New Fish Tank

[Bobbin' for Charlie]

Hi guys!! How's it going?

Say, I just bought a new fish tank for my kids as a present for Christmas.
It was used, but I couldn't resist it. 400 gallons!!! I paid $1,000 for it
and the oak stand. It is square in shape and about 6 feet long on all sides
and 2.5' tall on a 3 feet tall stand. Viewing is about eye level for an
adult.

Wondering how soon I can put fish in the tank. I have over 600 lbs of live
sand that was sold with the tank and we kept 30% of the old water and added
70% new RODI. The tank has a huge skimmer about the size of an old gas pump
that sits externally to the tank. The tank is turned over at least 40 times
per hour according to the guy I bought it from due to the humongous dual
pumps also running externally to the system. The sump for this thing has a
capacity of 250 gallons and is under the tank in the base of the stand. You
guys have to see pictures of this!!!! It's freaking awesome!!!

So!! How soon can I add fish and more liverock? The chemistry is awesome!!!!

[Wayne Sallee]

Sounds Great! You got a good deal.
Sounds like MR 400 to me :-)

Did you get any live rock with the tank? If not, you can
go ahead and add some. Figure on adding some cheap damsels
in there after you have had it for a week. What are your
plans for the tank? Reef tank, large agressive tank,
comunity tank?

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Bobbin' for Charlie wrote on 12/19/2005 3:54 PM:
> Hi guys!! How's it going?
>
> Say, I just bought a new fish tank for my kids as a present for Christmas.
> It was used, but I couldn't resist it. 400 gallons!!! I paid $1,000 for it
> and the oak stand. It is square in shape and about 6 feet long on all sides
> and 2.5' tall on a 3 feet tall stand. Viewing is about eye level for an
> adult.
>
> Wondering how soon I can put fish in the tank. I have over 600 lbs of live
> sand that was sold with the tank and we kept 30% of the old water and added
> 70% new RODI. The tank has a huge skimmer about the size of an old gas pump
> that sits externally to the tank. The tank is turned over at least 40 times
> per hour according to the guy I bought it from due to the humongous dual
> pumps also running externally to the system. The sump for this thing has a
> capacity of 250 gallons and is under the tank in the base of the stand. You
> guys have to see pictures of this!!!! It's freaking awesome!!!
>
> So!! How soon can I add fish and more liverock? The chemistry is awesome!!!!
>
>

[TekCat]

Awesome DEAL!!!!!! I am envious :)

Seriously, I'd add cured LR rightaway. Then make sure the tank's params are
stable for at least 2-3 weeks, especially: NH3/NH4 = 0. NO2=0) then slowly
add fish. 2 at the time the most. Wait loooooong time between additions.


"Bobbin' for Charlie" > wrote in message
news:P7Fpf.10641$9G.5848@dukeread10...
> Hi guys!! How's it going?
>
> Say, I just bought a new fish tank for my kids as a present for Christmas.
> It was used, but I couldn't resist it. 400 gallons!!! I paid $1,000 for it
> and the oak stand. It is square in shape and about 6 feet long on all
> sides and 2.5' tall on a 3 feet tall stand. Viewing is about eye level for
> an adult.
>
> Wondering how soon I can put fish in the tank. I have over 600 lbs of live
> sand that was sold with the tank and we kept 30% of the old water and
> added 70% new RODI. The tank has a huge skimmer about the size of an old
> gas pump that sits externally to the tank. The tank is turned over at
> least 40 times per hour according to the guy I bought it from due to the
> humongous dual pumps also running externally to the system. The sump for
> this thing has a capacity of 250 gallons and is under the tank in the base
> of the stand. You guys have to see pictures of this!!!! It's freaking
> awesome!!!
>
> So!! How soon can I add fish and more liverock? The chemistry is
> awesome!!!!
>

[Nick Storm]

PICTURES!!!! WE NEED PICTURES!!!!





"Bobbin' for Charlie" > wrote in message
news:P7Fpf.10641$9G.5848@dukeread10...
> Hi guys!! How's it going?
>
> Say, I just bought a new fish tank for my kids as a present for Christmas.
> It was used, but I couldn't resist it. 400 gallons!!! I paid $1,000 for it
> and the oak stand. It is square in shape and about 6 feet long on all
> sides and 2.5' tall on a 3 feet tall stand. Viewing is about eye level for
> an adult.
>
> Wondering how soon I can put fish in the tank. I have over 600 lbs of live
> sand that was sold with the tank and we kept 30% of the old water and
> added 70% new RODI. The tank has a huge skimmer about the size of an old
> gas pump that sits externally to the tank. The tank is turned over at
> least 40 times per hour according to the guy I bought it from due to the
> humongous dual pumps also running externally to the system. The sump for
> this thing has a capacity of 250 gallons and is under the tank in the base
> of the stand. You guys have to see pictures of this!!!! It's freaking
> awesome!!!
>
> So!! How soon can I add fish and more liverock? The chemistry is
> awesome!!!!
>

[George Patterson]

Bobbin' for Charlie wrote:

> Wondering how soon I can put fish in the tank.

Now.

The nitrogen cycle is a natural way of processing uneaten food and the waste
products of animals (such as fish). This is done by bacteria which become
established in the tank when food is available. No fish generally means that no
bacteria ever become established.

With a 400 gallon tank, if you add a few small to medium sized fish every few
weeks, the tank will adjust with no detectable cycle. The same is true if you
add a large fish every few weeks. You will only see a change in the water
parameters if you make a large addition to the number of animals in the tank in
a relatively short period of time.
|
George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

[Wayne Sallee]

TekCat wrote on 12/19/2005 7:08 PM:
> 2 at the time the most. Wait loooooong time between additions.
>

Umm ,,, this is a 400 gallon tank, not a 55 gallon tank :-)

Most people start out with damsels, not larger expensive fish.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

[TekCat]

Good point :)
still, why rush things?

> Umm ,,, this is a 400 gallon tank, not a 55 gallon tank :-)
>
> Most people start out with damsels, not larger expensive fish.

[miskairal]

Wayne Sallee wrote:
> TekCat wrote on 12/19/2005 7:08 PM:
>
>> 2 at the time the most. Wait loooooong time between additions.
>>
>
> Umm ,,, this is a 400 gallon tank, not a 55 gallon tank :-)
>
> Most people start out with damsels, not larger expensive fish.

Wayne that implies that it is common to lose your first fish, is that
so? My pet shop guy said that starting out with 2 tank bred ocellaris
was fine as they are hardy. Damsels are more aggressive and can cause
problems when you add more fish I believe??
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>

[Wayne Sallee]

No, I'm not implying that it is common to loose fish on
startup, though unfortunately many pet stores do. What I
was emplying is that the risk is not so great.

I also do not agreee that a tank rased clown is as hardy
and a damsel. I don't recomend starting a tank with clown
fish. Damsels are a lower risk, and hardyer fish.

I personaly like damsels. If I had a tank of that size, I
would slowly fill it with damsels up to about 35 damsels.
I like damsels.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



miskairal wrote on 12/20/2005 4:11 PM:
> Wayne Sallee wrote:
>
>> TekCat wrote on 12/19/2005 7:08 PM:
>>
>>> 2 at the time the most. Wait loooooong time between additions.
>>>
>>
>> Umm ,,, this is a 400 gallon tank, not a 55 gallon tank :-)
>>
>> Most people start out with damsels, not larger expensive fish.
>
>
> Wayne that implies that it is common to lose your first fish, is that
> so? My pet shop guy said that starting out with 2 tank bred ocellaris
> was fine as they are hardy. Damsels are more aggressive and can cause
> problems when you add more fish I believe??
>
>>
>> Wayne Sallee
>> Wayne's Pets
>>

[Roy]

MOst folks regard a Damsel as a cheap fish which is very abundant at a
very cheap price ( Often for less than $3.00 with mewmber card at
Petco) as a way to test your waters and see if everything is on
par........That way if something is not quite right your not out a hea
of money if they croak....I view it like this.I trust my test kits and
my knoweledge..I would not feel any different placing a damsel in a
new setup that was properly cycled and water parameters in check than
I would a an Angel fish of $30.00 If the water is right and conditions
are what they should be then things should be fine as long as they are
introduced one or two at a time, depending on how large a system it is
and your filtration.

If I was going to have any damsels, I would add them last so they are
the new guys on the block so they may not be so boisterous and already
have established territories setup......

I do not believe in sacrificing any fish to test the
waters......simple if its not right for a high dollar fish then no
fish go in it. The only exceptions would be fish that eat mainly
copepods etc such as dragonets, and in that case the tank would have
to be pretty well establised and aged with a large population of stuff
for the dragonets to eat. I see lots of dragonets getting sold at
various places and when you talk to the ones buying them they say
things like, yea, we just got our 55 gal setup cycled and have had 4
damsels in it for a month, or yea we have one up now for about a
year......so now were going to add those pretty dragonets......which
on rare occasions will eat prepared foods but most times they starve
in most any tank that is not well established. Its a real shame, but
evidently they are pretty abundant just like damsels as around this
part they go for under $15 a fish.......
--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder! Koi-ahoi mates....

[Wayne Sallee]

One thing, though, is that it's different for an
experienced reefer to start out a tank with an expensive
fish, than it is for a new fish keeper to start out with
an expensive fish. New fish keepers make lots of mistakes.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Roy wrote on 12/20/2005 6:30 PM:
> MOst folks regard a Damsel as a cheap fish which is very abundant at a
> very cheap price ( Often for less than $3.00 with mewmber card at
> Petco) as a way to test your waters and see if everything is on
> par........That way if something is not quite right your not out a hea
> of money if they croak....I view it like this.I trust my test kits and
> my knoweledge..I would not feel any different placing a damsel in a
> new setup that was properly cycled and water parameters in check than
> I would a an Angel fish of $30.00 If the water is right and conditions
> are what they should be then things should be fine as long as they are
> introduced one or two at a time, depending on how large a system it is
> and your filtration.
>
> If I was going to have any damsels, I would add them last so they are
> the new guys on the block so they may not be so boisterous and already
> have established territories setup......
>
> I do not believe in sacrificing any fish to test the
> waters......simple if its not right for a high dollar fish then no
> fish go in it. The only exceptions would be fish that eat mainly
> copepods etc such as dragonets, and in that case the tank would have
> to be pretty well establised and aged with a large population of stuff
> for the dragonets to eat. I see lots of dragonets getting sold at
> various places and when you talk to the ones buying them they say
> things like, yea, we just got our 55 gal setup cycled and have had 4
> damsels in it for a month, or yea we have one up now for about a
> year......so now were going to add those pretty dragonets......which
> on rare occasions will eat prepared foods but most times they starve
> in most any tank that is not well established. Its a real shame, but
> evidently they are pretty abundant just like damsels as around this
> part they go for under $15 a fish.......

[Wayne Sallee]

I still think that the number one stupid mistake of the
century is when a lady purchased some live rock from a
store, and took it home and put it in the aquarium, only
to find out that it had bugs on it, so she took it out and
sprayed it with raid, and put it back in. Naturaly
everything died. :-)

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Wayne Sallee wrote on 12/20/2005 8:09 PM:
> One thing, though, is that it's different for an experienced reefer to
> start out a tank with an expensive fish, than it is for a new fish
> keeper to start out with an expensive fish. New fish keepers make lots
> of mistakes.
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>
>
>
> Roy wrote on 12/20/2005 6:30 PM:
>
>> MOst folks regard a Damsel as a cheap fish which is very abundant at a
>> very cheap price ( Often for less than $3.00 with mewmber card at
>> Petco) as a way to test your waters and see if everything is on
>> par........That way if something is not quite right your not out a hea
>> of money if they croak....I view it like this.I trust my test kits and
>> my knoweledge..I would not feel any different placing a damsel in a
>> new setup that was properly cycled and water parameters in check than
>> I would a an Angel fish of $30.00 If the water is right and conditions
>> are what they should be then things should be fine as long as they are
>> introduced one or two at a time, depending on how large a system it is
>> and your filtration.
>>
>> If I was going to have any damsels, I would add them last so they are
>> the new guys on the block so they may not be so boisterous and already
>> have established territories setup......
>>
>> I do not believe in sacrificing any fish to test the
>> waters......simple if its not right for a high dollar fish then no
>> fish go in it. The only exceptions would be fish that eat mainly
>> copepods etc such as dragonets, and in that case the tank would have
>> to be pretty well establised and aged with a large population of stuff
>> for the dragonets to eat. I see lots of dragonets getting sold at
>> various places and when you talk to the ones buying them they say
>> things like, yea, we just got our 55 gal setup cycled and have had 4
>> damsels in it for a month, or yea we have one up now for about a
>> year......so now were going to add those pretty dragonets......which
>> on rare occasions will eat prepared foods but most times they starve
>> in most any tank that is not well established. Its a real shame, but
>> evidently they are pretty abundant just like damsels as around this
>> part they go for under $15 a fish.......

[Mark Henry]

Wayne Sallee wrote:

> I still think that the number one stupid mistake of the century is when
> a lady purchased some live rock from a store, and took it home and put
> it in the aquarium, only to find out that it had bugs on it, so she took
> it out and sprayed it with raid, and put it back in. Naturaly everything
> died. :-)
>

I've worked in retail for years and that is pretty much the funniest
thing that I've heard yet!

mark h

[RicSeyler]

I'd stay away from the Damsel fish, try catching that
aggravating tormenting sucker in a 400gal later. LOLOL

I guess some floating food and a cast net might work. :-)

Wayne Sallee wrote:

> TekCat wrote on 12/19/2005 7:08 PM:
>
>> 2 at the time the most. Wait loooooong time between additions.
>>
>
> Umm ,,, this is a 400 gallon tank, not a 55 gallon tank :-)
>
> Most people start out with damsels, not larger expensive fish.
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>


--
Ric Seyler
Online Racing: RicSeyler
GPL Handicap 6.35

http://www.pcola.gulf.net/~ricseyler
remove –SPAM- from email address
--------------------------------------
"Homer no function beer well without."
- H.J. Simpson

[George Patterson]

RicSeyler wrote:
> I'd stay away from the Damsel fish, try catching that
> aggravating tormenting sucker in a 400gal later. LOLOL

Don't bother. Just pick up a decent size Volitan or Grouper.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

[Roy]

I had a devil fish (small blue fish in damsel family) in a 2 gal pico
for a little while with the intentions of only housing it there until
I got the other tank finished, as a person had a tank leak and needed
to get rid of the fish etc, so I wound up with this little fish of
perhaps 1.25" in length. Small tank, I figured no problem in such a
small tank, yea right, I just about had to remove all other inhabs and
LR and still had a hassle catching that little damsel........

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 03:02:27 GMT, George Patterson
> wrote:
>><>RicSeyler wrote:
>><>> I'd stay away from the Damsel fish, try catching that
>><>> aggravating tormenting sucker in a 400gal later. LOLOL
>><>
>><>Don't bother. Just pick up a decent size Volitan or Grouper.
>><>
>><>George Patterson
>><> Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
>><> your slightly older self.

--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder! Koi-ahoi mates....

[Bobbin' for Charlie]

Wife caught me cheatin' on her last night with her sister and through a
hammer through the first thing she could hit and it wasn't me.

So much for the 400 gallon tank. Talk to yawl l8r.


"Bobbin' for Charlie" > wrote in message
news:P7Fpf.10641$9G.5848@dukeread10...
> Hi guys!! How's it going?
>
> Say, I just bought a new fish tank for my kids as a present for Christmas.
> It was used, but I couldn't resist it. 400 gallons!!! I paid $1,000 for it
> and the oak stand. It is square in shape and about 6 feet long on all
> sides and 2.5' tall on a 3 feet tall stand. Viewing is about eye level for
> an adult.
>
> Wondering how soon I can put fish in the tank. I have over 600 lbs of live
> sand that was sold with the tank and we kept 30% of the old water and
> added 70% new RODI. The tank has a huge skimmer about the size of an old
> gas pump that sits externally to the tank. The tank is turned over at
> least 40 times per hour according to the guy I bought it from due to the
> humongous dual pumps also running externally to the system. The sump for
> this thing has a capacity of 250 gallons and is under the tank in the base
> of the stand. You guys have to see pictures of this!!!! It's freaking
> awesome!!!
>
> So!! How soon can I add fish and more liverock? The chemistry is
> awesome!!!!
>

[Cindy]

Bobbin' for Charlie wrote:
> Wife caught me cheatin' on her last night with her sister and through
> a hammer through the first thing she could hit and it wasn't me.
>
> So much for the 400 gallon tank. Talk to yawl l8r.

Oh my GOD I hope you're kidding....

[Captain Feedback]

>Oh my GOD I hope you're kidding....

If he is, that's one of the most unique trolls I've seen in a long time
.....

Though when I read the original post, I thought the wording was a
little suspicious. "The chemistry is awesome" ??

[gremesmiith]

Nitrogen cycle is a natural way to handle leftover food and animal waste generated (such as fish). This is caused by bacteria and become established in the tank when the food supply. No fish means no bacteria are usually always be established.

[karltonjolly]

Nitrogen cycle is a natural way to handle leftover food and animal waste generated (such as fish). This is caused by bacteria and become established in the tank when the food supply. No fish means no bacteria are usually always be established.

[chrisyohana]

he catchbasin is angry over at atomic 40 times per hour according to the guy I bought it from due to the humongous dual pumps aswell active evidently to the system. The sump for this affair has a capacity of 250 gallons and is beneath the catchbasin in the abject of the stand.