Starting again

[finley]

Hi everyone, last year I started my first saltwater tank, but unfortuantley after 6 months I lost my fish due to a disease I can’t remeber. Sorry for the long intro , my question is, after 6 months is the salt I have still usable ? Also has anyone got any suggestions of a reliable place to buy clownfish online in the UK, my LFS seems a bit dodgy. Also what exactly do I need to test for in the tank (no corals), but potentially an anemone.
Thank you

 

[PharmrJohn]

You're gonna want to be able to test for Ammonia, NO3, PO4, pH, Temperature and Salinity to start. No need to test for nitrites. Avoid API and test strips. If your salt mix has been in a low(ish) humidity environment and sealed tightly, it should still be good. You're gonna also need access to RODI water. Getting your own unit, will save $$ in the long run. Although I don't have any suggestions for an online outfit, I'd wait for a good couple of months before putting fish in your tank. Three months for lighting to go on. Take your cycling slow with Fritz 900 Turbostart as a starter bacteria and ghost feed to build up the bacterial population. The aim is to get a lot of bacteria on your surfaces so that the ugly .stage will be minimized. With anemones, I'm very conservative and won't put one in my tank until a year has passed. Anemones like a stable environment.