new to sait water

david12

david12

Member
hello i am new to to this i have just got a new 10 gallon fish tank with a wet and dry fitler and buit in light i have just went to and ask the pet shop if i could set up this as a sait water tank as they are the one who sold it to me and they sed would be it be good for a pair of clown fish no more i was thinking cool i have always wanted to set up a sait water tank anyway i didnt buy everything i need to cyle the tank but i have put in red sea sait and tested the ph with came back at 8.2 and my sait level is at 02 i know i have to get a live rock and coral sand but is there anything esle i need to get if u could please reply to this it would be great any good ideas would also be helpfull tanks
 
nicetry

nicetry

Active Member
A 10 gallon tank is on the small side for a pair of clowns. A small goby would work and maybe a yellow tail damsel and a few inverts. Add a shallow layer of sand and some pieces of live rock. Simply let the tank cycle w/o fish for a few weeks and test your water every few days. Add a small pinch of flake food a few times a week if you want but the live rock will cycle the tank. Not sure what you mean when you say your salt reads.02. What are you using to measure your salinity. Look for a salinity level (not spcific gravity) of 35-36 ppt. The pH will fluctuate in a new set-up so check it after the tank has been running for a couple weeks and is cycled.
 
david12

david12

Member
thanks i was only hoping to get a hardy fish n there so i was thinking it wouldnt really take a few sennce i am putting ahrdly fish like a damsel which i have read they can live in any water condtion the pet shop told me i need a live rock and coral graval or something like that and but what i dont know if is how will i know when its cycle will my tank be cycleing now with just sait in it i dont know much about sait water so i dont have a clue also the p[et shop tryed to sell me some other buffers or something like that for than any ideas
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
Originally Posted by david12
http:///forum/post/3169591
thanks i was only hoping to get a hardy fish n there so i was thinking it wouldnt really take a few sennce i am putting ahrdly fish like a damsel which i have read they can live in any water condtion the pet shop told me i need a live rock and coral graval or something like that and but what i dont know if is how will i know when its cycle will my tank be cycleing now with just sait in it i dont know much about sait water so i dont have a clue also the p[et shop tryed to sell me some other buffers or something like that for than any ideas
you need a saltwater test kit. I've been flamed for saying this before, but cycling a tank with fish is cruel. That's my opinion. You want some live rock, crushed coral will work, but you'll probably want aragonite sand instead.
You don't need any buffers. The salt should take care of the pH, and the sand will help too.
To cycle your tank, add a piece of raw uncooked shrimp in the tank. Keep testing the water every day or so until you see the ammonia go up. After it goes up, remove the shrimp and keep testing the water. Eventually the ammonia will go down, and nitrite will go up.
After BOTH ammonia and nitrite are zero, you can do a small water change, and your tank is safe for fish.
 
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