BRAND new 25G marine

[fishykisses]

The water was added about 3 hours ago and i'm very pleasantly surprised that it's over 90% clear already!
All that's in there is live sand, live kanai rock many many teeny snails, 2 starfish and a hermit crab with very bright orange banded legs.
I'm still going to add one more rock that has some frags and coral attached and i'm getting MH lighting this weekend (hopefully)
I really can't wait to start stalking but don't worry, i'll be patient and let it cycle properly first.

 

[fish_keeper2]

i see several newb mistakes(i know i dont have a marine tank yet so please just tell me if im wrong nicely).

from what i understand you need about 1 - 1.5 lbs of live rock per gallon. along with a minimum 10x flow rate from powerheads for the bacteria in the live rock to thrive. you have already put animals in the tank on the first day and the tanks isnt cycled. did you get the rock from an established tank? if so then you are ok and you just have to make sure the current is strong enough and have adaqute amounts of live rock.


sorry if i seem like a know it all but this is just based on what i have read while resarching. im sure SH and Navarre can and will correct me if im wrong. i strongly suggest monitering the water stats extremly closely.

 

[fishykisses]

Yup - the filter/pump is strong - it's a H.O.T. Magnum canester.
The live rock and live sand are both from an existing tank. I wasn't gonna get the starfish but the guy selling couldn't get them out of the rocks. As it turned out one of the stars got quite injured from the guy trying to get him out. There is currently 20 pounds of live rock and i'm getting another piece on Saturday.

 

[fish_keeper2]

oh ok. since the LR and LS is seeded from an existing tank then your tank is pretty much cycled already. i would wait and moniter the water for a few weeks and then when you feel its ready you can start adding fish and corals and more inverts.....only a few at a time of course to prevent high ammonia spikes. good luck with your new tank.


i cant wait till i have money to set up the 10 gal nano im planning on

 

[steelhealr]

Hi..some thoughts:
1) What's the weight of the LR that you put in? You may want to hit those babies with a hammer and chisel to shape your reef better. Looks like two clumps of rock instead of a reef. Just a suggestion

2) are there powerheads in there?

3) Many marine aquarists are not big fans of canister filters as they can trap detritus and be a source of nitrates. What kind of media is in the canister?

4) Keep an eye on that star. If it was damages and dies, it can 'poison' the tank. Been there, done that. SH

 

[Navarre]

All the above advice is very sensible and wise so i wont go over that again with the exception of the starfish. I know they were inside the liverock so it was difficult to remove them but i would urge you to monitor them very closely as they are very poor at adapting to new and changing condition that a new tank is obviously prone too. A starfish can look in its prime and completely healthy yet 6 - 8 months from now it can fall apart in front your eyes and disintergrate into a poisonous cloudy jelly This can be because 6 monthd earlier in the tank it simply didnt adjust to changing conditions etc. So be careful, watch them closely and and if you still have them 12 months from now i would say that you can consider them as being well acclimatised.