sand temp??

So I have my tank up and running with 2 filters and water mixed with 1/2 cup of salt water salt per gal. its been running for 5 days now and Im wondering at if i need a protein skimmer before i get the sand? and what temp should it be? also do all my ph/nitrate/nitrite/amonia all the levels have to be in order before live sand? by the way i have a 10 gal tank.


thanks for the help
monica

 

Hi Monica - the 1st thing you need to do is check your salinity or specific gravity
you can buy a device that will tell you what you salinity level is - you cant rely on adding salt mix based on cups per gallon - test it and your target is 1.023 - 1.026

next if you used water direct from your home tap, then you may have some problems later on , because tap water may be fit for drinking but thats because they put chemicals in it, that are not fit for looking after fish and sensitive corals

if you used RODI or RO or DI or distilled water then ignore my previous comments

live sand, never used it to be honest so cant advise when best time to add it is

Steve

 

No adding the live sand will be fine. If the SG is perfect that is just a plus. I added mine in after adding water. It will be cloudy over night so don't think anything is wrong. Welcome to 3 reef

And i have no idea about a skimmer on a 10 gallon? I'm sure someone with a nano could help with that.

 

add your live sand after your water is mixed and you dont see any more undissolved salt. Its also advisable to toss your liverock right before you put your livesand in (just so it sits on the glass bottom and not sitting directly on the unsteady sand). After your livesand, and liverock are in- you can start cycling.


No, your nitrates/nitrites/ammonia are not going to be perfect yet- as your tank hasn't cycled.... something that usually takes between 3-6 weeks (call it an opportunity to do some fine reading). Your going to want to watch for your ammonia to spike, than slowly fade as your nitrites begin to spike, than your nitrites will start to drop as your nitrates go up. Many people use damsels (as they are a bit more hardy) to get the tank's cycle started... However, with a 10 gallon tank you might have to be a bit more picky as to what fish you have in there cause it's a pretty tiny tank. Another good sign that your tank has cycled will be the presence of diatom algae (a brownish/goldish algae that seems to cover your glass, sand, etc). This algae will eventually dissipate over a few days to a week. It is important that you don't do any water changes during your cycling period as you actually want your water to become "polluted" in a sense.

And no, if your just keeping fish you shouldnt need a protein skimmer. You may be able to house some soft coral (such as a colt coral) as well without the need for a protein skimmer (Some of these corals actually benefit from a higher level of phosphates/nitrates - do some reading during your cycle and you'll be a pro by the time it comes down to selecting your fish/coral choices).