10g First Salt Water Tank

This is my first try at a salt water tank, I have had a freshwater tank for about three years. I acquired this 10 gallon salt water tank from my cousin. She was running it bare bottom with two clown fish.
I moved the tank to my place today. Drained the tank and cleaned it. I saved about five gallons from the original established tank as well as the clown fish. I added a sand bed substrate. As well I replaced the less than adequate filter with a BIO-wheel filter for a 20 gallon tank.





I hope to add some decor to the tank this week. Hopefully working my way up to a small reef set up. Any suggestions and recommendations for set up.

 

Did the tank have any rock in it before? If it was a bare bottom tank with no rock, and you replaced the filter, then you removed any and all bacteria from the system. The way you have it setup now, it will go through a cycle. You will need test kits to monitor the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels so you can do water changes to keep them at safe levels or the clownfish may die if ammonia or nitrite levels get too high. That tank really should have some live rock in it for biological filtration.

 

Well, what was the less than adequate filter? You said she had been running it for 3 years so must have been good enough, unless you didn't tell us she has been replacing fish left and right.

+1

 

She had only been running the tank for a few months, I had run a fresh water tank for 3 years. Her filter wasn't quite adequate as the algae build up in the tank was rapid. I used five gallons of the water from the previous setup and five gallons of new water.

I plan to get some live rock soon, hopefully tomorrow morning.

 

I respectfully disagree. A properly maintained mechanical/chemical filter will not develop enough bacteria to make a difference. Any that does form is removed each time you replace the media. And yes, FO tanks W/O live rock are still common.

I will agree, though, that live rock will greatly enhance filtration; it will also provide a more natural environment for your fish.

Good luck with your new tank.

 

I see what you are saying, but if it was literally a bare glass box with fish in it, the only place for bacteria to grow would be in the hob filter. Most of them have a biomedia pad that stays in the filter all the time, and is seperate from the carbon filter pad that gets replaced regularly.

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+1 on getting test kits and live rock, try getting some live sand to seed your new sand bed. keep testing your water the tank might well go through a cycle.

what is you salinity currently at?

the tests you want to get are at least No2 No3 Nh4 and Ph

 

So I've added a 3.5 lbs live rock. The ammonia level has settled to zero and all other readings are good.



I've also found a hitchhiker from the rock which I cannot identify. Any ideas?

 

Looks like a micro Brittle Star

 

thats just a mini brittle star harmless scavenger and they dont get much larger than that size