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Rob's First Saltwater Tank

14K views 128 replies 17 participants last post by  LS2000 
#1 · (Edited)
It's been a long time dream of mine to start a saltwater tank, but I always feared the cost of setting up a tank, so I've stuck with freshwater up until now. A couple weeks ago I decided to upgrade my 10 gal freshwater instead of setting up a saltwater, so I bought a 55 gal and moved all of my fish in to it. Now that I found this forum and realized people were doing small reef tanks I decided I wanted to try it too! So I've been dropping hints to my fiance to see if I was going to get in trouble if I started a reef tank (because we are trying to save money to pay for our wedding in August of this year). Yesterday we went to the pet store just to "look at prices" and she told me if I wanted to do it then I might as well get the stuff to start it... so I did =) The position of my tank was really a crappy decision so first thing this morning we drained my 55 gal (FW) down to be able to move it and relocated them away from the window, got the 55 gal (FW) filled back up and started setting up my (10 gal) reef tank.

Not much yet, just filled the tank with RO/DI water and mixed in my instant ocean. I have my HOB filter running (with no media) just to help stir it. I have some sand that I'll add later tonight once the salt seems to be stirred good. I'm still waiting for some other equipment that I'll need, as I just ordered my powerhead, hydrometer, digital thermostat, and reef test kit from Amazon, so hopefully that will all be here towards the end of this week and I'll be able to take the next step to set up my tank.

Just thought I'd start my own thread with pictures as I go step by step. This will be a learning opportunity for me since I've never done a saltwater tank before and I'm doing a small tank so we'll see how it goes!

Tank discontinued as of Jan 2014. Upgraded to 40B tank, see http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6/2-40b-builds-214883.html for new tank set up.

Updated 11/9/13:
Color coded... original content, later added content, discontinued content

TANK SPECS:
-10 gallon tank (started 4/21/13)
-5 gallon sump (added 9/11/13 - discontinued due to overflow failing, then found a crack in the sump)
-Maxi-jet 400 powerhead in DT (added 4/28/13, discontinued 11/13 due to too much flow)
-Maxi-jet 1200 (added 9/11/13) moved from sump to DT, running on 295gph mode since 11/13
-DIY 3/4" PVC Overflow (added 9/11/13 discontinued because I think it clogged and before I got around to unclogging it I noticed a crack in my sump)
-20 lbs CaribSea special reef grade live sand
~20 lbs live rock
-150W heater
-Stock hood lights + DIY LED lights (started 4/21/13, discontinued 6/28/13)
-Compact Fluorescent lights in stock hood (started 6/28/13, discontinued 9/11/13)
-(55) 3W Bridgelux LED fixture (120W) (added 9/11/13)

FISH:
- currently no fish, my fish died during week long power outage 12/13

INVERTS:
-(1) Cerith snail (added 5/18/13)
-(3) Trochus snails (added 9/12/13)
-(1) Tiger pistol shrimp (added 6/14/13)
-(1) Peppermint shrimp (added 6/28/13)

CORALS:
-(1) Disco mushroom (hitchhiked 5/18/13)
-(1) Green ricordea florida (added 7/23/13)
-(1) Small colony of Zoas/palys (added 7/23/13)
-(1) Umbrella mushroom (added 11/7/13)
-(1) Candy cane coral with 5 heads (added 11/7/13)

 

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#2 ·
So, you are starting a 10 gallon nano? Sorry, I just got confused and wanted to make sure. Also, starting a nano is harder than doing a larger tank like the 55. If something goes wrong, it will spread throughout the tank rather fast. Best of luck! :)
 
#3 ·
yes, I'm starting a 10 gal nano reef. I understand the risks, but going to try to keep it under control and will probably upgrade eventually (once I move to a bigger house where I can fit another big tank).

I added my sand last night and had a nice thick milkshake cloud but I put the filter media back in and ran it over night with the filter and it was cleared up this morning. Going to go pick up some live rock after work tonight and get it situated so I can start cycling the tank.
 
#4 ·
I went to the LFS again today and picked up some live rock and non-live rock. I liked the non-live rock (because it was cheaper! and because it has a little cave area underneath it, and a nice flatter area on top once I get ready to add corals). They didn't have much of a selection for live rock that would fit in my tank that had visible life forms on it, but I did end up getting a decent size piece. I think I read on here someplace to put pvc pipe in under the rock to keep the rock from sitting directly in the sand, so I put a little PVC platform in, but I'm not sure if I'm happy with the way it looks, I think I need to get it down in the sand a little deeper or something, don't like the look of it under my rock right now. Also might have made it a little too big if I don't put it down in the sand some because theres not much space in front of the pvc for cleanup crew to be able to move around once I get ready to put them in... sand is a little stirred up again from putting this all in. I think I need to get some more live rock but will have to go with smaller pieces because I won't have much space available for more big live rock...
 
#5 ·
I'm still waiting for more equipment that I ordered to finish setting up my tank, so I currently have just the stick on thermometer on the outside of my tank. I've noticed that during the day when my cheap stock lights are on the thermometer is reading between 80-82F, then at night when the lights are off it seems to drop down and read 78-80F, is this couple of degree swing going to cause any issues once I start stocking my tank? 10 gallon tank with a 200W heater set at about the mid-range setting on the heater to keep it in this heat range... should I look for a more consistant heater or would this be a normal temperature swing for day/night? I haven't added my powerhead yet, I'm currently just running my HOB filter without any media in it for circulation, so once I add my powerhead I'm sure it will probably change the temperature ranges a little as well...
 
#6 ·
got my equipment I ordered on Friday. put my powerhead (Marineland Maxi-jet 400) in the tank and I'm a little disappointed with my choice to put sand in the tank now because even with putting the powerhead half way down the tank in the back and aiming it up and towards the front so it bounces off a couple walls before hitting the sand it has still about depleted my sand on the far corners down to nothing...

I just noticed looking at my powerhead box that it says its 500gph in the setup that I installed it, if I change it to use the impeller instead of propeller I can drop it down to 110gph which will probably make it so its not stirring my sand out of place...

I tested my water for the first time yesterday and started an excel spreadsheet to keep track of things in. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the API reef master test kit doesn't include the ammonia and nitrite tests, only nitrate test so I'll have to pick up those tests too so I can watch my cycle closer. I still have test strips that I've been using with my FW tank so I was able to at least get an idea where my nitrite was at but don't have an ammonia test (other than the one I bought and put in my FW tank to keep an eye on the ammonia and tell me if it gets high, but its the kind that you leave in the tank so won't help with my SW tank).

Added a couple of frozen shrimp to my SW tank to help cycle it yesterday... now its just the wait game...
 

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#7 ·
nothing real exciting to report yet, still cycling the tank, the shrimp I put in are getting pretty nasty looking, they've definately started decaying real good now as they are getting noticeably smaller. I am waiting for my saltwater test kit so I haven't been able to watch the cycle very closely since I only have nitrate test kit and test strips that have nitrite on them but not as accurate... I've been keeping a close eye on my live rock hoping that I'll come home one night and see some new activity, but at this point I can't tell if there is new growth/color or if my mind is playing tricks on me. I'm thinking I may need to get another chunk of live rock, I've only got about 10lbs of rock in the tank right now for a 10 gal tank so it can't hurt to add more...
 
#9 ·
tested my tank tonight, I'm still working on getting the salt level right, I'm just a hair under 1.025 tonight so I added a couple more tablespoons of salt with my water top-off tonight. calcium = 480, KH = 179, Phosphate = 0.25, Nitrite = 10+ (no test kit, just going off the test strips until I get my salt water test kit), Nitrate 40ish, pH still between 7.4-7.8 (again going off test strip instead of a liquid test kit)

Today is day 11 since I set the tank up. I did a 10% water change at the end of last week, plan on doing another 10% water change tomorrow or Saturday. Is there anything else I should be doing while waiting for the tank to cycle? The shrimp that I put in the tank are getting pretty slimy looking, one has half dissolved, the other is stuck under one of the rocks so I can't see it very well to see what stage of decomposition it is in. Should I be leaving these in the tank until they completely decompose? I noticed that the rock that was not "live" has a nice slime coat on it, starting to look like it might be getting a layer of "life" in it...

Obviously I have a ways to go in my cycle yet, but just curious if there is something else I should be doing for the tank while it is cycling or if my 10% weekly water change is enough? Guess I'm off to do some more reading since it appears I talk to myself a lot here...
 
#10 ·
Hey there Rob,

I to started a 10 gal nano at the end of Feb. I used Live Rock to get my cycle started. I didn't do any water changes until my tank cycled. Now I do a gallon change once a week, and top off with fresh water when needed. I'm going to be posting some pics of mine as soon as I get to 5 posts!
 
#11 ·
welcome VirtualPilot. I'm getting closer to being ready to start stocking my tank. I just ran my tests and my parameters are getting closer to what they should be, so another week or two and I should be good to get started =)

SG 1.028 - hadn't topped off in a few days so just topped off will see if it comes back down where it should be, I had been struggling to get up to 1.025-1.026 so far but finally made it, if it doesn't come down once I topped off then I'll mix up a lighter batch of saltwater tomorrow and change a gallon of it to bring it back down a little

Calcium 520, KH 125.3, Phosphate between 0 - 0.25, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 5+, Nitrate 10, pH 7.8. Thinking I might need to get some 8.4 buffer to bring my pH up a little, but had read not to worry about it until after the cycle so maybe it will straighten out some on its own yet, it has come up a little bit since I started...

Getting excited to get started... my sand appears to be browning slightly so thinking I might be getting some diatoms, hopefully another week or so it'll be ready for the clean up crew... my live rock appears to be slowly getting more color and my non-live rock is becoming live, it has a little patch of green algae starting on it, but I don't think its a bad green algae from the looks of it, looks similar to some of the purple on my LR so thinking its ok...?
 
#20 ·
I literally do not have enough space, I have a space in my dining room that I was able to put my 55gal freshwater and 10 gallon SW side by side (original post) and that is the extent of my space... I appreciate your advice, but you won't change my mind on the 10g because its what I have and its what I have space for... I'll take my chances and learn my lessons as I go...
 
#22 ·
just for future reference and for any other newbs that wonder... here is my results for mixing salt. I am using reef crystals and RO/DI water... 1 gallon of water +
8 tbsp. of reef crystals = 1.018 sg
10 tbsp. of reef crystals = 1.022 sg
12 tbsp. of reef crystals = 1.026 sg (oops was hoping to hit 1.024-1.025 to bring my tank down a bit... will have to add a little extra water when I change water tomorrow...)
 
#26 ·
wow you really doing this the hard way, for a 10g just go to petco and buy the real ocean water and do you water changes with that , its actually cheaper much cheaper in the long run, you don't need to dose supplement you dont get in salt mix, you save alot of time mixing your salt and there's no headache with it, ive been using it for 6 months now and ill never go back to mixing, real ocean water has all the trace elements and nutrition you will never get from dosing and with a 10g its very affordable i have a light bio load and only do 10% a week in water changes have load 20-25-% change and its still more effective than mixing, this is supposed to be a fun hobby not an inquisition, dont make things harder than they have to be, i just keep my flow high , use alot of sand and rock, good lighting and natural water and the tank cares for itself.
 
#23 ·
I rearranged my rock last night to make room to add some more since today is payday I'll probably run to the store tonight and pick up another couple chunks of porous rock because the one chunk of rock that I bought that wasn't live isn't porous so I'll add some more porous rock just to make sure that I have enough filtration available.
 
#27 ·
What would I need to be dosing if I'm using reefcrystals? The calcium seems good, only other thing I've heard is maybe magnesium? I don't have a test kit for that yet though..... I picked up a couple more chunks of live rock because I wasn't happy with what I had yet, also got 3 snails to start my cleanup crew... there are a couple hitchhikers noticed on the new live rock, one appears to be a small softie of some sort, which brings up something I need help with... currently I have my powerhead set on circulation mode which says its up to 500gph plus my empty hob filter is rated for 110 gph, this little softie is getting blown around really bad although he appears well attached to the rock, but it brings up the question of what kind of flow should I have to keep softies? Should I change my powerhead over to the impeller which would drop it down to 110gph so I would have about 220gph instead of 610gph? 610gph seems like a lot for a 10gal tank...
 
#28 ·
Reef crystals is a buffed up salt. you could save a few bucks and just use the cheaper salts right now, you dont have enough corals or demand for the extra calcium and things in the reef crystals. If your keeping up with your water changes you wont need to dose anything at this point.
 
#29 ·
Instant ocean, is what I use. BTW. My ATO is a simple toms aqua lifter pump with a reservoir. I hooked it up to a float switch and connected it to my reefkeeper. this sounds really complicated but it was pretty simple. You could also just use gravity like a drip system. youtube has a million and a half videos on ATOs. Good luck with your tank. Its a very rewarding hobby.
 
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