Questions From a Newbie

[Bugboy2020]

Hello! I've been in the hobby of fishkeeping for 4 years now. I've taken care of Neon Tetras, Emperor Tetras, Cory's, Bettas, and a Guppy. Currently, in a ten gallon tank, I have two Glowlight Danios and a Bronze Cory catfish, with a few Anubias plants.
Recently, at Walmart I bought a 5 gallon aquarium kit that was on sale. I planned on setting up a small shrimp tank, but then I decided to try my hand at saltwater tanks. I've done a fair bit of research, lurked on this site for a few weeks, and yesterday I visited my local specialty saltwater store. The livestock they recommended for my nano tank was a Masked Goby and a Tiger Pistol Shrimp, and Mushroom coral frags.
So! After the backstory, my questions are..
- Is the following list of equipment for my tank fine?
Nicrew LED Aquarium Hood Lighting
Marineland Penguin 100
25 - Watt heater
Tank cover(Plexiglas, will cut it out myself)
- How many pounds of substrate should I have? I'd like plenty for the Shrimp to burrow. I'm planning on adding live sand, but I'm not sure which brand to buy (Carib Sea or Nature's Ocean?)
- How much live rock should I buy? I just want a few pieces in the center.
- Does anyone have experience with Masked Gobies or Tiger Pistol Shrimp? Would you recommend these species?
- Should I let the tank cycle 3 months before adding the livestock? Or can I add in the fish about a month or two after I begin cycling?
- I have the same filter in my freshwater setup, if I transfer the current media over to the saltwater tank, will that help establish bacteria quicker?
- Is there a way to encourage the Masked Goby and the shrimp to bond? And if they do not bond, should I worry about aggression issues between the two?
Your answers will be appreciated!

 

[eastlake]

First off welcome! personally, since you're just getting into the saltwater end of the hobby I'd recommend going a little bigger because the water parameters will be more stable and more forgiving, I started with a 45 gallon. But if you are intent on sticking with the 5 gallon then I'll try to answer what I can. A nano goby and pistol shrimp are excellent candidates for a "pico" tank and the easiest route would likely to be to find a bonded pair to take the mystery out of weather they will bond or not. The filter should be ok for some water movement and chemical filtration but I would consider adding another source of flow, perhaps an aerator. Definitely do not use any established filter media from your freshwater tanks as the biology on those forms of media will not survive in saltwater and die creating a huge ammonia spike. For the shrimp you'll want to have at least a two inch sand bed so it has room to burrow, crushed coral or aragonite should be fine and are easier to clean than sugar sand, any brand will work but if you can get it "live" you're cycle time will be shorter and for live rock basically however many pieces it takes to create a cave or so that the shrimp can burrow under. You're light would be fine for the fish and shrimp but would be concerned about the long term health of the coral as it's just blue and white LEDs, it wouldn't have the entirety of the spectrum that the shrooms would need and LEDs have "hot spots" if a coral is to close to it. A small 50/50 power compact might suit your needs better especially for shrooms. A month for the cycle should be fine if you use live rock and live sand. Again, with a tank that small you need to make sure you are keeping it topped off and your partial water changes weekly, with a tank that small you have to worry about rapid changes in water chemistry. Hopefully this will be some help to you and again welcome to the salt side

 

[Bugboy2020]

Thanks! Unfortunately, it took some convincing for my mother to allow me to have even a 5 gallon tank(She's concerned with the price of electricity). I've read reviews saying the LED is adequate for Mushrooms, so I guess I'll test it on a small frag(10$ isn't too bad anyhow). All I need to do now is to purchase a Refactor(For the salinity) and a test kit, then I can begin the wonderful process of cycling! :dance:

 

[Kentech5]

If you can get one, an auto top off would be really beneficial in such a small tank. Replacing evaporation will help keep your salinity stable. Granted, I had a 2.5 gallon tank for about a year that did well with daily top offs and weekly 50% water changes. However, any slacking on my part and the tank suffered.

Pico tanks like this can be fun and though small swings can hurt these tanks it is also easier to correct levels in these little tanks.


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[Bugboy2020]

I'll(Hopefully) be starting my first job this summer. Maybe afterwards, I'll be able to buy an auto top off.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the hard work a pico tank needs. I think it'll be rewarding enough to simply sit down and watch it every so often, and admire my work.