5 Gallon Fluval Chi (converted to saltwater tank) HELP

[Lazar]

Hi. I transformed a 5 gallon chi to saltwater reef tank. I'm new to the hobby but enjoy it a lot. I thought going small would be easier to care for for a begginer and found out the smaller the harder :/

Anyways I got live sand, live rock, and cycled water from a buddy all from the same tank about 2 weeks ago. I put 2 dragon eyes in the tank again from the same tank I got everything els from and bough a clown, hermit crab, and a peppermint shrimp and they all seem to be happy ?

The filter and light are one piece for the chi and I don't like the lighting at all and to change it I need to change the whole thing. also I was wondering if I can add some more corals. Can anybody give me some addvice on what I can do?

[CJJon]

 

Best advice is to take some time and do some research. There is a ton of info out there about these tanks and what people do to make them work with salt. Don't add anything else to that tank right now (which means for months, not days) until you get a grasp of what you are trying to do. IMO the tank is too small for a clown. Again, don't add anything else right now.

 

Oh, there is no such thing as cycled water. The water does not have much to do with the bacteria that do their thing in our tanks--they live mostly on things, and not in the water column. Using old tank water has no value when starting a new tank IMO. Tell your buddy you learned something!

 

You should be OK regarding your cycle since you used live rock from an established tank, but keep an eye on ammonia. You want 0 ammonia. Test yourself, don't rely on anyone else. Maybe get an ammonia badge in addition to a test kit. Actually, in looking at your rock--you sure that was liverock from an established tank? It looks like dry rock to me. If so, then you really need to keep an eye on the ammonia. If you have any, you need to get the livestock out of there until your cycle completes. Get test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. API is fine.

 

Also, post all the details about your tank when asking for help. All your known water parameters (actual numbers here), lighting, feeding schedule, foods used, livestock, new changes additions, etc.

 

Welcome to the salty side of life!