New To Hobby Need help

X

xZxHadesxZx

New member
So i recently started up a 10g saltwater tank.(have had running for a month now) i have about 10lbs of live rock, live sand/ argonite stones, cheapest in tank skimmer i could find(will be making a sump tank and upgrading eventually, uv filter, 30gallon fluval filter(sponge/carbon/ammonia) , 50 watt heater, currently using a small light to get me by until i purchase a nice led light, also have a small pump/fan to make the current. I have two osc clown fish in tank and 5 hermits. everything seems to be going well. i tested my water and the nitrates and nitrites were not yet zero but not high. ph was sitting at 8-8.5. Really looking for tips or things i may want to invest in over time to keep water in best condition and keep my clowns happy. once everything gets down to zero im going to add in some anenemas for them,(my goal here is to get them paired and breeding) Just looking for some noobie tips or tricks. also need to know how to get my salinity down, my hydrometer reads maxed out and im not sure why. thanks all for helping
 
You seem to be on the right path. I would recommend to invest in a reliable glass hydrometer. It will be your partner for lifelong!
First make sure that the salinity you r reading is right and the react to it.
For immediate damage control, take your tank water to a fellow reefer or a local LFS to find out what is your true salinity. If it is high the replace tank water in small amounts with RODI non salted water to dilute the salinity out slowly. Target for 1.024-1.025.
Order a reliable hydrometer online in the meantime.
Best of luck!


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is bottled water ok? i dont have a ro/di filter system. Any other recommendations? i really want to do this right so they start breeding and i can fill the tank im going to build lol
 
Bottled water is okay as well. 5 gallon jug of rodi from a closeby LFS will be little cheaper.
Make sure to correct salinity gradually.
Reef tanks are not forgiving to sudden changes in either directions.(important rule in the hobby).
And once again confirm your reading before correcting it.
Next step, check and maintain your alkalinity as well.
I use salifert kit, its reasonable. 8.5-9.


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I think you will be able to get by just fine without rodi in short time.
If you have to prioritize things on your list of, to get items. A good light for reef tank should be higher the RODI unit.


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As to the swing arm hydrometer you probably have a bubble on the arm or you do have very high salinity that you need to get taken care of ASAP..

And don't forget you should be topping off with fresh water (not saltwater) to replace what has evaporated from the tank.. The salt does not evaporate.. If you have been topping off with saltwater that would explain why your salinity is too high..

You will need to slowly (over the course of a few days to weeks depending on how high it really is) taking a cup of water out and replace with fresh water (no salt)
 
Lighting and Ro/DI filter will be bought this weekend

i added fresh water in yesterday so when i get home ill measure levels again

and going to start taking some water out and putting fresh water in

thank you all!!!
 
Obviously make sure you have a device that is capable of accurately measuring salinity before you just go monkeying around..
 
My biggest mess up as a person new to the hobby....QT your fish prior to putting them in your DT. I didn't do this and put a hippo tang in my DT and it cost me... I now have 3 QT tanks with full setups for new inhabitants so that I can QT more than one at a time or TTM if needed.

Good luck!!
 
jpcemc said:
My biggest mess up as a person new to the hobby....QT your fish prior to putting them in your DT. I didn't do this and put a hippo tang in my DT and it cost me... I now have 3 QT tanks with full setups for new inhabitants so that I can QT more than one at a time or TTM if needed.

Good luck!!
Click to expand...

So you quarantine your fish before going in your tank? im really only going to have clown fish as they are the fish i like most. and they both went from bag to tank and i have not had any issues, one has been in for a week and the other is at 3 days now
 
xZxHadesxZx said:
So you quarantine your fish before going in your tank? im really only going to have clown fish as they are the fish i like most. and they both went from bag to tank and i have not had any issues, one has been in for a week and the other is at 3 days now
Click to expand...

I do. Any fish, healthy looking or not, I quarantine automatically so that way if they do develop issues, I can treat them without harming the rest of my tank inhabitants or the live rock. Plus once they are in the DT I have to rip it apart to catch them again if they develop issues.

I'd rather keep them in my bare bottom QT with PVC fittings and a hob filter/heater until I know they are healthy. Sometimes illness won't pop up for quite some time so I would rather be proactive than reactive. Ich is a PAIN to deal with.
 
jpcemc said:
I do. Any fish, healthy looking or not, I quarantine automatically so that way if they do develop issues, I can treat them without harming the rest of my tank inhabitants or the live rock. Plus once they are in the DT I have to rip it apart to catch them again if they develop issues.

I'd rather keep them in my bare bottom QT with PVC fittings and a hob filter/heater until I know they are healthy. Sometimes illness won't pop up for quite some time so I would rather be proactive than reactive. Ich is a PAIN to deal with.
Click to expand...

so you have your qt tank on the same water and everything as your view tank?

also what makes ich so hard to deal with?
 
I use a glass hydrometer I have two refractormeters . and Too many other things to do then test a testing device each time i want to test what its meant to test..
 
xZxHadesxZx said:
so you have your qt tank on the same water and everything as your view tank?

also what makes ich so hard to deal with?
Click to expand...

I have 3 x 10 Gallon tanks setup with bare bottoms, PVC fittings, HOB filter, a heater, a nano power head and a light (for looking at the fish). I mix my own SW with RO water (or SW I get from my buddy) and I change the water frequently or change tanks and sterilize the previous tank. In a DT you cannot use certain treatments without harming your LR or other tank inhabitants. In addition, the aquascaping of a DT makes it hard to see the fish clearly.

Ich basically "explodes" into the tank and attaches to any fish it can find. In order to kill Ich effectively once it is in your tank you need to let your tank sit empty for 60-90 days to interrupt the life cycle of the parasite. As such, it is easier to prevent it then it is to treat your DT.
 
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