Might Go For It.....

[connorsbala]

Hey everyone,
I have a fair few FW tanks. I have a green spotted puffer and bumblebee gobies,which require brackihs water,so at the moment im getting used to all the salt and everything.
A few months ago i was researching into getting a marine tank,but somehow i didnt get round to doing it. Now that i work at my LFS, and get discount n all,i think its time to do it
Im thinking of a FOWLR. It'll be a 10 gal btw. I just have a few q's
1. My LFS(where i work) do this bacteria stuff in like a big gallon bottle that claims to have live sea bacteria in it,and you can instantly add a couple of fish/CUC. Shoudl i do this or just go throught the cycling process.
2. Cycling- just not sure how to do this with marine. Add the SW, add 'bacteria stimulator' eg nutrafin cycle and leave it? Or do you add food every few days? How did you cucle your tanks? Add LR a day after you setup the tank?
3. Do i need a filter? If so,shall i leave the sponges that coem with it or put soemthign else in there?
4.With the filter,will i still need a powerhead?
5. What salinity do marines like it? How mcuh salt is that per gallon (eg liek 1 tablespoon per gallon)
6. Lighting- If i get the hood for the 10 gal (18") shall i just get the unit and drill holes in the hood and attach it then add the light (interpet reef marine one?)
If i have any mre q's ill ask.

Just so you get the idea,im thinking of some sort of crab (blue legged hermit?), shrimp, turbo snail and obvioulsy the CLOWN FISH

If i ahev any more q's ill ask them

Many Thanks

Connor S

 

[Musho3210]

My responses will be in caps lock

Hey everyone,
I have a fair few FW tanks. I have a green spotted puffer and bumblebee gobies,which require brackihs water,so at the moment im getting used to all the salt and everything.
A few months ago i was researching into getting a marine tank,but somehow i didnt get round to doing it. Now that i work at my LFS, and get discount n all,i think its time to do it
Im thinking of a FOWLR. It'll be a 10 gal btw. I just have a few q's
1. My LFS(where i work) do this bacteria stuff in like a big gallon bottle that claims to have live sea bacteria in it,and you can instantly add a couple of fish/CUC. Shoudl i do this or just go throught the cycling process.
NO, STAY NATURAL, NEVER TRUST BACTERIA IN A BOTTLE PRODUCTS UNLESS ITS BIO-SPIRA, AND EVEN BIO-SPIRA DOESNT WORK 100% OF THE TIME. THIS HOBBY IS ALL ABOUT PATIENTS, DONT TRY AND SKIP THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF KEEPING TANKS.
2. Cycling- just not sure how to do this with marine. Add the SW, add 'bacteria stimulator' eg nutrafin cycle and leave it? Or do you add food every few days? How did you cucle your tanks? Add LR a day after you setup the tank?
FAIRLY SIMPLE, CHEMICALLY ITS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS FRESHWATER, AMMONIA-NITRITE-NITRATE-NITROGEN GAS, SO I WONT BOTHER EXPLAINING HOW IT WORKS. PUT THE LIVE ROCK IN THE TANK AND JUST LEAVE IT IN THERE AND TEST THE WATER, THE LIVE ROCK WILL CYCLE THE TANK.
3. Do i need a filter? If so,shall i leave the sponges that coem with it or put soemthign else in there?
ITS DEBATEABLE, MOST WOULD SAY DONT GET ONE, IF YOU DO TAKE OUT THE SPONGE, PUT SOME CARBON AND/OR PHOSPHATE REMOVER AND/OR LIVE ROCK RUBBLE. SPONGES CAN BECOME NITRATE FACTORIES, THEY DO THE JOB SO WELL THAT NITRATES ARE PRODUCED FASTER THAN NITROGEN GAS SO THE NITRATE LEVELS RISE FASTER IN THE TANK.
4.With the filter,will i still need a powerhead?
IT MATTERS HOW STRONG THE FILTER IS AND WHAT SPECIMENS YOU HAVE IN THE TANK
5. What salinity do marines like it? How mcuh salt is that per gallon (eg liek 1 tablespoon per gallon)
YOU NEED TO USE SPECIAL SYNTHETIC SEA SALTS THAT YOU CAN FIND AT YOUR LFS. MOST OF THE TIME ITS 1/2 CUP PER GALLON. BUY EITHER A HIGH QUALITY HYDROMETER (SWING ARMS ARE NOT HIGH QUALITY) OR A REFRACTOMETER. MOST WOULD RECOMMEND A REFRACTOMETER. THAT WILL TEST HOW MUCH SALT YOU HAVE IN THE WATER. AS YOU KNOW SALT WATER IS MORE BUOYANT THAN FRESHWATER SO THE SALT LEVEL IS INDIRECTLY TESTED VIA SPECIFIC GRAVITY OR S.G., YOU WANT AROUND 1.020-1.027 S.G LEVEL IN YOUR TANK. NSW (NATURAL SEA WATER) HAS ABOUT 1.024-1.026 MOST OF THE TIME.
6. Lighting- If i get the hood for the 10 gal (18") shall i just get the unit and drill holes in the hood and attach it then add the light (interpet reef marine one?)
DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO RETROFIT?
If i have any mre q's ill ask.

Just so you get the idea,im thinking of some sort of crab (blue legged hermit?), shrimp, turbo snail and obvioulsy the CLOWN FISH
SOUNDS GOOD, JUST REMEMBER HAVE PATIENT, RESEARCH, AND DONT GET TEMPTED TO GET AN ANEMONE.

If i ahev any more q's ill ask them

Many Thanks

Connor S

 

[connorsbala]

5. What salinity do marines like it? How mcuh salt is that per gallon (eg liek 1 tablespoon per gallon)
YOU NEED TO USE SPECIAL SYNTHETIC SEA SALTS THAT YOU CAN FIND AT YOUR LFS. MOST OF THE TIME ITS 1/2 CUP PER GALLON. BUY EITHER A HIGH QUALITY HYDROMETER (SWING ARMS ARE NOT HIGH QUALITY) OR A REFRACTOMETER. MOST WOULD RECOMMEND A REFRACTOMETER. THAT WILL TEST HOW MUCH SALT YOU HAVE IN THE WATER. AS YOU KNOW SALT WATER IS MORE BUOYANT THAN FRESHWATER SO THE SALT LEVEL IS INDIRECTLY TESTED VIA SPECIFIC GRAVITY OR S.G., YOU WANT AROUND 1.020-1.027 S.G LEVEL IN YOUR TANK. NSW (NATURAL SEA WATER) HAS ABOUT 1.024-1.026 MOST OF THE TIME.
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Thanks for the reply Ill probs do this then,if i can convince the parents
How mcuh is 1/2 a cup exactly....1/2 a teaspoon or something?

 

[connorsbala]

Dont worry...looked at a measuring jug and its got the line for a cup on there
Just a Q,ill get something like the aquaflow 1 which is very powerful. When people say to add carbon,do i put the loose 'actual carbon' ,the activated stuff, (eg that fluval makes http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hagen-Fluval-300g-3x...QQcmdZViewItem) in one of those stocking bags and put that in or get a carbon sponge http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fluval-Plus-2-1-pack...1QQcmdZViewItem?
Also,you know people say to put soem small pieces of live rock in,could you use the ceramic media for biorb tanks?...thats what does the filtration for those tanks;or would it have to be the live stuff?

 

[connorsbala]

BTW that stuff with bacteria in it is call Natural Sea Water,cant remember the brand. Its supposed to contain enough bacteria to instantly cycle the tank

 

[Musho3210]

i dont think you would need a filter if you are just having a low tech tank, if you want to save money maybe get 10 pounds live rock and 5 pounds base rock (base rock is just limestone or other calcium carbonite rocks) and get a powerhead or 2, its better to get 2 small powerheads than 1 big powerhead IMO since you can have more random current, oposing currents, and if one breaks down at least you have some flow in your tank. Look for about 10x turnover (multiply your tanks total capacity and times that by 10, thats how much flow you could have, you can have more if you want without much harm)

you can use that bacteria stuff but dont expect much if anything, live rock will be your bacteria starter, but it will also be your ammonia starter.

 

[connorsbala]

Im going to the LFS today and might get the tank,sand and rock
Thanks for the help Musho!

 

[connorsbala]

At my LFS,the live rock tank has fish in it...so will itbe fully cured? Ive heard that when its fully cured you can add stock sooner than uncured. If i put in the rock and dont get any readings,does that mean its instantly cycled?I might be going to the LFS tomorow as my boss isnt in today and no discount Ill get the water and salt. Then the next day ill get sand and LR or shoudl i get that the same day as i setup up the tank?

 

[connorsbala]

Could i put a clown (true perc. or what ever) and a yellow clown goby in a 12 Uk gal/14 US tank?

 

[littleme1969]

I would wait until you have constant readings of no ammonia and very low to 0 nitrates for about 5 days before adding fish. You really need to add a clean up crew of some kind before fish or you will have huge algae problems.
Dont be in such a rush otherwise you will have major problems and regret it later. Patience is whats important with marine tanks and lots of it Read other peoples journals on here to give you a good idea of how to do it and when to add what. The more you know the less proble,s you will have and the more prepared you will be when situations arise.

 

[connorsbala]

I was just finding out...gonna be a while before i add fish or CUC...well untilt he levels are fine.
Just a question o procedure....do you add the water into the tank,then LR and then sand on the same day? Or can you add the sand and LR then the water,or must water already be in the tank? Wont it just go cloudy when you add sand to water?

 

[adam.crouch]

A clown fish and a yellow goby will be fine for that size tank

 

[littleme1969]

I was just finding out...gonna be a while before i add fish or CUC...well untilt he levels are fine.
Just a question o procedure....do you add the water into the tank,then LR and then sand on the same day? Or can you add the sand and LR then the water,or must water already be in the tank? Wont it just go cloudy when you add sand to water?

I did it by adding about 40% pre mixed water to the tank. Then added the live rock, then gently added the sand around the rock. Make sure the water level covers your rock totally, then I left it for a few hours and topped off the water by gently pouring over the rock, so not to disturb the sand. Depends if you have any kind of filter in there as to how long it will take to clear. I have a built in filter system in the back of my tank so it was totally clear in 6 hours, but for systems with no filter it can take 24 - 36 hrs for everything to settle.

 

[connorsbala]

Was at the LFS and was looking at the LR; there was like white patches on some...is this alright? It looks like its covered in (a crappy description) limescale... There was types of coral on it,that looked like purple mushroom ones. Are these alright to add to a new tank? The rock is cured for there to be fish and stuff in with it..right?
The LR rock looked similar to this (the white stuff) http/www.livestockusa.org/marshallrock3.jpg

 

[littleme1969]

Yes thats classic cured live rock, will have many different types of coraline algae on it in avariety of colours, pink, purple, yellow, green, white etc. And if its got any soft corals growing on it all the better. But I would think they would charge etc for rock with corals attached. And yes it will be already cured, but it will still need alittle time to settle into a new system so there me be a little die off that will result in ammonia and nitrate spikes.