Building First Saltwater Tank, Could Use Help!

[jrogers81]

Hi,

I just joined this group and would be grateful for any help with my first saltwater tank. The fiancé and I recently got into Aquariums. What was suppose to be a trip to our LFS to just browse quickly become a buying experience. Now I have a 13.5 Gallon Fluval EVO tank (all in one).

I took the advice of the owner and picked up a 10 lb rock, hydrometer, salt solution, heater, and a few other things. We set the tank up last night and filled it up, letting it settle overnight. Everything cleared up pretty well, I’ve attached a picture showing the tank in its current form.

I’m sort of in a crash course of trying to do as much research as possible. It’s proving difficult as there seems to be a lot of contradictions in the hobby from one source to the next. At the moment, I’m beginning the cycle phase. From the research I’ve done I’ve began ordering items like a master test kit, Fluval cycle enhancer, thermometer, and a few other things.

When I purchased the tank the staff gave me a bioball from one of their setups and said it would greatly assist with my cycle. It’s in my tank now in the rear filter area.

I’m still a bit stuck on a few things. As this tank has a opening in the filter section that is for a protein skimmer. In various YouTube videos everyone has a different setup for this port. Mine is empty. I’m not sure what media I should be putting in there (if any) and when I should be doing so. With so many options it’s hard to make a decision without having practical experience. Thankfully I'm not in any rush and am anticipating a lot of ups and downs throughout the process.

My goal is to just have a small tank with a pair of clown fish, some plants, and a few invertebrates to start off.

I was hoping someone could give me a few hints or maybe assist me through the process. Any help would be sincerely appreciated!

 

[JumboShrimp]

Your LFS gave you a bio-ball from their tank; if you add a small pinch of flake food or a piece of shrimp and did nothing else for another two weeks, I bet you’d be ready for your Clowns.

Looking good.. Best wishes!

 

[jrogers81]

Your LFS gave you a bio-ball from their tank; if you add a small pinch of flake food or a piece of shrimp and did nothing else for another two weeks, I bet you’d be ready for your Clowns.

Looking good.. Best wishes!

Will do, thank you for the help!

 

[Idech]

You could put filter floss (polyester fiber) in your empty chamber. That’s what I did. It will trap dirt and food debris and help keep the tank clean. Make sure to change it about once a week and also clean your sponge in chamber 1 regularly.

But not before your tank is cycled. Right now just add an ammonia source (flakes or Dr Tim’s ammonia) and let the cycle take its course. You can test along the way with the API master kit. It’s cheap and precise enough for cycling.

Aiming a powerhead and/or pump output at the surface will give more oxygen to the tank and help with cycling.

 

[jrogers81]

You could put filter floss (polyester fiber) in your empty chamber. That’s what I did. It will trap dirt and food debris and help keep the tank clean. Make sure to change it about once a week and also clean your sponge in chamber 1 regularly.

But not before your tank is cycled. Right now just add an ammonia source (flakes or Dr Tim’s ammonia) and let the cycle take its course. You can test along the way with the API master kit. It’s cheap and precise enough for cycling.

Aiming a powerhead and/or pump output at the surface will give more oxygen to the tank and help with cycling.

I just ordered the Dr Tim’s Ammonia and a few filter flosses as you suggested, thank you for the recommendations! The API master kit should be arriving tomorrow as well. I don’t have a power head yet, but certainly something I’ll be looking into.

Do you have any suggestions for a good place to put the heater? The YouTube I was following had it placed in the empty filter area, just want to verify if that’s the best spot for it. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Andresnyc93]

Hello and welcome! I’ve had this same exact tank in the past and it’s a great AIO for people just starting out. I had filter floss and a coarse pad first to trap the bigger chunks before the floss. You also might want to add a small power head to help debris and uneaten food off the sand so it doesn’t start building up your nutrients and will also aid on adding oxygen to the tank if you place it just right to break the surface of the tank. Also I would get a different test kit, API are known to give false ammonia readings.

 

[jrogers81]

Hello and welcome! I’ve had this same exact tank in the past and it’s a great AIO for people just starting out. I had filter floss and a coarse pad first to trap the bigger chunks before the floss. You also might want to add a small power head to help debris and uneaten food off the sand so it doesn’t start building up your nutrients and will also aid on adding oxygen to the tank if you place it just right to break the surface of the tank. Also I would get a different test kit, API are known to give false ammonia readings.

Is there a test kit you recommend? I saw Hanna has a digital tester but it was pretty pricey. As far as the power head, I’ll definitely be adding one. Any brands or model that are decent quality? Also, when you install the head where should I place it as far as orientation in the tank? Do you install by the surface and have it point down to the bottom of the tank or from the bottom pointing towards the top? Sorry for all the questions! I really appreciate your advice!

 

[Idech]

Do you have any suggestions for a good place to put the heater? The YouTube I was following had it placed in the empty filter area, just want to verify if that’s the best spot for it. Thanks again for your help!

The best spot is in one of the chambers.

I know API tests are said to be unreliable and give false results, but I’ve never had it happen in more than 20 years. I only use them for ammonia and nitrite when cycling.

For nitrates I use Hanna high range nitrate and for phosphates, I use Hanna ultra low range (ULR). For magnesium, calcium and alkalinity, I use Red Sea pro Kit (this can wait until a few months after getting many corals in the tank).

For Alkalinity, I use Instant Ocean hydrometer. It’s cheap and it’s never let me down. You need to get used to it though. For TDS meter, I just bought one off Amazon and it’s great.

 

[Andresnyc93]

Is there a test kit you recommend? I saw Hanna has a digital tester but it was pretty pricey. As far as the power head, I’ll definitely be adding one. Any brands or model that are decent quality? Also, when you install the head where should I place it as far as orientation in the tank? Do you install by the surface and have it point down to the bottom of the tank or from the bottom pointing towards the top? Sorry for all the questions! I really appreciate your advice!

RedSea Marine Care Test Kit

Why Does BRS Recommend This? The Red Sea Marine Care Test Kit set comes with almost everything you need to get you through your cycle, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, but can also test for alkalinity and pH. Each test is easy to perform with clear instructions, and if you are just getting into...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

These are pretty good and reputable brand in this hobby. I personally use the Hanna checkers or “the eggs” for testing just about everything on my tanks. Also when you start keeping some corals down the road you’ll want to test for calcium alkalinity and magnesium and Red Sea makes a foundation pro for all three which are also very reliable. As far as the power head you can place it facing the first back chamber and you’ll want to place it aiming straight ahead near the surface to create a “wave” effect. This is a pretty solid one that’ll last you a while https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/sicce-voyager-nano-250-gph-stream-pump.html

 

[Doctorgori]

all good advice… not the most elegant solution but that tank is small enough for simple water changes to do wonders.
Didn’t see any pads, small “detail” siphons or scrapers. If you spend $$ I’d put priority on a good algae magnet or scraper

 

[Rico's Reefnecks]

New to this as well, also have a 13.5 as my first tank. Yes lots of contradictory info out there. I found BRS youtube channel to be pretty helpful as they would actually put multiple products/strategies up against each other and show you data - for test kits for instance they have a video where they test them head to head against each other for accuracy and variability between users. Personally I've found for nitrate salifert works fine and is pretty cheap. Only invested in a Hanna for alkalinity now that I have some stony corals and need to keep better track.

I didn't see what your water source is - if you're thinking about adding corals or anything with stricter care requirements, I'd strongly recommend an RODI source, either from LFS or getting a unit. It can just eliminate so many variables down the road if you run into problems to know that at least the water going into the tank isn't the problem. If that's not an option, you can send out water for ICP testing as well, or LFS may be able to test for you.