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  #1  
Old 01/02/2008, 09:59 PM
sapphiredonna sapphiredonna is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Urbana, IL
Posts: 5
Hello, I'm new and have lots of questions : )

I posted a message in the newbie forum but thought I'd try asking around my friendly local forum as well : )
I just started my first aquarium ever and it's a 10 gallon salt tank (I know you're supposed to start with at least a 30 gallon for your first marine tank but space and money are an issue). The tank is a standard All-Glass 20 inches wide X 10 deep X 12 high tank. There's a 1 inch sand bed of live sand and 5-7 lbs of live rock in the tank. I've currently got a three-spotted damsel, two red-legged hermit crabs and two brittle stars (came in on a rock). I got some coral frags from David Lee a few days ago and so far they seem ... okay. I have two candy cane frags and two frogspawn frags. I really want these guys to do well and I've read several articles online and in books, but there's a lot of information and much of it is contradictory so ... I thought I'd ask for opinions. : )
I have two equipment questions and one compatibility question:
1. I currently have an AquaClear filter on the tank. It's the 5-20 gallon model (100 gph) and I currently run it with only the foam block and the activated carbon bag in the filter. Is this enough? I thought salt needed to be cycled more frequently than freshwater so I was expecting to use my 150 gph filter, but the current it produces whips the polyps of the frogspawn around so I went back to the 100 gph model. Is this enough?
2. I currently have a full hood with an All-Glass 8000K full daylight spectrum fluorescent bulb (this thing). From everything I'm reading this won't be enough to sustain my corals ... do people agree? I'm probably going to get a Coralife compact fixture, though I'm very open to suggestions. (If I do get the Coralife would I have to go with the 10,000K bulb or could I use the 50/50 since my tank isn't that deep?).
3. As I've already mentioned, I've got two red-legged hermit crabs and I enjoy watching them scuttle around the tank. So far they have not bothered the corals -- does anyone have any experience with the crabs and a tube anemone? I'm thinking of adding either a Cerith or Turbo Grazer snail at some point -- any experience with a snail and a tube anemone? (quick note: from what I understand, tube anemones are non-photosynthetic, so my lighting situation shouldn't affect it. I think).

Thanks in advance for all your help -- I'm trying to do my own research but it's always nice to hear from people who have experience. : )

Diane
  #2  
Old 01/02/2008, 10:24 PM
medic29 medic29 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Champaign, IL
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Well, I couldn't get your link to work, so I don't know what light you have. With that kelvin rating for your bulb, your corals will grow fine, actually better than with the 10k or higher bulbs, but it gives off a different color. Usually this kelvin rating will be more yellow, thus the reason why folks go with a higher kelvin rating. You did not mention the wattage of your bulb. This is more of concern than the kelvin rating between the two ratings you mentioned.

Fortunately neither the candy cane nor the frog spawn have high light requirements. If it were me I would probably go with a power compact flourescent light though. You can get one that will run both an actinic bulb and a daylight bulb (the 10k). This would give you a nice look and help your corals "pop" out more.

The frog spawn and the candy cain do not need high flow either; they should do fine with moderate flow. Actually, since I increased the flow in my tank, my frog spawn is not as happy as it was.

Your red-legged crabs should not bother your corals. You can have more of them as well as the snails and other various crabs like Sally light foot crabs, scarlet legged crabs, blue legged crabs. All of these will become part of your clean-up crew and help keep your tank clean. They will eat the detritus, left over food, etc.

I hope that helps.
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  #3  
Old 01/02/2008, 11:43 PM
syrinx syrinx is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: champaign
Posts: 628
that is a 18 inch 15watt bulb in all likelyhood- If you wanted to go that route I would get another one at least. Run one bulb 10k and one actinic. A power compact hood would obviously be better if it was of a proper wattage, but what you have could get by with a couple normal output bulbs. My first nano reef(10gal) back in the late eighties was run with 3 normal output bulbs (tritons)(no one knew of actinic) and it was a showpiece. I would lose the foam block and carbon and install a 1/2 size unit of chemi pure.
  #4  
Old 01/03/2008, 01:06 AM
Vitaly Vitaly is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Champaign, IL
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Hey sapphiredonna,

"it's a 10 gallon salt tank (I know you're supposed to start with at least a 30 gallon"

You will be fine with a 10 gallon...you will just have to be a bit more meticulous with the tank conditions and chemistry.


1) I currently have an AquaClear filter...Is this enough? I thought salt needed to be cycled more frequently than freshwater...

I think of five goals with respect to the need to turnover water volume:
a) assist in delivery of oxygenated water to sessile inverts/corals.
b) facilitate the diffusion of waste products away from sessile inverts/corals.
c) maintain debris/waste in the water column for a period such that it can be removed by filtration/skimming.
d) create currents to encourage fish to swim and move about the system.
e) give some life and movement to coral polyps.

I would suspect that 100 gph in your tank should be sufficient to achieve those goals. If you notice there are deadspots that are problematic for your system (cyano growth, corals not flourishing) you could always add a small powerhead.


2) I currently have a full hood with an All-Glass 8000K full daylight spectrum fluorescent bulb. From everything I'm reading this won't be enough to sustain my corals ... do people agree?

That 8000-kelvin, 15-watt bulb will probably be sufficient for the short term, but as you become more eager to keep various species of coral you will want to put more energy (watts) into your tank. I agree with medic and syrinx that the Candy Cane and Frogspawn should survive, but will mostly like grow slower under the lower lighting conditions.

With respect to bulb selection, it will be a matter of personal aesthetic. I like a blue-er, more turquoise appearance to a tank. So I prefer higher kelvin bulbs and actinics. I have a CurrentUSA Power compact fixture which accomodates two separate bulbs. I have one 10,000lk daylight and an actinic. Each of the turn on and off independently. This is a nice feature as it always for a simulation of sunrise and sunset...albeit a poor simulation.


3) does anyone have any experience with the crabs and a tube anemone? I'm thinking of adding either a Cerith or Turbo Grazer snail at some point -- any experience with a snail and a tube anemone?

No experience with them first hand...but the are pretty. You are correct about them being non-photosynthetic. However, as a consequence...that means that will require direct feeding from you to ensure survival. As your tank is still young, there will not be a great amount of natural fauna (pods, mysis, etc) for the Tube Anemone to grab and feed one. So be prepared to directly feed meaty food (Krill, Mysis, Brine, Roe, etc).

I have a handful of Cerith snails that I ordered from Premium Aquatics and they never bother a thing. They mostly hang out in the sandbed or on the glass. I had several Turbo Snails. They can really cruise and take algae off the glass which is a great benefit. However, for me they were troublesome as they continually knocked corals off the rockwork (even when glued down). Personally, I will not keep any more of them and will stick to the smaller species of snails (Nassarius, Cerith, Nerite, etc).

Hope that helps...
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Vitaly A. Stepensky
  #5  
Old 01/03/2008, 08:31 AM
syrinx syrinx is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: champaign
Posts: 628
Didn`t see the tube anemone part- it will be the only thing in a 10- will eat fish- sting corals and you! Great animal for a species tank though.
 

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