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Help with my very first saltwater tank please


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  1. #1

    Default Help with my very first saltwater tank please

    Hi everyone. My name is Adam. I recently decided to start a saltwater aquarium after having my freshwater for 2 years. (55 gal with a fat happy oscar and some african chiclids)
    I went to a pet store in the city and got some good information from the fish expert there. I got my old 10 gal tank, hooked up the penguin 50 power filter to it and mixed in my salt solution. I measured to the salinity and cycled just the water for about 30 hours.
    the next day I double checked the salinity, it was good so i poured a sack or argonite into my tank. After the dust settled I turned on my flourescent and sat back.
    It's been 6 days and i see absolutely no activity and i'm not sure if I should. I have a heater goin and the tank is at a steady 76 degrees. The filter is still cycling.
    Please help me with my next move. This weekend (today being tuesday) I am probably getting a big lump of live rock and a damsel or two. Is this a good move?

    (p.s) thanks for your help! :-)

  2. #2
    jojo22 - Reefkeeper Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Canton, Ohio
    Posts
    2,828

    Default

    I would take out all of the filter media and throw it away. That is what your live rock is for it will do most of your major filtration. As far as the damsels it would be safe to add them as long as your live rock is pre-cured. if you get un-cured live rock it will cause the cycle all by it's self. Or instead of damsels you could kick your cycle off with a single uncooked cocktail shrimp. please do a search on "cycle" here. there is a lot of great info that would help you a lot. And since you seem to be fairly inteligent (i.e. not adding fish right off the bat, you know what a cycle is, and you came here) you should beable to catch on quick.


    P.S. WELCOME TO CR!!!!!!!
    Does water always taste like salt and poo????


  3. #3
    mutts - Reefkeeper Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    IL
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    904
    First Name
    Manda Wolf

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    what jojo said about the filter media is true but many of us like to run carbon in out filters as a 'just in case something goes wrong'

    here is some info i wrote awhile ago about cycleing:

    Cycling is the most important part of setting up a saltwater aquarium. The purpose is simply allowing nature to take its course. You are waiting for "bacterial cultures [to] develop and spread with the system". (Paletta 78 ) This process can take anywhere from one to eight weeks. This is only finished when the ammonia and nitrite levels drop to zero. Once this is over you may start adding a few fish every couple of weeks or so.

    If you leave the tank alone you will never start the cycling process. You must help it along. One way is to place in you tank live rock, then wait. Another way is to add a cheap Damsel fish. They have been used for years to cycle aquariums, as they are hardy enough to survive bad water conditions and inexperienced owners. This does stress the fish, it you want to avoid this you may want to try fish-less cycling. Buying an ammonium chloride mix (Wickham 217) to add to the tank water can do this. Or by simply allowing a cocktail shrimp to decay in the tank.

    The cocktail shrimp method is the most widely used today and can be added with the live rock to speed the process along. All you have to do is add a raw cocktail shrimp to the aquarium water and wait. Test the water parameters at least every three days. When the ammonia starts to spike you may remove the shrimp. You then start weekly water changes to allow the ammonia levels to drop and for the first algae blooms to start. Once the levels are down to zero the process is finished. (CaptiveReefing)
    Hope that helped!

    PS WELCOME!
    ~Amanda~

    It is really nice to see you here in this thread. While your online how about you go over to the TOTM thread and enter or vote. It will only take a minute

  4. #4
    jojo22 - Reefkeeper Registered User
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    Nov 2005
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    Canton, Ohio
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    If you do decide to run carbon you must be very maticulious about your maintnence and change it on a regular basis or it could cause problems. Other than that carbon is fine. I only run it on a regular basis in my FOWLR tank that I just set up.
    Does water always taste like salt and poo????


  5. #5
    mutts - Reefkeeper Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    IL
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    Manda Wolf

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    it just makes me feel safer but to each his own, and like jojo said carbon should be changed regularly, at least once a month, if not once ever two weeks, it all depends on your bio load on that
    ~Amanda~

    It is really nice to see you here in this thread. While your online how about you go over to the TOTM thread and enter or vote. It will only take a minute

  6. #6
    Iconz - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Perry, GA
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    WELCOME TO CR, Adam!!! You've definitly come to the right place. I see Joe and Amanda have already got you on your way! Keep us update as the days/hours go by and we'll be here to help ya the whole time! We'll get into equipment and things like that before too long, but for now, you are well on your way! Let us know if you have any more questions!

    -JD

  7. #7
    hummer - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Nov 2006
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    seneca ,IL
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    you tellem iconz....lol hehe


    thay all know alot and all are willing to help this place is great
    :: hummer :nemo

  8. #8
    graphixx - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Idaho
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    First Name
    Greg

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    Adam, first off welcome to CR.
    The one thing that will help you more than anything in this hobby in my expierence (10 years off and on) is PATIENCE!!!! Dont get in a hurry just sit back do some reading and research. especially in the beginning if you take your time and do things right from the start this adventure will go a lot smoother. what everyone said above is a good start. but just do some research and take your time and DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. this is why we are all here on this forum is to help one another in this hobby.
    fulltankshot 1 - Help with my very first saltwater tank please

  9. #9
    RWalston - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Surprise, Arizona
    Posts
    191

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    I would avoid getting the Damsels IMO. I would just let the live rock start the cycle. when everything is OK with the water Parameters I would start looking for fish that you really want to keep. Look at nano tanks and build yours from there.

  10. #10
    carpenterwrasse - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Pittsburgh,Pa
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    First Name
    George

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    welcome adam and when you think you have read enough asked all the questions that you can think of something will pop up and throw you for a loop don't be afraid to ask any question no matter how strange you might think it is someone here will have an answer,idea or comment.

    George

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