First Reef Aquarium 10 gallon

[el_ote]

id say the 27th was the real start of your cycle since really it should only go up steadily as the shrimp rots then down followed by the nitrates shooting up and up. id test and follow only the ammonia until it drops to 0 or as near 0 as the test will allow for at least a couple days of 0's for ammonia. id do a 20-30% water change afterword and recheck.fish are ok up to 20 for the nitrate(prolly more,but dont let on that ive let my trates get that high)

I used the drops of ammonia method since it created a faster cycle. you may be in for the long haul of at least a couple weeks if not the full month as usually recommended.

[tibbsy07]

Although I haven't finished my cycle, it is however, nearing its end, and I have decided on my livestock (ideal-list):

 

I wanted to start with a Snail based CUC with a Blue Ricordea.

 

After a week, add:

4 sexy shrimp & MiniCarpet Anemone & Pistol Shrimp

 

2 weeks later

2 Oceralis Clown ( I have read these are the smallest of them? )

 

2-3 weeks later

1 Yellow Watchman Goby

 

2 weeks later

1 Torch & Bubble Tip Anemone

 

 

These are my questions to the pros:

 

Can you have more than one Ricordea growing together on the same rock?

Do Anemones eat copepods? Can they survive off of them, or what should I feed them (gel, plankton, pellets)? Because I have read several methods and need to know from you.

In what order would you add all this livestock? How long would you take to add them all?

 

Cheers!

CUC from Reefcleaners is a yes. Your 10g will be fine with what John sends - you may need to give some away or feed the tank some algae wafers/dried seaweed occasionally.

 

Definitely wait on the anemone - you need a much more stable tank to add one (usually 12 months). They will eat pods, but you'll want to feed them other food as the pods won't be enough and they can't go hunt the pods. They'll just eat pods if the pods happen to float by their mouths.

 

I'd put in the goby first. I've read clowns can be aggressive when adding other fish, but I don't have any experience with them.

 

You can have as many ricordea grow next to each other as you want. Preferably you'll give them all enough space to grow happily.

 

You can add the torch and the ricordea together, if you want. Minimal bioload there.

 

I have been reading a lot of suggestions lately to start your tank with a CUC and a fish first to let the tank bioload adjust without having to worry about corals. You might want to look more into this option, as I don't have enough experience to say yay or nay.

[anizato]

CUC from Reefcleaners is a yes. Your 10g will be fine with what John sends - you may need to give some away or feed the tank some algae wafers/dried seaweed occasionally.

regular seaweed? (sushi grade)

Definitely wait on the anemone - you need a much more stable tank to add one (usually 12 months). They will eat pods, but you'll want to feed them other food as the pods won't be enough and they can't go hunt the pods. They'll just eat pods if the pods happen to float by their mouths.

Got it, Anemone until next Summer! (:

I'd put in the goby first. I've read clowns can be aggressive when adding other fish, but I don't have any experience with them.

I have read the same claims, thanks for that! Goby will be taking the first dive!

You can have as many ricordea grow next to each other as you want. Preferably you'll give them all enough space to grow happily.

1 inch? 5 inches?

You can add the torch and the ricordea together, if you want. Minimal bioload there.

YAY SO HAPPY!

I have been reading a lot of suggestions lately to start your tank with a CUC and a fish first to let the tank bioload adjust without having to worry about corals. You might want to look more into this option, as I don't have enough experience to say yay or nay.

As in, adding the Goby along with the Ricordea & Torch? Something along those lines?

[anizato]

Hey guys,

 

I did my 50% WC yesterday.

 

Tests before:

 

AM 0 NI 0 NA 60

 

Tests after:

 

AM 0 NI 0 NA 10

 

24hr after:

 

AM 0 NI 0 NA 5

 

Snails should arrive in three days from now along with the Goby & Pistol Shrimp.

[anizato]

Things are looking good.

 

 

The "Pod Mansion" (Marina HOB with LiveRubble):

 

 

 

The "Pod Park" (AquaClear 30 with Live Rubble)

 

 

 

 

I have noticed some micro-life growing on the front of my display . (Should I be running a sponge, I have Polyfilter I can cut, in my AC30 or will my LiveRock/Rubble do the trick?)
I assume that is algae , and it is accompanied not only by the copepods I mentioned earlier, but by these small spiders , there are about 10 I can see on the glass so far. Do you guys know what these are?

 

 

 

Sorry about the definition in the pictures, but it is the best I could do with my equipment. ( had to take about 50 pics before I could get one to "focus" on the 'spider')

 

 

Here is a better look at the Spider creatures!

[anizato]

The first batch of livestock has arrived! I know its a massive bioload, but the Store effed it up and in their futile attempts to have me in their good graces, they were supposed to send me the coral last week, but they sent some pods in 4.o Ammonia ridden water instead. Needless to say, they died 8 hours later ...all 2000+ of them -

...

yeah, a small part of me died forever that night too.

 

They sent the coral this time, when I had already asked for a refund instead.

 

John from ReefCleaners, Badass!!! %85 of his part of stock are lively! He sent a MASSIVE amount of snails and 2 Blue,2 Blackcrab ...(I think).

 

My Ammonia is at 0.0 after top off, everyone was doing great! Lights are on the refugium with red ciralia & ulva lettuce.

 

Here are the snaps:

 

 

[pgrVII]

This looks like it's off to a great start. Keep reading reading reading,and asking questions. As you well know there's lots of helpful folks here. Keep up the good work!

[DannaM]

Great start I'm eagerly following along. I just started a 10 myself but I'm still cycling it. Looking forward to seeing where this build goes

[anizato]

Hey everybody!

 

It has been quite a busy week!

Got my livestock in, and everything seems to be doing wonderfully.

 

I added the first batch you already know, monitored closely, nothing but a Nitrate rise from 5ish to 15ish (after 48 hours), did a 20% WC. Nitrates went down to undetectable and after 3 days like this, I added all these little guys:

 

2 Clownfish

6 Sexy Shrimp

1 Torch

1 Hammer

1 Ked Red

 

Goby and Pistol have found a different cave that is away from the front of the display so I haven't seen them in a week! They are fine, because when I moved a rock to place the Polyp in its temporary place, I saw the buggers swimming back into their cave.

[anizato]

Here are some more pics.

 

Sorry, my camera is my phone

 

If you notice, there is a small Polyp popping out of the rock there. That was attached to the Polyp sent to me by Reefs2Go.com, the big piece looks kind of mangled and ugly, while this piece that came off with the current, is opening up with these beautiful bright greens. I think it might even be a different species than the one it was hanging on to originally. I haven't gotten my glue yet, but I will attach it there, since it fits snuggly.

 

As for the big Polyp, any ideas on how to detach it from the plug? I also want to do this to the Ricordea eventually, she is just too small for that right now. But I don't know how to detach from plugs without damaging the coral.

How long can coral be out of the water safely while one puts them through terror?

 

Thanks!

[Jeradmccarty]

Hey everybody! absolute N00B here!

 

So I HAD to go for a 10 gallon (yes I know, not an ideal beginner's choice) due to space restriction.

 

I want to have this be a self-sufficient ecosystem. Adding chemicals is something I want to stay away from as much as possible. That being said, I have plans to add a nano-refugium with some pods into my HOB.

 

Equipment & Stuff (so far):

 

10 Gallon Display

Koralia Nano 425GPH

Instant Ocean Reef Crystal Sea Salt Marine Mix (just to begin)

CaribSea Arag-Alive 20lb (livesand)

Aqueon 15-Gallon QuietFlow Internal Filter

ViaAqua Titanium 200-watt Heater

AquaClear 30 HOB-Filter

Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED 18"-24"

Red Sea Coral Pro Salt Mix 55gal bucket (for maintenance)

 

I will be assembling it all next week, since some of the items have not yet arrived. But I wanted to pick your guys' brain in hopes to get an even better start!

 

I have asked my LFS to save about 15" of LIVE ROCK for me. Since it will be fully cured by the time I get it, do I still have to cycle it in my aquarium?

 

Ideally, the LIVE STOCK, we (my wife and I) want:

 

FISH

2 Clown (MUST HAVE)

1 Amblyeleotris Goby (MUST HAVE)

 

SHRIMP

1-2 Pistol Shrimp (maybe Tiger pistol - Alpheus Belullus), according to my "sources" (the oracle) they pair with the Amblyeleotris Goby? are these the correct PISTOL shrimp? (MUST HAVE, if so)

 

SLUG (NUDIS) (is it possible to keep more than one?)

1 Velvet Nudibranch (chelidonura varians)

1 Spotted Lettuce Nudi (MUST HAVE - fingers crossed)

 

SNAIL

1 Nerite

1 Turbo

1 Margarita

 

FAN WORMS

no idea but we want at least ONE (MUST HAVE)

 

SPONGE

Orange Fan (Axinella Bookhouti)

Red Ridge (Porifera)

 

ANEMONE (yes, we want one! we MUST have one LOL)

any and all input you can offer is greatly appreciated

we have been looking at BUBBLE TIPS or LONG TENTACLE Anemone (since they are supposedly hardy), or whatever your expertise suggests.

 

CORAL:

Zoanthid Polyp

Birdsnest Seriatopora (MUST HAVE)

Ricordeas Mushroom

Joket Palythoa

Alveopora (MUST HAVE)

Hammer (Euphylia)

Open Brain (suggestions please?)

Palythoa (suggestions please?)

 

 

CLAM:

Derasa or Maxima (MUST HAVE)

 

We appreciate any help you can provide.

PS . We are not lazy and we love to learn, we don't expect hand-me-downs of info or any type of give-aways. We don't want the easy way out. We are here to stay and make a beautiful ecosystem.

It is difficult to be new to this since there is so much mixed information out there. I have found that Forums are the best way to go, and since I am building a NANO, this community seemed ideal.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Happy reefing!

 

AniZaTo

Everything in there sounds good except for one thing, the velvet nudibranch will die within a few days unless you have a literal endless supply of flatworms, and trust me you don't want flatworms and if you had them the velvet nudibranch will die the second it eats them all because it will be out of food. Second thing I noticed you were going to hang the marine orbit led above the tank, you really should have it on top of the tank as close to the top of the water as possible, the par readings drop dramatically with distance, listen to me please and put it on the top of your tank right on there so you get maximam depth of the light. The led light will not bleach or scorch your corals at all, never I have been in this hobby for a few good years now and I have never used anything but led and don't let people tell you that will happen especially since the marine orbit led is a lower wattage fixture, I have it and it's a grey fixture for smaller tanks.

 

Also a bubble tip nem would be fine in there as long as you let it find it's spot before you start placing corals, I have never had issues with either of my bta's stinging anything and they do roam around sometimes

[darkdancer333]

Got it! I won't do that again

 

Reef Crystals gives a 1.021 gravity read with 1.4lb of Reef Salt product per 5 gallons. I measured it precisely and it read exactly that: 1.021, so something is off, how did they "guess" how much Live Sand and Live Rock I would be adding.

As you can see, I have both Live Rock/Sand, so how would you figure to increase to 1.025/1.026?

The math is quite crazy,

 

I am trying to achieve 1.025-1.026, which requires 1.4lb per 5 gallons (figure out THAT "phantom formula" ...anybody?), I have 7.5 lb of Live Rock, How much does that reduce to the volume of water required to fill a standard 10 gallon tank; minus 1.5" Live Sand bed? 7 or 8 gallons?

I have read a good rule of thumb is 1/2 cup per gallon of water, does anybody back that up?

Should I achieve 1.026 by mixing a 1 gallon jug and add that daily to my 1.021 tank?

 

However here is the math: ( for anybody interested!)

160z = 1lbH20

8lb = 1gal

1lb=1/8gal (0.125)

 

Here are some pics of some screwing around between two landscapings. Which one do you like best?

Any suggestions?

 

I should wait another week until I get water right until I add any INVERTS right? What do you think? I was going to order them from LiveAquaria.com, hear from them?

After my first week I added 2 small hermit crabs and they still kicking. Last Saturday was 14 days. i also am now following this post since i'm not far behind....

[Jeradmccarty]

Things are looking good.

 

tanka.jpg

 

The "Pod Mansion" (Marina HOB with LiveRubble):

 

podhousea.jpg

 

The "Pod Park" (AquaClear 30 with Live Rubble)

 

podparka.jpg

 

podparkb.jpg

 

I have noticed some micro-life growing on the front of my display . (Should I be running a sponge, I have Polyfilter I can cut, in my AC30 or will my LiveRock/Rubble do the trick?)

I assume that is algae , and it is accompanied not only by the copepods I mentioned earlier, but by these small spiders , there are about 10 I can see on the glass so far. Do you guys know what these are?

 

algaespider.jpg

 

Sorry about the definition in the pictures, but it is the best I could do with my equipment. ( had to take about 50 pics before I could get one to "focus" on the 'spider')

 

 

Here is a better look at the Spider creatures!

That little spider looking thing on your glass is actually a Hydroid Jellyfish or a button jellyfish, either or, they are very small jellies that don't really do or hurt anything, they will die off on there own in a few months and maybe one day come back again because there egg pods that have been laid on the rock or substrate release only a few jellies at a time out of thousands that are in the pod, they are really cool if you turn on the blue moonlights and turn off your power heads you will watch them leave the glass and start doing there cool jellyfish style bump swimming to the top off the water, when I first saw them in my tank they I was like damn I have miniature jelly fish in my tank and then I did some research and that's what I found so there ya go, mini jellies that are fun to watch.

[anizato]

That little spider looking thing on your glass is actually a Hydroid Jellyfish or a button jellyfish, either or, they are very small jellies that don't really do or hurt anything, they will die off on there own in a few months and maybe one day come back again because there egg pods that have been laid on the rock or substrate release only a few jellies at a time out of thousands that are in the pod, they are really cool if you turn on the blue moonlights and turn off your power heads you will watch them leave the glass and start doing there cool jellyfish style bump swimming to the top off the water, when I first saw them in my tank they I was like damn I have miniature jelly fish in my tank and then I did some research and that's what I found so there ya go, mini jellies that are fun to watch.

That is badass! I am so excited someone knew about them! I will do that and enjoy them before they perish. What an amazing fact bro! Thanks for sharing!

 

After my first week I added 2 small hermit crabs and they still kicking. Last Saturday was 14 days. i also am now following this post since i'm not far behind....

Hell yeah man! Welcome to the ride!

 

 

...I noticed you were going to hang the marine orbit led above the tank...

 

Also a bubble tip nem would be fine in there as long as you let it find it's spot before you start placing corals, I have never had issues with either of my bta's stinging anything and they do roam around sometimes

Thanks a lot Jared McCarty

 

Actually, that was my original idea, the Orbit Marine & Nudibranchs. My WishList if you may.

Further down I changed my mind, with some help from the folks here, and got a PAR38 LED 20k instead. I adapted a DIY chain from the top so I can adjust it if necessary.

Thank you for the tip on the BTA. I am definitely still in the mood for one of them, since I already have 2 baby clownfish in here. So stay tuned

 

As for the Nudibranch, I decided I didn't want it after all. Too much trouble for a newbie like me.

 

I will keep you guys posted on how these guys are doing once they get better acclimated and I start placing the coral.

 

Cheers,

 

AniZatO

[Jeradmccarty]

That is badass! I am so excited someone knew about them! I will do that and enjoy them before they perish. What an amazing fact bro! Thanks for sharing!

 

 

Hell yeah man! Welcome to the ride!

 

 

 

Thanks a lot Jared McCarty

 

Actually, that was my original idea, the Orbit Marine & Nudibranchs. My WishList if you may.

Further down I changed my mind, with some help from the folks here, and got a PAR38 LED 20k instead. I adapted a DIY chain from the top so I can adjust it if necessary.

Thank you for the tip on the BTA. I am definitely still in the mood for one of them, since I already have 2 baby clownfish in here. So stay tuned

 

As for the Nudibranch, I decided I didn't want it after all. Too much trouble for a newbie like me.

 

I will keep you guys posted on how these guys are doing once they get better acclimated and I start placing the coral.

 

Cheers,

 

AniZatO

 

Yeah that's all good. As for the bta, if your clowns are ocellaris then I wouldn't go with any other bta than a rose bta, now my reasoning is only my opinion and I say that because I have had two separate pairs of ocellaris clowns and they have not ever hosted either of the two bta's that I have, one is a normal green and the other is a tri color but I have looked online everywhere for pics of ocellaris hosting bta and it's always I a rose bta so try that for your first because the rose bta's are a lot cooler in my opinion I just have never been able to find the one I like at a good price, also don't let peeps tell you that your aquarium has to be at the least a year old and mature that's Bs, if your tank water parameters are good and what there supposed to be at then you will be perfectly fine. I got my green bta one month after my cycle ended when I first started this hobby it was one of the first things I out in my tank, and almost three years later I'm here to tell you that I still have that same bta and it's almost triple in size and healthy as heck. If you get one feed it once to twice a week and all I feed mine is silversides and they love it.

[Kijho]

Man what an awesome tank and you made such quick progress!! I really like everything you've done, and it's only a 10 gallon!? That's awesome!

 

I have hopes of adding something this week new to my 5G and I'm on day 22 now. Waiting for my LED light to arrive so I can get some nice corals! Really want a torch!!

[anizato]

Hey everyone.

 

I have some updates and pics to share.

 

The tank is looking good. LOTS of Coralline Algae growing, but recently I have had a diatom and slime algae bloom, which is coming and going, I guess its some kind of small cycle PLUS I blame my overfeeding, but getting the hang of it.

 

I added ChemiPure Elite to my AC30 and am running it along with PolyFilter. In the refugium I have a tennis ball size of Chaeto, a toothbrush size of Red Gracilaria and a teaspoon size of Ulva Lettuce.

 

Anyway, I have also added some coral in the past month.

 

Hope you guys like.

 

AniZatO

 

 

 

BELOW are my attempts at showing you what the algae I mentioned before looks like.

 

 

 

Slime Algae on the glass corner of the tank.

 

Moss Algae on the Live Rock, mostly present where the AC30 pours out.

 

Brown Sand Algae on the substrate present on the front of the tank where the light is nice and strong.

 

 

ANY advice, besides the 50% WC I am about to do, would be fantastic! Thanks!

[el_ote]

looking good!

im fighting the uglies in my tank also. as soon as i kick something, another comes and takes its place.

i really like that favia in your last pic! (im on a favia kick right now)

my only other advice besides less feeding and a 20% water change weekly is to cut the light period down (but who wants to see a dark tank) chemiclean worked for me with my cyano outbreak if thats what you have.

[Toybuddha]

 

 

LOL! Should I put some of them in the tiny refugium? Why would he have me sacrifice so many animals?

 

Yeah. It's a total waste. I don't see ever needing anywhere near the amounts I hear people getting from there.

[Paul3x16]

great pics.. I'm also one week behind you!! i just added some soft corals today. my is a 16gl... what happened with you current usa orbit led (don't tell me you were the guy selling it on ebay for 80bucks that i just bought the light from lol)..

 

my lfs CUC 2 turbo snails 2 margarita and 2 astrea snail 1 crab sally and one blue crab , 2 nassarous snail(1 was eating), 4 hermit blue crab also added a gubby and damsel.

 

i haven't done any water change, only top off, I'm about to be at 3 weeks!! and haven't even change any filter, i think I'm gonna do that this weekend!

[anizato]

great pics.. I'm also one week behind you!! i just added some soft corals today. my is a 16gl... what happened with you current usa orbit led (don't tell me you were the guy selling it on ebay for 80bucks that i just bought the light from lol)..

 

Thank you man. I think she is coming along nicely. Time will tell.

I have a Rose Bubble Tip Anemone and an Acropora coming in next week, which is what I had planned from the beginning, so I needed a stronger light than the USA Orbit Marine, it doesn't deliver PAR38 which is what you need for Acros and Anemones. If you intend on keeping softies then you will be fine with that. (however I did miss the possibility of thunderstorms and sunset/sunrise )

 

my lfs CUC 2 turbo snails 2 margarita and 2 astrea snail 1 crab sally and one blue crab , 2 nassarous snail(1 was eating), 4 hermit blue crab also added a gubby and damsel.

 

Cool, you might need to add some ceriths. Also, add lots of empty shells for the crab to grow into. Mine already started growing into larger (much prettier) shells than the ones they came in originally.

 

 

i haven't done any water change, only top off, I'm about to be at 3 weeks!! and haven't even change any filter, i think I'm gonna do that this weekend!

I would suggest 20%WC a week.

However, that didn't necessarily lower my NITRATES, it just kept them at 10/15ppm. Yesterday I performed a 50% WC and my NITRATES are at 0. So I expect a 20% weekly change should keep them below 5ppm (:

 

 

LOL! Should I put some of them in the tiny refugium? Why would he have me sacrifice so many animals?

 

Yeah. It's a total waste. I don't see ever needing anywhere near the amounts I hear people getting from there.

 

I purchased some more CUC from ReefCleaners.org because my Pistol Shrimp is eating my Cerith Snails, so I guess now that will have to be routine to keep that little guy happy and well fed LOL!!

Thanks for following, I will be posting new pics soon. When the Anemone is in

[Jeradmccarty]

Thank you man. I think she is coming along nicely. Time will tell.

I have a Rose Bubble Tip Anemone and an Acropora coming in next week, which is what I had planned from the beginning, so I needed a stronger light than the USA Orbit Marine, it doesn't deliver PAR38 which is what you need for Acros and Anemones. If you intend on keeping softies then you will be fine with that. (however I did miss the possibility of thunderstorms and sunset/sunrise.

 

I have two current usa orbit mane led fixtures above my 20 long and I have 5 different species of acropora and a few montiporas in my tank and all of my sps and lps corals are thriving like crazy, they absolutely love the light from my fixtures, so don't let people tell you because the wattage is low that they won't be enoug power, it's not about the wattage it's about the spectrum that the light produces and if you have a tank that is under 30 inches tall then the current usa fixture would be more than sufficient, all these people who tell you about LEDs and that you tons of wattage haven't tried anything else because they go by whatever other peopl tell them and some people give negative answer on things they don't know. I'm an electrician and I know all about LEDs and how they work, with a very minute amount of wattage can produce great spectrum in different areas, it's all about the spectrum and the actual lighting specs they can emit.

 

Also I only had one current usa fixture running on my 20 long before I decided to get my second fixture and my sps was thriving with ease I just decided to get a second because I wanted another fixture so I could do programming between the two as far as one fixture with a different spectrum then the other in tandem but my sps would have still been doing just fine and great under one.

 

It's also all about the quality of the diode itself, I run a lighting store in Monterey ca and I have to research LEDs all the time because it's all the rage of home lighting right now, for instance a better quality diode in a lower wattage fixture will emit more lumens than a lesser quality fixture in a higher wattage fixture, and I know that current usa uses bin 1-2 quality diodes in there strips.

 

Just my educated opinion

[anizato]

I have two current usa orbit mane led fixtures above my 20 long and ...

...

Just my educated opinion

That is good to know, thanks for the input man. I am still craving the features on the orbit marine, when it is time to upgrade to the 30g I will definitely not limit myself. Building my own DIY LED lamp was cool and all, but I would still prefer something like that (:

 

Cheers!

[Jeradmccarty]

That is good to know, thanks for the input man. I am still craving the features on the orbit marine, when it is time to upgrade to the 30g I will definitely not limit myself. Building my own DIY LED lamp was cool and all, but I would still prefer something like that (:

 

Cheers!

 

For sure man, even though I am all high on this fixture I do agree that the penetration is limited to only 30 inches and below and if it is 30 inches I would probably use two of them but for that you would be perfectly fine.

[gulfsurfer101]

Man, it's looking good in there!