Nano

[sirknight]

One of two ways.
1) If you don't have anything in the tank other then the live rock you purchased from critter, clean the new rock in saltwater and just add it to the tank.

If you do have fish, etc. in the tank, use a separate container, filled with saltwater, a heater, power head and a skimmer.

Place the live rock in the container after you clean it until it cycles then after it is cycled you can add it the the tank (don't change any water just add if needed.

Also do not add lighting let it cycle in the dark
Joe

[jon carman]

Ammonia spiked, pH dropped, all the little creatures popping out on the rock are dead. I guess I have to wait this part out. I am adding scoop of marine buffer a day, but pH isn't coming up. How much or how often should I add it. It is at 7.4 today and was at 7.8 yesterday and I added the buffer right before bed.

[sirknight]

Ok Jon,
Ph is way to low and even started to low.

Here we go.

You tank is going through a cycle, I would be pissed with critter if I were you, the rock was not cycled.

You will need test kits that are made for saltwater.

1) ammonia
2) Nitrite
3) nitrates
4) calcium
5) alk
6) mag
7) Ph meter

The main thing to look for is a balance here is a link that sells the supplies list below and also has a reef calculator

www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/

1) alk/Ph can be raised using Mrs. wigges pickling lime (not sure of spelling) or Sodium Bicarbonate

2) Calcium with Calcium Chloride

3) Mag with Magnesium Chloride

Do yourself a favor don;t buy the all in one additives they will not give you a balance.

here is what I would try for

Alk - 10 dkh

cal - 450 to 500 ppm

mag - 1300 ppm

Ph - 8.0 to 8.2

Gravity of around 1.024.
Reef crystals marine salt would be my first choice

Don't buy your saltwater from a store, make your own
Invest in a RO/DI system which is not that expensive. You can get a 75 gpd unit for around $144.00.

It gets easier with time.

Joe

[jon carman]

Thanks, I will check this stuff out. So the best thing to do would be to get this stuff and wait the cycle out?

[jon carman]

Joe, checked the link out. Looks good, thanks

[sirknight]

Yes Jon,

Wait the cycle out, but get your parameters in line

Joe

[oldsaltydog]

pick and choose your rock,look for more porous `rock versus dense ,you can put more better quality with less weight, and you also get more places for beneficial bacteria too grow,these little holes(pores) also allow different foods such as copepods and other microfauna,sponges,etc.

[jon carman]

Too late. I just bought enough rock to fill it top to bottom

[samuelskelly]

Just letting you know that Ive had really good luck with my 20 gal long, but its fish only its been set up for almost a month now. I have about twenty crabs, two four stripe damsels, one yellow fin, a domino, and one high fin tang. I realize thats alot.

[sirknight]

I agree with you, the tank is way over stocked.

You may get away with the damsels (four stripe damsel,yellow fin, a domino) for a time but even these are too many.
As far as the Tang it should not be in a tank that small. One reason is because of the size it will become and the other because of the stress related to the tank size which can cause ick

[jon carman]

Joe,

My tank finally stabalized, I added 3 blue leg hermit crabs, and 6 small snails. I forgot the name of the snails, but they are the ones that stay small.

How long should I wait to add fish? coral?

I am thinking about 1 goby, 1 dwarf angel, 1 clown.

As for coral, you tell me: pretty, cheap(for coral), and hard to kill.

I also like the scallops

[angel]

Seahorse? No seahorse? I'd want a tank just for a starfish and a seahorse.

[sirknight]

Jon, If you do the angel you are hit and miss if it will eat coral. You were talking about about clowns, I would do a clown, a bubble anemone, the goby would be fine as long as you pick one that can live in a tropical environment coral and maybe a few soft corals (before you buy post the names here and I will help you). Scallops really don't make it in a tank. I would not do Zoa's only because your son may take them out. They are poisonous if eaten (could kill him).

Tina, I had seahorses in a 29 gallon tank that worked very well, You don't want a lot of water flow with them and I had a few types of algae that they would use to attach to. Most are easy to raise and have some babies. Only buy tank raised fish.

[jon carman]

Thanks, I am getting my calcium checked next week, then I will post some names. I ended up getting a small captive bred clown today. I am going to let him settle in.

Do I need to add the anemone asap so they can pair up?

[sirknight]

Actually, It is better to get the anemone first to give it a chance to acclimate to the tank, but it works either way. I would get a decent size bubble anemone that you can find. Calcium is not that important for soft corals although having a balance system is. Hard and SPS corals use calcium to build their skeleton.

Joe