need advice please

[aquarius77]

Hello

I am new to this site and to saltwater.
I started a ten gallon reef tank, i have a 96 watt coralife power compact on it, a 30 to 60 gallon filter, approx 17 pounds of LR.
The tank is a week and a day old .... i know you all are going to think im a tool, but i have a few frags of yellow colony, some green star, a small pulsating zenya(sp), some anthelia, 2 little polyps of zoos, a few different kinds of shrooms, a few sticks of acropora a buddy fragged off for me, one stick of some pink branchy stuff (its hard like the acro), 3 hermits, like 3 different snails, 2 peppermint shrimp, 1 cleaner shrimp and a tiny gold banded maroon clown.

Im going to explain myself, so maybe we can avoid me looking like a complete idiot

I used established (cured) live rock and pre packaged live reef sand on setup i am getting RO water from the store i used all their water on setup. Then i let it sit for a day and clear up, I went and got some frags and approx 8 pounds of LR and 5 gals of water all of wich were out of my buddys established 75 gallon i did a 3 gallon water change with his water also and added the frags and rock and a snail or 2. The next day i went and bought some of the other corals i named off and i did a 2 gallon water change with his water again and added the corals.

Everything in the tank is doing great as far as i can tell at this point i tested the water this morning 0 nitrite (thank god) only thing that bothers me is my ph was a bit on the low side, id say like under 8 maybe 7.6 or so, i use strips that are color indicators, so im saying maybe cause even if the strips are right on the money chances are my eyes arent.

my question:
Can i use calcium bicarb (baking soda) on my reef tank to raise the ph?

I have been keeping freshwater fish since i have been able to talk someone into buying them for me as a kid, I keep African Cichlid tanks currently and i use marine salt and baking soda and epsom salt to condition their water i was wondering if i could use the baking soda on a reef tank or will something in it affect my corals, or shoot my calcium level up.

I know freshwater inside and out, but i am a total boon when it comes to a salt water system i know i jumped into it b4 i understood it and in all honesty i do know better from keeping cichlids, im just not very patient.

Also since your already reading my book ...... Will established filter pads/floss from a freshwater tank cycle a saltwater tank? i cant find any concrete info on it. i know the process is the same the bacteria even have the same names, but i need to hear it from an experienced person.

Thank you in advance, any info is most appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

First...

:welcome:

Except for the acro frags, you're probably doing just fine.. (You might even get lucky, the acro frags might live but they're pretty tough to do in a nano..)

I'd test the water with something more reliable.. - Whats the pH in your buddys system?

Baking soda is sort of a quick fix solution.. - For a 10g though..... Kinda scary - easy to go too far and fry something (everything?) from a heavy local dose.


In reefing, and especially in nano reefing, quick is almost NEVER good.

 

[aquarius77]

I am not sure of his PH.

Why is acro hard to do in a ten?

It is already starting to grow branches and looks very healthy, but again im a newb with absolutly no idea.

When you say nano are we talking about the brand of tanks or just a very small reef tank?

 

[Anonymous]

Yep - "Nano" refers to the size..

Basically, anything below.... well, some say 30 others say 20, but somewhere around there is where a tank begins to be called a nano.

A 10 gallon is definitely in the range of being a nano though.


What makes acro hard to do in a nano?

Well.. - Generally, acros need a stable, clean environment to thrive in. - Both of which are pretty difficult to do in a nano without the right gear, lots of experience and/or just plain luck.

They also generally do better with strong, alternating water flow. - Something not easily accomplished in a nano.

Also difficult to achieve in a nano (and not burn out other types of corals) is intense lighting.. - Acros generally require some of the strongest lighting (usually metal halide) available on the market.


Have you done much reading on reef aquariums yet? - Like you, I did fresh and marine fish-only tanks for years and years and years before jumping into reefing.. - Good books are an excellent asset to have on hand.

Heres a short list of some goodies, I own pretty much every one of these:
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... duct=BKNMA
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... ct=BKALGAE
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... uct=BKCMAS
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... duct=BKNRA
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... t=BKCORALS
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... duct=BKACH

I've also heard quite a few people on nano-reef.com give thumbs-up to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 4?v=glance

Hope that helps.. - And keep coming back here.. - I'm FAR from being an expert among some of the minds that call this place home..

Norm

 

[aquarius77]

No i have not done much reading, I only found this site a few days ago, up until then i was basically asking / taking advice from ppl with less aquatic knowledge than myself or getting mixed answers back from google searches.

I openly admit i am confused about alot of things still today, ive spent the last 4 hours on here reading tho and ive started asking some questions. I realize i jumped into it before doing my study, i guess i am impulsive at times.

Is my lighting not pretty strong? Its a 20in fixature made by coralife it has a 96 watt 50/50 4 tube CF lamp.

I was just in there and checking out the tank every coarl in there is looking great they are all open, my fish eats and seems happy one of my shrimp molted.... i have alge out the wazoooo and i just scraped the tank on wed.

If there is something i need to be doing different, like more light, or hey you tool you need to get the acro out of that tank or it will die... Please tell me! I dont want to get in the business of killing marine life because i am impulsive.

 

[Anonymous]

:lol:

Most of us get our start going too fast into it. - No worries.

But yeah, it might be wise to find something else to do with those acros if possible. - If your LFS doesn't normally carry acro frags then I wouldn't bother there.. - They'll wind up with the same fate if not worse.

And your lighting should be fine for most stuff. - Especially if its a standard 10g. - I didn't mean to imply in my last post that you didn't have enough light or needed to change that around. - It should be fine for most stuff you'd want to grow in a 10g. - Acros though would be a gamble. - As I mentioned, they generally do better with a point light source such as metal halides. - Though some people do very well with them under T5 lighting.

If it were me, I'd stay with the 96w.. - It'll serve you great now as you learn and can also serve you well far into the future, even moving with you on to larger tanks if you decide to.

As it stands, without the acros, it sounds like a great little setup. - As is, you should see stuff grow and need to be trimmed back to keep them from jamming on top of each other fighting for space.

The only other thing I would consider is the clown.. - Maroons tend to be pretty territorial, though I've never had one myself. If thats the only fish you intend to keep in it, great! - Should be one heck of a nice little nano.

 

[Len]

Your lights is plenty. What is of greatest concern is the water quality. A new tank usually will have terrible water quality after a few weeks (primarily due to the nitrogen cycle establishing itself), then eventually balance itself out. During this period, a lot of really toxic compounds will be formed and your more sensitve corals and invert (like SPS/Acros) will likely die as a result.

 

[aquarius77]

I was hopeing to skip the nitrogen cycle by using the live sand, live rock, and water from an established reef.

If i start getting readings i will go take some filter media from one of my friends or would a freshwater established filter work to cycle a saltwater tank?

I also grabbed a few big wads of moss from a display system in a lfs, it was growing out of a HOB filter he had on it, i was thinking it might contain bacteria, after all it was hanging out of his filter ... none the less i took it and jammed it into my filter just like it was in his so the outflow goes over it and it gets plenty of light, most stayed in there but one peice i got LR holding down on the bottom of the tank cause i could not wedge it in my filter like i wanted ... and its growing! lol but this is just for whatever beneficial bacteria it may have contained.

 

[Len]

If the rock and sand are fully cured locally, then you may experience less drastic of a cycle. If you get readings, best approach is to do big water changes with high quality water and salt mix. No filter will work to eliminate the toxic compounds. Adding bacteria to the tank won't fix much either. The idea of waiting isn't just to establish bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle. Reef ecosystems are complex and have a lot of components that need to mature and balance out in a closed system.

What are you referring to when you say "moss?" Are you referring to some species of saltwater macroalgae? I would recommend against adding random objects into a reef tank.

As GD says, take things REALLY slow. Nothing good comes from haste in this hobby.

 

[aquarius77]

Some sort of saltwater alge i assume, either way i would hardly call it a random object, as it came from a reef tank in the first place.

I will post some pictures of my tank lol as soon as i clean the front glass at least. Im trying my hardest to not be sticking my hands in there and messing with it anymore than i have to at this point.

 

[Meloco14]

Hi Aquarius and welcome to the forum and hobby. Len and GD have given you great advice so far. First of all, a lot of your questions can be answered by getting a good, all around reefkeeping book. To be successful in this hobby, and especially with a nano tank, you need to understand how the biological and chemical processes work in order to maintain good water quality. Your tank has started off well since you used established rock and water. The packaged sand is okay, but really not true live sand. Since you have a buddy with a reef tank I would get a cup of his sand and add it to your sand. This will seed it with copepods and worms and such that don't typically survive in the bagged live sand. Adding macroalgae to your tank can be a good thing or a bad thing. As for adding bacteria, I'm sure it does this, but probably not to the extent where it would help a whole lot. You will get most of your bacteria from the live rock, established tank water, and live sand from your buddy's tank. Another thing to consider is that you need anaerobic bacteria as well as aerobic. Anaerobic only survive deep in the rock or deep under a sand bed, and they cannot be easily introduced into a tank. You will need to wait for these bacteria in your rock to colonize to a point where they can keep your nitrate level in check. If you get a good book it will explain the whole nitrogen cycle and you will have a better understanding of this. The next thing to learn about would be your calcium/alkalinity balance and how they relate to your pH. A new tank typically takes a while to get these levels balanced out and this may be why you are seeing a low pH. For the short term, you can get pH boosting chemicals, but as mentioned this is only a band-aid and does not fix the root of the problem. Most of your corals will be fine with your light, and will be hardy enough to probably survive any water quality imbalances you might experience in the next couple weeks. The acros, though, are at risk. I have personally kept SPS corals (montiporas and pocilloporas) under PC lighting and they have grown well. However, their colors are nothing compared to what they would be under metal halide lighting. So as far as lighting goes, you may be able to keep acros alive and even grow them, but don't expect great coloration. Your water quality is more of a concern with them. If I were you I would give them back to your friend for now. If you decide you want to try keeping them in a couple weeks when your tank has settled and is stable then go ahead. But right now they are at the most risk of dying. Overall I think you're fine. Using established water and rock gives your tank a good chance of survival. Now that you have something to look at and you've jumped right in, try to take the time to learn as much as you can before adding anything else. Also, if you have not yet done so, get ammonia, nitrate, and alkalinity test kits and test your water every day for the next couple weeks. This way if anything bad starts to happen you will be right on top of it and can do a water change right away. Good luck and HTH.

 

[aquarius77]

I have something to look at alright.... a green rectangle! Whats with all this alge? is this part of a cycle it goes thro? I also am getting bubbles on my stuff as of late today, i am not overfeeding i dont belive, nothing hits the ground when i feed my clown and i barly put but like 4 drops of reef food in there since it has been up and running.

I have 2 alge eating snails one is cone shape and one is round but not a turbo it is much smaller and they have no chance of keeping up with the growth rate of this stuff... I swear its getting worse by the hour.

I also have some brownish clear hairy lookin funk growin in a few patches on the bottom of the tank, is this something to be concerned about and how do i remove it?

When does the purple coraline start to grow or how does that even work? the deep color of it is awesome and probally what attracted me the most to a reef tank.

I have a million and one questions and a bad addiction to aquaria lol

 

[aquarius77]

tank pics

 

[aquarius77]

Ive done some aquascaping since the pics, i added 3 more pounds of live rock as well.

 

[aquarius77]

I am wondering how many hours a day i should have my light on?

I am also wondering how much i should feed my clownfish?

 

[Meloco14]

Most people go with an 8-12 hour photoperiod depending on their lights, lighting demands, heat issues, and personal viewing preferences. IMO 8 hours a day is plenty for most corals with adequate lighting. However, if you are trying to keep those acros in your tank I would run your lights 10-12 hours a day. If you took the acros out 8-10 would be plenty.

 

[Meloco14]

Oh and as far as feeding your clown, feed as much as it will eat in about 3 minutes 2-3 times a day. When you are feeding, feed sparingly. Try not to let a lot of food go uneaten. Your shrimp and clean up guys will get some uneaten food but the rest breaks down into ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. It is good to vary the diet with dry and frozen food. Personally for clowns I like little pellets for dry food, as they are easy to feed sparingly and control, and they pack a lot of nutrition into each bite. Clowns are omnivorous so feed some green flakes or frozen every once in a while. For frozen food the reef blends are good, as well as mysis shrimp. Brine shrimp isn't very nutritious so there's not much point in using it IMO. When you thaw out the frozen food strain the liquids out in a fine mesh net. Those liquids contain a lot of phosphate that you don't want to introduce into your tank. Soaking your food in vitamins or selcon is always beneficial as well.

 

[aquarius77]

How do you guys feel about New Life Spectrum Marine formula?

I have been using their Cichlid Diet for my Africans for a year and I am completly pleased with it.

What would be the drawbacks of a 14 hour photoperiod?

That is what ive been using since i set the tank up and most everything is doing well so far, i chose that based on the ammount of hours in a day that are sunlight (approx) or so my guesstimate was that day.

If i need to drop it back should i do it all at once or try to shorten the days till i reach my target?
Also
What kind of flow/light does a green star colony like best?

 

[aquarius77]

OK today i woke up to a second scarlet hermie murdered? Can peppermint shrimp/ cleaner shrimp drag a hermie from its shell and kill it?

ALSO

I have a Million little white bugs in my tank, they are on the glass and move about a inch at a time they are extremely small and white. Any idea?

 

[aquarius77]

Im not so sure its murder.
Do hermit crabs molt and if so what does the shed look like?

I had three hermit crabs... one was given to me he was/is blue legged, I bought 2 both scarlet.

Well a week or so ago i seen my peppermint shrimp eating on what at the time i thought was a hermie they had murdered, a scarlet hermit, wich would have left me with one scarlet and one blue leg. This morning i see what i assumed were remains of my other scarlet. Well i took a long hard look at the tank and i still see two scarlet hermits in it?

The bugs, i have found out thro reading, are pods of various types from what i can see.

The green alge that was growing on the glass in a matter of hours after cleaning it, seems to have subsided. Now i have clearish brown hairy stuff growing on my substrate and on some LR.

How does it sound like things are going in my tank to you all?

What should i expect from the alge next, is this brown stuff going to take over?