Nano is set up! What next?

[Markpatrick33]

Hello! I am new to the forum and new to nanos! I had been gifted a 10 gallon tank and really wanted a salt water tank so the last few days I’ve really thrown myself into rabbit holes of research (especially with quarantine). SO tank is full with salt water live sand and live rock, I’m letting it cycle for about a week (I have a bacteria aid to help speed it up) but then where should I start?! I think I want to start with corals to make sure I can have them thrive before I move to a fish. But what corals should I start with? Or should I start with fish? I want this nano reef to become the dopest tank my fish could have dreamed of. Let me know some tips and tricks to make this tank thrive! 

[Thrassian Atoll]

Test kits.  You need test kits.   Stability is the most important thing for a reef tank.  Make sure your cycle is done.  I would start with a fish first.  Without fish, your tank will be too clean for corals because you won’t have any nutrients in my opinion.  Test some more and then test some more.  
 

Share a list of your equipment.

[Markpatrick33]

I am currently rocking a 10g tank with live sand and life rock (what is the difference between life rock and live rock? The life rock I got is maroon in color and was dry at purchase) whisper IQ filter, tetra HI10 water heater, a coralife led clip on lite (which I plan to update) 

[Picogoby]

1 hour ago, Markpatrick33 said:

Hello! I am new to the forum and new to nanos! I had been gifted a 10 gallon tank and really wanted a salt water tank so the last few days I’ve really thrown myself into rabbit holes of research (especially with quarantine). SO tank is full with salt water live sand and live rock, I’m letting it cycle for about a week (I have a bacteria aid to help speed it up) but then where should I start?! I think I want to start with corals to make sure I can have them thrive before I move to a fish. But what corals should I start with? Or should I start with fish? I want this nano reef to become the dopest tank my fish could have dreamed of. Let me know some tips and tricks to make this tank thrive! 

You can only check for a completed cycle with a test kit, so you really need one to test a minimum of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Same as @Thrassian Atoll‘s advice.

life rock and the sand you appear to have are not really 100% live. The sand is probably better seeded, but the life rock just has bacteria spores on it and the strain is going to take a few weeks to establish! So with this in mind you need to add some form of ammonia to start the cycle going, if you have not done this already then the bacteria have nothing to feed off and will be dying off now rather that multiplying.

what is making the bubbles rise up behind the right hand rock? Air bubbles in a reef tank are really not desirable.

my advice would be to forget coral for now and look at small fish (probably only one) suitable for your size tank, but most of all........ test and get you cycle complete!

[Clown79]

Cycling is not something that you can control the amount of time it takes.

It can take anywhere from 1- 6 weeks average depending on method of cycle and rock.

 

The difference between live and dry rock. Liverock is wet and from an established system or ocean that requires no cycling. 

 

Dry rock has no life on it, it can provide no biological filtration until an ammonia source is provided and bacteria form which starts the nitrogen cycle.

 

Most commonly with dry rock a fishless cycle is done using ammonia dosing with a bacteria supplement like biospira.

 

Testing is an absolute must during cycling. It's the only way to know it has started and finished.

 

5 hours ago, Picogoby said:

You can only check for a completed cycle with a test kit, so you really need one to test a minimum of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Same as @Thrassian Atoll‘s advice.

life rock and the sand you appear to have are not really 100% live. The sand is probably better seeded, but the life rock just has bacteria spores on it and the strain is going to take a few weeks to establish! So with this in mind you need to add some form of ammonia to start the cycle going, if you have not done this already then the bacteria have nothing to feed off and will be dying off now rather that multiplying.

what is making the bubbles rise up behind the right hand rock? Air bubbles in a reef tank are really not desirable.

my advice would be to forget coral for now and look at small fish (probably only one) suitable for your size tank, but most of all........ test and get you cycle complete!

The bubbles look like they are from the hob filter from the water level being low 

[sadie]

welcome!!  I like your rock work, looks great!  There is a lot of waiting in this game.  But there are fun things to do while you wait.  I like to research the fish and coral I"m thinking of adding.  With a 10 gal, your fish will be limited, but there are a good variety.  Make sure you do your research BEFORE buying anything.  The coral you choose will depend kinda on what you like, and what your lighting system can grow.  Do you know what kind of lights you have?  Some look great, but don't actually have the power to grow anything.  I made that mistake once.

[Markpatrick33]

3 hours ago, Clown79 said:

The bubbles look like they are from the hob filter from the water level being low 

How full should the tank be?? Like all glass covered? I got nervous with it being that full and the filter 

[Markpatrick33]

21 minutes ago, sadie said:

welcome!!  I like your rock work, looks great!  There is a lot of waiting in this game.  But there are fun things to do while you wait.  I like to research the fish and coral I"m thinking of adding.  With a 10 gal, your fish will be limited, but there are a good variety.  Make sure you do your research BEFORE buying anything.  The coral you choose will depend kinda on what you like, and what your lighting system can grow.  Do you know what kind of lights you have?  Some look great, but don't actually have the power to grow anything.  I made that mistake once.

Thank you! I currently have a coralife led clip on. I was told it could handle basically soft corals or anything that doesn’t need much light. I definitely will be upgrading haha. But the price tag at the initial set up was getting steep 

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, Markpatrick33 said:

How full should the tank be?? Like all glass covered? I got nervous with it being that full and the filter 

Should be filled to the black trim