- Joined
- Apr 11, 2020
- Messages
- 54
- Reaction score
- 36
Intro to my Setup
So I’ve been researching this hobby for months, and I’ve decided to start cycling my quarantine tank first as a mini test before I fill up my 100 gallon aquarium. It’s a 10 gallon tank with a hang on the back filter that came with a piece of a black sponge type sheet that I’ve seen be used in sumps before. I also have a sponge filter on the opposite side to get extra flow. I’ve started my nitrogen cycle by ghost feeding freeze dried brine shrimp and in the filter I added a partially used carbon filter from my 20 gallon freshwater tank which has a perfect cycle. Its levels stayed stable even when I had a fish pass away due to old age. I saw some detritus worms but I’ve done research and I think they are very helpful for my setup so I’m keeping them in the new one as well. I’m waiting for my salt to arrive on Wednesday, but since the bacteria for fresh and saltwater seem to be pretty much the same, I have a headstart on the water cycling. I’m adding in my white (not live) rocks and decor to the tank now so they can cycle and I plan to add live sand in shortly before adding the fish. I also intend to add chaeto to make a mini refugium. My 100gal will have Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt.
FISH PLANS
I’ll be starting with 2 clownfish and I’m considering a blue damsel or purple firefish, then I really love gobies so a watchman goby would be really cool potentially in the future. My cleanup crew would consist of emerald crabs if I notice algae and I’ve always wanted Squat/anemone Shrimp.
CORAL PLANS
For the 10gal, I’ll probably only have 1-3 corals in this tank later down the line, but I want to start a fish only setup first. I don’t want any zoas. My overall coral plans for the 100gal are GSPs, pulsing xenia, fox coral, bubble coral, favia, sarcophyton, blastomussa, discosoma, trachyphyllia, pink tipped plate coral, and chalice coral. I probably wont get all of these, but a girl can dream lol.
QUESTIONS
Is it bad to add sand after filling the tank? (Is it more cloudy?)
For a fish only tank, do you still have to dose specific nutrients? If so, what kinds?
Best clownfish food?
What nutrients do you have to dose in for corals and how often?
(I already know the lighting requirements, flow, and foods that specific corals need)
What are the perfect pH, Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium levels?
Which corals should I start off with first?
Thanks in advance for the help!
So I’ve been researching this hobby for months, and I’ve decided to start cycling my quarantine tank first as a mini test before I fill up my 100 gallon aquarium. It’s a 10 gallon tank with a hang on the back filter that came with a piece of a black sponge type sheet that I’ve seen be used in sumps before. I also have a sponge filter on the opposite side to get extra flow. I’ve started my nitrogen cycle by ghost feeding freeze dried brine shrimp and in the filter I added a partially used carbon filter from my 20 gallon freshwater tank which has a perfect cycle. Its levels stayed stable even when I had a fish pass away due to old age. I saw some detritus worms but I’ve done research and I think they are very helpful for my setup so I’m keeping them in the new one as well. I’m waiting for my salt to arrive on Wednesday, but since the bacteria for fresh and saltwater seem to be pretty much the same, I have a headstart on the water cycling. I’m adding in my white (not live) rocks and decor to the tank now so they can cycle and I plan to add live sand in shortly before adding the fish. I also intend to add chaeto to make a mini refugium. My 100gal will have Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt.
FISH PLANS
I’ll be starting with 2 clownfish and I’m considering a blue damsel or purple firefish, then I really love gobies so a watchman goby would be really cool potentially in the future. My cleanup crew would consist of emerald crabs if I notice algae and I’ve always wanted Squat/anemone Shrimp.
CORAL PLANS
For the 10gal, I’ll probably only have 1-3 corals in this tank later down the line, but I want to start a fish only setup first. I don’t want any zoas. My overall coral plans for the 100gal are GSPs, pulsing xenia, fox coral, bubble coral, favia, sarcophyton, blastomussa, discosoma, trachyphyllia, pink tipped plate coral, and chalice coral. I probably wont get all of these, but a girl can dream lol.
QUESTIONS
Is it bad to add sand after filling the tank? (Is it more cloudy?)
For a fish only tank, do you still have to dose specific nutrients? If so, what kinds?
Best clownfish food?
What nutrients do you have to dose in for corals and how often?
(I already know the lighting requirements, flow, and foods that specific corals need)
What are the perfect pH, Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium levels?
Which corals should I start off with first?
Thanks in advance for the help!