Lnk89 Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Hello, Long time freshwater guy, first time trying my hand at saltwater. I have had my kitchen counter top 10 gallon tank set up for about two weeks now. Setup so far: 11lbs dry rock 10lbs aggronite sand koralia nano 240 powerhead 50W heater Thermometer Lighting will be http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c5813/c231289/p17707384.htmlwhen they come in. Finally got my saltwater test kit today and results were: Ammonia: 0 PH: 7.8 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0-5 not quite 0, but not quite at 5ppm Temp: 78F Salinity: 1.023 I have put in 3 big dried krill and a cube of bloodworms, so I expected to at least see more ammonia in the tank. The last couple of days when I feed my freshwater fish I add a bit of food into the tank. But I think I need to add more of a source of ammonia. Lights, is the light I am thinking of getting good enough to grow most beginner corals? Seemed like the best option I found for the price. I have been having a real problem getting and keeping the salinity right. I had it at 1.026, marked the water line and have been keeping the water there for the last week. Today when I checked the salinity it was at 1.023 not sure if this would be the hydrometer I am using or not. I have ordered a refractometer to hopefully get a more accurate results. Anyone have good suggestions for tank inhabitants and good beginner corals? Feedback always welcome! Link to comment
stash98 Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 I use a refractometer specifically for this reason. It is so much more accurate and you need the accuracy when setting up a reef tank. Salinity swings are not good for the livestock. I think you will be ok with the refractometer. The hydrometers need to be cleaned a lot and they are just not as reliable. Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 I have a refractometer ordered and should be here in a week or so. I think my hydrometer might not be calibrated correctly because I checked salinity today and it was back up to 1.026. Will have to wait and see what the refractometer says when it comes. After my cycle has completed is it better to start adding corals first or fish and clean up crew first? Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Been awhile since I posted on here. Finally got my water parameters under control and my cycle seems to be nearly complete. I have been getting 0 ammonia readings and higher Nitrate. Bough some fluval epoxy last week to work on the rockscape, but the stuff didn't seem to stick to the rocks at all. Stuck to the gloves I was using, but not to the rocks so I am still playing around with that. Bought a current usa marine LED light today, seems pretty bright. Next step will be a clean up crew. What are some good clean up crews to start with? I am thinking a few snails, a crab and a shrimp? How many should I add at once? Link to comment
Astinus Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 A lot of folks will recommend http://www.reefcleaners.org/ I just sent them a request using this link, regarding a custom crew... http://www.reefcleaners.org/custom-clean-up-crew I know I want to increase my CUC. Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 Cycle is complete and did my first water change today. Also have my diatom bloom starting so I will be looking at picking up some snails next weekend. How many snails would I want to add at once?Before water change:PH: 7.8-8Ammonia: 0Nitrite: 0Nitrate: 10ppmTemp: 80FSalinity: 1.025After water change:PH: 7.8 - 8Ammonia: 0Nitrite: 0Nitrate: 0Temp: 80FSalinity: 1.025Still having trouble with my temperature. The tank seems to go down to 76 at night and can go up to 83F on a hot day. What is an acceptable amount of temperature swing for a reef tank? Link to comment
Alexraptor Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 I use a refractometer specifically for this reason. It is so much more accurate and you need the accuracy when setting up a reef tank. Salinity swings are not good for the livestock. I think you will be ok with the refractometer. The hydrometers need to be cleaned a lot and they are just not as reliable. Steven Pro might disagree with you on that. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i4/hydrometers/Impressions.htm Link to comment
stash98 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Steven Pro might disagree with you on that. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i4/hydrometers/Impressions.htm He is welcome to, but my experience has been much better with a refractometer. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 You're on the right track. Fluval epoxy(the purple tube) isn't fun to work with and frankly falls apart! I found the instant ocean one better but it takes alot of working it into the rocks and none of them solidify quickly. I siliconed my rocks together then placed them on eggcrate. I agree hydrometers are not reliable, can take a few attempts to get a good reading, 1 tiny airbubble changes everything. Since my switch to refractometer i have had no issues with sg. A few snails to start would be good. I love turbos and nassarius snails. In time you can add more but you don't want to start with too many which can starve, die, and pollute the tank. I personally like red scarlet hermits. I'd get 2, they are pretty, keep things clean, and go after no snails. Keeping temp stable is a tough in small tanks. What heater are you using? Is the tank near windows/doors? Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 You're on the right track. Fluval epoxy(the purple tube) isn't fun to work with and frankly falls apart! I found the instant ocean one better but it takes alot of working it into the rocks and none of them solidify quickly. I siliconed my rocks together then placed them on eggcrate. I agree hydrometers are not reliable, can take a few attempts to get a good reading, 1 tiny airbubble changes everything. Since my switch to refractometer i have had no issues with sg. A few snails to start would be good. I love turbos and nassarius snails. In time you can add more but you don't want to start with too many which can starve, die, and pollute the tank. I personally like red scarlet hermits. I'd get 2, they are pretty, keep things clean, and go after no snails. Keeping temp stable is a tough in small tanks. What heater are you using? Is the tank near windows/doors? I will have to try the instant ocean one. I am hoping they will just balance on each other and nothing will get knocked over. I don't have much algea yet, so I might just pick up one or two of the turbos and nassarius snails. Don't want anything to starve! I have a marineland 50 watt heater. Tank is on the kitchen counter, not near any windows or doors. My apartment gets pretty warm in the summer so it might just be the room temperature. I also found that when I put the lid on the tank it raised the temp quite a bit. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 My temp does the same on my 10g. I would keep the lid off, its better for gas exchange, temp, and evaporation. Link to comment
chipmunkofdoom2 Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 +1 to what Clown said. Topless is best for gas exchange. If your house is regularly going to get to the temperature at which you set your tank, or even higher, it might be a good idea to raise the temp of your heater by a few degrees. There's not a great concensus on what range of temperature swing is acceptable in our tanks, and even in the wild thermoclines on natural reefs can cause drastic acute temperature swings... I just prefer to keep my temp stable. In the summer, my tank is set to around 81* - 82*. In the fall/winter/spring I drop the temps down to around 79*. Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 7, 2016 Author Share Posted April 7, 2016 My only problem with keeping the lid off is then I get a lot of evaporation and I end up having trouble keeping the salinity stable. But I agree it does help keep the temp down on hot days. Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 But then you risk your fish going carpet surfing. My clown was trying to bite me while I was feeding my corals and she flew right out of the tank. It was Christmas time and she landed on a present, thank God because the only way I found her was to hear her flopping around on the present. Lol. Just my experience. Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Update:Been a couple weeks and I have added a clean up crew, fish and corals.Stocking is:2X nassarius snails2X turbo snails1X yellow gobyCorals:1X kenya tree1X red mushroom1X moon coral, not sure about this one. Was told it was a moon coral, but doesn't look like any of the pictures online. Can anyone ID this?Anyone have any recommendations for what coral would be good for the top most part of the tank beside the mystery moon coral? Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I just recently switched my heater because of the same issues. I highly recommend eheim jagger heaters. Since switching, my temp has been stable at 78.1-78.8 prior to the switch it was swinging from 78-82 and my evap was horrible. I top up my tank every day, so I don't notice any swings in sg but an ato could help you there, you can diy one. To prevent carpet divers I use eggcrate or netting. I had a firefish that jumped 4x's out of my old 55g... the last jump was its final one-i was at work. Link to comment
TheCurriculum Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I run a 10g now and have gone through cleanups on a 12 G and 3 G. 1 to 2 hermits (start with 1). You can add more nas as they just churn sand and munch left overs including mysis and other meaty left overs from feeding the fish. My green goby loves thawed frozen meaty foods. Just keep an eye on your website turbos, if one dies it will quickly foul a 10g. Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 I just recently switched my heater because of the same issues. I highly recommend eheim jagger heaters. Since switching, my temp has been stable at 78.1-78.8 prior to the switch it was swinging from 78-82 and my evap was horrible. I top up my tank every day, so I don't notice any swings in sg but an ato could help you there, you can diy one. To prevent carpet divers I use eggcrate or netting. I had a firefish that jumped 4x's out of my old 55g... the last jump was its final one-i was at work. I have been wondering if my heater is part of the problem for awhile now. But it is getting warm here so I don't think I even need a heater. Tank was up to 83F today without the heater plugged in. Not sure what I will do when it gets really hot out. I have a lid to keep fish in, water evaporation down and most importantly the cat out. I run a 10g now and have gone through cleanups on a 12 G and 3 G. 1 to 2 hermits (start with 1). You can add more nas as they just churn sand and munch left overs including mysis and other meaty left overs from feeding the fish. My green goby loves thawed frozen meaty foods. Just keep an eye on your website turbos, if one dies it will quickly foul a 10g. Can't do hermits, was told no by the gf and seeing as the tank is in "her kitchen" I must listen. I will probably add more snails soon. The algae is starting to get really bad and the 2 algae eating snails are doing a very slow job of eating it. I will just add clean up crew slowly, don't want to add too many and not have enough for them to eat. Anyone know what that pink coral is beside the kenya tree? I have noticed that the kenya tree and mushroom will shrink/ close up randomly during the day. Is this normal or are they not happy? I find the mushroom to be shrinking more often than not. Wondering if I should move it to a more shaded area of the tank? Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 If your heater isn't plugged in and the temp is 83, the heater isn't causing the problem. The lid on the tank, the lights, any heat source near the tank and room temp? corals close up at times. If they remain closed there could be an issue. Issues can range from parameters, lighting, algaes, temp. Stability is important for sg, temp, and parameters. Are you testing ca, mag, and alk? Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 19, 2016 Author Share Posted April 19, 2016 Agreed the heater isn't really the problem, but it's not helping to keep it stable. Lights are LED so don't give out too much heat. It's mostly the room temp, my apartment gets pretty warm when it's hot out. I am sure the lid adds to it, but that helps keep the cat out. The kenya tree closes and opens, but seems to be at random times. Mushroom seems to be smaller more often than not so I tried moving it to a more shaded area of the tank. See if that helps. My water parameters and sg have been stable. I did notice that since adding corals my ph has gone from 7.8 or so to 8.2-8.4 Still struggling with the temperature though! Not testing for ca, mag or alk. But I guess I should start now that I have a few corals. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Ph changes throughout the day. In the am its lower and gets higher as time goes. Since you have corals now, i would test those 3 weekly. The lights aren't a huge heat source although led does still produce it and then add the lid, and rm temp.... is the tank near vents, stove, window? The only thing I can suggest is removing the lid and replacing it with eggcrate or the diy netting lids. You will see a significant difference in temp and you want temp to stay stable. If its at 83 now with no heater on, that means the lid and ambient rm temp is an issue which will cause swings in temp, summer with no ac will only increase the issue. Even a good heater won't alter the temp. With the lid on you can't run a fan to cool it unless you diy a fan in the hood. Eggcrate can keep a cat out. the cat would have to sit on it to get in. I have 4 cats, it takes 1 time for them to learn the tank is full of salty water. Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 Ph changes throughout the day. In the am its lower and gets higher as time goes. Since you have corals now, i would test those 3 weekly. The lights aren't a huge heat source although led does still produce it and then add the lid, and rm temp.... is the tank near vents, stove, window? The only thing I can suggest is removing the lid and replacing it with eggcrate or the diy netting lids. You will see a significant difference in temp and you want temp to stay stable. If its at 83 now with no heater on, that means the lid and ambient rm temp is an issue which will cause swings in temp, summer with no ac will only increase the issue. Even a good heater won't alter the temp. With the lid on you can't run a fan to cool it unless you diy a fan in the hood. Eggcrate can keep a cat out. the cat would have to sit on it to get in. I have 4 cats, it takes 1 time for them to learn the tank is full of salty water. I will pick up a reef test kit on the weekend. Tank is on the kitchen counter so relatively close to the oven and the fan above the stove. Haven't noticed a increase in temp when using the oven though. I think it's mostly room temp. I did try leaving the tank lid open, seems to help so far. Tank hasn't gone above 80F and seems to be around 76F in the morning. I wish my cat was as smart as yours. I'm still battling with the little jerk to keep him away. Saltwater doesn't seem to really bother it and he really likes the goby when it moves. Anyone know what the coral beside the kenya tree is? Would it be a chalice? It has become whiter since I got it so I tried moving it down lower in the tank. Hopefully that helps. How do I get the yellow goby to eat? I have tried mysis, blood worms, flakes, pellets. It hasn't eaten a thing that I have seen and it's starting to get a sunken stomach. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Try to get eggcrate, you can get it at the hardware store in the lighting section, its the plastic light defuser. Cut it to size to keep on the tank, the cat won't be able to get in the tank with it. As for the goby, it may be really small and the food fed may be too big for its mouth. Try crushing your pellet food. You can also try nori strips(seaweed), wrap it around a reef safe object, put an elastic around it and drop it near the goby home. Don't leave it in there though for too long(24hrs) With my yellow watchman I used to dice up the mysis and use a pipette to feed in his area-they aren't very brave about swimming after food Fyi: get a new squirt bottle and fill it with water. When the cat goes near the tank, squirt him. Try to surprise squirt him. Best cat trainer ever Link to comment
Lnk89 Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 Try to get eggcrate, you can get it at the hardware store in the lighting section, its the plastic light defuser. Cut it to size to keep on the tank, the cat won't be able to get in the tank with it. As for the goby, it may be really small and the food fed may be too big for its mouth. Try crushing your pellet food. You can also try nori strips(seaweed), wrap it around a reef safe object, put an elastic around it and drop it near the goby home. Don't leave it in there though for too long(24hrs) With my yellow watchman I used to dice up the mysis and use a pipette to feed in his area-they aren't very brave about swimming after food Fyi: get a new squirt bottle and fill it with water. When the cat goes near the tank, squirt him. Try to surprise squirt him. Best cat trainer ever I have been having some good luck so far with leaving the tank lid open during the day. Temp has been pretty stable and evaporation hasn't been too bad. I will buy some eggcrate if I can't keep the temp down in the summer. Tried crushing the pellets the second day of having it... no luck. Tried the seaweed around the usual hangout spot and it didn't go back there. I have been trying the frozen mysis shrimp, I haven't seen him eat any of it, but he does swim around more when it's flowing around the tank. I overfed last week and now I am fighting green hair algae. It has come up all over everything. Besides tons of water changes and less food any way to keep it under control? I did a 50% water change on sunday and tried to suck as much as possible out of the tank, but it hasn't had any effect. I have 2 squirt bottles for the cat, only works if I am there to spray him. Hasn't stopped him from doing anything we don't want him too. He's a stubborn little guy. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I had the same issue with my blenny. He would hide when i went near the tank to feed and by the time he came out nothing was left, when he was out he spit everything of any size out. Watchman also feed off the sand, they will grab goodies in there. How long have you had it? As for the gha-what are your nitrates and phos at? You can scrub it of and syphon it out to control it. Do you have a good clean up crew? Link to comment
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