Lots of newbie questions!

[NicoleIsStoked]

I haven't as of yet. I was going to but didn't yet. PS just saw that blood shrimp are $45 each at my lfs. Wtf?!!

 

[obscurereef]

Wow that's crazy. Pretty much double the price...I wonder what the prices on their other livestock are.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Med ocell clowns $30
Small blue tangs $70!!!
Foxface Lo $45

 

[obscurereef]

Blue tangs are very expensive, but the tiny, under an inch tangs are $70? Or are they bigger? Those are $10-15 more than online stores and my LFS sells them. Might try negotiating and comparing their prices to online prices. LFSs are closing b/c online stores are out competing them. I'm sure they'd want more business by sacrificing some profit.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

I'd say the $70 tangs are about the size of a toonie.
Edit: that's a very Canadian comparison lol. Ummm smaller than the size of 2 quarters side by side.
Unfortunately the store is a franchise so they are kind of douchebags when it comes to price matching, adjustments, etc. Their overall customer service is crap but they're the only place within a 30 min drive.

 

[obscurereef]

Jeesh, that sucks. What are prices on corals?

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

I don't know off hand. I'm doing fowlr and don't know much about coral tbh.

Also found a second, much larger feather duster on my rock today. Woot woot.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

So my nitrites are still nutso. The guy at the lfs told me to do a pwc but I think he's wrong. Turbo snails are $5 and blue knuckle hermits are $15 or 3 for $40. Seems outrageous, no?

 

[Poon]

Don't know on prices but hermits are pricey generally. Online vendors are cheaper but only in bulk which you would need the tank to mature some (as long as you can wait...2 months or so for me...) before getting a full CUC. I will say that my cycle took a long time...about 5 weeks. What are your nitrates at? I have heard of crazy high nitrates stalling a cycle. I think it was at least 800+ nitrates though. nitrite eating bacteria take longer to seed than ammonia eating bacteria.

 

[Poon]

Water change would be answer for high nitrates, don't think it would do much but maybe lengthen your cycle time if ur nitrates are not extremely high.

 

[obscurereef]

Those are outrageous prices on the hermits and turbos. Some LFS have double the price of what's online..they just can't compete and want to make money obviously. Turbos are usually more or less than $2. Blue knuckle hermits are around $9, but are on sale for $5.37 at bluezooaquatics.com. Just get the common blue and reg leg hermit crabs which are around a $1. Doing a water change w/ nitrites will delay your cycle. Do the first water change when there's around 40 or 50 ppm nitrAte.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

I have about 50 nitrates. And very very high nitrites. I hate my lfs. They use strips for water tests. Bogus.

 

[obscurereef]

I'd say ditch them and buy online if shipping wasn't so expensive! :/ When I said do the large water change I mean when your cycle is done (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite) and you only have some nitrates.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Especially being in Canada shipping is retarded. So once my cycle finally does finish should I add fish or CUC first? If I understand correctly snails and crabs should be added before fish? What do I feed them? And can clownfish eat flake food?

 

[obscurereef]

Either works really. Personally I got a few CUC members, had them a week to see if everything was alright and the parameters didn't get crazy (which would mean the tank wasn't cycled properly if it couldn't handle such a small bio load). After that I added some chromis which are the cheapest (at least where I live) marine fish other than damsels. Either way it doesn't matter.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

And when I add crabs, snails, shrimp etc what do i feed them?

 

[obscurereef]

You're not really supposed to feed them. You add a CUC when you have diatoms or hair algae, etc. They also are for the purpose of eating dead animals, eating them before they decompose releasing ammonia eventually turning into nitrate. They scavenge for scraps and should find enough food.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Ok so I can confirm I've found at least 4 fanworms/feather dusters and a bristle worm all on one piece of rock. I've also found what almost looks like mucus. What is this?

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

My nitrites have come down to 3ppm. Getting there!!!! Excited!!!! Probably getting fish next weekend!!!!

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

I think I've narrowed down what I want stock wise. Please let me know if this is too much or if there's compatibility issues. It is a 50 gallon tank. 4 feet long. Fowlr.
Ocellaris clownfish x 2
Foxface lo x 1
Coral beauty angelfish x 1
Flame angelfish x 1
Copperband butterfly x 1
Royal gramma x 1
Blue reef chromis x 3
Six line wrasse x 1
Blood shrimp x 2
A bunch of assorted hermit crabs
A bunch of assorted snails