hello from a SW Newbie

[wesm8]

Hello to all
I have run freshwater tanks of different sizes for about 20 years and currently have a 33g with a mixed bag of angels,mollies, platys, a Betta and grouchy 18 year old rainbow shark.
After all this time I am finally getting into SW with a 20g with about 16 pounds of Live rock in it now( I will be adding another 5 or 6 next payday) a hob aquaclear 30, a 100w marineland heater, a hydor nano 425 gph PH, and for lighting i have a 24" coral life T5 HO with a 10k and a 420/460 bulbs.

hoping for much advice and assistance on this tank

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Smitty]

Looks like you are off to a good start! Running a sump or just the PW in the tank? Cycled yet? Any fish? What are your plans?

 

[cmor1701d]

 

[wesm8]

thanks for the warm welcome
I just added about 5 pounds more live rock and a smaller 240 gph PH today. It is set up in my office on a small dresser so no room behind or below for sump thou I think i would like to add one later with the little 10 gallon tank i have to move the filter and heater and a little of the LR to make things look cleaner in the tank. but not great with plumbing so it will have to wait.

it is only a week or so into the cycle i started with 15 pounds live sand and the cured live rock and been adding the stability every day. which brings up a question for the members, my ammonia jumped the other day but only to between .5 and 1. ppm and already my nitrate is up to about 20 ppm, no nitrite yet thou. does this mean that is all the ammonia spike i will get?
salt is at 1.024 temp at 78 but for some reason my ph dropped from 8.2 a week ago to 8. today

hope to start with small cleaning crew then probably a couple clowns maybe a coral beauty and maybe some sort of wrasse or Blennie. would like to add a couple soft coral frags or anemone for the clowns but want to make sure i have a stable tank first.

 

[Smitty]

That pH shift says to me you are still fluctuating in the cycle period but having 20 lbs of live rock will help it. When you added this new rock, was it wet from the store? If you transported in paper or something then there may be more die off and you can check it tomorrow to see how it is doing.

 

[thincat]

With a 20g You will be limited as to the amount of fish you can add. Remember that clowns are damels and as such will get very territorial and may claim the whole tank as theirs.

 

[wesm8]

yes the live rock was in a gallon of water from the store and at tests today i am still at 8.0 on ph 0 nitrites, 0.50 ammonia, and 20 nitrates. so pretty much no change last couple of days.