SALTWATER NEWBIE

[jayngem]

ok i have recently bought a 45L saltwater setup i have the tank running cycles at the moment with live sand im not to sure when is best to introduce live rock and how much? its a small tank but ive heard thats harder to do so wanted to jump straight in the deep end

me and my other half have succesfully established a over 200L tropical aquarium with all sorts inhabiting it so are quite excited about the prospect of marine fish!
another thing we wanted to know is what fish/inverts are best together in a small area so idealy wont grow over 3". can any one suggest a small group that would make a nice community?
cheers jay and gem

 

[tracher]

I have heard you should put live rock in before live sand so if the sand is moved by a critter or whatever would move it the rock wont fall. I am guessing your new to saltwater so welcome to the hobby! Do you want to keep corals? You will need a nice light to keep them. I have heard that smaller tanks are harder but i don't think so. I was 13 when i started and I got a 29g. There are lots of fish that you could get. I wouldn't get any tangs or triggers. After you test and all your levels (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) are 0. Then buy a clean up crew (cuc) which will consist of crabs and snails and other things maybe. Good luck!

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jayngem http:///forum/thread/382732/saltwater-newbie#post_3342309
ok i have recently bought a 45L saltwater setup i have the tank running cycles at the moment with live sand im not to sure when is best to introduce live rock and how much? its a small tank but ive heard thats harder to do so wanted to jump straight in the deep end

That's approximately 10 gallons, yes? Smaller tanks are harder to work with, but it isn't terrible. I started with a 14G, and honestly, I'm glad I did. It really taught me a lot, because with smaller tanks, you must be precise, there is no room for error. Live rock should be about 1-2 lbs per gallon or 4-8 per liter. ( I really hope that I'm doing this conversion right, it's been awhile.) Live rock should really go in before live sand, this makes the rock work much more sturdy, but since you're dealing with such a small quantity it shouldn't make too much of a difference.
me and my other half have succesfully established a over 200L tropical aquarium with all sorts inhabiting it so are quite excited about the prospect of marine fish! This is doable, you can do this, especially if you have experience. Just know that while some things are similar, many are very different. I urge you to read though the Thread Recommendations in the New Hobbyist forum.
another thing we wanted to know is what fish/inverts are best together in a small area so idealy wont grow over 3". can any one suggest a small group that would make a nice community? Since you're dealing with a small tank, you need to be smart with what you introduce and in what order. You can google "Nano fish" but I'll list what I think would be good for you down below.
cheers jay and gem

Fish and inverts suitable for your size tank (not all of them - but a combination of 2 or 3 would work well)
Clown Goby
Yasha or Striped Goby/Pistol shrimp combo
Tail Spot Blenny (a great little, personable fish)
Ocellaris Clownfish (I'd only recommend one)
Firefish Goby
Green Banded Goby
Cardinalfish (especially the OrangeLined)
Basslet (Royal Gramma, Swissguard)
A handful of Nassarius snails
3 Cerith Snails
5 Astrea and/or Trochus snails
1 Skunk Cleaner shrimp or Fire shrimp (stay away from a Coral Banded Shrimp in such a small setup, they can be very aggressive)
You could also do a Pom Pom Crab.
In my 14G, I have had these different combo's
1) 1 Orange Spotted Filefish, 1 Yasha Goby, 1 Tail Spot Blenny, 1 Pom Pom Crab, 1 Randalli Pistol Shrimp, 1 Fire Shrimp, 5 Nassarius Snails, 5 Trochus snails, 2 Cerith Snails, 3 Bumblebee snails
2) same setup, but instead of an Orange Spotted Filefish, I had a Ocellaris Clownfish
3) 2 Ocellaris clownfish, 1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Green Glown Goby, 5 Trochus snails, 5 Mexican Reef Hermit crabs, 1 Emerald Crab, 1 Nassarius snail
4) 3 Purple Firefish, 1 Skunk Cleaner shrimp, 5 Trochus snails, 1 Nassarius snail
5) 1 Coral Banded Shrimp, 5 Nassarius snails, 5 Hermits
6) 1 Orchid Dottyback, 1 Sixline Wrasse, a handful of hermits and snails
7) BlueSpot Jawfish, hermits and snails

 

[tracher]

Oh lol i thought he meant 40 long

 

[blackjacktang]

I think you supposed to put the live rock in when you start the cycle. And some good inverts may be some stuff like shrimp and crabs and that sort.

 

[meowzer]

yes, now is the time for the rock to go in.....the average is 1lb per gallon
also, as far as fish go....what do you like???/

 

[btldreef]

https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/382732/saltwater-newbie
Please don't post this in several places. People are replying to both threads now...

 

[btldreef]

Since you posted the same thread in mulitple locations, I combined them all here. For furture reference, please don't post the same thread in different places.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackjacktang http:///forum/thread/382731/saltwater-newbie#post_3344757
I think you supposed to put the live rock in when you start the cycle. And some good inverts may be some stuff like shrimp and crabs and that sort.
If it's cured it doesn't make that much of a difference, although it does help if it's in from day one. Cured rock really can go in at any time.

 

[kzoobenjamin]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/382731/saltwater-newbie#post_3343304
That's approximately 10 gallons, yes? Smaller tanks are harder to work with, but it isn't terrible. I started with a 14G, and honestly, I'm glad I did. It really taught me a lot, because with smaller tanks, you must be precise, there is no room for error. Live rock should be about 1-2 lbs per gallon or 4-8 per liter. ( I really hope that I'm doing this conversion right, it's been awhile.) Live rock should really go in before live sand, this makes the rock work much more sturdy, but since you're dealing with such a small quantity it shouldn't make too much of a difference.
No, you have that backwards. 1 gallon is slightly less than 4 litres, so he would need .25 - .5 pounds per liter. Of course, if he is dealing with liters, there is a good chance he doesn't use pounds for weight. 2.2 pounds is roughly equivalent to 1 kilogram, so for his tank he would want somewhere between 12-24 pounds, or 5.5-11 kg since 45 liters is right around 12 gallons.
Also, you can put the LR in first, but I never like to put it directly on the bottom glass because all of the weight is concentrated on a few pressure points. Eventually you are going to be shifting your rock around for one reason or another and you can break the bottom this way. Either use an inch or so (2.5cm) of sand under the rocks, or better yet use a piece of egg crate to cover the bottom glass.
Benjamin

 

[jayngem]

right ive had it up and running a week now, ive got the live sand in there with a bit of crushed coral mixed in and ive got 6kg of live rock. its taken up quite a bit of space so dont want to put any more in really. im thinking of getting a pair of seahorses and i looked up the yasha gobie and pistol shrimp will these all get along? considering the shrimp and gobie will spend the majority of the time bottom dwelling and all are quite good natured it should be ok right? what cleaners would go with these aswell? or am i pushing it now!

 

[btldreef]

What type of seahorses are you looking at and are you aware the requirements for keeping one? I don't know if your tank is properly suited for them.
As for seahorses with a yasha goby, I think it would work. I rarely see my yasha/pistol as they're usually in their gave kicking up sand.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by KzooBenjamin http:///forum/thread/382731/saltwater-newbie#post_3345825
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/382731/saltwater-newbie#post_3343304
That's approximately 10 gallons, yes? Smaller tanks are harder to work with, but it isn't terrible. I started with a 14G, and honestly, I'm glad I did. It really taught me a lot, because with smaller tanks, you must be precise, there is no room for error. Live rock should be about 1-2 lbs per gallon or 4-8 per liter. ( I really hope that I'm doing this conversion right, it's been awhile.) Live rock should really go in before live sand, this makes the rock work much more sturdy, but since you're dealing with such a small quantity it shouldn't make too much of a difference.
No, you have that backwards. 1 gallon is slightly less than 4 litres, so he would need .25 - .5 pounds per liter. Of course, if he is dealing with liters, there is a good chance he doesn't use pounds for weight. 2.2 pounds is roughly equivalent to 1 kilogram, so for his tank he would want somewhere between 12-24 pounds, or 5.5-11 kg since 45 liters is right around 12 gallons.
Also, you can put the LR in first, but I never like to put it directly on the bottom glass because all of the weight is concentrated on a few pressure points. Eventually you are going to be shifting your rock around for one reason or another and you can break the bottom this way. Either use an inch or so (2.5cm) of sand under the rocks, or better yet use a piece of egg crate to cover the bottom glass.
Benjamin

I am going to 100% totally disagree here. If you are that afraid of rock shifting and breaking glass use egg crate on the bottom but never use sand as a buffer. I have had rock on the bottom for years and never had a problem. My first setup had rock on the sand...a prize critter wanted something in the sand down deep and ROCK SLIDE....nothing is steady when it is built on the sand.
When you are not sure what lives with what or how big it gets...Here is the very first purchase you should make. I have added a page so you can see the info it offers. These books will save you untold grief and money.