: my tank is doing great and all of my corals are fine. Mr. Lin, your sand was enough and i seem to have made up for drake with several small snails roaming around in my tank as well as a few star fish. i can send you guys pics soon but not now because i don't know how to transfer them! Edited February 1, 2008 by skipperawe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe February 1, 2008 Author Share February 1, 2008 oh, i for got to say when you do eventually get the pics all coral and about 75% of live rock is courtesy of Mr. Lin. Also, looking forward to setting up allnutt tank, keep me posted on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe February 6, 2008 Author Share February 6, 2008 I will also say there is one thing that has got me stumped for an answer. The are tiny little white dots all over the glass in my aquarium. they appear to have branches coming out of the core. Are they starfish?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 7, 2008 Share February 7, 2008 Hydroid jellyfish. They spawn and stick to the glass and eventually will probably disappear. They are harmless. They came from my system which has tons of them. Not sure how they are managing to survive, but they are there every time I scrape my glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperawe February 9, 2008 Author Share February 9, 2008 All right little man... time to post up some new pictures and update us on how things are going! Also, did it end up being enough sand or did you need more? Here is a new picture of my tank, with new rock and the corals An awesome closeup of Lorenzo, the tiny blue leg crab. Check out his eyes! And four of the corals, which are usually fuller than this. This is my favorite photo of these two mushrooms.. What are they called? Also the red one is changing, I think it is splitting now - but this photo is a week old. ENJOY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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