10g Nano

[MarkW19]

No offense taken but...why not use cured LR if it is available and speed up the process? I, by no means, advocate rushing things in this hobby, but if you have the opportunity make things wasier then why not? When I started my 12gal nano I used 25lbs of fully cured LR and some well-setablished LS in my substrate and I experienced no cycle what so ever. In fact, I had corals in tank a week later. Please keep in mind that I filled the filtration compartments in my nanocube with cured LR rubble as well. The point being, using cured bio-media will greatly reduce the cycle time required for the tank.

Will just 2 cups of LS from the LFS, the rest being that bagged LS, be ok for the substrate? And, will 6kg (13lbs) of LR be enough, as well as the small internal filter the tank comes with?

Also, what wattage of powerhead should I get for this 10gallon tank (don't want it like a tornado in there!)?

Good news BTW - found out my LFS sells bottled RO - salted and unsalted. So I'm going to use the unsalted for top-ups, and the salted for waterchanges, as well as the initial tank water. How long will the bottled salted RO last while being stored? And what conditions should it be stored in - dark/room temp.? And I take it 2 hours in a bucket with a powerhead/heater will be ok before a waterchange?

 

[MarkW19]

I'm trying to find a SMALL compact 100w heater for this tank - if I can avoid it, I don't want a 14" long heater for a 10g tank! Does anyone make a compact unobtrusive heater?

And can anyone answer my questions above? : - )

 

[clearerphish]

I use RO/DI from the water dispenser at the local grocery store to make my water. I have 2 7 gal containers. One for home, one for work. I use that for top offs and to mix saltwater. Been going for a while with no troubles.

 

[lando]

Will just 2 cups of LS from the LFS, the rest being that bagged LS, be ok for the substrate? And, will 6kg (13lbs) of LR be enough, as well as the small internal filter the tank comes with?

The two cups of established substrate should go a long ways in seeding the "LS" in a bag. As for the LR, 13lbs would be a good start but you may want to bump it up to 15-20lbs for optimal biological filtration.
I only use one 25watt marineland heater in my 12gal nano. I is 5-6 inches in length and does a great job at keeping my water temp above 80 degrees F.

 

[MarkW19]

Cheers Lando.

I'm going to get some CaribSea Aragalive Live Sand (bagged) - they come in 20lb bags, will one bag be enough? My tank is just under 10g(9.6gUS), and is 16"w x 13"h x 11"d.

Thanks.

 

[lando]

I think one bag will be enough, depending on how deep you want your sand bed. Shoot for 2-3 inches.

 

[MarkW19]

Cool, thanks.

One last question (hopefully!): how long can I store bottled salted RO water before I use it for a water change? I'm hoping to keep some stored and use it up to 6 weeks after for waterchanges, by just mixing/heating it in a bucket for 2-3 hours before my waterchange with a powerhead/heater. I'll also be using stored bottled RO (non-salted obviously) for top-ups. How long can I keep them both, in a tightly-lidded bottle, before it starts going off?

Thanks.

 

[lando]

If kept sealed in a bucket it should last for a couple of weeks. I would re-mix it with a powerhead and heater for at least 24 hours prior to use. Throw in an air-strone on a small pump as well to introduce O2 back into the water.

 

[MarkW19]

It'll be in a sealed bottle.

I've read elsewhere that just 2-3 hours prior to the waterchange would be ok for aeration, but you'd recommend 24 hours? And also read that some people have kept saltwater stored for <6 weeks with no problems?

I'd really like to do this...if I have to mix for 24 hours prior to use, I may as well just make up my own fresh saltwater and mix the day before - I was trying to make it quicker/easier for me, if it's a viable solution

On a sidenote - how long can bottled RO water be stored before it goes off? Quite long I'm hoping!

 

[lando]

RO/DI water can be kept for an extended period of time. I blow through my tub in just a couple of weeks.

Ph is going to be your biggest concern with the stored SW. To get Ph back up to normal O2 and aggitation will be needed. I still would recommend no less then 24 hours. However, test Ph after a few hours and see how it looks.

 

[MarkW19]

I think I'll just mix my own saltwater - if I have to mix the bottled stuff for 24 hours anyway, I may as well just make my own up fresh and not have any pH/O2 problems. I'll store RO water for a good few weeks (<6?) for top-ups, and waterchanges, though, if it'll be ok?

 

[MarkW19]

Here's my plan:-

Get some bottled RO water and pour it in the tank. Then pour in the necessary salt, and mix with a powerhead (and heater) for 24 hours, then checking pH/SG and adjust as necessary. Then when the pH/SG/temp is good, I'll go to the LFS...

I'll pick up my bagged livesand, 2 cups of LS from a tank, my 8KG cured liverock...

I'll put the bagged live sand in (poured through the tankwater obviously - is this ok?!) and then the 2 cups of seeded LS, then wait for everything to clear if it's cloudy. Should I have the powerhead on or off at this point?! When the water's clear (hopefully after not too long), I'll then put all of the liverock in, wait for the tank to clear again if it's got some particles in it etc., and then turn on the powerhead (if off) and filter.

Does this sound ok?! I figured I'd have to put the livesand in AFTER the saltwater's mixed in order for it to be at the correct temp/SG for the bacteria etc., so the main question I'm really asking is is it ok to pour the livesand through the tankwater, and will it sink to the bottom ok and not mess up/cloudy up the water?

Thanks.

 

[MarkW19]

Can anyone help?

 

[lando]

Sorry Mark...I have not been on for a few days due to being extremely busy at work.

Get some bottled RO water and pour it in the tank. Then pour in the necessary salt, and mix with a powerhead (and heater) for 24 hours, then checking pH/SG and adjust as necessary.

This will work, however, I am more of a fan of premixing the SW before adding it to the tank. Especially in a smaller tank. This will ensure that salt has completely disolved before you add it to the tank. You will experence enough cloudy water just from the substrate before it settles.

I'll put the bagged live sand in (poured through the tankwater obviously - is this ok?!) and then the 2 cups of seeded LS, then wait for everything to clear if it's cloudy. Should I have the powerhead on or off at this point?! When the water's clear (hopefully after not too long), I'll then put all of the liverock in, wait for the tank to clear again if it's got some particles in it etc., and then turn on the powerhead (if off) and filter.

Again, I would hold off on bringing home the LR and LS until your SW is ready to go. Once your water is ready...I would add the bagged LS with the sand from the LFS tank on top and the LR. Place a bowl in the bottom of the tank to pour the SW into. This will, hopefully, keep the clouding to a minimum because you are pouring the water into the bowl and not directly on the substrate.

 

[MarkW19]

OK, no worries. I'll find some other container to mix my initial SW in then, thanks Lando.

 

[MarkW19]

I'm thinking about having 1 cleaner shrimp, and 1 blood shrimp in this tank - will I need to dose iodine for them? Or will my 25-30% waterchange every 2 weeks be ok (using Seachem Marine salt, which is meant to be good)?

Also, what about food? I'm thinking of alternating flake food with frozen shrimp/veggies etc., and then possibly enriching it with something for colour/healthiness - what do you guys recommended for enriching it? There's a new product by Seachem called Vitality - has anyone used it?

Thanks.

 

[lando]

No need to dose iodine, the water changes will be plenty. Offering a variety of food is a good idea, don't forget the dietary suppliments like garlic, vita-chem, zoe or selcon. They add needed vitamins, HUFAs and amino acids to the food. I have not used Vitalility before.

 

[MarkW19]

Thanks Lando

Changing <30% of the water at a time isn't a problem then?

This is the Vitality page:-

http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Vitality.html

 

[lando]

I do about that amount in my nano and pico every copule of weeks. Should be fine. The Vitality looks okay. I am a fan of Selcon and it looks to be a bit more concentrated then the Seachem product.

 

[MarkW19]

Cool I'll have a look at it - will the Vitality/Selcon help keep the fish's bright colours as well as general healthiness/immune system?