Hello Everyone! My first SW tank 10gal

[10gallonReefer]

This is my first SW tank ever and I’m really excited about the challenges with starting off with 10g.

 

Aqueon 10g Rimless

 

Nicrew Magi380 submersible filter 90gph

Nicrew 50w Nano Heater

Nicrew 30w Classic Led

Sun Sun 538gph power head

 

Lights on 12hour cycle manual ramp up and down for dusk/dawn

 

Adding CuC tomorrow with my first coral (unnamed favia)

 

Only fish is a 3 stripe Damsel and will remain the only inhabitant. I really love these guys as a species and it fits my theme of color being in the corals fish with B&W

 

only been up for 4 weeks and cycle is finished and just did first 30% water change 

 

0ppm Amonia

0ppm Nitrite

5ppm Nitrate

after water change

 

 

 

[Jakesaw]

Welcome to the hobby!

 

You may find you've chosen a difficult path with Bare bottom and dry rock.  Longer ugly stages to come.

 

 

[10gallonReefer]

5 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

Welcome to the hobby!

 

You may find you've chosen a difficult path with Bare bottom and dry rock.  Longer ugly stages to come.

 

 

Yes I’m aware I’ve been researching for months now. I want to encrust the back and bottom in coral long term. Thank you for the tip however I have to do things the hard way just in my nature 🤷🏻‍♂️ Lol

[Jakesaw]

18 minutes ago, 10gallonReefer said:

Thank you for the tip however I have to do things the hard way just in my nature 🤷🏻‍♂️ Lol

Me too.  

 

I was advised to not go Dead Rock for first ( and current ) 10 gal tank, but did it anyway.  Got sand though.  If I choose to try a bare bottom later on, I'll bring some of my well seasoned rock over to it. 

 

Good luck on your venture

 

 

[10gallonReefer]

22 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

Me too.  

 

I was advised to not go Dead Rock for first ( and current ) 10 gal tank, but did it anyway.  Got sand though.  If I choose to try a bare bottom later on, I'll bring some of my well seasoned rock over to it. 

 

Good luck on your venture

 

 

Yeah I started with all 11lbs of dry rock, and sand, brightwell 15x bacteria starter for fish in cycle in 5-7 days. ( sorry I didn’t know this was a midevil method till to late ) Took 2 weeks to cycle roughly then I took sand out… had a couple days of ammonia and nitrite afterwards then clean afterwards. Then the diatom bloom so doing everything it’s supposed to do thus far

[Murphs_Reef]

Not sure it's so hard. Just takes a long time to become mature.. but once your there, it's arguably more stable. 

 

For me though it don't look great and it limits the types of animals you can have. Anything like burrowing wrasse, sand sifting stars etc are off the cards for example..  deal breaker . 

 

But does look ace when you have encrusting coral over the tank floor 👍🏼

 

[10gallonReefer]

5 hours ago, Murphych said:

 

 

For me though it don't look great and it limits the types of animals you can have. Anything like burrowing wrasse, sand sifting stars etc are off the cards for example..  deal breaker . 

 

 

 

And I don’t mind the stocking options being limited… I really just want 3stripe damsels

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, 10gallonReefer said:

And I don’t mind the stocking options being limited… I really just want 3stripe damsels

That's a pretty tiny tank for that fish, BTW.   It's one of the larger damselfish in the hobby, growing to 3+" long, so something like 30 gallons would be a lot more ideal.

 

7 hours ago, 10gallonReefer said:

sorry I didn’t know this was a midevil method till to late

Like anything else, the method you chose can be done "right" or it can be done "wrong".   It's not automatically bad.  (Although some folks' reactions to reading about it are. 😉). You added bacteria (Brightwell) that should have made things OK the way you did it.

 

And the popular alternative, using straight ammonia, is problematic for many folks who try it...and IMO it's an inferior method of starting as far as the tank biology is concerned.

 

I'm curious how high you saw your ammonia go?  

 

(Nitrites aren't toxic in saltwater, BTW.)

 

 

[10gallonReefer]

12 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

That's a pretty tiny tank for that fish, BTW.   It's one of the larger damselfish in the hobby, growing to 3+" long, so something like 30 gallons would be a lot more ideal.

 

Like anything else, the method you chose can be done "right" or it can be done "wrong".   It's not automatically bad.  (Although some folks' reactions to reading about it are. 😉). You added bacteria (Brightwell) that should have made things OK the way you did it.

 

And the popular alternative, using straight ammonia, is problematic for many folks who try it...and IMO it's an inferior method of starting as far as the tank biology is concerned.

 

I'm curious how high you saw your ammonia go?  

 

(Nitrites aren't toxic in saltwater, BTW.)

 

 

It’s on the list here of appropriate fish for 10gal and a few people I’ve met keep a pair in the fluvo 13.5…that said I plan to start a 65g around March to house the fish I really want( Black Nox Angelfish & Convict Tang) my local LFS will trade out for smaller fish if they outgrow my tanks.

 

the highest I saw was actually 1ppm but I waited 6 days to begin testing cause my test kits were delivered late. 

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, 10gallonReefer said:

It’s on the list here of appropriate fish for 10gal and a few people I’ve met keep a pair in the fluvo 13.5

I guess I'd have to disagree with that list...these guys can eventually get up to almost 4".  (Haven't seen the list myself....can you link me to which one were you looking at?)  

 

BTW, this list says 30 gallons:  

 

 

For what it's worth, LiveAquaria.com and Scott Michaels' "Marine Fishes" also agree with me.  

 

Further, in John Tullock's "Natural Reef Aquariums" he also cautions that every individual will need its own cave or coral head or they will fight over territory.  

 

Regardless of what someone else did, I would definitely not try more than one in that size tank.  👍

 

FYI, there are many better/smaller Damselfish to consider for that size tank, but not in the black+white color scheme.

 

Wow...It's hard to imagine a pair in that small of a tank long term...13 gallons (minus the filter compartment!!) is friggin tiny.  After all this isn't stunt work to see how many we can "cram in there"....the idea is to have healthy happy fish with room to live.  

 

Good on your LFS for letting you swap fish when they get too big....not many will do that (for good reasons usually...fish kept in tanks that are too small aren't likely to come back to them in healthy shape...which is a risk to their other fish).

 

This is a plan as long as you have no intentions of keeping these fish long term.  (But that's shorting your whole experience....why not do it "right" with different fish or a different tank so it can be long term?)

 

1 hour ago, 10gallonReefer said:

I plan to start a 65g around March to house the fish I really want( Black Nox Angelfish & Convict Tang)

The angelfish might be alright alone (or close) in that size tank.....their personality needs more room than their size would suggest.  (They can also bother corals and clams, depending on the personality yours has.)

 

The tang will be unhappy IMO.....65 is still smaller than the smallest recommendation I can find for them.  LiveAquaria.com says 125 gallons...which is my recommendation as well.  Scott Michaels' "Marine Fishes" says 75 gallons.  IMO go bigger....at least 75 if you do this.   (And you may as well go 90 if you're doing 75.....same footprint.)

 

Most Tangs should only be considered for a six foot tank.  The Convict isn't a giant, but consider the range of recommendations....and IMO don't go lower. 😉 

 

A whole 125 Gallon setup (tank, stand and lights) at PetSmart goes for <$600 these days....heck of a value IMO if you really want to do larger fish, or more fish.

 

1 hour ago, 10gallonReefer said:

the highest I saw was actually 1ppm but I waited 6 days to begin testing cause my test kits were delivered late. 

Nice!   And no apparent stress on your fish or I assume you would have mentioned it.

 

Proof it doesn't have to "go wrong" every time.  👍

 

(Anyone doing this for a while already knew that.)

 

[10gallonReefer]

7 hours ago, mcarroll said:

I guess I'd have to disagree with that list...these guys can eventually get up to almost 4".  (Haven't seen the list myself....can you link me to which one were you looking at?)  

 

BTW, this list says 30 gallons:  

 

 

For what it's worth, LiveAquaria.com and Scott Michaels' "Marine Fishes" also agree with me.  

 

Further, in John Tullock's "Natural Reef Aquariums" he also cautions that every individual will need its own cave or coral head or they will fight over territory.  

 

Regardless of what someone else did, I would definitely not try more than one in that size tank.  👍

 

FYI, there are many better/smaller Damselfish to consider for that size tank, but not in the black+white color scheme.

 

Wow...It's hard to imagine a pair in that small of a tank long term...13 gallons (minus the filter compartment!!) is friggin tiny.  After all this isn't stunt work to see how many we can "cram in there"....the idea is to have healthy happy fish with room to live.  

 

Good on your LFS for letting you swap fish when they get too big....not many will do that (for good reasons usually...fish kept in tanks that are too small aren't likely to come back to them in healthy shape...which is a risk to their other fish).

 

This is a plan as long as you have no intentions of keeping these fish long term.  (But that's shorting your whole experience....why not do it "right" with different fish or a different tank so it can be long term?)

 

The angelfish might be alright alone (or close) in that size tank.....their personality needs more room than their size would suggest.  (They can also bother corals and clams, depending on the personality yours has.)

 

The tang will be unhappy IMO.....65 is still smaller than the smallest recommendation I can find for them.  LiveAquaria.com says 125 gallons...which is my recommendation as well.  Scott Michaels' "Marine Fishes" says 75 gallons.  IMO go bigger....at least 75 if you do this.   (And you may as well go 90 if you're doing 75.....same footprint.)

 

Most Tangs should only be considered for a six foot tank.  The Convict isn't a giant, but consider the range of recommendations....and IMO don't go lower. 😉 

 

A whole 125 Gallon setup (tank, stand and lights) at PetSmart goes for <$600 these days....heck of a value IMO if you really want to do larger fish, or more fish.

 

Nice!   And no apparent stress on your fish or I assume you would have mentioned it.

 

Proof it doesn't have to "go wrong" every time.  👍

 

(Anyone doing this for a while already knew that.)

 

It’s a sticky on beginner forum

[Blenard the Blenny]

Welcome to the hobby!

Prepare for a roller coaster of emotions for the next little while lol

But well worth it.

[10gallonReefer]

8 hours ago, mcarroll said:

I guess I'd have to disagree with that list...these guys can eventually get up to almost 4".  (Haven't seen the list myself....can you link me to which one were you looking at?)  

 

BTW, this list says 30 gallons:  

 

 

For what it's worth, LiveAquaria.com and Scott Michaels' "Marine Fishes" also agree with me.  

 

Further, in John Tullock's "Natural Reef Aquariums" he also cautions that every individual will need its own cave or coral head or they will fight over territory.  

 

Regardless of what someone else did, I would definitely not try more than one in that size tank.  👍

 

FYI, there are many better/smaller Damselfish to consider for that size tank, but not in the black+white color scheme.

 

Wow...It's hard to imagine a pair in that small of a tank long term...13 gallons (minus the filter compartment!!) is friggin tiny.  After all this isn't stunt work to see how many we can "cram in there"....the idea is to have healthy happy fish with room to live.  

 

Good on your LFS for letting you swap fish when they get too big....not many will do that (for good reasons usually...fish kept in tanks that are too small aren't likely to come back to them in healthy shape...which is a risk to their other fish).

 

This is a plan as long as you have no intentions of keeping these fish long term.  (But that's shorting your whole experience....why not do it "right" with different fish or a different tank so it can be long term?)

 

The angelfish might be alright alone (or close) in that size tank.....their personality needs more room than their size would suggest.  (They can also bother corals and clams, depending on the personality yours has.)

 

The tang will be unhappy IMO.....65 is still smaller than the smallest recommendation I can find for them.  LiveAquaria.com says 125 gallons...which is my recommendation as well.  Scott Michaels' "Marine Fishes" says 75 gallons.  IMO go bigger....at least 75 if you do this.   (And you may as well go 90 if you're doing 75.....same footprint.)

 

Most Tangs should only be considered for a six foot tank.  The Convict isn't a giant, but consider the range of recommendations....and IMO don't go lower. 😉 

 

A whole 125 Gallon setup (tank, stand and lights) at PetSmart goes for <$600 these days....heck of a value IMO if you really want to do larger fish, or more fish.

 

Nice!   And no apparent stress on your fish or I assume you would have mentioned it.

 

Proof it doesn't have to "go wrong" every time.  👍

 

(Anyone doing this for a while already knew that.)

 

Also is the only fish I intend on keeping in this tank… I’m not much on the fish side of the hobby. I have a few I really like but it’s the corals that drive me in the hobby. 
 

Mostly Acan Favia zoa birdsnest lepto is my plan

[mcarroll]

15 minutes ago, 10gallonReefer said:

Also is the only fish I intend on keeping in this tank… I’m not much on the fish side of the hobby. I have a few I really like but it’s the corals that drive me in the hobby. 
 

Mostly Acan Favia zoa birdsnest lepto is my plan

Me too!   I like your coral plan!!

 

I actually went about ten years with ONLY corals actually.  If you can, try doing all your corals BEFORE you add the fish....the fish will appreciate it!  So will the corals, since you'll be able to focus on them for at least a little while.  👍

 

I didn't really add fish until I upgraded to the 125 I have now.....one Yellow Tang and one Back Damselfish.  (Not actually black until adulthood tho....eventually 6-7" long.)

[Jakesaw]

10 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

I didn't really add fish until I upgraded to the 125 I have now.....one Yellow Tang and one Back Damselfish.  (Not actually black until adulthood tho....eventually 6-7" long.)

.  You mean Talbot's Damsel 

[mcarroll]

5 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

.  You mean Talbot's Damsel 

It's a Black Damselfish that I rescued which was sold as a Talbot's to someone who needed a small fish.   (The Black Damsel gets up to 7"! 😳)

 

Unfortunately, they actually look fairly similar to each other as juveniles.

[Jakesaw]

1 minute ago, mcarroll said:

Unfortunately, they actually look fairly similar to each other as juveniles.

Aquarium wizzardry 

 

Put a spell on your fish.... 

[mcarroll]

1 minute ago, Jakesaw said:

Aquarium wizzardry 

 

Put a spell on your fish.... 

Are you redecorating other peoples threads for some reason?  That was a couple of strange/off-topic posts you left on my Journal as well.  🤨

[Jakesaw]

Nope, didn't mean to offend, I'll refrain in future.  Want me to delete. 

 

 

[mcarroll]

Up to you....it was just curious because none of the posts were on topic...even after getting a re-direct in both threads.

 

I've personally never posted in one of your threads like that, nor have I seen anyone else do that in your threads.

 

FYI, there is a whole sub-forum on Nano-Reef for goofing off if that's what you feel like...nothing wrong with that.

 

I avoid going there tho, time is too limited....I'm here for the reef discussion.  

[Jakesaw]

1 minute ago, mcarroll said:

Up to you....it was just curious because none of the posts were on topic...even after getting a re-direct in both threads.

---

I avoid going there tho, time is too limited....I'm here for the reef discussion.  

Didn't see any re-direct.

 

I see your point though.  I'll refrain from straying off topic in others topics.  My apologies to Original Post.  Back to your tank.  I don't see a way to delete post

[mcarroll]

No biggie.  👍

[filefishfinatic]

get sand. put slate peices on top then encrust those 

[10gallonReefer]

44 minutes ago, filefishfinatic said:

get sand. put slate peices on top then encrust those 

I don’t want sand. My flow causes sandstorms and I just didn’t like the look. Thanks for the suggestion tho

[TheKleinReef]

Just now, 10gallonReefer said:

I don’t want sand. My flow causes sandstorms and I just didn’t like the look. Thanks for the suggestion tho

yeah he does that.

I think the scape and no-sand look, looks fine. just be weary of fish choices.

I started my tank totally dry too and on paper the tank cycled quickly but it was very unstable for a while. It wasn't until the year mark where it seemed to have settled in. I will admit, not having any pests is soooooo nice.