Overall startup help

[ottbry]

Okay, I've finally started my aquarium, and It seems to be going well, i just need to get some clarification on a few things.
First off, my situation right now is a rock only 10 gallon aquarium. I decided to start small because i still have to get a stand built for my ninety, i have some live rock to cure, and my ten is going to be the quarantine tank anyway, so i might as well start it.
My first question is about the levels of stuff. i've been doing pretty much daily water tests and everything seems to be pretty close to perfect. I didn't have my test kit until after i got the live rock in, but it still seems like it's to soon to be perfect. I started off with live sand that was supposed to be activated, and when I got my live rock, i also got like two gallons of water from the lfs. still, it seems to be too good to be true.
Secondly, I have ten pounds of live rock that is pretty mediocre, three that is really nice with coraline algae and everything, and then
around seven that is just base rock. I asked the guy at my lfs if I could cure base rock by putting it in with my live rock and he said that it works, but having anymore than a two to one ratio puts too much stress on the system. It seems like that wouldn't be a factor since my system is all rock, but i like to be sure. Also, how long should i expect it to take and will there be a noticable visual difference before and after?
And lastly, i was just wondering about some of the life on my rock. how can I tell between the good and the bad? For example, I saw a fuzzy brown worm on my rock, which in my freshwater days i would freak out about, because with freshwater, if i didn't put it there, odds are I don't want it there, but now i don't know what to think. Also I think there may be a baby starfish in my tank. Is there actually a chance that the rock that i bought had a starfish on it? I saw it first the day i got my rock, it was sticking to the side, but it only had three points, so I wasn't sure. when I went to examine it, it just fell off. then the next day it was sticking to the side again but it had six points. I mean, it's unlikely, i think, but it'd still be cool.
Well, thanks for reading and any answers are appreciated.

 

[red tiger]

Hello and welcome.
To start things off, what type of equipment do you have? (lights? Filter?)
How long has it been running? From what i read, using live rock and sand kick starts your cycle a bit but you still need to add ammonia in the system to keep that bacteria alive, then you'll see it convert to Nitrite, then Nitrate.
I recomend weekly water changes of at least 2-3 gallons to maintain proper balance.
Also, it will take awhile for your base rock to look like your live rock. Your calcium has to be right, mag level good and your lights will activate it. But for new tanks expect diatom bloom, brown algea on your sand,
Are you using ro/di water? And don't run your lights much or at all for the cycle.

 

[red tiger]

The fussy worm could be a brisstle worm, good for cleaning up! Some people like em others hate em, possibly came in your live rock

 

[ottbry]

I've just got a hang on the back filter right now it's rated for at least thirty gallons, so it should be more than good for my ten. I've just got it running on two sponges and some ceramic media. with the lighting i've got two little 50/50s. As far as running the lights goes, how long should I run them? I've been doing them for twelve hours a day, so that's probably too long. I want to make sure the live rock stays live just as much as i want the base rock to liven up, and I was under the impression that the lighting was important for maintaining live rock. And what would be a good way to add ammonia? I could add a damsel or two, i guess, but with the levels as subject to change as they are, I'm not sure i should.

 

[red tiger]

What is to small 50/50? Is it the 13 watt compact flourecent screw type that hook up on a freshwater hood?
12 hrs is way to long, your color temp might be 6500k on those lights. You might be asking for trouble. If your doing fish only, you'll be ok but cut down on your lights for awhile in the beginning.
You might want to add a small powerhead to increase oxygination on your tank.
To add ammonia, there are diff ways to do it, DO NOT add any fish, do a fish less cycle. In your case you can add a shrimp let it rott and measure your ammonia as it rots.
Once your ammonia drops to 0, measure for nitrate.
Where do you get your water? How are you measuring your salinity?

 

[ottbry]

Yeah, its the compact fluorescent. It's actually 10,000k, so way too much I suppose. As far as oxygenation goes, I've got a 14 inch airstone running. I've been getting my water from meijer at the culligan machine, so yeah it is ro. I've got a hundred fifty gallons worth of top fin sea salt, and I measure with a hydrometer. I'm thinking about getting a mini hydrometer that hangs in the aquarium, but I'm not sure how well they work.

 

[red tiger]

10,000k is only the color temp means its getting away from red towards the blue spectrum. That light is fine for a fish only system. The airstone will create more salt creep where the bubbles pop on the surface. For long term look into getting powerheads, since you want water movement throughout the tank.
Hydrometers are horrible at meausering salinity, Refractometers are the best way to go.
I am setting up a 10g also and my equipment is as follows
-10 gallon tank
-5lbs live rock
-10 lbs crushes coral
-Koralia nano powerhead
-Coralife Dual T5 HO
-Salinity 1.025 using Reef Crystals

 

[reefkprz]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ottbry http:///t/392822/overall-startup-help#post_3490763
Yeah, its the compact fluorescent. It's actually 10,000k, so way too much I suppose. As far as oxygenation goes, I've got a 14 inch airstone running. I've been getting my water from meijer at the culligan machine, so yeah it is ro. I've got a hundred fifty gallons worth of top fin sea salt, and I measure with a hydrometer. I'm thinking about getting a mini hydrometer that hangs in the aquarium, but I'm not sure how well they work.
spend the $40 and get a refractometer instead of a hydrometer they are far more reliable and accurate.

 

[ottbry]

All right, I'll look into getting a refractometer then. Back to the lights though, how long should I keep them on?

 

[red tiger]

6-8 hours for now, you dont want to feed an algea bloom

 

[ottbry]

Cool. And with the shrimp, I should see a spike in the ammon, then it should go down and the nitrites will go up, then they will go down and the nitrates will go up. Then whst? I figure a water change will take care of the nitrates, but what comes after that?

 

[red tiger]

Once you only read nitrates, then do a waterchange to bring them to 0 and you are now ready for fish and coral

 

[ottbry]

Cool. I probably won't add any fish until I move to my bigger tank, but it'll be nice to have this small one up and running. So, I've confirmed that I have two tiny starfish and one, maybe two snails, also tiny. what do you think the odds are that they'll survive the cycling process? I mean, I won't be distraught if they don't, but it'd still be really cool if they did.