We were surprised with a salt tank, I have no ideal what I need to do with it, or for it. It came with some chemicals, and a list on paper what to do with them, and I have been following the list. I am on overload with information from reading, I really like the tank. I think for now I just need basics, it has some things in it, have no ideal what, and one fish. I am experienced with freshwater tanks, so I understand some of this, but other than that,, I am totally LOST. Thanks for any help, Sherry
Surprise Tank,, HELP
- Thread starter GuppyGranny
- Start date
Sorry, but its a 20 gallon tank, it does have lights which stimulates daylight to moonlight, it has a filter that hangs on the back ( not sure what kind but its really pushing the water) and water circulation is pushed at the top with a internal fan ?? I am sure it doesnt have enough liverock in it, and the bottom of the tank is bare, I am extremly worried about cycling, since they just brought it and set it up and its extremly clean. Have no ideal on water, getting a test kit today for salt. I do know that the temp is 77 degrees, and I cant find if this is ok or not.
If you have a digital camera, try to post pictures of the tank. We can help you put names to some of the equipment and your critters. That will help us give you specific advice since individual critters can have different care requirements.
General advice:
Water: Use distilled water or from a reverse osmosis filter (if you don't have a filter at home, you can get it from the grocery store). Algea in saltwater can be 100 times more of a problem in saltwater than fresh; this helps keep it under control.
Salt: Use a hydrometer of some sort (if you don't have one, most fish stores carry one). My Instant Ocean salt takes a little more than 1/2 cup to get a target range of 1.023-1.026 specific gravity.
Water Changes: Regular water changes are a good idea both to remove waste from the tank and replace vitamins and nutrients found in aquarium salt. Siphon out 10% of the tanks volume and replace it with new water. Without knowing exactly what your tank is like, I recommend every couple weeks at least.
Lighting: I'm guessing "some things" include a few corals. Most folks leave the lights on about 8-10 hours to make sure the corals get enough light (they're photosynthetic). More than that tends to help the algea grow faster.
Chemicals: Can you tell us what they are exactly?
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General advice:
Water: Use distilled water or from a reverse osmosis filter (if you don't have a filter at home, you can get it from the grocery store). Algea in saltwater can be 100 times more of a problem in saltwater than fresh; this helps keep it under control.
Salt: Use a hydrometer of some sort (if you don't have one, most fish stores carry one). My Instant Ocean salt takes a little more than 1/2 cup to get a target range of 1.023-1.026 specific gravity.
Water Changes: Regular water changes are a good idea both to remove waste from the tank and replace vitamins and nutrients found in aquarium salt. Siphon out 10% of the tanks volume and replace it with new water. Without knowing exactly what your tank is like, I recommend every couple weeks at least.
Lighting: I'm guessing "some things" include a few corals. Most folks leave the lights on about 8-10 hours to make sure the corals get enough light (they're photosynthetic). More than that tends to help the algea grow faster.
Chemicals: Can you tell us what they are exactly?
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Television shows Forum
How long did they have this thing before they brought it to you?
It doesn't take a lot of live rock to support just one fish, so I'm guessing you'll probably be ok for now.
Internal fan = power head. Lots of flow is very important to a saltwater tank.
Large filter on the back: Is it a tall cylinder with lots of bubbly water inside? If it is, that's a protein skimmer (very important contraption).
Temperature: 77-82 F is the target range.
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Mercedes Axor
It doesn't take a lot of live rock to support just one fish, so I'm guessing you'll probably be ok for now.
Internal fan = power head. Lots of flow is very important to a saltwater tank.
Large filter on the back: Is it a tall cylinder with lots of bubbly water inside? If it is, that's a protein skimmer (very important contraption).
Temperature: 77-82 F is the target range.
_________________
Mercedes Axor
A picture would help. Also, you could make a list of everything you have right now. Right now it sounds like you have a 20g tank with a hang on filter and a powerhead. It seams you have a saltwater aquarium light, a bit of live rock, but no sand.
So, saltwater is similar to freshwater. You put in the water and bacteria naturally build up that convert waste (Ammonia->Nitrite->Nitrate). Live rock has the added benefit that it has low oxygen zones within it (anerobic zones) where the nitrogen compounds are converted by anerobic bacteria into nitrogen gas- thus it is a more complete biological filtration than freshwater. Sand also allows for a place for bacteria to live, and if it is deep enough, it will form an anerobic zone too.
There are also various filters you use in saltwater, in addition to biological filtration. A hang on filter allows you to increase the flow (thus keeping waste suspended in the water column) as well as use various filter media. However, filter floss tends to capture waste which then gets broken down to nitrate, rather than get used by the anerobic bacteria to form Nitrogen gas. Carbon is often used is saltwater to polish the water and trap some wastes.
Also, like FW, it is best to do a partial waterchange periodically to remove built up waste in the water, you can also siphon crud that builds up in the sand or on the bottom.
So, saltwater is similar to freshwater. You put in the water and bacteria naturally build up that convert waste (Ammonia->Nitrite->Nitrate). Live rock has the added benefit that it has low oxygen zones within it (anerobic zones) where the nitrogen compounds are converted by anerobic bacteria into nitrogen gas- thus it is a more complete biological filtration than freshwater. Sand also allows for a place for bacteria to live, and if it is deep enough, it will form an anerobic zone too.
There are also various filters you use in saltwater, in addition to biological filtration. A hang on filter allows you to increase the flow (thus keeping waste suspended in the water column) as well as use various filter media. However, filter floss tends to capture waste which then gets broken down to nitrate, rather than get used by the anerobic bacteria to form Nitrogen gas. Carbon is often used is saltwater to polish the water and trap some wastes.
Also, like FW, it is best to do a partial waterchange periodically to remove built up waste in the water, you can also siphon crud that builds up in the sand or on the bottom.
The main thing to do with a new tank is to take it slowly. A tank matures over time, bacteria build up to handle the biological load and various hitchhiking organisms grow and help clean the tank and maintain the balance. You really should not add anything until you understand what will happen when you add it into your tank and you know you can take care of it, comfortably, for the rest of its life.
For your main questions:
Right now you should examine your aquarium at least once per day. During that time you can scrap the algae off the glass, feed the fish, top off the water with fresh dechlorinated water, and do any other maintenance. Once per two weeks it would be good to do a small water change. Siphon out up to 5 gallons of water and replace it with premixed and warmed salt water. Carbon should be replaced every month.
Spend time getting to know the aquarium.
You could get more live rock. It is partially about how it looks to you. Just don't put in so much that you get dead areas where detritus collects. Also, live rock can have die off since it gets shipped so far. Because of this you need to make sure any live rock you add right now is cured- no smell.
Other than that, spend the next month learning about the tank and thinking about where you want to go with it. But DO NOT buy anything until you know what you are doing and know what you are buying.
For your main questions:
Right now you should examine your aquarium at least once per day. During that time you can scrap the algae off the glass, feed the fish, top off the water with fresh dechlorinated water, and do any other maintenance. Once per two weeks it would be good to do a small water change. Siphon out up to 5 gallons of water and replace it with premixed and warmed salt water. Carbon should be replaced every month.
Spend time getting to know the aquarium.
You could get more live rock. It is partially about how it looks to you. Just don't put in so much that you get dead areas where detritus collects. Also, live rock can have die off since it gets shipped so far. Because of this you need to make sure any live rock you add right now is cured- no smell.
Other than that, spend the next month learning about the tank and thinking about where you want to go with it. But DO NOT buy anything until you know what you are doing and know what you are buying.
First no camera, guess I need to invest in one, been thinking about it
) I found test strips freshwater/saltwater, and have been using them, will get a better testing system when I go to town next week. SO far I have been keeping a journal, and here are the results as of this morning.
pH- 8.4
Hardness-250 ( this has been at 425 the last two days)
Alk- 240 ( this was down to 180 yesterday now back up to 240 today)
Nitrites (sp)- 0 , but was .5 the other two days
Nitrates- 20
Gravity has been pretty steady at 1.023, I did add about a half of gallon of water yesterday.
The directions are as follows:
Monday: 2 caps of Tech part A
1 cap of Tech part B
Tuesday: Reef Blend 1 tsp ( from reading this is food, and the bottle says more often, will wait for responses)
Wednesday: 10% water change
Thursday: 2 caps of TEch part A
1 cap of Tech part B
Saturday: 1 can of Strovontium
It has a Coralife hood, with daylight to moon phase on it, directions on lighting is welcome. The filter is a Aqua-Tech 20/40, and as far as I can tell regular filter in it. It has a Turbo fan for circulation. I did find that one of the corals (?) in it is a cabbage leather, or this is what I found a picture of. It does have some button polyps in it, and a urchin with lots of spines in it, which I think bites. It does have the one fish in it, havent found out what he is yet, but its little like a quarter. Oh, and the urchin hasnt moved in two days, how do I tell if its ok?? I have had problems signing back in, sorry its taken so long to reply back. Will take it slow and not add anything to it, I am pretty sure its going to cycle, too clean. It was a new tank, lol, and all of this started over a nano tank for the kitchen) Which if I dont kill anything for awhile, I may go on and get. The tank is awesome to look at, and we really enjoy the moon phase at night. Thanks for all teh help, Sherry
) I found test strips freshwater/saltwater, and have been using them, will get a better testing system when I go to town next week. SO far I have been keeping a journal, and here are the results as of this morning. pH- 8.4
Hardness-250 ( this has been at 425 the last two days)
Alk- 240 ( this was down to 180 yesterday now back up to 240 today)
Nitrites (sp)- 0 , but was .5 the other two days
Nitrates- 20
Gravity has been pretty steady at 1.023, I did add about a half of gallon of water yesterday.
The directions are as follows:
Monday: 2 caps of Tech part A
1 cap of Tech part B
Tuesday: Reef Blend 1 tsp ( from reading this is food, and the bottle says more often, will wait for responses)
Wednesday: 10% water change
Thursday: 2 caps of TEch part A
1 cap of Tech part B
Saturday: 1 can of Strovontium
It has a Coralife hood, with daylight to moon phase on it, directions on lighting is welcome. The filter is a Aqua-Tech 20/40, and as far as I can tell regular filter in it. It has a Turbo fan for circulation. I did find that one of the corals (?) in it is a cabbage leather, or this is what I found a picture of. It does have some button polyps in it, and a urchin with lots of spines in it, which I think bites. It does have the one fish in it, havent found out what he is yet, but its little like a quarter. Oh, and the urchin hasnt moved in two days, how do I tell if its ok?? I have had problems signing back in, sorry its taken so long to reply back. Will take it slow and not add anything to it, I am pretty sure its going to cycle, too clean. It was a new tank, lol, and all of this started over a nano tank for the kitchen
) Which if I dont kill anything for awhile, I may go on and get. The tank is awesome to look at, and we really enjoy the moon phase at night. Thanks for all teh help, SherrySponsor Reefs
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