First SW - Nano Chi 5G

[Autumnsky]

First inhabitants!

Today I got my first creatures in the tank.

1 Astrea Snail
2 Blue Leg Hermits
1 Fire Red Shrimp.


Added Purigen to the HOB.

Acclimated them and so far so good.

My parameters are
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate ~5

Did a pwc this morning of 1/2 Gallon after top off with RO/DI water.

Should I do another pwc or is that alright? I can add a couple drops of Prime too. ???

Thursday my other snails and Macro Algae are coming.

Oh also, I took the Feather and Grape Algae and put a air stone in a vase with some sand and it is sitting under the lamp and next to the tank. They seem alright thus far.

Quick question, how do you keep the snails from crawling out?

 

[picokeeno]

Can we get some pics?

 

[dingusplease]

Sounds good! Would love to see some pics

1. No more WCs needed for now, if nitrates are in check, which it sound so Ike they are.
2. Some snails (nerites are the only ones I know of, I'm sure there are are others) are tidal snails, and may sometimes clime out of the tank without a lid to stop them. I once found mine after being gone for half a day out of the tank, his shell was mostly dry but I put him back in and he was fine .

 

[Autumnsky]

My phone is acting up but I was able to get a few pics of the snail.

Here is one, the others are in the album, it was cute how it perched on top of the coral rock.

I will get a pic or two of the hermits, they look like parts of the rock! They were hanging out next to each other on the tip of a rock.

The Shrimp has been all over the tank in and out of the rocks and dancing too!!!

It is the pink thing!

 

[Autumnsky]

Same snail different view, is the pink stuff on the coral rock Coraline Algae?

 

[bribo12]

Yup and on the snail

 

[Autumnsky]

Yup and on the snail

Cool, that is kinda why I picked it, thinking maybe it was, I understand it is good, but why?

 

[bribo12]

It is a an encrusting calcareous algae that outcompete pest algae. It is also attractive covering rocks. However once it starts growing like crazy it is really annoying to scrape off the glass every few days.

 

[Autumnsky]

It is a an encrusting calcareous algae that outcompete pest algae. It is also attractive covering rocks. However once it starts growing like crazy it is really annoying to scrape off the glass every few days.

Oh, and it will utilize your minerals in the water too?

So any one, recommendations for source and brands for good values for minerals and stuff needed, like calcium. And what am I going to need to order? I have a FW (sw) Api Master test kit and API KH/GH test. What else do I need?

Right now for when I pick up the corals in a week or 2, and in a month when I will likely get another order lined up of the 2nd half of needed stuff.

So if I had a list in part 1 needed now, part 2 in a month.

Also by then I might have the 35G cycling. Now I have a couple questions about live rock online companies.

These seem a little more money, but since you get lots of growth on them (hopefully not too bad)...

There is this which seemed pretty amazing
primo deco live rock,live rock n reef

...and this one which sounded good for beginner tanks.
Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock - The Package Contents

 

[bribo12]

It will use up a little bit of calcium and alkalinity but not a lot. You will not need to dose anything, your weekly wc will keep levels of calcium/alk and mag at the proper levels. API stinks for calcium/alkalinity and magnesium. You will need a good kit like Red Sea, salifert, or Elos to test these. Honestly I'd just buy base rock, much cheaper and no awful hitchhikers. On corals have you decided on a light yet?

 

[Autumnsky]

It will use up a little bit of calcium and alkalinity but not a lot. You will not need to dose anything, your weekly wc will keep levels of calcium/alk and mag at the proper levels. API stinks for calcium/alkalinity and magnesium. You will need a good kit like Red Sea, salifert, or Elos to test these. Honestly I'd just buy base rock, much cheaper and no awful hitchhikers. On corals have you decided on a light yet?

I might not know what was bad hitch hikers I guess.

I liked that one multicolored light I referenced a bit back which was said several people have the lights off ebay. But overkill for the 5G more for the 35G.

The wavepoint looked like it would grow some stuff, but it didn't have the multi rbg lights just white and blue. WavePoint Wave Point 12" Micro Sun LED High Output Clamp Light - Super Blue & Daylight Aquarium LED Light Fixtures

 

[Autumnsky]

Got the notice that my package of MicroAlgae and clean up crew starter pack were shipped today, should arrive on Thurs!!! From John at Reef Cleaners in FL.

 

[bribo12]

The eBay ones are great but yeah a bit overkill for a 5. The wave point looks fine for that size tank.

 

[Autumnsky]

The eBay ones are great but yeah a bit overkill for a 5. The wave point looks fine for that size tank.

Such pretty lights though

So the Wavepoint has the 16W, and the 8W for $20. less which would be best?

EDIT, nevermind on the 8W it is only daylight no blue

 

[bribo12]

I'd do the 16 watt. Your planning on some sps so the more light the better.

 

[Autumnsky]

Well my Cleaning crew arrived as will as my 1 cent macro algae and the most SW snails I have seen!!!

I ordered a nano 3-5G cleaning crew of


Florida Cerith 2 sm/ med got 10 med/lg
Nassarius 1 got 3
2 Dwarf Ceriths - got ~ 40
3 Small to Medium Nerites got 12 lg, 2 sm

Zig Zag Periwinkles ordered 10 got about 55
Dwarf Planaxis 3

Actually I can't really tell if the large amount were the zig zag or the Planaxis

Wow!

I got a big bunch of Red Gracilaria and a little 2 branches for the 1 cent amount, and a bushy piece which looks like a brush. I will try and get pics friday, as my camera on my phone is still acting up.

Also got a KH test kit new in the box! They are always generous, but the extra extra stuff was because of finding the bad links and the typos, lol!

so I need to be able to feed these guys.

Any suggestions?

I have Marine A food and regular FW algae wafers and omnivore wafers from Hikari, freeze dried brine shrimp, frozen brine shrimp and frozen baby brine shrimp and freeze dried tubiflex. Omega one Super Cichlid, Hikari Crap and Hikari Shrimp Cuisine Hikari micro pellets. Any of these things acceptable to feed the snails.

I will be going to the lfs in the next couple days. What kind of food should I get? That is a lot of snails in my tank, fortunately the 55 little ones are the size about as large as the inside of the "O" on the key board to the top of the "P". So still very very small.

The ones I am a bit more concerned with are the 12 big Neritas Fulguarans.

Should I leave the light on to get the algae to start growing?

I have been covering the glass for several hours each day to help prevent algae, lol!

 

[Autumnsky]

Too many snails! 2 Problems w/ ?'s

So I have a million snails, at least it seems that way.

I have to throw the snails back into the tank 2-5+ a couple times a day. I don't have a lid that will fit with the filter on the back...I have the Chi lid but would have to get out the Dremel and cut it, a lot, maybe too much for the water flow.

So the snails congregate in the corner edges, maybe to eat stuff that is trapped there. Though I don't really see anything.

So wondering about custom cutting a piece of glass or at least trying to cut one.

Maybe just a piece of plexiglass, though I don't think light penetration would be as good.

And then there is the issue of the light fixture.

#2 issue, I had planned to get the Wave Point clip on 16W light. But I forgot that I have the filter, HOB, on the back. Would I clip it to the side and keep the hob on the back? Or move the hob to the side? It isn't seeming that would look very good. :/

So I might go with the big light from ebay with the multi spectrum/colors. How could I hang it? Do you use an Eye hook from the ceiling make a bracket with wood or metal. I could ask a welder to help make something, or learn to bend metal myself, lol. Any reasonably priced solutions?

Sorry, there are no pics yet, my phone won't save any pics so maybe I need a new SD card?

 

[Autumnsky]

Update and ?'s

So I have still been finding snails out of the tank and been throwing them back in and the Nerites seem fine, there are too many little ones to know about them.

Checked the water params a couple days ago before the water change, there was a hint of green to the ammonia color was planning on the pwc anyway all seems fine.

I have been feeding the snails the Marine A food and a little of the broken pieces of algae wafers, it all seems to be gone by the next morning. Only doing that every few days.

My Fire Shrimp decided it's favorite spot is in the center upper left hole and often I only see the top of it's head sticking out.

My red algae seems to be coloring up nicely so the amount of time the lights are on must be fine. I have been doing them manually, about 8-10 hours with a break usually in the middle some time depending what I am doing 2-8 hours off if I am gone or busy outside or something.

The Coraline algae on my snail bleached out as that snail had been sitting on the hob out flow for a couple days.

The flow was getting low so I cleaned my filter sock.

I have to wait on a new light a little longer. I probably will get another Aqueon 10W 50/50 for the time being and then go pick up my corals, next week some time.

FIRST SW FISH...

Then and maybe a little yellow Clown Goby. Any suggestions for a nano fish?

I for sure would like a Goby of some sort. The Zebra Catalina Goby is sure beautiful. and maybe a little fish that would swim all around or mid level.

They are holding a couple Banggai Cardinals which were bred in the same town by one of his customers. My question, is would one or 2 of them be ok in the 5G tank they are still small about 1.5 inches but obviously I don't want to hurt them. Should I pass on them?

Thanks for any info/help!

 

[bribo12]

That's weird on the snails. On fish, IMO your tank is to small for any fish but a clown or neon goby. Definitely no on the cardinals. The Catalina is a cold water fish and it bugs the crud out of me that stores sell it as warm water. But yeah one fish max and it must stay tiny.

 

[Autumnsky]

Ahhh, I forgot about the Zebra as a cold water specie. No one tried to sell it to me (yet), as I wasn't shopping for fish per se. The reference for the Banggai Cardinals were in the conversation about setting up the 35G so that is probably why they suggested them. That lfs owner suggested a few of the Goby varieties and shrimp and snails of course.

There is just no lid on top so the snails keep on trekking :/. I found a couple in the hallway and think one of the dogs must have picked them up and then dropped them a bit later.

Hoping for some pics on Friday. Phone is still dumb right now.