Hi guys and gals. I'm new here, of course but I have had my tank for a month and a couple of days.

I am from Savannah and go to school at AASU in Savannah but my parents and lil sis and where i was for 10 yrs live in Conyers, GA. I would join but I would be unable to attend a lot of meetings and be unable to reep the benefits of livestock and such for being in Savannah. but if all goes bad or what ever I may move back to Conyers where i will join ARC asap.

well here is a pic of my tank:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/Kirru/Saltwater%20Fishes/downsized_1018081924.jpg

Lighting: Current Dual PC lighting - Dual Daylight 10,000/6,700k and Dual Actinic 420/460nm

Filter: Aquaclear 20

Powerhead: Aquaclear 30

close to 20lbs live rock, 20lbs live sand

2 very small, like dime size, hermit crabs
2 black mexican turbo snails
1 clown, mmm, cant say what kind but here is a pic:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/Kirru/Saltwater%20Fishes/1018082113.jpg

I take constructive critisms well as long as it aint mean

any advice would be good too, i will also be doing a larger tank when i am not restricted by on campus dorm policies

Welcome. How long has your tank been up?

I now see that John doesn't read posts... It says in the first line man!

Weclome aboard!

I now see that John doesn't read posts... It says in the first line man!

Weclome aboard!LOL, Dont know why I missed it :doh: . Anyway welcome.

I have had my tank for a month and a couple of days.

Welcome. How long has your tank been up?
look above

haha just to be smart :)

it was intialy started September 10th, I was going to start it on Sept 11th and be known as the freedom tank but I did it one day early, but is still known as my freedom tank.

:)

Welcome! I am near the Conyers are and also am familiar with Savannah as I am going to attend Savannah State. Anywyay great thing you found this site (lots of great info and people here) we are going to help you rock this tank hopefully.

Hello! How many gallons is your tank?

advice:

look into getting a Hang On Back Skimmer......you can get one for cheap on ebay CPR bakpak is a good one that i use. This will do alot better than that aqua filter you have in there. Also maybe get a koralia 2 to go along with that aquaclear powerhead to kick up the movement in the tank. and load up on more hermits and snails to get your clean up crew going.

good luck and welcome to the site

Hello! How many gallons is your tank?

10gallons just as the title says


advice:

look into getting a Hang On Back Skimmer......you can get one for cheap on ebay CPR bakpak is a good one that i use. This will do alot better than that aqua filter you have in there. Also maybe get a koralia 2 to go along with that aquaclear powerhead to kick up the movement in the tank. and load up on more hermits and snails to get your clean up crew going.

good luck and welcome to the site

i've looked but also been told that i dont need one for such a small tank.

but that was just advice i was told, i also had an idea for a sump style HOB filter.

also been told that i would be over doing the water movement too but that is still advice i was told

How much do typical Nassarius Snails go for? There is a place here in Savannah that sells them for $9.99 each. I think that is WAY over priced but I wanted to know what ya'll thought. Also, for the stores in the Atlanta area, how much do ya'll sell these snails for? I am looking to get about 10-12 but $9.99 is way to much to spend.

.50

thats is what i figured it should cost. I found a place online that sells them in groups of 10 for $10.99


also found a good acclimation flash that seemed like it helped explain that process http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/acclimation.php

Varies from store to store but try Keen reef's I believe he had snails (kind i dont rmemeber) starting at 70 cents and I know that the LFS in savannah are way overpriced cause i checked the few that are there out and was blown away. They vary from 70 cents to 1.99. But 10 bux is just ridiculous

Einsteins aquatics has them .50 they are a sponsor also

i know of only two saltwater stores in savannah, and the 2nd, not the overpriced one, has good prices, and i get deals on the stuff anywayz so it dont matter there. i was just curious why it was so outrageous.


do you all know of anymore that are down here?

I'd like to get some but I hat the fact that i'd have to have them shipped, just the cost is the downfall of buying from a distance.

I have been to one LFS in Hilton Head, it was not great but seemed like the prices where in line. I would think there is another store in that area.

well, i am having one heck of a time trying to find one. its crazy. only found two so far that are in savannah. guess i gotta keep looking

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&resnum=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=hilton+head+aquarium+store&fb=1&view=text&sa=X&oi=local_group&resnum=4&ct=more-results&cd=1#

check these out, Im not sure how far they are but Hilton Head is only about a half hour I think.

Hey Kirru... it's cool you're getting into nanos... I've had a 10g since February, so it wasn't long ago that I was right where you are.

As far a flow, I'm thinking the Aquaclear you have is probably enough... at least for now. When you start adding corals, you may want to adjust it. I put a Koralia in my 10g recently, and frankly, I'm not happy with it. It is large and distracting in appearance, and the flow level is more than I want.

The main thing you want to do is really, really, keep after those water changes. I can't emphasize that enough.

Also, try to keep your salinity so the specific gravity of your water is at 1.025, and test your alkalinity regularly. I've found "10 drops to yellow" on the alk test to be good. With the alk level right, your pH stays in range and bad things happen less. Use some buffer (in baby steps) to bring the alk up if it is down. I also put a pinch in my top-off water to reduce pH swing.

A skimmer is a good idea, although there is no reason to rush buying one. There are some great deals on used equipment. Just ask around, and watch online and something will surface.

Reef on...

it's nice to see someone FINALLY somewhat close to where I live. I've been the loner in Statesboro for a while.

Exotic Underworld does have some really great stuff and occasionally some good deals, but a lot of the time he is a little higher than needed. If you can ever get to Augusta, hit up star aquatics. They have a fantastic store going up there.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&resnum=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=hilton+head+aquarium+store&fb=1&view=text&sa=X&oi=local_group&resnum=4&ct=more-results&cd=1#

check these out, Im not sure how far they are but Hilton Head is only about a half hour I think.

ok cool, i'll check them out as soon as i am able too

Hey Kirru... it's cool you're getting into nanos... I've had a 10g since February, so it wasn't long ago that I was right where you are.

As far a flow, I'm thinking the Aquaclear you have is probably enough... at least for now. When you start adding corals, you may want to adjust it. I put a Koralia in my 10g recently, and frankly, I'm not happy with it. It is large and distracting in appearance, and the flow level is more than I want.

The main thing you want to do is really, really, keep after those water changes. I can't emphasize that enough.

Also, try to keep your salinity so the specific gravity of your water is at 1.025, and test your alkalinity regularly. I've found "10 drops to yellow" on the alk test to be good. With the alk level right, your pH stays in range and bad things happen less. Use some buffer (in baby steps) to bring the alk up if it is down. I also put a pinch in my top-off water to reduce pH swing.

A skimmer is a good idea, although there is no reason to rush buying one. There are some great deals on used equipment. Just ask around, and watch online and something will surface.

Reef on...

well the aquaclear is on it highest setting and seems to do fine, but i may add something a little smaller just to help in the future.

salt right now is around 1.022-24 and i'm slowly getting is to 1.025.

do you know of a good way to drip the buffer and additives so it wont be so traumatic for the fish?

it's nice to see someone FINALLY somewhat close to where I live. I've been the loner in Statesboro for a while.

Exotic Underworld does have some really great stuff and occasionally some good deals, but a lot of the time he is a little higher than needed. If you can ever get to Augusta, hit up star aquatics. They have a fantastic store going up there.

sweet a fellow reefer here. you know if you go past Exoctic Underworlds past Waters Ave, and just after you cross the bridge that goes over the canal there is another pet shop there, they have saltwater and have really good prices. its call Rare Earth GA, www.rareearthga.com, i'm headed there now to see what I can find.

If you dont have any corals in the tank, lower your salinity to 1.018ish because this will help with a fish only to keep the parasites and infections down. In all honesty, If you can I would look at upgrading soon to something in the 20-30 gallon range. This will give you alot more leeway with that much more volume and swings in levels. You can just purchase some base rock and let the current LR you have seed it and since you can get base rock for .50-1 per lb it would be cheap. A skimmer is great to keep the waste down but water changes on a tank that size will do wonders like toeside said.

well, thats what the problem is, i am limited to a 10 gallon tank in the dorm at armstrong but if i was restricted i would get a 20-30 gallon in an instant. but that is for the future.


could i use the sand as well in conjuction to the live rock?

also i do plan on adding corals and such later, hope fully in the spring

Well if you arent adding them for months then whenever you get ready to, mix your WC water up to 1.028 and SLOWLY raise it over a few weeks up. This will really help you in keeping fish alive.

There are only 2 stores in Savannah. If you are looking for stores nearby, there is one in Richmond Hill, Coastal Aquariums, on Hwy. 17. Their prices are a little lower than Exotic Underworlds but the quality and quantity of their livestock is not up to par with Exotic Underworlds. There is also one in South Carolina, Caribbean Reef. The prices there are comparable to the other stores in this area. You won't find a store around here with the same prices as the stores in the Atlanta area. I usually buy food, equipment, etc. online and when I'm in the ATL area, I get livestock and corals there.

jwevans, well, I dont know if you read, but I am from atlanta originally, whats the best way to bring livestock down here? i mean, i would get those nassarius snails but at 9.99 a pop is way too over priced. I have Rare Earth looking in to getting some as long as they are not to expensive, I'll let you know when she gets back to me on the prices.

hopefully I'll find some at a good price.

jwevans, well, I dont know if you read, but I am from atlanta originally, whats the best way to bring livestock down here? i mean, i would get those nassarius snails but at 9.99 a pop is way too over priced. I have Rare Earth looking in to getting some as long as they are not to expensive, I'll let you know when she gets back to me on the prices.

hopefully I'll find some at a good price.

Make sure you are talking about the small nassarius snails... those are cheap. I've got the big ones and, while they weren't $10 a pop they were more expensive than the little ones... Tim at Keens Reef told me about the difference.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+526+1763&pcatid=1763

These are the big ones...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+526+1133&pcatid=1133

These are the small ones...

Hope this helps.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+526+1763&pcatid=1763

These are the big ones...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+526+1133&pcatid=1133

These are the small ones...

Hope this helps.


its the same price for both at the store here. but still 1.99 and 2.99 are better prices than here. jeez, i want 10-12 that over a $100 bucks. way to much

Just bring them back the way you bought it. They can last in the bag for up to 24 hrs. I do it all the time with no problems. Let the store know that you'll be traveling with your livestock and they'll either give you a cooler with an ice pack or a heat pack. If I were you I'd buy the snails in ATL and bring them back because rare earth would probably not beat the prices in ATL. I asked the girl there to get me peppermint shrimp and the price was a little lower than exotic underworlds.

Well if you arent adding them for months then whenever you get ready to, mix your WC water up to 1.028 and SLOWLY raise it over a few weeks up. This will really help you in keeping fish alive.


well, I wanted to add them sooner, but how soon is too soon? I dont want to put them in now not knowing if they will be ok, I mean if every thinks they will be fine then i'll find a nice small healthy one that isnt too expensive just in case. ideas?


My water parameters are stable as of now so all is going well. damsel and snails and crabs are doing great, they are all over the place.

Just bring them back the way you bought it. They can last in the bag for up to 24 hrs. I do it all the time with no problems. Let the store know that you'll be traveling with your livestock and they'll either give you a cooler with an ice pack or a heat pack. If I were you I'd buy the snails in ATL and bring them back because rare earth would probably not beat the prices in ATL. I asked the girl there to get me peppermint shrimp and the price was a little lower than exotic underworlds.


if that what it comes down too then i will do the same, i just wanna see if she can. i'd prefer to support a local fish store that way they stay in business but if she cant, then i'll be getting them from there. i also have a $7-8 store credit. we'll see.

Walk before you run and corals are running. What lights do you have on your tank? I would have your tank with fish in it for a while before you try corals. You dont want to add stuff to your tank quickly at ALL because you have a very small tank and in a small tank, stuff goes bad quick. You need to slowly up your bioload over time.

yes, i understand thats why i was asking. but for future reference, what are some good corals and polyps to place in the tank?

For Lighting, here is what I have, this is from the first post which i assume you didnt read cause you asked. :) I was told on Salt City.org that this is good for growing corals and polyps as that is what they use... so i got one.

Lighting: Current Dual PC lighting - Dual Daylight 10,000/6,700k and Dual Actinic 420/460nm

Haha actually I did read your first post and quite frankly its utterly useless in determining if you tank can support corals and what type of corals :) You told me the bulb type and the color of the bulbs, you could have 18w over you 10 gallon which isnt enough for anything or you could have 96 watts over it in which case you could do most softies and LPS.

o, haha, i did forget to mention wattage,

well the wattage is 40w for both 20" dual bulbs that are also upgradable too i think.

here is the manufacturers page

The ability to upgrade them depends on the ballast specs. But yeah 40w is gonna be OK for some lower light corals. Should be able to get you by if you just stick to easy corals.

easy corals is a plus right now till i get a bigger tank :) how do i tell if the ballast can accept a higher wattage?

I didn't even know that store had opened. I used to have a sales route down there, but since I transfered up here I havent been past Exotic. I will definately have to check the new one out.

yea, man, she is a nice person, tell her that cory sent ya. hopefully she'll get me some snails at a decent price. one day we'll have to meet up let me kno.

howdy all, just a quick question. i want to add another fish to my tank and as you know there is that damsel swimming around. i want something colorful and active and can be up the damsel if push comes to shove with the damsel being to territorial, any ideas?

Thats the problem with damsels, they will kill pretty much everything that would be ok for tank that size. Your best bet is to get the damsel out. Its only a 10g so there cant be that much rock.

you'd be surprise how much rock 20lbs is, but i am so positive you do. However, before I take him out, anything that would be hardy enough and colorful and active I could put in there? I'd like to have a fish with a weird personality.

I'll worry bout the damsel when I come to that bridge.

What I was trying to say is that a damsel will kill ANYTHING ELSE you could fit in a 10 gallon tank. You are going to have to remove the damsel or its going to kill whatever else you get. Especially in a tank that size. So unfortunately your at that bridge.....

Well I know that. I'm just asking what fish are going to be ok in that size tank without the damsel, I just need to know before I add anything that wont be ok in there. Consider the damsel gone already.

Check out these nano fish. Some, like catalina goby which requires a cold water, have special requirements so just check the stats for each fish and you should be able to find one you like.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+2124

okie dokie, i'll be deciding which kinds to place in the tank. what kind of inverts can be housed in my tank?

Check the inverts section of the same website.

Especially when you are new to the hobby, www.liveaquaria.com (http://www.liveaquaria.com) is an extremely useful resource for information as far as livestock and supplies go. Also a great place to get top quality live stock for good prices.

thats cool, but the shipping and the minimum purchase amount before shipping is crazy.

That was purely for education. Now knowing what fish you CAN have in your tank, you can make an educated decision next time on a proper fish for your tank. If you do want to order from them then im sure you could get a group together. However, this way you dont have to ask people about the fish and can actually learn enough to know which are suitable.

Exactly.

I got a Royal Gramma, and I still have the damsel, I rearranged the rock work so it doesnt look like the pics on the first page. I think I out did my self now :D also the damsel doesnt seem to be bothering the Gramma but will keep and eye out. i might even just trade the damsel for another fish any way cause i dont want to have to deal with him attacking new fish.

What soft corals and LPS would be good to start out with? want to add some color in december but want to know what I can add that would be good for starter coral keepers like myself.

Alot of your questions would be answered by reading a good SW book. I suggest The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Its available on Amazon for pretty cheap.

Ok thanks.

I am also starting up an 8 gal bio-cube - It's been up and running for about a month, balancing the salinity and getting the temp right. No corals in it yet. The water tests great for now. How much buffer, iodine, stront & Moleb, etc do you add? I have a 120g up and running and have the dosage pretty squared away, but wasn't sure how to manage the nano.

well, i know that you have to do it slowly for what ever you add but I have no idea, that would be my next question as I will want a feather duster with in the next few weeks. but dawgdude doesn't like nano noobs :) just kidding but you are giving off that vibe, imo

in charlie's defense, they're just commonly answered questions. which is ok, but this is a hobby that really warrants some reading as it is usually not a cheap endeavor.

on another point. I like cleaner shrimp, they're not cheap, but have oodles of personality. you could also get a clown fish, some have good personalities.

With the nano, I would think if you are using a reef salt mix, you should not have to dose anything if you do regular water changes. If you're using something like instant ocean, you may have to dose a little calcium as needed. Maybe alk or mg, but again with regular water changes all that should be fine too.

yea, i see. well I use instant ocean but have been thinking of going to a reef salt mix. i know this is a common debate but which reef salt mix is better. I also 1.5 - 2 gallon water changes weekly, is that sufficent but that is a debate question as well.

and I do search for answers on the forum as well as the net and on other forums but with so many opinions, its hard to tell which is correct.

lol, it's always a debate. I'm not an expert, so take my opinions w/ a grain of salt. I use instant ocean for now and just dose some calcium and iodine (only because I have a bottle that came in a multi pack). There are better salts, but I think reef crystals is cheap and will do the job well and differences between them are usually minor or specific experience related (in my observation).

As far as water changes a 10%ish amount is just fine, a little more or a little less will not make a difference. as long as it's the right temp, salinity, and ph

I personally do a 4 gallon change every 6-8 days for a 55g. cannot say its perfect, but everything seems happy and the numbers are good.

cool, um right now i have been running a HOB AquaClear 20 but have been seeing cloudyness of the water and wondered if anyone knew why. also, i have been think of getting a Fluval Canister or something similar, any ideas?

have you purchased a test kit for the majority or common parameters yet? API makes a good one you can pick up at Pet Smart for pretty cheap. It tests ph, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. Also some good tests to pick up are for alkalinity, calcium, and obviously salinity.

Feather dusters and zoa polyps are pretty basic corals to start with. I would recommend getting some small frags of some zoas to see how they do for you.

clowdyness can be caused by many things. unless its already new try changing your filter (not the unit, just the carbon or whatever) just an idea.

for a 10g, I would not think a canister is a worth while investments, but instead a small nano skimmer. I cannot say if this one is any good, but just an idea: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4392+14676&pcatid=14676

and I do search for answers on the forum as well as the net and on other forums but with so many opinions, its hard to tell which is correct.

And this right here is the exact reason you should get a good SW book! Its written by professionals and you dont have to worry if its just some idiot who just started who thinks they know something they really dont. Im sorry if I gave off the vibe that I dont like nano newbies, thats not the case I all. It is just simply that I can clearly see from your questions that you still have ALOT to learn and no offense but you need to actually go research it for yourself and not expect people to hold your hand the whole way. It would be really hard to explain everything that is different and that you need to learn in order to keep coral. Unfortunatly if you dont like reading and researching and want to just constantly ask advice then you are going to get bad advice and wont have the knowledge to fix a problem since you will be waiting for the answer on a board somewhere to figure out what to do when you should already have a good understanding of the meaning behind something like, lets say cloudy water and can help to diagnose something before it crashes your tank.

Give a man a fish or Teach a man a fish?

In this hobby you need to be taught to fish and not have someone just hand feeding you every day. Ill make sure to keep my newbie hating advice off your thread. Bye.

have you purchased a test kit for the majority or common parameters yet? API makes a good one you can pick up at Pet Smart for pretty cheap. It tests ph, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. Also some good tests to pick up are for alkalinity, calcium, and obviously salinity.

Feather dusters and zoa polyps are pretty basic corals to start with. I would recommend getting some small frags of some zoas to see how they do for you.

Actually SJ that is the exact test that I got. Now I am looking for one for calcium and alkalinity etc.. I have a hydrometer for salinity testing.

Finding frags at a good a reasonable price here is near impossible. but we will see. I do want some though but that will come near december when i have so more money. right now, i am going to get some nessarius snails in atlanta but the bad thing is i leave on sunday and blue planet and other stores on my route home are closed. hopefully they will meet me there at bag em for me but i doubt it, we'll see though.

clowdyness can be caused by many things. unless its already new try changing your filter (not the unit, just the carbon or whatever) just an idea.

for a 10g, I would not think a canister is a worth while investments, but instead a small nano skimmer. I cannot say if this one is any good, but just an idea: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4392+14676&pcatid=14676

well, i was trying too keep from putting anything directly in the tank to keep it from crowding it, i was looking at
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4392+7928&pcatid=7928


but if i must i'll get the one you mentioned. yea, i was actually just about to change
the carbon, havent done that yet, but it has been cloudy before. its not noticable from the front
view but from the sides you can see a slight haziness i guess that is what you can call it.

I'm running this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4177 in my Aquapod and my water is crystal clear (now that the algea is all but gone), plus it keeps my pH stable and last for six months. I believe this replaces your carbon, but, I have never run carbon, so, I may be mistaken.

that looks quite interesting. might have to try it.

hey got a question, again, ok well i have four hermits and they are all doing great, actually just had one to switch shells but then i found just like 3 seconds ago another crab, it was dead and out of its shell. all the four hermits are still accounted for but i have no idea where he came from. any ideas? no new live rock and i have had high ammonia before, while the tank was cycling, so i dont think he survived that long. i'm really confused. and i dont think would be able to find this in a book as to why.

That was just a molt, not a dead hermit crab.

interesting....I always thought my scarlets just had a short life span in my tank.

ok, well it sure did look very alive. :) i'll have to remember that next time i have all 4 still. thanks tho. that probably explains why he moved shells

interesting....I always thought my scarlets just had a short life span in my tank.

haha, seems like its a new thing.

I have five hermits in my tank. Bought 5 a while ago, and just yesterday verified (by hand) that all 5 are still alive. I seen the "dead crab remains" :eek: in my tank 3 times now! I was certain that first time I'd lost one... the second time I got suspicious... now I know... just molting. :yes:

haha, that cool.

gramma died sometime today, unknown reason, checkin water later tonight

haha, that cool.

gramma died sometime today, unknown reason, checkin water later tonight

That was one of my first fish purchases, he was an aggressive tank mate for the whole day he was alive. I'd like to think I've learned a lot since then...

That was one of my first fish purchases, he was an aggressive tank mate for the whole day he was alive. I'd like to think I've learned a lot since then...


what have you learned. Why are they so aggressive, and you only had him for a day, mine lasted two or three days.

test result on water for anyone who wants to know.


ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20-40ppm

wow the nitrate has gone up a little, it has been around 10-20ppm for a while now, bout 3 weeks. any thoughts?

lol, I just didn't get another one

haha, i see, I wasnt planning on getting that certain fish again, I am gonna get something else as well. not sure though. I read they were hardy fish but don't know why he died, water looks good to me with regards to the nitrate, going to do a water change before I leave for Atlanta tomorrow afternoon.

I would recommend Exotic Underoworlds on Montegomery Crossroads. I lived in Savannah for three years and that was the best store. Consistently provided the best information and had great live stock. Ask about the price of the snails. They may have been priced incorrectly.

Yea, i asked Mark, Kelly and Jeff and Brooke, all said $9.99 there answer was thats what we price them at. I am hoping that I get a response from Blue Reef about meeting at the store and them baggin me 10-12 snails on Sunday as I leave for Savannah but I have not heard from them.

I am hopeful.

Jeff is the owner and kelly is the wife of jeff, i forgot to mention that.

hey dawgdude, i did what you said and the yellow damsel is no longer a resident in my 10 gallon, instead a firefish has and so far he is doing good, will kepp ya posted on his stay

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/Kirru/Saltwater%20Fishes/1107081458.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/Kirru/Saltwater%20Fishes/1107081459.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/Kirru/Saltwater%20Fishes/1103081715.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/Kirru/Saltwater%20Fishes/1103081715b.jpg

here are some pics i thought i would share.