New To The Reef World!

[Lollipop0912]

Hello fishlorians!
I finally got a 10 gallon that is salty!!!
It’s current inhabitants got downgraded, so, that means the reef tank I’ve dreamed about since I was 5. Still being new, I figured I’d ask the experts for some andvice.
Firstly, I know I need par 38 lighting. The bulbs have to go into the aqueon starter kit socket. Any recommendations?
Secondly, I’m deffinately doing some live rock. Is this OK? My substrate is live sand.
Thirdly, I have little to no idea what coral I want to keep. I’m open to the idea of a mixed reef. I reallllllly want to have an anemone. The filter I have is an aqueon 10 so it’s low-moderate flow.I love color. I also would like mostly beginner coral. Chaeto gets blown around for the first 5 mins. I’d love suggestions!
Lastly, I really want the inhabitants to be 2 clown fish, and a sand sifting starfish, maybe a goby, and maybe eventually a type of shrimp.
Of course, this will be months if not a few years away from now. I just figured now is the time to get my questions answered.
Thank you guys in advance for the advice.
stella1979
KinsKicks
Gypsy13 Goldiemom

 

[stella1979]

Congratulations!!!! I wish I had time to get into this with you know, but it's a busy hot day and I've gotta head back out in it in a few. Just wanted to let you know that I'm following along and I'll be very glad to help when I can. In the meantime, check out the link in my signature for Nart's Beginner's Guide. It's a fantastic write-up and may answer many of your questions.

Also, my buddy Lorekeeper is who you want to talk to about modifying lighting for your setup, so thought I'd go ahead and call on him too.

I'll be back.

 

[Lorekeeper]

I'm actually out on the river right now, so I can't give a huge detailed response.

But, PAR 38 bulbs are going to be wasted in a hood. You want them pointed directly at the water, not to the side.

My suggestion would be either a clip on lamp OR a desk lamp, and an ABI 23W PAR38. Probably the 10000K version.

I'll be back as well!

 

[Lorekeeper]

Okay, now that I'm back...

Any E26/E27 base lamp will work, whether you're using a desk lamp from Walmart like I do or a clip-on lamp.

As far as bulbs, I use this one on my 10 gallon and have had good luck with softies and LPS, lighting-wise.

 

[stella1979]

HI again.

2. Live rock would be fine and a lot of people go that route because it will kickstart the cycle. The downsides to live rock are the cost and the real possibility of it coming with pests. Another option would be to use dry rock and this is the option I chose for my own tank. The dry rock will become live in the tank, but it can have downsides too. Natural dry rock can have dead organics in it... consider all the critters that were living on it when it was live. The remains of those critters are dead organics and can cause an ammonia/nitrate and/or phosphate spike. Nitrates and phosphates cause algae, so some choose to cure the rock prior to putting it in the tank. There are also man-made dry rock options that will not contain dead organics, so no worries about algae or curing.

3. Since you want an anemone, I would suggest that you wait a bit on corals. Also, an anemone shouldn't go into a brand new tank, so it's best to stock the tank with fish, get into a good maintenance and testing routine, and make sure parameters are stable for a time before getting the nem. An anemone will move around a tank, finding it's comfy spot. They have a toxic sting, so it's best if they aren't crawling over and killing corals as they settle in. Once the nem is settled and you feel pretty confident that it's done moving around, that would be the time to add corals.

I very much doubt that the Aqueon filter will provide enough flow for a saltwater tank. The anemone will appreciate low flow, but when we talk about low flow in saltwater tanks, it's still much higher than the turnover in a low flow fw tank. What you need to look at is the GPH, or gallons per hour that any filters or pumps will put out. In a low flow salty tank, we're still looking at about 15x your water volume, and that's minimum. So, you'll want whatever is moving water to push at least 150GPH. This can be accomplished by adding a small pump's GPH to whatever GPH your HOB is pushing. Make sense?

4. Not sure what you mean about the chaeto.

5. 2 clownfish are already quite a lot of bioload for a 10g, yet, if you want a goby, it should be added first. You always want to stock from least aggressive to most, giving the more peaceful guys a little time to settle in and begin eating before adding the next. Also, easier corals and anemones don't like nitrates to be much higher than 10ppm, so if you want to sort of push the limits re: bioload, you will certainly need to look into methods of nutrient reduction... but that's where chaeto comes in. It sounds like you already have some?

 

[Lollipop0912]

I have lots of chaeto at the ready.
1. Will a sponge filter push 50 gph a day?
2. What other coral do you recommend?
3. Do you know the answer to this thread?
Thanks for all the help.

 

[Lorekeeper]

I have lots of chaeto at the ready.
1. Will a sponge filter push 50 gph a day?
2. What other coral do you recommend?
3. Do you know the answer to this thread?
Thanks for all the help.

Not sure about how much water a sponge filter can push, but you really won't want to use a sponge filter in saltwater, outside of maybe a QT tank. They'll just catch a bunch of stuff and cause nitrates, and won't really give enough flow to be beneficial, IMO.

Agreed with stella. Wait on corals.

 

[Lollipop0912]

Ok. I have another power head but I’m still not sure how many gph it does. I’ll try to do some digging...

 

[stella1979]

Sponge filters are not often used in reef tanks. This is because sponges themselves are rarely used because they hold on to detritus, which breaks down into nitrates. Sponges, sponge filters, as well as your average canister are all referred to as nitrate factories.

Edit: Oops! Went straight to the linked thread above, then back here, where I didn't see the posts above mine before posting myself.

 

[lewrine]

Your inhabitants will surely enjoy some hiding place so you better add the best corals for them. Artificial corals are cool but if you can find real ones that have unique shape, then give it a try.

 

[Lollipop0912]

I’m thinking the reef tank may have to wait. The tank I was going to use got set up as freshwater....
To. Many. Fish...

 

[stella1979]

I’m thinking the reef tank may have to wait. The tank I was going to use got set up as freshwater....
To. Many. Fish...

Funny... and a little sad. Oh well, there's always next time.