# First Tank Build



## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Decided to try my hand at SW. My first SW tank, and do not have much knowledge yet.

Picked up a modified 10gallon tank some time ago. It was being used to house live rock, so I knew the setup was capable of at least keeping rock alive. 

Went down to LFS 2 weeks ago. 8/18/12, picked up 10g of salt water, ~7lbs of real ocean sand, and ~ 8lbs of live rock.


Pics:


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

So, live rock means hitchhikers! Still deciding if this is a good or bad thing. But some pics of the critters we've seen.

This is as we brought it home. 










You can see a blue asterina starfish near the bottom.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Another critter, Feather Duster. It's a Spionid Worm. (Tks Brian!)


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Noticed this guy just couple days ago. Clove ? Mojano Anemone (Thanks Brian!)


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

This week is end of week two. Measured NO3, and got zero - 5 Did a 20% wc with it this week.

Light is a compact light, on for ~12hr/day.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

YEA!! RIGHT ON MAN!!! Looks great!!!
Last pic is of a Mojano Anemone. Which look alot better than the normal Aiptasia pest. Some leave these alone, some don't. Oh, forgot the pic of the Spoinid Worm. The pic with the critter with the tentacles.


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## gar1948 (Jan 25, 2012)

Looks good. Love those hitchhikers (at least most of them).


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

End of week three, had the fish store measure the water, zero to very little NO3. So brought home a purchased hitchhiker!


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

More hitchhikers. This was the largest that I found. There are a couple others. ID ?









Measured Ammonia and no3 today, both zero, after a week of the shrimp addition. Gonna give a small fish a try this week. LFS is getting some Yellow goby clown fish in Monday.

Shrimp appears to being well. He molted on the 15th. Found a better hiding spot (thought he jumped ship for 1/2 a day). And still rocking like Ray Charles.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

*W*W


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Very nice wes! You make me want a sw tank.


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## smileyjoe (Sep 16, 2012)

Looks awesome! When i did my SW I had all sorts of hitchikers crawling through the sand


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Noticed this guy tonight, another hitchhiker. And a second one on the sump side. Ideas? 6 legged starfish.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Brittle Starfish


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## balint1986 (Aug 10, 2012)

How much it gonna cost to have aquarium like this including the accessories. Im planning of getting a Aroana fish and what's the desired sized of tank should I get.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Started feeding the tank yesterday. Up until now, I wasn't adding any food to the tank. It's been ~ 20 days since I added the shrimp. I may have waited too long. :O I dropped a brine pellet into the tank, Shrimp immediately jumped out of his hiding spot, meandered over to the pellet, grabbed it and hauled it back to his spot. He should be a happy camper now. 

Will be testing water this weekend, may be adding that fish this weekend that I haven’t gotten around to yet if the water tests good.

Another note, a small white mit looking bug/outbreak has appeared. Oddity, these guys look like the same white mits that were in this tank when it was a FW setup. They are most visable on the back glass of the tank.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

*Death!*

Woke up Saturday Morning 10/6 to a dead Shrimp. 

LFS tested water:
Ammonia - 0-.25ppm. (edited from .5)
No2, No3, PO4 - Zero
PH 8.0 - 8.2
Salt - 1.024 ish. (edited from 1.04)

Conclusion was lack of trace elements, and/ or cycle hasn't started yet. I added a block that dissolves as needed into the water, and purchased another shrimp and small fish. ( fairy wrasse ) Thanks Rick!!

This thread became instrumental in diagnosing what may have happened. I pulled it up on my phone and knew exact dates of what was going on with the tank.

(edit went back to store, looked, I gave wrong #'s. )

Edit. Found pic of fish.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

You can't have inverts in 1.04 salinitly, that's way to high. They require marine salinity levels, 1.025-1.027. And calcium levels above 400. And 0 Ammonia.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Ok, I got my #'s messed up. Saltinity on Sat was 1.024 and 1.023 last night. Ammonia is still not at zero. between zero and .25. (apears I got that # incorrect too.)

Brought them home Sat, feed them yesterday. Shrimp jumped out of hiding spot to grab food, and was quickly chased back into cave by fish.

Took more water down to the lfs yesterday and got Saltinity of 1.023, Amm of 0-.25.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Really late update.

The shrimp I replaced is still kicking. The trace element blocks may be to explain for that?

The fish I added has not survived. He went missing 2 weeks ago. I took water to lfs to test, and water tested fine. (Fish jumped ship? Or eaten by shrimp?) Replaced fish with two yellow clown gobies. Both died within two days. 1 body was pulled out, eyes missing, 2nd body never found. (eaten by shrimp?)


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Possible Bristle Worms took care of the bodies. How are uou acclimqting the fish?


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Not the correct way. The red fish survived a month. The gobies most likely due to improper acclimating. But wouldn't explain the missing bodies. 

Going to do some night watching and see if I can find any unwanted critters. If water continues to test out fine, maybe I'll give fish another try (this time using drip acclimating.)

Thanks for your quick response Reef!!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Believe me, the worms are there, they polished off one of my fish, and my fish was 8". I found the bones a few days later, thats all I was able to locate.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Water tested after 20% wc.
Am = zero
No2 = zero
no3 = none
Ph = ~ 8
Temp ~ 78 - 80


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)




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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Alrighty then. 

Tested water today, from another store (Thanks Megan) And got a completely different story.

Ammonia 3ppm
no2 zero
no3 40ppm
salienty 1.022
gh 180ppm
kh 40 ppm

Edit. Forgot to include the PH. it was 8. (Or a hair under.. 7.9)


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

Wonder if the first store had a bad test kit or was using it improperly?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The ammonia without nitrIte but with nitrAte makes me wonder?Raise your kH to double + where you're at I'd say.With inverts or corals you want your SG 1.024-.026 ish.I shoot for 1.025/kH 10-11 ppm and pH8.3. If store is so willing check calcium also,I try for 430-460.My pH,kH ,cA all change(go lower within 1 week) so I test 2x a week and buff as needed.RM says the traces that "get eaten" in my tank are from the live rock,so since you started right(with LR) these are the things you need to watch closest.RM will follow shortly I'm sure and shoot you straight(or me down{I hope not}).


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

coralbandit said:


> The ammonia without nitrIte but with nitrAte makes me wonder?Raise your kH to double + where you're at I'd say.With inverts or corals you want your SG 1.024-.026 ish.I shoot for 1.025/kH 10-11 ppm and pH8.3. If store is so willing check calcium also,I try for 430-460.My pH,kH ,cA all change(go lower within 1 week) so I test 2x a week and buff as needed.RM says the traces that "get eaten" in my tank are from the live rock,so since you started right(with LR) these are the things you need to watch closest.RM will follow shortly I'm sure and shoot you straight(or me down{I hope not}).


Can't go wrong with this, but he's using ppm CaCO3, not dKH, that KH PPM needs to be way more than double where its at. It should be around 187-196ppm. Curious to know what your PH is if your KH is that low.
Alkalinity Conversion Chart


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

FishFlow said:


> Alrighty then.
> 
> Tested water today, from another store (Thanks Megan) And got a completely different story.
> 
> ...


If these numbers are that far off, you need to retest for PH also, as the KH is going to affect that, and those numbers you have are way to low.
Tank is still in cycle.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)




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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Man I hope that isn't Bryopsis growing in there....That would be horrible.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

PH: 7.8
Am: 1ppm ish.
No2: zero
No3: 5ppm
PO4: 0ppm ish.

KH: 11 drops 110ppm
GH: Test failed? i stopped at 65 drops.

I am using the API test kit, the items with *ish* means I was using the freshwater chart instead of a saltwater chart. Knowing the colors are different on the freshwater, hince the ish.

Thanks for always the quick and helpful responses! Love this place.


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 2, 2011)

Wes ph need to be higher..shoot for 8.3..im assuming that since ph is low your kh is low..need to test for that..again shoot for ph 8.3 dkh of 10 no more than 11.keep everything else at 0..you should do fine between wc's unless you are getting SPS they suck up calcium and alk. mag is another one to test for but i dont test that unless i have SPS..your salt mix should have pleanty of mg between water changes.

Rick


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## Clarky35gal (Dec 27, 2012)

May I ask what is that dark red or purple layer on your LR (fuzzy, like carpet)? I have that too and was wondering if it is good or if it needs removal etc.?


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

KH 14 drops. 140ppm
PH 7.8
NO3 not 100% yellow but very close. Guess a tad of NO3. (Only have fw color chart still.) 

This is before 20% WC


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Clarky35gal said:


> May I ask what is that dark red or purple layer on your LR (fuzzy, like carpet)? I have that too and was wondering if it is good or if it needs removal etc.?


The Dark Red on the left Rock is Coralline Algae, the fuzzy on the right is Hair Algae.
The hair algae is bad, CUC should munch that up for you.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

FishFlow said:


> KH 14 drops. 140ppm
> PH 7.8
> NO3 not 100% yellow but very close. Guess a tad of NO3. (Only have fw color chart still.)
> 
> This is before 20% WC


 What did you do to get your PH so low? Take reading with lights off? 
dKH is off also, high, you don't want it going over 12. Now you've got a little issue, as dKH goes hand in hand with PH.
Airate your tank more for PH to raise, or only take reading when lights are on.
dKH, you can lower this by doing water changes. Did you overdose to get it high? You can also use Muriatic Acid to lower this, but need to get the PH up first, because the Acid will lower it. At 7.8 you can't afford it going any lower.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Lights have not come on for the day when I took PH. 

I am only adding a trace element block to the tank. Although it has been out of the tank for a week. 

Lights on for 2 hours, and 20% wc
KH 12 drops
PH 8.4
NO3 has more orange than before. Maybe due to I kicked up alot of dirt on the wc.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Aight, your good.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

po4: zero
NO3: under 5ppm (fw card mind you)
kh: 13 drops 130ppm

Appears I've got hair algae. Brown and Purple!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Possibly the makings of Cotton Candy Algae. Not sure though. Get that Trace Element Block outta that tank.
Melev's Reef - Visual Identification


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Trace element out.

Some testing:
PO4: zero
PH: 8.2


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## rift lake (Nov 8, 2012)

balint1986 said:


> How much it gonna cost to have aquarium like this including the accessories. Im planning of getting a Aroana fish and what's the desired sized of tank should I get.


average price in salt water usually just to start say at min. $10 gallon and up


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Light recommendations. My cp light was on the beat up side when I got it, and yesterday it started flickering (won't stay on) So on the market for a light.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

For Fish or Reef?
Heres light for both
LED Spotlight IP65 Waterproof RGB Colour Changing LED Floodlight 10W 20W 30W 50W | eBay
Mini Aqualight T5 Nano Light Coralife 12" | eBay
PAR38 12W LED Aquarium Dimmable Reef Coral White Blue Grow Light Remote Control | eBay
LED 12 480 Aquarium Light Nano Pico Marine Fowlr 9x 1W 1 Watt | eBay


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## ionix (Oct 11, 2012)

FishFlow said:


> Light recommendations. My cp light was on the beat up side when I got it, and yesterday it started flickering (won't stay on) So on the market for a light.


I went to my LFS based on reefing madness example products, and they sold me $30 sunblaster lights 38" (i think on the measure), with 5600k bulbs included. So you should find something pretty reasonable. I still have to upgrade to most of the lights bulbs being 10k+. 

Its pretty confusing, but the crazy prices are crazy. 

Though, I just got through three pages of your progress. Nice pics, and hitch-hikers. I wonder why your tank is acting the way it is, a little wonky in my opinion with your fishies. Have you tried using something like SeaChem Stability with bacteria and ammonia, nitrite/ate detoxifier (making it less toxic). Drip lines are 3.99. Totally worth it. No fish deaths except my nemo rampage (5 died, but all my other fish lived, the nemos weren't treated well before I got to them (my conditions are good)).

I like how the tank is done. It is pretty innovative. I have never seen anyone with a tank like that besides the LFS.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Thanks Reef. You're always quick with responses and loaded with links! (sometimes I wonder about ya! )

I like the Par 38, or the LED 12.

While search'en the net, I kinda like this one too.

Innovative Marine 8 Watt 14000K Skkye Light Clamp LED Light

I'd like a light that would allow me to have some reef creatures eventually. For now, need it to grow live rock.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

That one may work for ya.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Pic update. Got the new light some time ago. On fence if I like it or not. Tank is alot darker. But now after some time, got some larger creatures popping up. Alot of growth too.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)




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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)




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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Rock looks great! That creature is a bristle worm,are you overfeeding?They're not the end of the world or anything that needs imediate attention,but limit your nutrients or he'll have friends!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Looks good man!!
Bristle Worms, no biggy
Marine Algae, nice sign. Got any critters to eat it?


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

The bristle worms are freaking us the heck out! Nasty looking, he has friends, and they are big. Still only one shrimp in the tank, which we're feeding 2x a week, 1 sinking shrimp pellet. He grabs the pellet every time. 

The 2nd pic above, the rock on the right, has Purple Fuzz. What's that?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Another type of Algae, hopefully doesn't get any worse, or you'll have to do the lights out treatment.


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## johnmark3590 (May 31, 2013)

Hey nice tank....
Good work...
good going keep it up...


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