Originally Posted by eschara23
http:///forum/post/3034008
I'm planning on getting some more live rock soon... and i just ordered a koralia nano powerhead... i haven't got a light yet ... i'm still trying to decide what would be a good one to get... I have a filter running... but don't have a protein skimmer... do i need one this early on? I've been getting some help and advice from my LFS... i don't have qt tank yet... do i need to get that right away?
First...welcome,
A good book will certainly help. VERY MUCH SO!
You have a good start. You haven't done anything harmful. Just dreaming of the near future isn't worthy of the remarks you have gotten so far. I think Florida Joe was a bit rough. He is a good guy and has lots of helpful input.
You do need some more live rock. Have a look around the forum and see what enough kind of looks like. It is hard to tell when people say pounds. You want enough rock, but room for the fish to swim too. You will have to lock your rock pieces into each other to prevent a rock slide.
You also need about a #2 Koraliia or 2 #1s, take the nano back, it is way too weak.
Corals need lots of flow to survive...the water current carries its food to them.
A satellite MH (metal Halide) light will do nicely for your size tank, and allow you to keep any kind of coral you want. Don't fudge on lighting..It is very important for corals.
Put a few raw shrimp in the tank to get it to cycle. You NEED test kits, or a Master reef or marine kit.
You need to be testing for the following:
- PH
- ALK
- Cal
- Nitrates
Nitrites
Ammonia
Phosphates
Not all the tests come in a master...you may have to buy individual tests. How to do and read them are in the instructions, as well as what is the perfect numbers you should have. Mine even tells me what to do to bring a number up or down. (I use the Instant Ocean Master Reef)
You also need a hydrometer or refractometer. The later is the best. A heater as well...set it at 78 - 80 You will also need a skimmer, but not yet...To cycle the tank, your ammonia and nitrites, nitrates will go crazy and then drop to 0. Remove the shrimp and do a 20% water change and you are good to go for your new fish. This takes a while so be patient.
Please do not listen to anyone when they say you can cycle using a damsel or some other fish. That is cruel and the fish will most likely die. If not then you will be trapped with a very mean little damsel, that will kill every other fish in the tank later.
You will have an algae bloom, that is when to buy your cleanup crew (CUC) snails, hermit crabs and the like.
A QT tank is a very good idea, a 10g tank should be fine.
In the future...About a month and a half away...
If you get clowns, get the two at the same time...but do not stock your tank all at once, take things very slow. Maybe once a month add a new frag of coral or one fish. You can really stock your coral but go very light on fish
.
The above is how I would go about doing things. I am no expert... But my coral and fish are alive and healthy after 3 years, so I did something right.
