Beginner to Saltwater Aquariums-Started Tank

[TANGOX4]

Hi everyone, I am new to keeping Saltwater aquariums and I just recently purchased the Fluval EXO 13.5 gallon. I had done my research on it and figured it would be an ok AIO to start with and go from there. I have been keeping freshwater aquariums for years now and wanted to try my hand at Saltwater. So I know some things but not everything. So I guess I am a little overwhelmed with the process so far. So there is a little back story, I have live sand in the tank and some dry rock and the tank is a couple days old. My plan is with this tank and the light situation to get a couple small clowns, clean up crew, pistol shrimp and a yellow watchman goby. And I know this all takes some considerate time and testing, but my main issues are that I don't necessarily know how to get the ball rolling. I have watched videos and researched but it seems like a lot and just want to get the basics going so I can continue to progress with this tank. I tested the water yesterday to just see if I see anything but it looks perfect and ready to go. (I bought saltwater from my LFS, and I know it really isn't cycled, so I just want to know how I can get it cycled and other things to get the ball rolling.) I used some microbacter stuff that my LFS suggested but I haven't been able to use it daily or know exactly how to use it even after reading the instructions.... apparently I am not as understanding as I thought I was jumping into this lol. So any insight or help is greatly appreciated. Money isn't really too big of an issue at the moment so if there are some really good things that I don't have (which I probably don't) please suggest them and I could probably make them work. I really appreciate your help and advice.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If I read correctly you are using bacteria but no ammonia? You need bacteria and ammonia to start. Get a bottle of bacteria, Tim's and Fritz have good reputations, and a small bottle of ammonia, or you can use fish food. Ammonia is faster since you don't have to wait for it to break down, and you can also measure the ammonia right away. Basically you want to bring the ammonia to 2 ppm and then wait.

Once you get to zero ammonia zero nitrite and some measurable nitrate, the tank is cycled. Some bacteria's work faster than others, some in days and some take weeks. If you are using an API test kit, it almost always shows .25 ammonia and nitrite, so if the cycle seems to be stalling its just the test kit.

Good luck and post some pics of your tank, we like pictures.

 

[fishface NJ]

Welcome to R2R! Good luck with the aquarium

 

[Idoc]

Welcome to the hobby...that 13.5g tank will grow into a 100g tank in no time.

Thre are a few differences with saltwater vs freshwater, obviously. But monitoring water conditions will be the biggest factor you need to understand and monitor. R2R articles section has some really good articles on starting up a system. Also, BulkReefSupply.com has some good videos to watch as well.

A tank will automatically cycle after about 30 days even if you don't add any starting bacteria into the system. But adding starting bacteria will definitely help get the cycle going quickly. Until you can show your system can process ammonia and break it down, I wouldn't add any fish to the system. Some people add a particular amount of ammonia (usually around 2ppm) directly and then test 24hrs later to ensure if was processed...if so, you are cycled. But, if you are adding some Microbacter7 (or possibly you mean a different product) to your system, then it will probably be good to go after a week or so. But, you need some good test kits (no API) to test ammonia and nitrates to get started (I use RedSea test kits mostly). Nitrites don't need to be checked in a saltwater tank like in a freshwater tank.

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef and to saltwater tanks!

Good advice already here. If money isn't an issue, consider using some to all real, wet live rock from a quality Local Fish Store (LFS) or from a mariculture facility such as Tampa Bay Saltwater. Live rock comes with a wealth of organisms, micro and macro, that go a long way to creating a stable, healthy environment for marine livestock. TBS sells small "Treasure Chests" that might be a great way to go for your tank. Something like this, as an example, along with some of your live sand and dry rocks might be a good option. If you could do all TBS rock and sand you'd be off to a fantastic start, in my opinion:
https://tbsaltwater.com/products/sand-rox-box
Using real, wet live rock will help you avoid a lengthy initial cycle necessary when using all dry rock and sand (that sand-in-a-bag isn't really live sand the way that the sand from TBS is).

On a small tank especially you're really going to want an Auto Top Off unit to replace evaporated freshwater to your system. This goes a long way to keeping your stability stable, which is very important, especially for corals.

What water you use is very important. Most home hobbyists have an RODI filter to make purified freshwater that's used both to mix saltwater, and to replace freshwater that evaporates from your tank. You can buy both fresh and premade saltwater from your LFS, but you still need a refractometer to test the salinity of the water you're buying. Never just assume that it's good to go just because you bought it from a reliable shop. Another option is to buy gallons of distilled water, which can be found at any grocery store or pharmacy or your local big-box superstore, and are generally a dollar or so/gallon. You can use distilled water to make your own saltwater and to top off your tank.

Here's a great guide to starting a saltwater tank:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/
And while not everyone at R2R agrees, I suggest this video serious for beginners from BRSTV:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/cont...EM026oUyTT1iVTCHt-cotWiSAPe_SKSzPmYSfHIeN18R5
I hope this helps and post back with any further questions!

Good luck!

 

[Fish Fan]

And just to be clear, only pure, freshwater evaporates out of your tank, so you need to top it off with freshwater, not saltwater

Good luck!

 

[TANGOX4]

Welcome to Reef2Reef and to saltwater tanks!

Good advice already here. If money isn't an issue, consider using some to all real, wet live rock from a quality Local Fish Store (LFS) or from a mariculture facility such as Tampa Bay Saltwater. Live rock comes with a wealth of organisms, micro and macro, that go a long way to creating a stable, healthy environment for marine livestock. TBS sells small "Treasure Chests" that might be a great way to go for your tank. Something like this, as an example, along with some of your live sand and dry rocks might be a good option. If you could do all TBS rock and sand you'd be off to a fantastic start, in my opinion:
https://tbsaltwater.com/products/sand-rox-box
Using real, wet live rock will help you avoid a lengthy initial cycle necessary when using all dry rock and sand (that sand-in-a-bag isn't really live sand the way that the sand from TBS is).

On a small tank especially you're really going to want an Auto Top Off unit to replace evaporated freshwater to your system. This goes a long way to keeping your stability stable, which is very important, especially for corals.

What water you use is very important. Most home hobbyists have an RODI filter to make purified freshwater that's used both to mix saltwater, and to replace freshwater that evaporates from your tank. You can buy both fresh and premade saltwater from your LFS, but you still need a refractometer to test the salinity of the water you're buying. Never just assume that it's good to go just because you bought it from a reliable shop. Another option is to buy gallons of distilled water, which can be found at any grocery store or pharmacy or your local big-box superstore, and are generally a dollar or so/gallon. You can use distilled water to make your own saltwater and to top off your tank.

Here's a great guide to starting a saltwater tank:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/
And while not everyone at R2R agrees, I suggest this video serious for beginners from BRSTV:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/cont...EM026oUyTT1iVTCHt-cotWiSAPe_SKSzPmYSfHIeN18R5
I hope this helps and post back with any further questions!

Good luck!

Great! Ok thank you for the information. And than you everyone else, wish there was a reply all button to say thank you, but I have one more question. So when I add you know bacteria and ammonia and things should I have the skimmer turned off? I have one on there currently running. Which idek if I have it running right either haha. But just trying to cover my grounds before I leave work and go get some of this stuff!! Thanks again

 

[Fish Fan]

Great! Ok thank you for the information. And than you everyone else, wish there was a reply all button to say thank you, but I have one more question. So when I add you know bacteria and ammonia and things should I have the skimmer turned off? I have one on there currently running. Which idek if I have it running right either haha. But just trying to cover my grounds before I leave work and go get some of this stuff!! Thanks again

Generally, when you're first cycling your tank, you can leave the skimmer off. Right now there's literally nothing in the water for the skimmer to remove, so you can't really get it dial in just right just yet. You can start running your skimmer if/when you see high nitrates, for example.

 

[fishy103]

Welcome, there are multiple ways to cycle your tank, either use liquid ammonia, or use dead biotic material like frozen brine shrimp, I used frozen brine shrimp to cycle my tank. Basically you just add a generous amount of brine shrimp in each day until your tank gets a bit of ammonia which you check by testing, then you add in the bacteria so it can convert ammonia, to nitrite, into nitrate. Remember the whole purpose of adding the ammonia is so that the bacteria have something to eat to reach a stable population. Then you just wait until there is nothing left but nitrate in your tests. Then you should do a 25% water change. Once you see algae you should get your clean up crew, snails and hermits, the two best options for your tanks first janitors, make sure to also get nassarius snails to turn the sandbed. Then I would recommend getting your fish like clowns but if you do then make sure they are different sizes so there is less of a risk of initial aggression. Make sure not to get a fish with specific dietary needs as you usually need to get copepod cultures for those. If you want to get coral which I recommend then start with soft corals like, zoanthids, GSP, or Xenia. But witch out as those grow like weeds, I would recommend starting with 1 coral to see how it does then buy a few more. Also you should grab some macro algae not only as a natural filter, but as refuge for your future critters. Also I would recommend getting copepods as mentioned earlier as they boost biodiversity and eat diatoms, and as a plus they are a good supplementation to your fish, and invertebrates diet (You typically should add these in with your clean up crew, but anytime after your cycle is acceptable). By now you should be about 2 - 2.5 months into your tank (Including cycle). So after you get your tank situated with the organisms mentioned above, you can then open up to many other diverse invertebrates like porcelain crabs, sexy shrimp, and feather dusters.

Also, you can get creatures like a cleaner shrimp with your first fish or corals or at least I did with my first tank, just make sure if you get the invert like sexy shrimp or porcelain crabs you get soft corals or Rock Flower anemones with them for a greater show of natural behaviors and for a general comfort for those inverts. You can add in the watchman goby and pistol shrimp as your fist fish btw just make sure to feed them adequately.

Phew that was a lot to write… Just remember these guidelines aren’t solid and may ask for a bit of flexibility, but I know you can do it!

 

[TANGOX4]

Great! Ok thank you for the information. And than you everyone else, wish there was a reply all button to say thank you, but I have one more question. So when I add you know bacteria and ammonia and things should I have the skimmer turned off? I have one on there currently running. Which idek if I have it running right either haha. But just trying to cover my grounds before I leave work and go get some of this stuff!! Thanks again

Generally, when you're first cycling your tank, you can leave the skimmer off. Right now there's literally nothing in the water for the skimmer to remove, so you can't really get it dial in just right just yet. You can start running your skimmer if/when you see high nitrates, for example.

Got it!!! Thank you!

 

[TANGOX4]

Welcome, there are multiple ways to cycle your tank, either use liquid ammonia, or use dead biotic material like frozen brine shrimp, I used frozen brine shrimp to cycle my tank. Basically you just add a generous amount of brine shrimp in each day until your tank gets a bit of ammonia which you check by testing, then you add in the bacteria so it can convert ammonia, to nitrite, into nitrate. Remember the whole purpose of adding the ammonia is so that the bacteria have something to eat to reach a stable population. Then you just wait until there is nothing left but nitrate in your tests. Then you should do a 25% water change. Once you see algae you should get your clean up crew, snails and hermits, the two best options for your tanks first janitors, make sure to also get nassarius snails to turn the sandbed. Then I would recommend getting your fish like clowns but if you do then make sure they are different sizes so there is less of a risk of initial aggression. Make sure not to get a fish with specific dietary needs as you usually need to get copepod cultures for those. If you want to get coral which I recommend then start with soft corals like, zoanthids, GSP, or Xenia. But witch out as those grow like weeds, I would recommend starting with 1 coral to see how it does then buy a few more. Also you should grab some macro algae not only as a natural filter, but as refuge for your future critters. Also I would recommend getting copepods as mentioned earlier as they boost biodiversity and eat diatoms, and as a plus they are a good supplementation to your fish, and invertebrates diet (You typically should add these in with your clean up crew, but anytime after your cycle is acceptable). By now you should be about 2 - 2.5 months into your tank (Including cycle). So after you get your tank situated with the organisms mentioned above, you can then open up to many other diverse invertebrates like porcelain crabs, sexy shrimp, and feather dusters.

Also, you can get creatures like a cleaner shrimp with your first fish or corals or at least I did with my first tank, just make sure if you get the invert like sexy shrimp or porcelain crabs you get soft corals or Rock Flower anemones with them for a greater show of natural behaviors and for a general comfort for those inverts. You can add in the watchman goby and pistol shrimp as your fist fish btw just make sure to feed them adequately.

Phew that was a lot to write… Just remember these guidelines aren’t solid and may ask for a bit of flexibility, but I know you can do it!

Awesome!! Thank you so much for the information, I will definitely have to show pictures as this progresses!

 

[TANGOX4]

Welcome, there are multiple ways to cycle your tank, either use liquid ammonia, or use dead biotic material like frozen brine shrimp, I used frozen brine shrimp to cycle my tank. Basically you just add a generous amount of brine shrimp in each day until your tank gets a bit of ammonia which you check by testing, then you add in the bacteria so it can convert ammonia, to nitrite, into nitrate. Remember the whole purpose of adding the ammonia is so that the bacteria have something to eat to reach a stable population. Then you just wait until there is nothing left but nitrate in your tests. Then you should do a 25% water change. Once you see algae you should get your clean up crew, snails and hermits, the two best options for your tanks first janitors, make sure to also get nassarius snails to turn the sandbed. Then I would recommend getting your fish like clowns but if you do then make sure they are different sizes so there is less of a risk of initial aggression. Make sure not to get a fish with specific dietary needs as you usually need to get copepod cultures for those. If you want to get coral which I recommend then start with soft corals like, zoanthids, GSP, or Xenia. But witch out as those grow like weeds, I would recommend starting with 1 coral to see how it does then buy a few more. Also you should grab some macro algae not only as a natural filter, but as refuge for your future critters. Also I would recommend getting copepods as mentioned earlier as they boost biodiversity and eat diatoms, and as a plus they are a good supplementation to your fish, and invertebrates diet (You typically should add these in with your clean up crew, but anytime after your cycle is acceptable). By now you should be about 2 - 2.5 months into your tank (Including cycle). So after you get your tank situated with the organisms mentioned above, you can then open up to many other diverse invertebrates like porcelain crabs, sexy shrimp, and feather dusters.

Also, you can get creatures like a cleaner shrimp with your first fish or corals or at least I did with my first tank, just make sure if you get the invert like sexy shrimp or porcelain crabs you get soft corals or Rock Flower anemones with them for a greater show of natural behaviors and for a general comfort for those inverts. You can add in the watchman goby and pistol shrimp as your fist fish btw just make sure to feed them adequately.

Phew that was a lot to write… Just remember these guidelines aren’t solid and may ask for a bit of flexibility, but I know you can do it!

Sorry for the late message, I was just thinking about everything and I remembered you had said something about macro algae. Would you recommend I get some now? Here at the start of my cycle? Or wait a bit? Traditionally for my freshwater tanks I got them immediately and added them in. So should I get those now? Thanks again