New 10g with some questions!

Modena AL · #1 06/21/2007, 08:30 PM

I just took the plunge and got back into the hobby and want to make sure I do it right this time. A few years ago I had a 55g ciclid tank that had seriously 70+ fish in it (they wouldn't quit doing it!). I converted it to a saltwater agressive tank to house a lion fish and also started a 10g nano. Well after the lion fish failed (bad supply at the LFS) and the nano crashed (hey, they said a manadrin would be just fine in there!) I lost hope and sold everything becuase I didn't have the time. Now I've got the time and went ahead and started my new 10g last night. Equipment list below:

Current USA PC light (not sure on the wattage. It was left over when I sold everything)
AC70 modded into a fuge
50w heater
(2) Mini Jet 606
Little light over the fuge
16 lbs of fiji rock
15 lbs of sand

FTS at the moment:

now for my questions

How much sand should I have in the fuge? Right now I've got a inch and half with some live rock rubble. I still don't have the cheato yet.

I picked up a small 5w clip on light to go on the fuge. Do i need something more powerful? it was the only one I could find locally because I forgot to order one online with everything else

I've got the powerheads on full blast at the moment and it's stirring things up a bit. I was thinking of putting them in one top corner with one facing across the back of the tank at full blast and the other towards the front cut down a bit. or should I leave the where they are on each side facing the front and turn them down?

Clean up crew. I'm thinking 3-4 hermit crabs, 2 or 3 snails and a cleaner shrimp. good?

I still haven't decided on livestock or corals, but that can wait until the tank cycles. I would like to go for 3 fish though (read that it can work if done properly)

Thanks for any help and I'm open to suggestions!

GreenPuffers · #2 06/21/2007, 09:14 PM

well you seem to be off to a good start, I agree with you on the PH,and I think the light might work for the fuge since its so small.

reefman13 · #3 06/21/2007, 09:41 PM

You sound like you are pretty well of with this tank. I am assuming that you have test kits and are monitoring things closely. Its going to take give or take 3 weeks before you think about adding ANY fish.

I would move one of the power heads into one of the top front corners and put the other one in the opposite back corner. They should be arranged so that they are pushing water from "side to side." Kind of like creating the effect of a whirlpool.

For this tank at the begging stay with softies and shrooms. Then if you want to upgrade the lights you could expand your options.

Remember: Because you don't have a protein skimmer you will be doing weekly water changes.

Good Luck

Modena AL · #4 06/21/2007, 10:05 PM

Yeah I've told the better half that it's going to be a month before we have a nemo. I've got test kits but haven't checked anything yet but will do it this weekend (i know it's all going to be out of wack). I'll try the power heads the way you suggested and see how it works. Softies and shrooms are what I'm planning in the first stages... maybe some LPS after it's been running well for a while. I need to find out how many watts this light fixture is...

I'm ready and prepared for water changes. As much as it gets on my nerves I was pretty good a keeping on top of it. What would you recommend for a protein skimmer for this tank?

reefman13 · #5 06/21/2007, 11:02 PM

I think that people rave about the tunze nano skimmer and the nano-remora. Here are the two links:

Tunze:
http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=1436

Remora:
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=AC3431

LUK on the wattage of the fixture.

joedirt54 · #6 06/22/2007, 12:41 AM

I don't know where you have that tank...but I had a REG Remora on my ten and it was great. You can let it hang off the edge of the stand or place a small piece of glass to ease the outflow of the skimmer back into the tank.

Everyone's trashing the remora, so you can pick a used one up cheap. That, a good RO/DI and a 150w HQI 20K oceanlight...and you will be set for now and down the road(I have those on my 30cube).

Dirt

Modena AL · #7 06/22/2007, 08:48 AM

Thanks for the links. I'll probably have to invest in one after the tank starts to stock up. It against the wall but the stand is for a 20 g tank so I've got some room behind it. I don't want to go too overboard on this tank because if it goes well next year I'm going to set up a 40g breeder that my parents gave me after their fish died (was going to set it up but when the equipment hit $800 with yet more things to buy I gave up. Wasn't the best stuff either). For some reason I remember this light being 40x2 but will confirm when I get home tonight. Will this be sufficient lighting for most anything? or just softies and shrooms?

What did everyone think of the cleanup crew and when I should I add them? before the fish or at the same time?

Slakker · #8 06/22/2007, 12:29 PM

I think that fixture should be good for most LPS, as well, but don't quote me on that.

Modena AL · #9 06/22/2007, 05:40 PM

Test results are in!

Salinity - 1.020. expected that as I had a brain fart mixing and had to correct it. will add more salt tonight
PH - 7.8. shouldn't I get this up to about 8.2? how?
Nitrite - 5ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm? I'm not sure if this is right so i'm going to do it again in a bit. We were debating over whether is was .25 or 0.

Little shocked that they were that good. I was expecting off the charts in a bad sorta way. Nitrite should be a 0 too correct? I also realized today that I forgot to put a filter pad in the ACfuge which I'm about to do, which should help, and I ordered the wrong impellor for the fuge. I bought the impellor for the AC50 rather than the AC20. Will it be ok?

i'm going to play with the aquascaping a bit and do the things listed above and then decide on live stock!

Modena AL · #10 06/22/2007, 10:39 PM

I arranged the powerjets how you suggested and it's working great! Good flow all around with no visible dead spots. They're still stirring up a bit of sand but I've been experimenting with the flow adjustment to get it just right.

I've messed with the aquascaping but can't get it to where I'm happy with it. One of the rocks I bought is too big and I can't do much with it

Modena AL · #11 06/24/2007, 02:41 PM

Ok i've finally got the aquascaping to where I'm happy with it and the powerheads adjusted correctly (woke up yesterday morning to two huge sand dunes in the middle of the tank! a few adjustments fixed that). Light cycle is to where I'm happy with it. I've been keeping an eye on the parameters and it all continues to look good (PH went up to 8, nitrite to 0, ammonium still at 0.25). When should I think about doing a water change? Algea is starting to grow so hopefully in a week or so I can start adding livestock to the tank. I've listed the livestock below in the order I plan to do add them.

3 blueleg hermit craps
2 Nassarius Snails
2 Turbo Snails
2 True Perc Clowns
A few mushrooms and softies
1 Cleanershrimp
More corals that I haven't decided on yet
1 Bi-color blenny or a firefish (much later in the tanks life but i'm still on the fence about adding another fish)

Does that look good? I'm still unsure on the cleanup crew as to if it's too much or too little.

thanks for any help! I forgot how aggonizing it is waiting to put fish into the tank!

Kengaroo131 · #12 06/24/2007, 05:00 PM

i wouls skip the hermits, your snails will disapear over time cause the hermits wan the shells, and they dont really do that much. i would also wait with the cleaner shrimp, just to be safe, add the snails let them do there thing for a week then add your shrimp. thats what i ussualy would do but you can do what you want. its up to you, be creative! good luck!

Modena AL · #13 06/24/2007, 08:15 PM

Does everything else hermit crabs aside sound fine? I just want to make sure I have the right amount to keep the tank clean and maintained. I would like to have some hermits because I enjoyed watching them in my previous tank and I'm aware they will take snail shells. Should I keep 2 hermits and 4 snails?

I'm also not planning on adding the shrimp for at least 2 weeks after the fish are in there.

Modena AL · #14 06/26/2007, 03:32 PM

Bumping to see if anyone has anyother input before I start buying things. I'm going to change 25% of the water (2 gallon) on thursday I forgot to bring my water bottles from home to get replaced with filled so i'll have to wait till tomorrow and I'll start mixing the water then. Planning to pick up some hermits and snails on Friday/Saturday and hopefully 2 clowns the next weekend if the parameters stay normal. Some of my rocks are getting covered in algea.

One of my power heads fell off the glass last night and has blown all the sand around

I hope that doesn't happen all the time.

chkit · #15 06/26/2007, 10:44 PM

seems like you know what you are doing. i just started my 10 gallon with 1 power filter, and small 80gph power head. i have aqua c nano hanging but not turned on yet; waiting till cycling is done. welcome back to the hobby. I didn't know chiclids were so horney.

Modena AL · #16 07/06/2007, 02:14 PM

Well I added my first fish last night. 2 true percs!

Both ate immediatly and were still alive and eating this morning. they're swimming around together (think they were already mated at the store). the one in the front looks to be the bigger one, but it's colors aren't as vibrant as the other. It's got some scaring on it's face so i think it was in a fight and stressed a little at the store. Doing well though and I think they're still getting used to the new surroundings.

I also have 2 blue leg hermits, 2 bumble bee snails, and a cerith (i think). Next week I hope to start adding some mushrooms and zoas