10 gallon nano reef startup

[spyntrax]

Hello, I am starting a 10 gallon nano reef but I am having a problem !! I have a whisper HOB for a 10 gallon and when on it stirs the sand all over and I cant get it to stop. I would be greatful for anyones input on this subject, i also would like to know what to use in starting the tank, thought about some live rock and I also heard to throw just a piece of raw shrimp to help cycle the tank faster. I also have a 30 - 70 gph power head which is turned off right now. I am a newbie to the saltwater world so any information would be a big help. Thank you for your time and patience!! Spyntrax

[changhsu]

The sand can take a few days to settle. Don't worry, keep the machines going, cause if you turn them off, wait for sand to settle and turn it back on, some sand will get kicked up again.

 

Get some LR and let it cycle. I think you don't need the shrimp if you have enough LR. 1 to 2 lbs per gal. The purpose of the dead shrimp is to let it decay and boost the bacteria count in your tank. The decaying shrimp will give you a little nutrient spike to boost your bacteria, but it will kinda collapse back after the nutrient runs out. So I prefer to let the LR cycle and reach equilibrium by itself. The LR will usually have some dead material on it that will feed the bacteria. And these will already give you some spikes without the shrimp.

 

Test your ANN levels. Once its stable and finished cycling (it could take weeks). You can slowly start to add livestock one at a time. Adding livestock is just like adding a dead shrimp. You're importing nutrient into your ecosystem and the bacteria colony needs to grow to handle the increased bioload. I believe its always better to let nature take its course and only disturb the equilibrium a little at a time.

 

For new FW tanks, you could use a shrimp. But for SW, the LR already has tons of bacteria that's trying to adjust to the new tank's bioload. So increase its load slowly and gently.

 

The sand will mature and help with the bioload also, but a DSB can take months to mature.