Complete Newbie!

[NanoNewbie77]

Here's a real quick update, just to see where i stand:

 

My plan:

 

Fish: 2 clownfish and a firefish or regular gramma.

Coral: Only soft coral, mostly zoo frags and a few more expensive SPS ones down the road.

 

I got rid of my shrimp. I now have only 6 or so red-legged hermit crabs in the tank. A 130W PC lighting (with moonlight and stand free! hehe) is going to arrive soon, like tomorow. I bought it online from the website The Keeper mentioned. It was only $70! (Shipping and tax made it $90 though) There's a guarentee incase the cheepness of the light shows, but I'll trust The Keeper when he said it will work fine. I'm not worring about buying a skimmer right now... so besides fish (which my dad said he will tottaly cover) I'm good cost wise. Had fun painting the back of my tank black . Looks pretty neat now.

 

Question #1: Should I dig out most of the crushed coral subtrate and buy live argonite sand? I love how the sand looks and I now know how bad crushed coral is, so would that send the tank up for another spike and send it into another cycle??

 

That leads me to question #2: Is my tank almost cycled? The ammonia never went over 0.50... but my nitrate won't move! These are the test results from like 10 minutes ago:

 

S.G.: 0.30

P.H.: 8.1

Ammonia: 0.50

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 30-40

Temprature: 78

 

I'm using some stuff to get the PH to 8.3, but it keeps lowering between "doses" so im guessing im only like half way through the cycle??

[halfpint]

That leads me to question #2: Is my tank almost cycled? The ammonia never went over 0.50... but my nitrate won't move! These are the test results from like 10 minutes ago:

 

S.G.: 0.30

P.H.: 8.1

Ammonia: 0.50

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 30-40

Temprature: 78

 

I'm using some stuff to get the PH to 8.3, but it keeps lowering between "doses" so im guessing im only like half way through the cycle??

 

 

This is how the cycle goes: Ammonia (we already know how it's formed) breaks down into Nitrite NO3. NO3 breaks down into Nitrate or NO2. Since you have Ammonia in the water, you still have more cycling. You should see a slight increase in Nitrite as the ammonia decreases. Then the nitrate will increase as the Nitrite decreases. It's really simple and it will make so much more sense after you take chem class.

 

 

As for the lighting you bought. What bulbs (if any) does it come with. If it has four bulbs in the fixture, you're going to want two actinic bulbs and two daylight bulbs (installed alternating. ie: Actinic daylight actinic daylight.)

 

 

With the tank, you can still remove the substrate you have in there and will lose little time since you're still cycling. You can get a couple buckets and syphon some water from your tank into the buckets. Then place the LR in one (be sure it's under water) and the shrimp in the other. Then syphon the rest of the water into a bucket. Scoop out the crushed coral, then add the Argonite. Add LR, add the tank water back slowly (to minimise stirring up the water) and keep the shrimp in the other bucket. Finish topping off the tank with freshly mixed salt water. check SG after 20 minutes or so and adjust accordingly. Then re-acclimate the shrimp. Better yet, bag the shrimp and take him to the LFS. The cycle will re-start some, but not bad. My experience is that live argonite doesn't take long to cycle.

 

 

If you decide to get rid of the shrimp now, do that before you start, to minimize stress.

 

 

 

Alright. so let's get your game plan straight here. You said that you want to do mostly soft coral and some SPS. SPS is very difficult and requires pristine, stable water. LPS on the other hand will thrive in the same water that soft coral thrives in. With the lighting you ordered, you will be able to keep soft and LPS easily. (most LPS, that is.) For coral, start out with Zoas, mushrooms, and xenia. Keep in mind that xenia multiplies quickly. The same with Green star polyps. They will multiply fast. The best thing to do is to have an "island" for them to fight over. That will keep you from having an entire tank of GSP (short for green star polyps) in a year.

 

 

Hope That Helps

[NanoNewbie77]

Yep, I knew how the cycle worked when I cycled my freshwater tank, but the nitrates never stayed in the 30-60s (later found out it was probebly my crushed coral). I did a water change and the S.G. is around 0.28 and my PH is 8.3

 

As for the lighting you bought. What bulbs (if any) does it come with. If it has four bulbs in the fixture, you're going to want two actinic bulbs and two daylight bulbs (installed alternating. ie: Actinic daylight actinic daylight.)

It came with 2 daylight bulbs and 2 actinic bulbs, 1 moonlight bulb and mounting legs! The first 4 are bent back and forth. It also has built in fans and reflectors. Its 130W hehe. This is the exact thing: http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageA...PROD&ProdID=260

 

Thanks sooooo much about telling me how to add the argonite sand in!!! I think I would have done it wrong elsewise hehe. Truth be told, I put the shrimp in a bucket to give it to the fish store and it died in like 15 minutes. The bucket had it's regular aquarium water that it's normaly in, in it. Ironic how it survived a cycle, but not a few minutes in a bucket... lol.

 

I did mix up LPS and SPS . Zoas, mushrooms, and xenias it is!!! And when you mean island.. do you mean a little lonesome LR not touching any other rock? And these don't need special food right? they get it from the light?

 

Oh, and bad news. The stupid skimmer spits out water from the top for some reason and something happened today and the wall and carpet got soaked! Hope im not grounded . Think it's normal? And will it be ok if i leave it off for a while?

 

 

But really, thanks so much, you just made everything ALOT clearer!! I will post pictures of the sand in a few days when it is all done and settled.

[Pet-Lover]

Really good quality LR may cost up to 10$ a pound depending on where you live. LFS's that sell LR for around 3-4$

 

just too butt in but my lfs sells my liverock starting from 5-7 dollars

(5 for fiji), and i think the quality is even better than some live rock sold at other places that sell for 10 dollars, big als.... lol

[idog]

Agreed, I bought my LR online for 4$ a pound, but had to pay shipping. It was better than the stuff from my LFS, but it took over a month to fully cure. If I had bought the 10$ stuff it probably would have taken a week. Depends on what you are looking for.

 

Sorry to hear about the shrimp.

 

You are bang on with the island idea. Some corals really are just glorified weeds and will take over. Some are very aggressive and will crowd out and kill other corals. Usually your favourite delicate ones are the first to get it. A good example is the elegance coral that can sting anything within 6 inches! You don't even know why your other corals are dying until everything in the area is dead and you have one very nice, full elegance spreading everywhere... Just be sure you do your research...

 

though most corals are photosynthetic, they do benefit from supplemental feeding. Things like mysis, or brine shrimp. There is a bit of an art to it. But that is another topic.

[Eole00]

Cheapest way to setup a tank in my opinion is using dried base rock and a few pieces of rubble from the bottom of cured tanks. Dried rock can be found for less than 2$ a lb, and getting 1 or 2 lbs of live rubble comes cheap and usually the rubble at the bottom of the tanks has lots of life. Only downside is that it takes a while to color up and to allow the bacteria to spread.

Its probably the best way for a budget beginner tank as long as you’ve got a few months to spend waiting for the tank to explode with life. Great time to do research.

[halfpint]

This is the exact thing: http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageA...PROD&ProdID=260

 

That light has only two bulbs. Not a bad thing, I was just pointing it out so you're not completely surprised when it arrives.

 

I did mix up LPS and SPS . Zoas, mushrooms, and xenias it is!!! And when you mean island.. do you mean a little lonesome LR not touching any other rock? And these don't need special food right? they get it from the light?

 

Mushrooms, Xenia, and Zoas are easy beginners coral. Another that you can look into getting in a few months is a toadstool leather. I have one and it's doing great. The tank it's in only gets fed a pinch of crushed mysis (Cyclopeze) once a week.

 

 

So, have you decided whether or not to switch the substrate? Now would be a good time to do it. Especially since Jacue died. (My French spelling sucks.)

[DementedLullaby]

I do this with my girlfriend and she lets me buy more

 

**cracks the whip** LoL j/k!

 

I would suggest to go over to the DIY board and build the AquaClear110 refugium =). I love mine.

 

Good luck. Get those nitrates under control!

[NanoNewbie77]

Wow guys thanks so much for all the replies!

 

That light has only two bulbs. Not a bad thing, I was just pointing it out so you're not completely surprised when it arrives.

Well yeah i guess, but theres like 4 ... bars? I just saw it differently I guess.

 

The LR at this awesome fishstore that Im now going to for now and ever is only like $5 for fiji and $6 for Kilini (which is what I got.. and a few bits of baserock or something I think). They ship out stuff, so maybe you could check 'em out? They don't post alot of their fish there, but mostly all of their coral. http://www.gatewayaquatics.com

 

I am switching the subtrate in an hour or so. My dad is going to buy the sand today, but hes at work .. duh... and I have somwhere to go tonight. So do you think the LR will be ok in the bucket thing with all the original aquarium water for a while? Maybe even a day? Not sure if my mom wants to drive me. I hope a lot won't die off... I saw some cute little featherdusters growing everywhere and they are fun to watch hehe.

 

When I get coral I guess I will get some mysis because I have like a whole bottle of dried baby shrimp plus real brine shrimp eggs if I wanted to grow some live ones real quick. But, getting coral and fish won't be for a while, so I will do my reaserch .

 

My dad almost died when he saw the evaporation a year ago from my FW 10 gallon (aww.. good tmies... easy FW..) So we bought a hood to keep the humidity in the house down blah blah blah. Well now that I see the lighting that I bought is not a hood per say... what should I put over the aquarium? Like plexi glass maybe? Or is the evaporation thing just not true at all.

 

Edit: looked up my light on the UPS tracking on their website and It's probebly gonna arrive today YAY!!!!!!

[halfpint]

I am switching the subtrate in an hour or so. My dad is going to buy the sand today, but hes at work .. duh... and I have somwhere to go tonight. So do you think the LR will be ok in the bucket thing with all the original aquarium water for a while? Maybe even a day? Not sure if my mom wants to drive me. I hope a lot won't die off... I saw some cute little featherdusters growing everywhere and they are fun to watch hehe.

 

You might want to put that powerhead in there also. Just make sure that the flow is slow enough that the water won't slosh out. You might want to put syran wrap over it to keep the evap down while you're doing the process.

 

When I get coral I guess I will get some mysis because I have like a whole bottle of dried baby shrimp plus real brine shrimp eggs if I wanted to grow some live ones real quick. But, getting coral and fish won't be for a while, so I will do my reaserch .

 

Get cyclopeze if you can. It's great stuff.

 

My dad almost died when he saw the evaporation a year ago from my FW 10 gallon (aww.. good tmies... easy FW..) So we bought a hood to keep the humidity in the house down blah blah blah. Well now that I see the lighting that I bought is not a hood per say... what should I put over the aquarium? Like plexi glass maybe? Or is the evaporation thing just not true at all.

 

It is probably not anything to worry about with your setup. But just to keep dad happy, you could get a glass top. Open top tanks are more fun to watch because of the ripples.

[e7046v]

hey check out steelhealr 's thread IT WILL be a giganormous help.(if u haven't already)

 

24G Nano Cube DX Startup, Setup, Manual for newbies, in the works

[NanoNewbie77]

I think I will keep the tank without a hood or a cover, I like how it looks right now. Ill plan on getting cyclopeze if i can later lol.

 

Well my hood came tomorow, and I have all of the sand in!!! Yay!

Test Results:

P.H.: 8.3

Ammonia: 0.75

Nitrite: 0.25

Nitrite: 20

 

The nitrate problem had to be because of the CC. I'm so happy I switched to sand!

 

I took the stupid protien skimmer out, it was bubbling up water everywhere. Does every skimmer do that, or is it just the crapiness of it lol.

 

hey check out steelhealr 's thread IT WILL be a giganormous help.(if u haven't already)

I have . It helped ALOT and I usualy go back there for some answers. Thank you, all of you guys for helping me!! I would be enternaly lost in my tank if it wasn't for you! (cheezy i know )

[halfpint]

Looks nice. Glad to hear you replaced the sand. I like your rockwork.

 

 

Now for the long wait. The sand that you got is the stuff in the water filled bag, right? because that's the good stuff that I always use.

[NanoNewbie77]

Looks nice. Glad to hear you replaced the sand. I like your rockwork.

Thanks so much ^-^. Getting 1 or 2 more LR pieces to fill in some gaps ... hopefully soon because i dont want to go into another cycle after another cycle lol.

 

Now for the long wait. The sand that you got is the stuff in the water filled bag, right? because that's the good stuff that I always use.

Yep! Live Reef Argonite Sand or something like that. Came with water in it and it says "less cycle time" or something on it. And from what i heard, thats exactly what happens. $40 for 20lb of it (which is how much i got), but I'm sure it is worth it .

 

I put the protien skimmer back in the tank and I think it is working fine now. Everything is set except for 2 small peices of LR!!! Now for the long wait, as halfpint said

[halfpint]

Glad to hear you put the skimmer back in, too. That'll help reduce the nitrates. The sand you got is the stuff I was thinking of. It should be full of life (which you'll see in a couple of weeks). Don't forget to keep us updated.

[NanoNewbie77]

Ok, I know what I want when it comes to coral... and I did some reaserch, but im mixed up on how much fish my 20L can handle. I know for sure i want a mated pair of clownfish (true ones, if my LFS has them), but I'm not positive on what else. Can you guys help me decide?? I was thinking a banggai cardinal or a fire fish.... anyone know what other fish would be ok? And how many fish can my tank hold? Kinda feel like an idiot for not even knowing what fish I want lol.

[idog]

Just some advice on clowns...

 

Ocellaris or false perculas are nearly indestinguishable from the True ones. You need to count spines on the back and there are some incongruencies in the size and shape of the striping. Unless you had the two species side by side they are really hard to tell apart. This is especially true because so many of the tank bred species have unique characteristics that wild do not.

 

My advice is to go with ocellaris clowns. They easier to care for and breed.

 

I'm a big firefish fan, but they are jumpers, so don't get one if you have no lid. This goes for most blennies and gobies. Bengai are nocturnal so they are a little boring IMO. Many options though and you have lots of time to find something. I'm getting a Court Jester Goby today so I will be able to reprt on that one soon.

 

I would go max 4 fish with your tank. Or maybe 2 clowns and a larger fish like a pygmy angel. You can keep more if you go slow and have adequate husbandry skills, but with no sump or fuge it will be a challenge to keep nutrients down.

[halfpint]

If you later set up a 10g fuge (easy and fairly inexpensive to do) it will increase the number of fish you can house and will make your paramaters more stable. Every fish eats different food, has different rates of digestion, and appetites.

 

Just go to www.marinedepotlive.com or liveaquaria.com and pick the reef safe fish you like. If they won't work, we'll try to catch it for you. Also, don't always believe the LFS guy because a lot of times you will get young guys in them that are only out to make sales, not to do the right thing.

 

 

Just a fair warning now, don't even talk about putting a tang in there. You will have flamers from around the web on your topic. We actually have a self-appointed "anti-tang police" on here.

[NanoNewbie77]

2 Ocellaris clowns it is then! hehe.

 

Also, don't always believe the LFS guy because a lot of times you will get young guys in them that are only out to make sales, not to do the right thing.

I know, but this is the same guy that "snuck" a 20% off coupon, talked to us for 2 hours just about fish, gave me websites to help me out, and actually backed me away from sales... like damsel fish (to agressive) and everything. Hes not the owner, but we always talk to the same guy every time we go. I think i trust him .

 

I think I want the two clowns and a bigger fish... like a small angel like you suggested. Don't know about the 10 gallon fuge... seems a little too complicated and im not sure I want to get in that deep.

 

And don't worry... I know all about the tang stuff lol.

[idog]

Make sure you don't get a "small Angel", it will grow. It has to be a "Dwarf" Angel like a coral beauty or a Flame angel, from the Centropyge genus.

 

They aren't 100% reef safe. Some people have problems with them doing some coral nipping.

[NanoNewbie77]

Right, thats what I ment . One that will STAY small lol. I think I'm going to get the flame angel, but not right away. I'm going to get the two clowns first, then the dwarf angel later. You think this is okay? Because I have heard of agression issues because one fish claimed the tank as his territory so he attacks the new fish... you know what I mean? lol

 

Has anyone heard of a different kind of fish that is the size of the dwarf angel, but more reef safe??? Just double checking .

 

Oh, and in 1 hour im leaving for vacation this weekend until Monday, but I can always check for new posts using the internet on my cell phone, but it would take too long to type up a reply on my cell.

[idog]

Royal Grammas are a perrenial favorite. Or maybe a six-line wrasse. Maybe even one of the smaller species of hawkfish. check out some of the species of pseudochromis.

 

Lots of options. honestly, the fish are my least favorite part of my reef. Once you start getting some corals you will forget about the fish.

[halfpint]

How did the tank fare over the vacation?

[NanoNewbie77]

My parents didn't like the look of the false gramma, and the royal grammas here are wayy to expensive and hard to find. Ill reaserch the wrasse and some small hawkfishes and show them thoes . Thanks idog!

 

The tank did great over vacation and I will update with test results soon! I added 3 very small rocks into the aquarium, and now I'm finally set lol. I'm hoping it didn't screw up the cycle *crosses fingers*.

 

Edit: Test Results!:

S.G.: 0.021

P.H.: 8.3

Ammonia: 0.25

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 20

 

And I have to say, I'm soo lucky to have this gateway aquatics store nearby because it's so small and friendly! There is only a manager and 2 workers that are all friendly, but only 1 worker is full time and he is incredibly helpful. He remembers me and my tank and how it is set up and going and gives me advice on everything!

 

Anyway, here are some random pictures... because everyone likes pictures!!! lol

 

Moonlight shots:

Full tank shot:

Itty bitty feather duster.. theres hope!:

And while I'm showing pics, can anyone tell me what these pink and white spiky things are??:

[halfpint]

It's hard to tell from the picture. Could you post the same picture without the circles? My educated guess would be bristle worms. They're harmless and beneficial, just as long as they don't get too large. I've heard that the spikes on a bristle worm are painful, so don't touch.

 

Bristle worm:

 

Christmas tree worm:

 

 

 

I thought one of those looked kinda like a christmas tree worm. Just thought I'd throw that out there.