Master Test Kit?/newbie here

[Shane Jenkins]

I'm a newbie to the reef scene.I've had my 10gal set up for bout 4 months now and its just not thriving. Can anyone out there tell me about a master test kit or any test kits for that matter. I dont have the money to go buy a lot of individual kits(unless I must?)

My problem is everything is alive just not thriving. yes I do a WC every 2 weeks. I'm sure I just need more light and more corals but I'm having to s l o w l y build up my stock. I'm sure this is a silly thread but I need all the help I can get.

 

1 10w Coralife PC 50/50

Whisper 10

15lbs. LR (not seeded)

10lbs. LS (not seeded)

heater

grounding probe

1 Bi-color Psuedochromis

1 Mex. red-legged Hermit

2 Astrea

1 Toadstool

1 zoo frag (2 polyps when i bought , but has since spawned 1 more polyp so I'm sure things are somewhat ok)

 

Again sorry about the vaugeness of my thread just not completely sure what to ask. ( Damn Newbies LOL)

Thank you for everyones patience and time. Shane "Arch" Jenkins

[Shane Jenkins]

oh yeah the only coralline algae i have is on the coral frags and 1 lil piece of rock my friend gave me. if that helps any?

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Quash]

yeah get the test kit, get trate trite amm, pH those are basics, also get KH, Ca, Mg, and im sure im missin others. other than that im not sure what you askin. Is that a 10watt coralife PC on a ten gallon, there is your prob. Not enuff light there son

[Shane Jenkins]

I'm sure the 10w isnt enough but I cant seem to find any more wattage with the normal bulb base. I'm just tryin to keep from having to drop the money on a ballast and pin setup. Any suggestions?:|

[Quash]

Maybe if your lfs had metal halides MH (expensive) or online you should be able to find the same corallife aqualight with 96w for 120 or so, the 65w runs 80 bux, or cheepo like me 28w fer 40. I need to find either new bulbs or get the 96w setup. www.marinedepot.com is prolly where ill get my 96w setup come xmas time

[Ike]

First of all, what do you really mean by "not thriving"? Perhaps your expectations are just too high right now. Nothing is going to happen fast and four months isn't a very mature tank. So lets's think about what your goals are & then we can figure out what you can do to achieve them.

 

What do you mean when you say that your live rock isn't seeded? Did you buy dead base rock? Actual live rock doesn't need to be seeded. It already has all the bacteria necessary for the nitrogen cycle in it, since it comes out of the ocean and was once part of an actual functioning reef. If that's the case then you should think about removing the dead rock & replacing it, or a portion of it with actual live rock. You could go 50/50 live to dead & just wait. Eventually the live rock WILL seed the dead rock. Your sand is OK, but if you can see if you can get a cup or two of live sand from a friend of LFS.

 

You will absolutely need more light. 10 watts of NO (normal output) isn't going to be enough for that toadstool. Look around here in the classifieds & on http://www.reefcentral.com for a deal on used lighting. Don't worry about metal halide right now. You don't need it. I'm going to assume that since you are just starting out you're going to want to keep softies, polyps, perhaps an LPS, etc. Look into getting power compacts. A system that uses 32 watt PC bulbs or 55 watt PC bulbs (if they fit) would be ideal. Look for a system that uses 2 bulbs, ie a 2x32 watt system. If you can get the bulbs to run on different ballasts that woould be even better. That way you could run a 10,000k bulb and an actinic bulb on different timers & simulate dawn, midday and dusk. 2x32 would let you keep pretty much whatever you're going to want at this point. Check out http://www.ahsupply.com.

 

Test kits. Well all I can reccomend are Salifert kits, because that's all I have experience with. They aren't cheap, but they are good accurate tests. Look into getting a test for calcium and alkalinity. The only other tests that you would want right now are ammonia, nitrite & nitrate. But since your tank is already cycled and if there is a problem with water chemistry you're going to try to solve it by doig a water change I'm not sure if it's worth your money now. Better to just be observant and watch the tank & it's inhabitants. If you see a problem do a water change.

 

Look into getting a small powerhead to help with circulation.

 

What are your readings for temp & salinity?

 

Sounds like you're on the right track. Just be patient with it. It's not going to be a kick-ass tank overnight. It's going to take time. Also, you're going to hate to hear it, but it's going to take money too. This is NOT a cheap hobby. Don't cut corners, because in the long run you are going to end up replacing the cheap thing with the more expensive thing that you could have just bought in the first place.

 

Ike

[Shane Jenkins]

Ike Ike Ike... Thank you so much. This is the reply I was looking for. My light isnt a NO its a 10w Coralife PC 50/50. I'm trying to find out if i should get another 50/50 or a full white??k. My temp. stays around 75-77deg. and yes I have a salinity meter, it stays right around 1.023-1.024. So I know I need ballasted lights but Im actually saving my light money for my 30gal tank which I hope to setup this Christmas, so Im trying to go low key for the next cppl months so I can set the 30g up right from the get go. So are these Slaifret kits all inclusive or are they all seperate(i.e. 1 for nitrite, 1 for nitrate, 1 for Calcium, etc., etc.) Thanks for the tip to get a cup or two of LS from a LFS or friend, as I know I dont have anything in mine(no bristles or copes, etc.)

Again Ike thank you sooo much for the post, your time, and knowledge. Happy Reefing. Shane "Arch" Jenkins:P

[Ike]

No problem Shane.

 

That light is still not enought even if it's PC, NO, VHO, MH, etc. 10 watts is still only 10 watts. Adding another 10 watts is still not going to be enough light. Since you plan on setting up a 3o gallon tank in December I'd save my money & put it into lighting for the 30. But keep in mind that with a 30 gallon tank you are going to need even MORE light which equals even more money. But you will also have more room, more water volume and the option of keeping more stuff in the tank, if you do things properly. You should spend the next month researching, asking questions and planning. Figure out ahead of time what you want to achieve with the 30. Make a list of what you'll need & how much it will cost. That will give you an indication of what you're getting yourself into. Look into proper lighting, quality live rock, buying a reef-ready tank or having an overflow drilled/installed, gettng a sump/refugium, powerheads & a way to control them if you want random water flow, a skimmer, a way to top off evaporated water with fresh water, an RO/DI unit, a seperate heater & powerhead for mixing new salt-water for water changes, room to store everything, etc. The list goes on & on. Don't cut corners to try & save money, unless you're handy & can build your own equipment, which isn't cutting corners anyway if you can build quality well-fuctioning stuff. If you think you can save money by not getting something, like a top-off device or extra heater/powerhead for making change water or RO/DI unit you'll create more problems in the long run. ie. topping off by hand every day gets to be a drag very quicly, so soon you'll start skipping a day and things will quickly go down hill. Same goes for water changes. Without a powerhead you'll find it's much more difficult to properly mix change water, which will lead to less frequent water changes and the downward spiral again.

 

You can see where I'm going with this. It is expensive to do things right and if you don't it can become a real pain in the ass very fast. On the other hand, the rewards are very cool.

 

Finally, the Salifert kits are all seperate tests.

 

Ike

[Quash]

Ike props for your time. Very informational