Help/advice/tips

torresj9 · 03/16/2016, 07:42 PM

So I'm pretty new at this saltwater stuff and I'm pretty excited just need some tips/advice. I started a 40 gallon tank. So far I only got about 30-35 lbs of live rock. 40 pounds of live sand (bahama oolite) for my equipment I got to power heads and one heater. I ordered the coralife protein skimmer 650. I did some research and it seemed pretty good. Anyone used one or have experiences?
Would it be safe to put in the skimmer once it gets here? (It's been shipped)
Now my tank has been set up for 2 weeks now. The water I first got it from my local pet store and then I bought a RODI unit and made my own water and I did water change 15% this past weekend. ( I also just ordered a TDS meter)
Now I been noticing I been getting some brown spots on my sand and I read it looks like diatoms.. Should I be worried or is this normal? If not how can I get rid of it?
Now about a week ago I bought some rock from a guy and went I put in the rock In my tank some snails appeared (he had crabs and snails in his) should I just leave them in there??
And my last thing before i ever though about saltwater tanks I use to go to pets store and I would always be fascinated about the little shrimps since they would always be so active.. My girlfriend actually surprised me and bought me one and had in the tank before I got home (she thinks it works sort same way as a freshwater) now the shrimp (cleaner shrimp) he's been there for about a week now and it seems really active. Should I leave him there as well?? I bought the API saltwater test kit and for my PH I got 7.8, ammonia .25ppm , nitrite 0ppm and nitrate 0ppm...
Thank you!!!

ClownFishGuy6 · 03/16/2016, 08:03 PM

Everything's sounds fine. Once you get on your protein skimmer the diatoms should decrease. But if it doesn't then get a goby or a sandsifting starfish or anything that sifts the sand. Once the protein skimmer gos on wait about a couple days and then you can add your first fish

torresj9 · 03/16/2016, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClownFishGuy6

Everything's sounds fine. Once you get on your protein skimmer the diatoms should decrease. But if it doesn't then get a goby or a sandsifting starfish or anything that sifts the sand. Once the protein skimmer gos on wait about a couple days and then you can add your first fish

I don't think my tank is fully cycle. Since I still have ammonia present and I haven't seen no reading for nitrite and nitrate.. Would it still be safe to add the goby or starfish

Land_shark067 · 03/16/2016, 08:37 PM

Welcome to the hobby!!! sounds like you are well underway! Shrimp are my favorite as well! my cleaner shimp actually will come clean my hand when i put it in the tank. So now that you have the tank up and running I suggest MUCH more research before adding anything to your tank! things tend to live longer and be much less expensive to replace if pre-planned lol. First of your tank hasnt cycled yet. keep doing what your doing but dont add more tell its cycled. what is cycled you ask.. google it lol its super basic but basically the core need to know to have any aquarium. having a saltwater tank tends to be addicting, research heavy and expensive! which you already know by the sounds of what you have so far. here are some SUPER helpful resources i highly recommend:

this book is like a saltwater bible. SOOOO useful and in a hobby where your first fish will probably cost more then this book and the fish probably want have any warranty.:
beginner to breeder by martin moe

next check out:
https://youtu.be/q0WwT4j86a0

watch this whole series but you probally only ready for first 13 videos
https://youtu.be/fKEXNIhomGs?list=PL...3fMomFb9XU0ffC

other youtube channels to check:
Mr saltwater
King of DIY
tidal garden
vivid aquariums

the last two are super useful once you start getting into corals

Good luck on continued efforts!

torresj9 · 03/16/2016, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Land_shark067

Welcome to the hobby!!! sounds like you are well underway! Shrimp are my favorite as well! my cleaner shimp actually will come clean my hand when i put it in the tank. So now that you have the tank up and running I suggest MUCH more research before adding anything to your tank! things tend to live longer and be much less expensive to replace if pre-planned lol. First of your tank hasnt cycled yet. keep doing what your doing but dont add more tell its cycled. what is cycled you ask.. google it lol its super basic but basically the core need to know to have any aquarium. having a saltwater tank tends to be addicting, research heavy and expensive! which you already know by the sounds of what you have so far. here are some SUPER helpful resources i highly recommend:

this book is like a saltwater bible. SOOOO useful and in a hobby where your first fish will probably cost more then this book and the fish probably want have any warranty.:
beginner to breeder by martin moe

next check out:
https://youtu.be/q0WwT4j86a0

watch this whole series but you probally only ready for first 13 videos
https://youtu.be/fKEXNIhomGs?list=PL...3fMomFb9XU0ffC

other youtube channels to check:
Mr saltwater
King of DIY
tidal garden
vivid aquariums

the last two are super useful once you start getting into corals

Good luck on continued efforts!

Yeah the shrimp (named him Felipe lol) is pretty cool I can stick my hand in and he just jumps pretty cool creature! Hah
And yeah I don't plan on adding any live stock until my cycle is ready. I been researching about the "nitrogen cycle" and not going to lie at first it was a big twist but now it makes ALOT of sense. Now quick question for you. Since my tank is barely like 2 almost 3 weeks old is the .25ppm ammonia is that consider high? Does it need be higher for it to start converting into nitrite??
And yeah it's been little
Expensive but I been wanting to do it for the longest but I'm taking my time and not trying to buy everything at once.

gone fishin · 03/17/2016, 05:25 AM

Was the rock you put in the tank live already or was it dry or dead rock?

What did you use to start the tank cycling?

What was the highest ammonia reading? IMO API are known for showing 0.25ppm. I just find them difficult to read.

Have you seen any Nitrites yet?

The critters you have in the tank now may make it or not. It depends on the tank cycle status.

I would suggest that you impress upon your girlfriend not to surprise you with critters. A lot of times this does not work out well.

FWIW I was never impressed with coralife skimmers.

There is a sticky at the top of the forum called setting up, look for the big red arrow. It is chocked full of info. Good luck just my 2 cents.

torresj9 · 03/17/2016, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

Was the rock you put in the tank live already or was it dry or dead rock?

What did you use to start the tank cycling?

What was the highest ammonia reading? IMO API are known for showing 0.25ppm. I just find them difficult to read.

Have you seen any Nitrites yet?

The critters you have in the tank now may make it or not. It depends on the tank cycle status.

I would suggest that you impress upon your girlfriend not to surprise you with critters. A lot of times this does not work out well.

FWIW I was never impressed with coralife skimmers.

There is a sticky at the top of the forum called setting up, look for the big red arrow. It is chocked full of info. Good luck just my 2 cents.

Most of rock was dead rock since the guy had it storage somewhere in his house and another 10 pounds was live I got it from a guy that had his tank set up. All I used to cycle the tank was live sand and the rock pretty much it.
And yeah highest ammonia is .25-.50 really not sure since you said it kinda hard to read.
I have not seen any nitrites yet I checked last night at still at 0.
So far my cleaner shrimp seems really good. He is active when I get home he likes to be inside the rock but then he hears me and comes out.
And yeah I'll be checking that. Thanks

gone fishin · 03/17/2016, 06:34 AM

I would speculate your cycle is not really under way yet. I would consider adding an ammonia source to the tank to get the cycle going. A lot of folks will add pure ammonia or a deli shrimp to the tank to get the ammonia up to about 2-3 ppm. Also, some folks will ghost feed the tank to get the cycle going.

Be aware that if you do any of the above there is a good chance the cleaner shrimp may not make it. I would personally remove the shrimp and allow the tank to cycle.

torresj9 · 03/17/2016, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

I would speculate your cycle is not really under way yet. I would consider adding an ammonia source to the tank to get the cycle going. A lot of folks will add pure ammonia or a deli shrimp to the tank to get the ammonia up to about 2-3 ppm. Also, some folks will ghost feed the tank to get the cycle going.

Be aware that if you do any of the above there is a good chance the cleaner shrimp may not make it. I would personally remove the shrimp and allow the tank to cycle.

Yeah I was also thinking my tank hasn't started yet. Is there any pure ammonia you might recommend? If not I'll go to store and get couple of shrimps and cut pieces and put them in there ... I
Might have to take my cleaner shrimp out then..
What about the diatoms is that normal !?

billdogg · 03/17/2016, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

I would speculate your cycle is not really under way yet. I would consider adding an ammonia source to the tank to get the cycle going. A lot of folks will add pure ammonia or a deli shrimp to the tank to get the ammonia up to about 2-3 ppm. Also, some folks will ghost feed the tank to get the cycle going.

Be aware that if you do any of the above there is a good chance the cleaner shrimp may not make it. I would personally remove the shrimp and allow the tank to cycle.

Pretty much what he said. Because the cleaner shrimp is in there already, before you take him out, make sure the LFS will take it back. They might be willing to "hold" it for you until your tank is ready? I would explain the situation to them and see what they say.

Rather than using a piece of shrimp, and especially if you do keep the cleaner, I would suggest ghost feeding with some sinking pellets instead. New Life Spectrum makes a great line of foods. That way your (live) shrimp will have something to eat!

torresj9 · 03/17/2016, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg

Pretty much what he said. Because the cleaner shrimp is in there already, before you take him out, make sure the LFS will take it back. They might be willing to "hold" it for you until your tank is ready? I would explain the situation to them and see what they say.

Rather than using a piece of shrimp, and especially if you do keep the cleaner, I would suggest ghost feeding with some sinking pellets instead. New Life Spectrum makes a great line of foods. That way your (live) shrimp will have something to eat!

Okay awesome thanks for the tip! I'm going to go to the pet store right now.
Any pallet food you might recommend? And how many times should I feed the tank a day?

gone fishin · 03/18/2016, 08:56 AM

If you decide to go with pure ammonia you do not want to get any with any sort of fragrances or surfacants. If you shake the bottle it should not foam up.

If you decide to go the ghost feeding route I would suggest feeding a little bit a couple times a day. good luck

Nina51 · 03/18/2016, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

I would speculate your cycle is not really under way yet. I would consider adding an ammonia source to the tank to get the cycle going. A lot of folks will add pure ammonia or a deli shrimp to the tank to get the ammonia up to about 2-3 ppm. Also, some folks will ghost feed the tank to get the cycle going.

Be aware that if you do any of the above there is a good chance the cleaner shrimp may not make it. I would personally remove the shrimp and allow the tank to cycle.

agree with tony. if you decide to use a shrimp to cycle your tank, be sure it's raw. no need to cut it up into pieces.

also, your tank will probably never sustain a sand sifting starfish. it's a *small* tank, in the scheme of things and once a starfish has exhausted whatever is in the sand bed, it will slowly starve to death. eventually, if you want a star, look at serpent stars and/or brittle stars. they are a great part of your clean up crew!

torresj9 · 03/18/2016, 01:55 PM

Thanks guy! So I went with the pallets instead and I'm just feeding the tank once a day for now. Hopefully my ammonia gets higher and start I checked it today and it's still at .25-.50 (hard to read) is there more accurate ammonia test kits?

torresj9 · 03/19/2016, 12:35 AM

Okay so i tested the water and it seems the ammonia is going up! I'm guessing that's good since that means the cycling hast started and also nitrite it's up as well.. My question is now. Is it safe to do water changes while cycling or do it after its done!? What about lighting do I need keep it on all day ?

Happyschneider · 03/19/2016, 01:18 AM

Hi, sorry to disappoint you. The fact that ammonia is going up means you are adding ammonia source to the tank, not that the cycle has started! Please don't overdo it, no need to kill your invertebrates. Feed them, they will eat and produce ammonia. The bacteria consuming ammonia will start to grow and eventually no ammonia will be present. Therefore you will have nitrite (make sure your test is working). Then the nitrite consuming bacteria will start growing until there are enough to consume everything that is produced, then your nitrates start to increase (no need to test until nitrites are gone as they give you wrong nitrate read outs).

If you push too hard now, there will be too much ammonia (which is less a problem as long as the pH stays high, read up on ammonia toxicity depending on pH, important for the process you use to acclimate your fish in future) which can kill the higher life which seems to be present already! Nitrites definitely will become a problem, as the more ammonia is there, the more nitrites there will be. Make sure you have enough surface movement once nitrites start to appear.

Not using extra ammonia or dead shrimp will make the cycle slower but therefore you will save your animals!

torresj9 · 03/19/2016, 07:56 AM

GOT IT!!! Thanks... What I been doing is feeding couple of pallets a day. my ammonia is not to high it's .50ppm but I did see different from my nitrie. Before I would see 0 but now it went up. And my nitrate it looks it went up but still not sure about that one!?
And what about water changes? Do you recommend them!? Would it slow it down or speed it up??
And also lighting ... I have regular lightning so far . Do I need leave it on all day or couple hours a day?

Nina51 · 03/19/2016, 08:03 AM

normally, you wouldn't do any water changes until your cycle is finished. once your cycle is complete, you can do a 15-20% water change and then start thinking about what you want to add for a clean up crew.

as for lighting, i don't think it makes any difference in how your cycle goes. i guess you can turn lights on for a couple of hours when you just want to relax and watch your tank although you don't have much to see at this point.

torresj9 · 03/19/2016, 08:04 AM

Okay so pretty much just let the tank do its then ..

Happyschneider · 03/19/2016, 11:32 AM

Lighting might be interesting to see if you have a heat problem. The shrimps will be active with or without.

Keep a very close eye on nitrite and make a water change when it gets too high (check Google for values for invertebrate, can't help there).

torresj9 · 03/19/2016, 11:35 AM

Okay sure will.. I was thinking of doing FOWLR for a radiata or antennata lionfish .. My tank is 40 gallons. Would that be okay??
And anyone know if they can be in a reef aquarium

Nina51 · 03/19/2016, 12:05 PM

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/a...es.cfm?c=15+36

03/17/2016, 05:25 AM	#6
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Was the rock you put in the tank live already or was it dry or dead rock? What did you use to start the tank cycling? What was the highest ammonia reading? IMO API are known for showing 0.25ppm. I just find them difficult to read. Have you seen any Nitrites yet? The critters you have in the tank now may make it or not. It depends on the tank cycle status. I would suggest that you impress upon your girlfriend not to surprise you with critters. A lot of times this does not work out well. FWIW I was never impressed with coralife skimmers. There is a sticky at the top of the forum called setting up, look for the big red arrow. It is chocked full of info. Good luck just my 2 cents. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/17/2016, 06:34 AM	#8
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I would speculate your cycle is not really under way yet. I would consider adding an ammonia source to the tank to get the cycle going. A lot of folks will add pure ammonia or a deli shrimp to the tank to get the ammonia up to about 2-3 ppm. Also, some folks will ghost feed the tank to get the cycle going. Be aware that if you do any of the above there is a good chance the cleaner shrimp may not make it. I would personally remove the shrimp and allow the tank to cycle. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/18/2016, 08:56 AM	#12
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	If you decide to go with pure ammonia you do not want to get any with any sort of fragrances or surfacants. If you shake the bottle it should not foam up. If you decide to go the ghost feeding route I would suggest feeding a little bit a couple times a day. good luck __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/19/2016, 01:18 AM	#16
Happyschneider Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Basel, Switzerland Posts: 350	Hi, sorry to disappoint you. The fact that ammonia is going up means you are adding ammonia source to the tank, not that the cycle has started! Please don't overdo it, no need to kill your invertebrates. Feed them, they will eat and produce ammonia. The bacteria consuming ammonia will start to grow and eventually no ammonia will be present. Therefore you will have nitrite (make sure your test is working). Then the nitrite consuming bacteria will start growing until there are enough to consume everything that is produced, then your nitrates start to increase (no need to test until nitrites are gone as they give you wrong nitrate read outs). If you push too hard now, there will be too much ammonia (which is less a problem as long as the pH stays high, read up on ammonia toxicity depending on pH, important for the process you use to acclimate your fish in future) which can kill the higher life which seems to be present already! Nitrites definitely will become a problem, as the more ammonia is there, the more nitrites there will be. Make sure you have enough surface movement once nitrites start to appear. Not using extra ammonia or dead shrimp will make the cycle slower but therefore you will save your animals! __________________ My build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2517452 180 liter, sumpless reef, no skimmer for the moment. Current Tank Info: Juwel VISION 180, currently only invertebrates, planning to have low bioload as I have no skimmer and no refugium for the moment.

03/19/2016, 08:03 AM	#18
Nina51 biggliest cofveve champ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 5th floor, Illinois, gewgaw expert Posts: 3,506	normally, you wouldn't do any water changes until your cycle is finished. once your cycle is complete, you can do a 15-20% water change and then start thinking about what you want to add for a clean up crew. as for lighting, i don't think it makes any difference in how your cycle goes. i guess you can turn lights on for a couple of hours when you just want to relax and watch your tank although you don't have much to see at this point. __________________ of all the things i've lost, i miss my gary the most. Never hold your farts in. They travel up your spine into your brain, and that is where crappy ideas come from. Current Tank Info: i gave my reef away and i feel like a bird out of a cage!!

03/16/2016, 08:03 PM	#2
ClownFishGuy6 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 261	Everything's sounds fine. Once you get on your protein skimmer the diatoms should decrease. But if it doesn't then get a goby or a sandsifting starfish or anything that sifts the sand. Once the protein skimmer gos on wait about a couple days and then you can add your first fish

03/16/2016, 08:37 PM	#4
Land_shark067 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Wyoming Posts: 39	Welcome to the hobby!!! sounds like you are well underway! Shrimp are my favorite as well! my cleaner shimp actually will come clean my hand when i put it in the tank. So now that you have the tank up and running I suggest MUCH more research before adding anything to your tank! things tend to live longer and be much less expensive to replace if pre-planned lol. First of your tank hasnt cycled yet. keep doing what your doing but dont add more tell its cycled. what is cycled you ask.. google it lol its super basic but basically the core need to know to have any aquarium. having a saltwater tank tends to be addicting, research heavy and expensive! which you already know by the sounds of what you have so far. here are some SUPER helpful resources i highly recommend: this book is like a saltwater bible. SOOOO useful and in a hobby where your first fish will probably cost more then this book and the fish probably want have any warranty.: beginner to breeder by martin moe next check out: https://youtu.be/q0WwT4j86a0 watch this whole series but you probally only ready for first 13 videos https://youtu.be/fKEXNIhomGs?list=PL...3fMomFb9XU0ffC other youtube channels to check: Mr saltwater King of DIY tidal garden vivid aquariums the last two are super useful once you start getting into corals Good luck on continued efforts!

03/18/2016, 01:55 PM	#14
torresj9 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 16	Thanks guy! So I went with the pallets instead and I'm just feeding the tank once a day for now. Hopefully my ammonia gets higher and start I checked it today and it's still at .25-.50 (hard to read) is there more accurate ammonia test kits?

03/19/2016, 12:35 AM	#15
torresj9 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 16	Okay so i tested the water and it seems the ammonia is going up! I'm guessing that's good since that means the cycling hast started and also nitrite it's up as well.. My question is now. Is it safe to do water changes while cycling or do it after its done!? What about lighting do I need keep it on all day ?

03/19/2016, 07:56 AM	#17
torresj9 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 16	GOT IT!!! Thanks... What I been doing is feeding couple of pallets a day. my ammonia is not to high it's .50ppm but I did see different from my nitrie. Before I would see 0 but now it went up. And my nitrate it looks it went up but still not sure about that one!? And what about water changes? Do you recommend them!? Would it slow it down or speed it up?? And also lighting ... I have regular lightning so far . Do I need leave it on all day or couple hours a day?

03/19/2016, 08:04 AM	#19
torresj9 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 16	Okay so pretty much just let the tank do its then ..

03/19/2016, 11:32 AM	#20
Happyschneider Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Basel, Switzerland Posts: 350	Lighting might be interesting to see if you have a heat problem. The shrimps will be active with or without. Keep a very close eye on nitrite and make a water change when it gets too high (check Google for values for invertebrate, can't help there). __________________ My build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2517452 180 liter, sumpless reef, no skimmer for the moment. Current Tank Info: Juwel VISION 180, currently only invertebrates, planning to have low bioload as I have no skimmer and no refugium for the moment.

03/19/2016, 11:35 AM	#21
torresj9 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 16	Okay sure will.. I was thinking of doing FOWLR for a radiata or antennata lionfish .. My tank is 40 gallons. Would that be okay?? And anyone know if they can be in a reef aquarium

03/19/2016, 12:05 PM	#22
Nina51 biggliest cofveve champ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 5th floor, Illinois, gewgaw expert Posts: 3,506	http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/a...es.cfm?c=15+36 __________________ of all the things i've lost, i miss my gary the most. Never hold your farts in. They travel up your spine into your brain, and that is where crappy ideas come from. Current Tank Info: i gave my reef away and i feel like a bird out of a cage!!