some questions...

Hey everyone! i recently started a tank (about 2 months ago) and havent done much with it until yesterday and now im very worried about it. i dont really have any issues as of now but let me explain my concern. about 2 months ago i was at my lfs talking with one of the guys (ive been keeping cichlids for the past 6 years) and somehow we got on the topic of saltwater. I have extra tanks all over the place and so i decided i wanted to give this a whirl. that day i bought salt, live rock and live sand. i went home and started setting up a 20L. i mixed the salt till i got the desired salinity levels, added 10lbs of live rock and about 20lbs of live sand. soon after i got extremely busy at work and so the tank sat for about 2 months, id level it off from time to time and occasionally watch the hitchhikers roam the tank. well i had some free time yesterday and got the urge to actually do something with this tank. i went back to the lfs with a sample of my water, everything was great for the most part, salinity: 1.025, ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrites: 0ppm, and nitrates: 10ppm ( i think a little high but i was told not a big issue yet but to start planning a water change soon). Also while i was there i picked up another 10lbs of live rock, some kind of hermit crab, 3 blue leg hermits, 2 snails, and the guy gave me a bunch of those little starfish that stick on the glass lol. he suggested i add these and wait a few more days, come back have my water tested and then start thinking about adding some fish. well after i got home and settled everything else in my excitement got the best of me and i ran out to a diff. lfs and bought a red scooter dragonet and a false percula clown. so far they have both survived the first night and appear to be doing fine. the scooter is all over the tank i assume searching for food and my clown, with the exception of being very shy, is eating and slowly making his way from behind the filter to the sides of the tank. mainly i am concerned about a spike in my chemistry and thus killing my fish so....

do i have reason to be worried about a spike and killing my fish? or do you think if they have made it these first 24 hours they will will be fine?

how can i help my clown feel for comfortable to his new home?

Also, depending on the answer to my above questions, i need to start thinking and planning for the future. i eventually want to add corals etc. so what kind of lighting system would be good for this size tank? wattage, types of bulbs any information you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Also should i add more live rock?

how many fish will i be able to keep in this size tank? Ideally id like the two i have, a neon dottyback and perhaps one other (not sure what kind yet). id also like to have a shrimp or two, a crab and another hermit.

any suggestions on food? currently im going with spirulina frozen brine shrimp but would like to have a variety of food.

i have liquid vitamins (kent zoe and zoecon) should i start adding them with the food? if so, what rate should i add?

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANYONE WHO CAN OFFER ANY HELP!!

 

Glad to see you found way here.

Sounds like a great tank!

10ppm nitrate is normal in most tanks.

Do not be alarmed. Usually always a nitrate spike when new fish added.

Your biofilter should deal with it in day or so.

For a 20L tank...that is about a max fish load for first starting out.

Have fun!

Enjoy.

(keep us posted...we love to watch new tanks also!

 

Did you mean 20 Liters or 20 Gallons?

At 20L, you have too many fish. One fish would do in a five gallon tank. The general rule is one inch of fish per three gallons of water. And that depends on what else you have in the tank in terms of inverts.

At 20L, you have enough live rock. At 20g, you could use 10 more pounds for a reef tank but not right now. Wait until your fish and your system get used to each other before adding anything else.

Your numbers are good. I wouldn't worry about it. The nitrates you have are OK for now. Ideally at 0, a number of 10 will not kill a fish. If you are using tap water, it is probably from that.

Lights, I don't know much about. My first semi-educated guess is a small T-5 array. I don't think a tank that size needs metal halides. I would steer clear of PCs. That is what I have. I am changing them out here in a few months.

Research the fish here on the net to see if brine shrimp will suffice for their diet. I go back and forth between frozen brine and a combo frozen product that has brine/algae/krill (mainly for the tang and angel). I also chop up silverside into very small pieces on occasion to mix it up. Don't overfeed. Once daily is usually enough.

I don't know about vitamins so no comment

I want you to go out and buy a book and read it all the way through. I picked up "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner and read through that. In addition, I read some articles on the net. On top of that, I have looked through a lot of the posts here on 3reef. You will learn much from searching the forums and reading the articles submitted by the moderators and members.

By the way.......I am a fellow newbie with all of two months experience. This is just what I would do. Please wait and see if others agree.

And.......see if your LFS provides RO/DI water. Mine will give 10 gallons away daily at no charge. You should do any future water changes with something other than tap water. Too many impurities (phosphte, nitrate, etc.).

Have fun......this is a wonderful hobby. John.

 

brine shrimp don't have much nutritional value, so you may to vary it up. If you do get some corals, you will need to test for certain things, such as phosphate, nitrate, Ca and Mg as well as other things such as ammonia, nitrite etc. If it is 20L then you are maxed out for fish, as others have said. My lfs has a 5 gal micro reef and they have a maroon clown, a blood shrimp a few hermits and then some corals, star polyps, mushrooms, corcea clam, and another soft i don't know what it is. I agree with a small t5 light fixture, it is better to go overboard then not have enough light. Good luck!

 

Welcome and good luck . Believe it or not I feel that setting the tank up and leaving it alone for 2 months is great I think that is almost impossible for someone to do and letting the tank cycle is really important I am not saying neglecting a tank is good but in your case you werent neglecting it you were doing the right thing for a new tank you gave it time to cycle great! I think the levels are fine my only worry is for the scooter blenny if he is not eating the frozen food you put in you may have a problem here is why the scooter may be looking for live food in the tank ( pods) and you do not have a good supply of them yet so I would watch very closely to see if he is eating your frozen food if you do not see him eat the food and he is just constantly cruising around " hunting" for pods that aren't ther you may want to consider bringing him back because he will starve. Otherwise the clown should be fine they are hardy all fish take time to adjust.

 

welcome to 3reef!

 

Welcome to 3Reef>>>>>>>

 

john i think he means he has a 20 gallon long tank

 

Do you think he means a 20 long?

 

Oooohhhhh dude, that makes sense. OK.