i feel like a loser

[greenikat]

After reading many post on this site I feel I have done everything wrong. I now wait to see if my tank with fish will make it.
Its been a week and I have live sand and rock. I think it cycled already but might be wrong. All my levels are good and so I added a damsal and scooter. Then a few days later I added 2 clowns. Now I'm scared a can loose them all. Any advice?

 

[Jacobdlaw610]

After reading many post on this site I feel I have done everything wrong. I now wait to see if my tank with fish will make it.
Its been a week and I have live sand and rock. I think it cycled already but might be wrong. All my levels are good and so I added a damsal and scooter. Then a few days later I added 2 clowns. Now I'm scared a can loose them all. Any advice?

Hi it's easy to get excited and get them fish but all you can do now is keep a close eye on those parameters what kind of filtration are you running

 

[Beengirl]

As the previous poster said, test ammo, nitrite, nitrate every day. If ammo or nitrites go above 0.25, do a PWC to get it down below that level. This will be a lot of work and might require PWCs every day, but it'll keep your fish alive. Good luck!!

 

[greenikat]

I have a 25 gallon eclipse tank. I have a skimmer on the way. For now I'm finding my filters and changing them every few days. I have been doing tropical tanks for 15 years and thought I was ready.

 

[Jacobdlaw610]

I have a 25 gallon eclipse tank. I have a skimmer on the way. For now I'm finding my filters and changing them every few days. I have been doing tropical tanks for 15 years and thought I was ready.

You can research all you want but experience is best. It will all come together and be worth it. There are many people on here with tons of knowledge so use it to your advantage. I run a skimmer a canister filter and live rock and tank is in amazing shape so you will be fine.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

I have a 25 gallon eclipse tank. I have a skimmer on the way. For now I'm finding my filters and changing them every few days. I have been doing tropical tanks for 15 years and thought I was ready.

Never change a filter pad. Never! Haha it may look super gross, but its full of beneficial bacteria and without that bacteria your tank will have to re-cycle. Take my word for it and dont change the pads. (i hope thats what you were talking about) lol

 

[greenikat]

They are eclipse carbon filters. I'm sure I need to change them so it can filter all the bad stuff. The Bio wheel I won't change.
So if I do daily water changes I may be OK?

 

[crister13]

Listen to jack (nunu). Don't change them, just rinse the gunk off of them in old tank water. That way the bacteria will stay alive and you can get the gunk off. But, really, your damsel and clowns could be ok. But your scooter is definitely a goner if you don't return him. They eat 1000s of Copepods a day and a 1 week old tank doesn't have very many at all. Some people struggle to keep them in established 125s. Return him and keep your current stock, do pwcs and you should be fine. I wouldn't add any more fish though, that's pretty stocked. GL!!!

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

They are eclipse carbon filters. I'm sure I need to change them so it can filter all the bad stuff. The Bio wheel I won't change.
So if I do daily water changes I may be OK?

Or you dont have to listen... Your call, its not my tank.

 

[willbratz]

See if you can get your hands in some mysis shrimp as your blenny was probably trained in the lfs to eat them. If so, your blenny should be ok as well.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

See if you can get your hands in some mysis shrimp as your blenny was probably trained in the lfs to eat them. If so, your blenny should be ok as well.

Its generally the opposite, most dragonetts are not trained to eat frozen at the store, but a small amount are. Hopefully your blenny does.

 

[crister13]

Ya most aren't trained at all. That's why ORA mandarins and dragonets are so expensive: they're difficult to train.

 

[willbratz]

I can only go by the 4 lfs that all feed their blennies mysis. Or I would have never known and munr would be dead by now

 

[crister13]

Well it may be that your talking about a BLENNY. Scooters aren't blennys. They're dragonets. I'm just pointing out to the op that most aren't trained. The op wants what is best for their fish and a bigger more established tank would be better even if it is trained. Sometimes the trained ones just stop eating frozen.

 

[h8z2luze]

Never change a filter pad. Never! Haha it may look super gross, but its full of beneficial bacteria and without that bacteria your tank will have to re-cycle. Take my word for it and dont change the pads. (i hope thats what you were talking about) lol

First time I have ever heard to NEVER change a filter....


Also Alot of those cheap filter pads have junk carbon in them that will sometimes leach phosphates. Just a lil fyi from my experience. I took my HOB filter off and added a sponge in my sump in the baffles and use filter pad material on top. I change that every few days when it gets gross. that way my BB stays in the sponge and the gross stuff is changed out when I switch the filter padding

 

[Lt.]

This is my HOB filter cartridge, I haven't changed it it 3 months since when it will cause a mini cycle if I do. Now it looks gross, but I rinse it out in once a week under my sink faucet.

 

[willbratz]

I actually replace mine about once a month. I never seen an ill affects from rinsing them off in the sink.

 

[greenikat]

Well so far so good. I have not changed the filter and I have done a pwc so my levels look good. My skimmer should be here on Wednesday so I'll keep you posted. I added a few new live rocks.

 

[crister13]

It really depends on the amount of surface available in the tank. If you have a decent amount of LR and sand its fine. This is just for tanks that dont have alot of bio filtration.

 

[willbratz]

They are eclipse carbon filters. I'm sure I need to change them so it can filter all the bad stuff. The Bio wheel I won't change.
So if I do daily water changes I may be OK?

I removed my bio wheel, that thing is a nitrate factory!!! I recommend pulling it out. It's great for FW not good for SW.