3rd day in my cycle for a saltwater tank! Any advice helps!
6 posts
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artemK - Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:33 am
3rd day in my cycle for a saltwater tank! Any advice helps!
So I just bought a small...14G tank and am currently on my 3rd day of getting it set up. Salt levels are 1.024, pH and Alkalinity are 8.4 and normal, respectively. I have a protein skimmer, standard filter, and a heater. Some plain white sand on the bottom and a few decors in the tank. I know it will take me some time to actually get fish in it, and I am in no rush. I want to have it perfect for my new fish! I am probably just going to have a fish only tank for a while until i get a hang of it, and then get a much bigger tank, atleast 55G and put some reef/corals in it (much later, probably like a year) Any advice/tips would be great!!Thanks!
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artemK - Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:33 am
I decided to get the fake coral out and get some live rocks in there to help with the cycle. Here is a picture of my newbie tank! Any advice?!?
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pro68camaro - Posts: 14
- Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:22 am
your right about needing to let your tank cycle longer. you need to build up your benificail bacteria and let your amonia levels drop. your salt level is perfect thats where I keep mine. In about 3 weeks if your amonia levels are down you could probably try adding a cheaper hardier fish like a damsel or clown fish. then give it awile and see how that one does. make sure its eating and that it isnt breathing heavily and swims around good. you dont really have much of a selection for fish with that size. I actually have the same size tank exactly and I have a cinamin clown, six line wrasse and a yellow tail damsel but im kinda pushing it there. really you want to have a gallon per 1/2 of a inch of fish at full grown length. this helps you from getting amonia spikes. http://www.liveaquaria.com/ is a great site for studing on fish, corals and inverts. you actaully could order them off there too. i get my corals from them on the divers den. heres a pic of what I have for a tank. gives you a good idea in what you could get yours like when finished. hope this helps good luck
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richie1m13441 - Posts: 11
- Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:34 pm
Buy sand that automatically cycles your tank ; if not go to the beach and get some. If you can ; buy live rock ! live rock will filter your marine aquarium ...ask anyone.If fish are secoundary ? Rock flower anenomes , hation anenomes, long tenical anenomes and condies are great . If corals are what you want and being that you just begun this hobby corals that are hardy that can live in low lighting is what you want..for example .....Any xenias,star polyps and kenya trees and so on. If your lighting is up to par ....than you could put any animal you wish .And if by any chance fish is your main thing ....try and have fishes that will help your little ocean at home....
meaning- fishes that graze algae , that shift sand ,that eat parasites and so forth. In other words , fish that serve a purpose and believe me , these fishes are still beautiful.Well, thats it for now. I just sincerely hope & pray all goes well for you !
meaning- fishes that graze algae , that shift sand ,that eat parasites and so forth. In other words , fish that serve a purpose and believe me , these fishes are still beautiful.Well, thats it for now. I just sincerely hope & pray all goes well for you !