New member! A lil advice would be nice;)

[Dvsfx]

Hello fellow aquatic enthusiasts, Im currently undergoing setting up a nano reef in a 10 gallon tank, I'm not entirely sure of what I'm doing but everything seems to be going ok, actully better then anticipated. I was just hoping to get a lil extra re assurance to make sure I'm doing everything ok... In my tank I have crushed coral as a substrate , about 8 pounds of figi live rock that has been curig for 2 an a half weeks now, 3 hermits with include-scarlet,zebra 1 unknown and also have a emerald crab that came on the live rock. My filter is standard came with aquarium it uses 3 ceramic pads I chose the ones optimal for exotic fish, another filter for debris, 100 watt heater and a standard flour cent bulb. Oh an a fan to add a bit of motion into the water, The crabs are surviving and the rock has begun to make sum drastic changes. I was jus curious if this seems like a proper setup for now, I kno I'll have to get diffrent lights if I want sum corals or anemones but how does it seem. I'm trying my best testing levels regularly the only one that seems low is the magnesium an I have been supplementing to get it Into the target area. Any opinions would be appreciated.. This is a new hobby of mine so I don't mean to sound ignorant if I'm doin something wrong as I love every creature I care for.. So please voice your thoughts. And thanx for reading my short story

 

[redsea]

Hello fellow aquatic enthusiasts, Im currently undergoing setting up a nano reef in a 10 gallon tank, I'm not entirely sure of what I'm doing but everything seems to be going ok, actully better then anticipated. I was just hoping to get a lil extra re assurance to make sure I'm doing everything ok... In my tank I have crushed coral as a substrate , about 8 pounds of figi live rock that has been curig for 2 an a half weeks now, 3 hermits with include-scarlet,zebra 1 unknown and also have a emerald crab that came on the live rock. My filter is standard came with aquarium it uses 3 ceramic pads I chose the ones optimal for exotic fish, another filter for debris, 100 watt heater and a standard flour cent bulb. Oh an a fan to add a bit of motion into the water, The crabs are surviving and the rock has begun to make sum drastic changes. I was jus curious if this seems like a proper setup for now, I kno I'll have to get diffrent lights if I want sum corals or anemones but how does it seem. I'm trying my best testing levels regularly the only one that seems low is the magnesium an I have been supplementing to get it Into the target area. Any opinions would be appreciated.. This is a new hobby of mine so I don't mean to sound ignorant if I'm doin something wrong as I love every creature I care for.. So please voice your thoughts. And thanx for reading my short story

Welcome, thanks for joining us!

 

[Retired_AF]

Welcome to AA!

There are a lot of good people here with plenty of experience and are willing to offer advise.

Please post pics so we can see what you have going on.

 

[Dvsfx]

Here are some pics as requested the only one I didn't manage to get was the emerald as he seems to be nocturnal only coming out when the lights are off, or maybe he's just a lil camera shy

 

[austinsdad]

Try to get to at least a pound of rock per gallon of water. About 5x the amount of rock u have would be ideal for a reef. Look up diatoms too. How did you cycle?

 

[Dvsfx]

I let my tank run for about a month with filter an everything then did about a 100 percent water change I did this because I was set on a brackish tank but then decided to go fully salt , added the live rock then a week later added the other hermits a week after that.. I don't think I did it quite right because my nitrate level peaked last week then dropped to 0 the following day and has remained 0 ever since .. Even the I probably messed up is it now safe to say I'm in the clear?

 

[Dvsfx]

Hermits have been in there since January 8th

 

[Dvsfx]

Also I have had some mollusks, oysters or something grow and open up on my rock but every time one does my biggest hermit seems to come along and knock them off or break them In half entirely , will these grow back or if I place them back on the rock will they re attach?

 

[austinsdad]

Check our articles ection on cycling a SW tank. Read it and tell me what you think. Have you ever tested for ammonina and nitrite? If it were me, I'd add substantial base or more live rock and cycle the tank anyway with it all in there to be safe.

 

[Dvsfx]

Alright I will do Austin , yes I have tested for nitrate I had moderate to low levels for awhile and added supplements that remove nitrite, nitrate and ammonia, last week my levels peaked to the highest point I ever seen them at... Then the following day absolutely none whatsoever and have been at a 0 ever since, i will probably add sum more live rock in a week or two ill get sum cured stuff this time.. I noticed there are different kinds are they all compatible? And will they offer a wider range of specimens? I also came across what I think are fan/duster worms 1 3 days ago and another 15 minutes ago they got tiny lil shafts an bristles at the top when I shine a light on them they tend to retract the bristles very quickly. Are those what I think they are? And are they a good sign? I read that they only grow under prime conditions . But that was an older thread. Thanx again for the help Austin!

 

[Dvsfx]

I have also been keeping my lights on for 12 hours a day , should I go a lil bit less maybe 10 or even 8 ? I read algae tends to flourish in the light.

 

[austinsdad]

Try to stay away from supplements. Never been a fan other than raising or lowering Ph. You can mix and match LR depending on how you want it too look.

How high did your ammonia and nitrite go? Not nitrate.

8-10 hrs a day for light is all thats needed.

 

[Dvsfx]

All supplements even, calcium ? And magnesium?
my last test levels read as followed

Salinity 1.024
Ph- 8.1-8.2
Kh- 214.8 ppm
Calcium-400
Magnesium-1080 /too low?
Nitrites 0 (it peaked at around .8-1.0) I believe was its highest point
Never tested for ammonia

 

[Dvsfx]

Or iodine , but 2 of my crabs have malted so I think the water must contain sum

 

[carey]

There is no need to dose a tank with supplements unless you have an immense amount of coral and your water changes are not replenishing the elements as fast as the corals use them.

Thats why water changes are soo important, the salt mix has ALL the trace elements that you need in your tank.

 

[austinsdad]

Carey is absolutely right. Water changes. Water changes.

With your nitrites only peaking at 1.0 ppm, I'd really bone up on the article I mentioned and consider cycling the tank - either again or for the first time, not sure. Might lose some of that stuff on the rocks now, but you'd be better off in the long run as opposed to adding fish and not having cycled it properly. I'd be safe than sorry on that one.

 

[Dvsfx]

I read that alkalinity (kh) has an direct effect on ph so if not kept at a proper level your more susceptible to ph swings, is this not true? And don't snails and sum inverts use calcium ? I'm not too sure maybe I'm doing to much but all my levels (even ones I may not need) seem proper, that can't be too bad, I hope

 

[austinsdad]

Snails, crabs, shrimp and most soft corals only need water changes. No iodine or calcium dosing is needed.

 

[Dvsfx]

I see , so your saying when I go to add sum fish my levels may spike again? I think they may have already it was just that ammonia,nitrate,nitrite remover stuff I added from keeping them from skyrocketing. It would really be a shame to start the process over again , but I guess that's why u learn from mistakes, thanx again everyone

 

[carey]

Good luck!