essential item needed/required/recommended

[dannyny]

hey guys just wanted to know what i would need in order to maintain a healthy tank besides the obvious equipment, do i need anything to QT the fish? coral dips? medications? water additives?

i am planning to use a 10g tank as my QT tank and another 10g as a coral dip tank unless i dont need a coral dip tank and just have a specimen container? not sure please help. thanks!!

List of things to get:

1. revive coral dip
2. small styrofoam container

 

[rbtwo4]

i dont think u need a coral dip tank.

 

[dannyny]

i dont think u need a coral dip tank.

i have a specimen container from Lee's would that work?

 

[albano]

i dont think u need a coral dip tank.

+1...small container... salt bucket...etc

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I use revive coral dip. It's a bit gentler on the corals than coralx and others and smells so nice and lemony you'll want to drink it(dont do that lol).

A specimen containers plastic will get eaten up by the dip- I ruined one myself- wont melt it or anything but scars the plastic like you rub it with brillo so I never used one since.

If you order any livestock online save the styrofoam container, take a gallon of saltwater to do the dip in and empty it into that container, do the dip, introduce, wash out the styro and put it away till next time or use the new styros that livestock from the web come in each time.

The QT tank is a great idea, QT each fish and if you add another during the QT of one the original has to be treated like you're starting over.

 

[dannyny]

I use revive coral dip. It's a bit gentler on the corals than coralx and others and smells so nice and lemony you'll want to drink it(dont do that lol).

A specimen containers plastic will get eaten up by the dip- I ruined one myself- wont melt it or anything but scars the plastic like you rub it with brillo so I never used one since.

If you order any livestock online save the styrofoam container, take a gallon of saltwater to do the dip in and empty it into that container, do the dip, introduce, wash out the styro and put it away till next time or use the new styros that livestock from the web come in each time.

The QT tank is a great idea, QT each fish and if you add another during the QT of one the original has to be treated like you're starting over.

thanks bro i will add revive coral dip to the list. hopefully i can find a nice small styrofoam container as well.

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

The most important thing you will need to maintain a healthy tank is an ro unit.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

No problemmo man, any LFS will have them also so if you have any ins I'm sure they'll hook you up

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

thanks bro i will add revive coral dip to the list. hopefully i can find a nice small styrofoam container as well.

You can find styrofoam at wal-mart where they the outside things for a bby set up.

 

[dannyny]

The most important thing you will need to maintain a healthy tank is an ro unit.

first thing i purchased after my tank and stand. thank you!

 

[dannyny]

No problemmo man, any LFS will have them also so if you have any ins I'm sure they'll hook you up

i don't plan on buying any live stock from my local pet shop or any pet shop. was planning to purchase from members of this forum only and craigslist unless i see something i MUST have...

 

[rbtwo4]

i don't plan on buying any live stock from my local pet shop or any pet shop. was planning to purchase from members of this forum only and craigslist unless i see something i MUST have...

good luck bro ur on the right path

 

[dannyny]

Vendors too. Would vendors offer to coral dip after purchase so it will spare me the 10 minutes of doing it myself?? Maybe add it to the bag on the way home??

 

[JimmyR1rider]

If you have a GOOD store near you you should support them for a few reasons that if you purely deal with members on here for your purchasers you WILL run into:

A) A LFS will never flake on you and not show with the livestock they promised you, nor will you have to go on pictures they swore were took recently and the fish turns out to be sick or way different than the pic. In a LFS you see ti in front of your eyes and can make them feed them in front of you

B) If a fish dies, most LFS will take them back and refund you as long as you give them a sample of your water to test and it tests fine. Members won't- Rightfully so.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Vendors too. Would vendors offer to coral dip after purchase so it will spare me the 10 minutes of doing it myself?? Maybe add it to the bag on the way home??

No a dip has to be done right before you add them to your tank. You dip them for 5-15 minutes and introduce into yoyr tank. You should also swoosh it almost vigorously to shake off any creepy crawlies and do this multiple times before you add them to your tank. I do mine 3 times then put em in.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Also I have a spare styro if you need it, just meet up with me and it's yours. Just make sure to clean it out after you dip in it rinse it out and let dry.

 

[dannyny]

Also I have a spare styro if you need it, just meet up with me and it's yours. Just make sure to clean it out after you dip in it rinse it out and let dry.

thanks bro! i appreciate it. if i ever make it out to you i will check to see if you still got it.

 

[dannyny]

how important is a test kit?

i remember buying a test kit for my freshwater aquarium but after the first week of 100 test i never tested water again...

 

[JimmyR1rider]

A 100% necessity for the cycling, you need to be able to see your ammonia spike. then turn to nitrite and finally to nitrate with no ammonia or nitrite to know your cycle is completed.

I test every few days because I've been adding corals so I need to see when it gets to the point of when I have to start dosing 2 part.

After I have it nailed down how much to dose to maintain levels I still like to test once a week, but some people don't test at all, some test every month or every 6 months. I myself don't mind taking a half hour out of my day once a week to test- not to rely on having an exact result but to just to make sure I have a pretty consistent results and make sure everything is stable.

 

[dannyny]

What is 2 part?