10 gallon setup...thoughts?

[LordJoshaeus]

I am going to set up a 10 gallon for my Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis colony and need your help to ensure it will be a success. Here are the specs so far;
Filter; Aqueon Quiet flow medium, 150 gph; a large air powered sponge filter; and 7 lbs of rock. Will use filter media taken from a local lfs who is friendly to me to jump start the cycle.
Substrate; tbd. Presumably non live sand (I am skeptical that a bag of sand that has sat on the shelf for months still has any useful amount of life in it).
Temperature; set to 76 fahrenheit. May get a little warmer in summer.
Light; none for the first 3-6 months while it establishes, only ambient.
Fauna; my P. cyanodorsalis colony. They are only an inch long as adults and are currently about half that, so any tank mates will need to be chosen with extreme care. Any corals or other sessile life will need to tolerate the relatively gentle flow.
Feeding; baby brine once or twice a day, nano pellets.
Water changes; 3 gallons weekly. New water is rodi from the aforementioned lfs with instant ocean added at home.

What are your thoughts on my plans? Thanks :)

 

[Fish Fan]

Good plan overall, but I don't think you need both the HOB filter and the air driven sponge filter. I think the sponge filter would be unsightly in the tank, and I'd go without it. Remember that your rocks and sand are the primary biofilters in a marine tank, so I don't think you'll need extra biofiltration, which is primarily what a sponge filter provides.

I'm also not so sure about the long wait without turning on the lights. I get the idea, but in practice I think this may just delay an ugly stage. Given that this is just a 10 gallon tank, I'd get 10 or 15 pounds of real live rock form your LFS, which will be already well established, and resistant to ugly algae.

Use whatever sand you'd like, it all becomes "live" in time

I hope that helps and good luck with your project!

 

[LordJoshaeus]

Good plan overall, but I don't think you need both the HOB filter and the air driven sponge filter. I think the sponge filter would be unsightly in the tank, and I'd go without it. Remember that your rocks and sand are the primary biofilters in a marine tank, so I don't think you'll need extra biofiltration, which is primarily what a sponge filter provides.

I'm also not so sure about the long wait without turning on the lights. I get the idea, but in practice I think this may just delay an ugly stage. Given that this is just a 10 gallon tank, I'd get 10 or 15 pounds of real live rock form your LFS, which will be already well established, and resistant to ugly algae.

Use whatever sand you'd like, it all becomes "live" in time

I hope that helps and good luck with your project!

Thank you. I am just hesitant to get live rock because many of the potential hitchhikers would eat my rainbow fish given the chance.