just started a 10 gallon SW tank

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norcalsj

New Fish
#1
Feb 3, 2005
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#1
im a newbie to saltwater tanks so hopefully this can be a thread where i get my stupid questions answered and other newbies can learn from.


Got a 10 gallon kit which had a heater, underground filter and other crap. I bought an aqua clear 20 and installed both the HOTT filter and the underground filter. I also put in a bubble wand to increase aeration. Is the underground filter really necessary? if not, i plan on just leaving the grid in and taking out the tower for aesthetic purposes.

my LFS had LR supposedly from Indonesia. I got three large peices with tons of crevices, holes, caves, etc. one of hte peices even has a small coral on it. I also used Kordon's Coral Beach as my substrate.

I was hoping to put some fish and other invertebrates. any suggestions? i was thinking some clowns, shrimp, possibly an anenome when i get proper lighting?

Also, the person at my LFS suggested that i not put the carbon media in the aquaclear becuase it wasnt necessary and she said just to put the sponge and the biomax. do you guys have any suggestions?

I also bought my water from them. It was 2.50/gallon for the water straight from their display tanks. They said with this i could immediatly put fish and animals in. The LR was also in a tub so im guessing that it is already cured?

I was thinking that i should get a shrimp or some other "cleaner" animal to start out with. Should i get a Percula or two as well?


Thanks a ton all.
 

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N

norcalsj

New Fish
#4
Feb 3, 2005
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#4
well, i got some measuring tools and my salinity was 34.5 and specific gravity was between 1.025 and 1.026. My pH read around 8.2 and the ammonia was "non detectable"

i think im gonna go ahead and stock it lightly right now
 

1979camaro

1979camaro

Ultimate Fish
#5
Oct 22, 2002
5,862
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San Ramon, CA
#5
DONT STOCK YET!

what about nitrite and nitrate?

and remeber, stocking "lightly" is all you will be able to do. at the most, this tank should hold a pair of perculas

we seem to go through this with the shrimp every time...cleaner shrimp really don't clean much of anything except parasites off of large fish...i suppose it is a nemo misconception or something

what you will really need in the future (when you are sure the cycle is fairly complete) are some hermit crabs and snails...and some good books like these:
The new Marine Aquarium by Mike Paletta
Conscientius Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#8
Dec 1, 2003
1,830
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Michigan
#8
First, I would buy my own water and own salt. Its fresh and will not contain pollutants that the water you purchased from the LFS might have.

Second...you can do away with the undergravel. You can keep the plates and make a mini plenum...great for eliminating nitrates.

Alittle more live rock would be a good idea.

And finally your tank could hold two clons...tank raised are great starter fish.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#10
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
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#10
Pls excuse cut an paste... I thouight I'd pasted this last Friday

Got a 10 gallon kit which had a heater, underground filter and other crap. I bought an aqua clear 20 and installed both the HOTT filter and the underground filter<Ditch the UGF>. I also put in a bubble wand to increase aeration <Not needed , doesn't work. Bubbles are stickier in salt and don't dissolve>. Is the underground filter really necessary? if not, i plan on just leaving the grid in and taking out the tower for aesthetic purposes.<No , and as it's new I'd pull it. I know people who've made them work, but they're not smiled on anymore >

my LFS had LR supposedly from Indonesia. I got three large peices with tons of crevices, holes, caves, etc. one of hte peices even has a small coral on it. I also used Kordon's Coral Beach as my substrate.<Good start. Good quality live rock = instant cycle>

I was hoping to put some fish and other invertebrates. any suggestions? i was thinking some clowns, shrimp, possibly an anenome when i get proper lighting?<Anems call for much light and near perfect water, and typically die catastrophically in beginner aquariums>

Also, the person at my LFS suggested that i not put the carbon media in the aquaclear becuase it wasnt necessary and she said just to put the sponge and the biomax. do you guys have any suggestions?<Do the exact opposite.I like to run carbon a lot, I also sometimes use sponge filter material. You are familiar withthe nitrogen cycle. Well in fresh, we usually end withthe nitrate bit, and UGF's and biomax, sponge and so on are very good at promoting the aerobic part of the nitrogen cycle that leaves waste nitrate. However in salt we don't like nitrate very much as algae is a constant battle anyway, so we like to use anaerobic bacteria in the live rock to reduce nitrate to nitrogen. Biomax et al are too efficient and produce so much nitrate the anaerobes can't keep up and you get creeping nitrate which you have to reduce with water changes + other routes. Having said that, ammonia spikes are very dangerous, so for the fist 6 months leave everything, allow lots of aerobic bacteria to grow, get settled, then remove the biostuff when you think you're stable and safe.>

I also bought my water from them. It was 2.50/gallon for the water straight from their display tanks.<Learn to mix your own> They said with this i could immediatly put fish and animals in. The LR was also in a tub so im guessing that it is already cured?
<Yep. But I'd still wait a few weeks. If you get bored get a couple small hermits or a cleaner shrimp>
I was thinking that i should get a shrimp or some other "cleaner" animal to start out with. Should i get a Percula or two as well?
<See above. If I was you I'd spend the money on a book called the NEw Marine Aquarium by Mike Paletta or another book by John Tullock called Natural Reef Aquaria and spend a couple weeks waiting. Going slow now will pay dividends later>

Thanks a ton all.<It's ok>
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#11
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
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#11
Also I'd definitely pull the UGF plates. Plenums only seem to work if you follow Jauberts instructions pretty closely, which you undoubtedly won't want to.
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#12
Dec 1, 2003
1,830
0
0
36
Michigan
#12
I used the undergravel plates on a 20 for a year or so...the system was pretty stable, better success with that then with just my live sand.
 

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