Emergency!! Just got some fish idk what im doing

[jfa916]

LIKE TITTLE says ..my neighbor had to move on a drop of dime & he has a few saltwater tanks .. HE WAS GOING TO FLUSH ALL HIS FISH !!

so i agreed to take as many as i could
i took a cinnamon clown fish
& 2 that look like nemo I DECIDED TO GIVE THEM A FIGHTING CHANCE

but i only have a 10 gallon tank ,new standard filter ,heater and 10 gallons of salt water

im going to buy a powerhead right now and maybe live rock i will buy bigger tank soon

?? is what else do i need to ensure their survival i live in citrus heights ca near sacramento an their is a big lfs store here..buy i am short on cash so i can only afford the essential

 

[bacon6116]

Wow, there's nothing like jumping in to the deep end! I've never taken the plunge, and this won't address your emergency situation--you're way past the "take your time" steps, but there is some good info, I think, in this link:

Starting Your First FO or FOWLR Marine System | Reef Sanctuary

Good luck!

 

[Reefer James]

How new is the tank? Did you get some of his live rock

 

[54seaweed]

If you don't have a cycled tank those little guys are doomed
your going to have to monitor tank parameters constantly ammonia ,nitrite,nitrate
and do water changes as needed most likely 2x a day
I recommend you bring the fish to your local fish store have them hold the fish till you can get your tank cycled
you will need 10 lbs live sand
10 lbs rock
2 powerheads that turn 10 x water volume
Cycle your salt tank - Aquarium Advice

 

[Reefer James]

I'd go for live rock for the filtration ability and skip live sand. Id also recommend 50-80 turnover. This is the ocean.

If your LFS has cured LR and you keep it wet during your drive home you could achieve a day one cycle...

 

[Sniperhank]

Besides that, even if all fish survive the small tank will cause issues between the different types of clownfish.

 

[Reefer James]

Hahah yeah clowns don't make the best interracial couples in small spaces do they

 

[Mebbid]

Sadly, that tank is big enough for a single clown. 2 will be cramped and one of them will likely get murdered when the pairing starts.

 

[jfa916]

its been 36 hours still alive

i bought a few lbs of live rock was pricey so i only got about 4 lbs

bought a powerhead for $40 but seems to strong for the tank so i turned it off since they dont seem to like it (it was the smallest one they had)

i put regular freshwater rocks in their too

i have owned many freshwater tanks just not saltwater wish i had the extra cash to spend on them ..

still alive though bought they cheapest fish food they had

 

[coralbandit]

If you have a regular API liquid test kit it will work for your marine testing also!
The color is only slightly different so if you have a kit test your water.
There are free links for the marine color cards if you need one.

 

[madstyle1]

Hope everything works out for you

 

[jfa916]

dont have any right now lfs does free water test i will take some thir when i get 3 gallons of water i plan
to do 3 gallon water changes weekly would that work?any suggestions
if they live for a week i will buy the rest of the rock and sand

 

[coralbandit]

Hope fully the LR will help with getting the tank cycled quickly.
Without knowing exactly how tank decides to run it is hard to say how much water change is needed.
You need to pay extra attention now in the beginning to make sure things go smooth.
Without a test kit the fish need to be your guide.
If they look funny(unhealthy) change water!
Are you going to buy pre mixed salt water or mix your own?
You will need a refractometer to make your own water.

 

[jfa916]

i will be buying water since its $1 a gallon and salt for a 10 gallon is $8

anyother advice how long should i be able to keep them in their for