First Timer- 15 Gallon Fluval Flex

[muddywaters]

Hi all,

New to Reef2Reef and new to reefing. I have several freshwater tanks, but always wanted to try saltwater. I'm finally taking the plunge.

I'll post a description of what I have so far below, but first a couple of questions:

1. Are the color changes when testing for ammonia (green) and nitrite (purple) the same for saltwater as they are for fresh? Guy at my LFS said I can use my freshwater API Master test kit to test ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and PH. I checked ammonia and nitrite today and both are present, so that's good- I just started cycling tomorrow.
2. What mistakes do beginners constantly make that I can avoid?
3. What assumptions do aquarists who are used to freshwater make about saltwater that I need to look out for?

The tank so far is a 15 gallon Fluval Flex that I converted. By converted, I mean I emptied, cleaned thoroughly, bought new filter sponge for, replaced filter media for, and set up. Oh, and I took the lid off and added a Fluval SEA NANO light (see pic).

I'm thinking I might need a skimmer- there's a section in the back where I think I can put one. Maybe I need a wave maker too? Also, auto-top off, I reckon. Anything else I'm not thinking of that's critical?

The plan right now is to finish the cycle (I was hoping that Fritz stuff would have the ammonia and nitrites gone today so I could go get critters, but alas, it is not as powerful as the bottle says it is), then make sure there's some algae and get a few snails.

Wait some time for the snails to get settled and then get a couple of corals. Once they are settled (by that I mean whatever I have to test for is balanced- still gotta go read about all that) and then get a fish or two, maybe a shrimp, maybe a crab, maybe a slug? Not sure....

I'm really excited to get this going. My most damaging mistake is usually lack of patience, but I'm hoping I've wasted enough money in freshwater fish/plants to teach me to take it slow with this.

Oh, one other question, how long can I expect the "ugly phase" to be? I read about that yesterday. It makes sense, the same kind of thing can happen in freshwater, although, to my knowledge, that period doesn't have a well accepted name LOL.

Anyway- thanks for reading and for any feedback you can give!

 

[Fish Fan]

Looks like a great start; following!

 

[muddywaters]

Couple of days in- lots of nitrite and some ammonia. I added a little more ammonia yesterday as it is getting converted by the bacteria, but as is normal with freshwater, the nitrite bacteria takes its sweet time. I was hoping that Fritz quick cycle liquid (the stuff in the refrigerator) would do the trick right away, but alas, it's cycling as usual.

 

[Fish Fan]

Couple of days in- lots of nitrite and some ammonia. I added a little more ammonia yesterday as it is getting converted by the bacteria, but as is normal with freshwater, the nitrite bacteria takes its sweet time. I was hoping that Fritz quick cycle liquid (the stuff in the refrigerator) would do the trick right away, but alas, it's cycling as usual.

In saltwater, nitrite is non-toxic, and nothing to worry about, which is indeed different than freshwater. Toss the nitrite kit, you don't need it (or save it for freshwater systems)

I *believe* the API freshwater and saltwater kits for things like ammonia and nitrate are the same kit, but the color charts to read them may be different.

What's "a little ammonia"? The API ammonia kit tends to report about 0.25 ppm even when the concentration is likely less. Even if real, 0.25 ppm ammonia is not dangerous. If you're adding ammonia to about 2.0 ppm and testing again in 24 hours and it's 0.25 ppm or less, you're cycled and good to start slowly adding some hardy livestock

 

[Tahoe61]

Great start.

Patience is key.
ATOs are almost more important than mechanical filtration in nano tanks. You can always do small water changes to maintain water quality.

You will need another lighting type to grow most corals. It's not urgent now but a reality. There some nice pico fixtures or budget lighting like Smatfarm. I use the Fluval Marine on my little Betta tank, it's OK at best for nano marine tanks.

There are a billion things to buy when in actuality most are gimmicky, especially when it comes to medications to treat common marine parasites and disease. Unlike fresh systems you typically can't treat most diseases in the display, you need a quarantine or treatment tank.

The old inch of fish per gallon rule/ratio doesn't apply to SW.

Avoid impulse buys.

Welcome and happy Reefing.

 

[muddywaters]

In saltwater, nitrite is non-toxic, and nothing to worry about, which is indeed different than freshwater. Toss the nitrite kit, you don't need it (or save it for freshwater systems)

I *believe* the API freshwater and saltwater kits for things like ammonia and nitrate are the same kit, but the color charts to read them may be different.

What's "a little ammonia"? The API ammonia kit tends to report about 0.25 ppm even when the concentration is likely less. Even if real, 0.25 ppm ammonia is not dangerous. If you're adding ammonia to about 2.0 ppm and testing again in 24 hours and it's 0.25 ppm or less, you're cycled and good to start slowly adding some hardy livestock

Oh that's good news! I didn't know nitrite doesn't matter. The bacteria is definitely eating the ammonia. I can't tell how much for sure, though because I don't have the saltwater color card. I think I will just buy a saltwater kit to be sure.

 

[muddywaters]

Great start.

Patience is key.
ATOs are almost more important than mechanical filtration in nano tanks. You can always do small water changes to maintain water quality.

You will need another lighting type to grow most corals. It's not urgent now but a reality. There some nice pico fixtures or budget lighting like Smatfarm. I use the Fluval Marine on my little Betta tank, it's OK at best for nano marine tanks.

There are a billion things to buy when in actuality most are gimmicky, especially when it comes to medications to treat common marine parasites and disease. Unlike fresh systems you typically can't treat most diseases in the display, you need a quarantine or treatment tank.

The old inch of fish per gallon rule/ratio doesn't apply to SW.

Avoid impulse buys.

Welcome and happy Reefing.

Yeah patience is not typically a virtue I have but I've lost enough freshwater fish because of that to hopefully learn the lesson.

Disappointed with your note on the light. I definitely don't want to skimp on lighting. I will look for better options.

 

[Tahoe61]

Look for something in the 65 watt range. Smatfarm, Nicrew and Popbloom might have something close, Hygger might as well.
If your goal is coral, and you want them to grow and thrive I suggest upgrading.
The brands I suggested are all budget friendly fixtures.

 

[muddywaters]

Still lots of nitrite, but no ammonia today. I was thinking I'd go get a snail or two, but when I checked AI-almighty online, it suggested let the nitrites get to zero also to make sure the cycle has completed. It also noted that there needs to be some biofilm & algae in the tank. I didn't see any- I'm sure some grows that I won't notice, but I figured I'd be better safe than sorry, so I will wait.

Looking at reef lights- I am thinking about an Aquaillumination Prime 16 HD or Kessil A160WE...the Kessil is supposed to have "shimmering" which I ....really can't figure out what that is. Anyone has opinions on either of these 2? The Kessil is pretty small, but claims to cover up to 24". My tank is 16"x15"x16H so that's well within the range. I also found the EcoTech Marine Radion XR15 G6, but my wife is already going to kill me- she would torture me first if I get that one LOL. I am spending too much probably even with the Prime or the Kessil, but it seems the light is absolutely critical for nice corals and I'd hate to always have in the back of my mind the thought that "...if I just would have gotten that other light..."

Thanks for your help thusfar- I'm staring at the empty tank dreaming....

 

[overhead]

Still lots of nitrite, but no ammonia today. I was thinking I'd go get a snail or two, but when I checked AI-almighty online, it suggested let the nitrites get to zero also to make sure the cycle has completed. It also noted that there needs to be some biofilm & algae in the tank. I didn't see any- I'm sure some grows that I won't notice, but I figured I'd be better safe than sorry, so I will wait.

Looking at reef lights- I am thinking about an Aquaillumination Prime 16 HD or Kessil A160WE...the Kessil is supposed to have "shimmering" which I ....really can't figure out what that is. Anyone has opinions on either of these 2? The Kessil is pretty small, but claims to cover up to 24". My tank is 16"x15"x16H so that's well within the range. I also found the EcoTech Marine Radion XR15 G6, but my wife is already going to kill me- she would torture me first if I get that one LOL. I am spending too much probably even with the Prime or the Kessil, but it seems the light is absolutely critical for nice corals and I'd hate to always have in the back of my mind the thought that "...if I just would have gotten that other light..."

Thanks for your help thusfar- I'm staring at the empty tank dreaming....

I likely killed a couple of Turbo snails putting them in a new tank. I might have done better with smaller snails, but I likely still would not add them until I had seen some algae. I guess you can feed anything you put in there.

I have a 32 Biocube and run the AI Prime 16hd. I see plenty of what I assume is "shimmer" on the gravel in the tank and on my ceiling. I have no idea how they measure that or why one would want it. I am new to this so I don't have much of an opinion, but I can say using a PAR meter I was getting plenty of light from the 16HD to grow whatever I wanted, but it is likely your tank is a tad wider than my 32 gallon biocube.

 

[muddywaters]

I likely killed a couple of Turbo snails putting them in a new tank. I might have done better with smaller snails, but I likely still would not add them until I had seen some algae. I guess you can feed anything you put in there.

I have a 32 Biocube and run the AI Prime 16hd. I see plenty of what I assume is "shimmer" on the gravel in the tank and on my ceiling. I have no idea how they measure that or why one would want it. I am new to this so I don't have much of an opinion, but I can say using a PAR meter I was getting plenty of light from the 16HD to grow whatever I wanted, but it is likely your tank is a tad wider than my 32 gallon biocube.

Thanks, Overhead! My tank is only 15 gallons, so if that thing covers yours I would imagine it'll be fine for mine. I'm leaning heavily that way.

 

[Fish Fan]

Still lots of nitrite, but no ammonia today. I was thinking I'd go get a snail or two, but when I checked AI-almighty online, it suggested let the nitrites get to zero also to make sure the cycle has completed.

AI lies, nitrite is 110% non toxic in saltwater tanks. Here's an article on why if it helps:

Nitrite Toxicity

Hey guys I have an aquarium system that has about 45gallons of water cycling so I Let it cycle for about week and I added seeded marine pure ceramic balls and the bacteria in a bottle. I had no choice but to add my 2 clownfish from my quarantine into the tank.. because I needed to put a sick...

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If your ammonia was up around 2.0 ppm initially and it's now nearly zero, you should be safe to start to slowly add some hardly livestock.

You can "test" the system by adding enough ammonia to bring the concentration to ~2.0 ppm then test again in 24 hours. If the ammonia is less than 0.25ppm after 24 hours, you're good to go

 

[muddywaters]

Auto-Top Off Question:

1. Do I really need it? I'm thinking I can just pour in a bit of distilled water every day to keep it up to the right level rather than buying auto-top off. However, I can tend to get inconsistent, so I'm a bit nervous. Also, when I travel, it'll be problematic.

2. Is there one that is foolproof? I'm looking at the AutoAqua Smart ATO Nano G2. It looks simple, it's small and has some safety features that they say will prevent issues.

If possible, I would like to find one that doesn't require me to add extra safety measures in addition to what's already part of the unit. I don't have any experience with these, though, so not sure.

 

[muddywaters]

AI lies, nitrite is 110% non toxic in saltwater tanks. Here's an article on why if it helps:

Nitrite Toxicity

Hey guys I have an aquarium system that has about 45gallons of water cycling so I Let it cycle for about week and I added seeded marine pure ceramic balls and the bacteria in a bottle. I had no choice but to add my 2 clownfish from my quarantine into the tank.. because I needed to put a sick...

www.reef2reef.com

If your ammonia was up around 2.0 ppm initially and it's now nearly zero, you should be safe to start to slowly add some hardly livestock.

You can "test" the system by adding enough ammonia to bring the concentration to ~2.0 ppm then test again in 24 hours. If the ammonia is less than 0.25ppm after 24 hours, you're good to go

Awesome- that's what I did today- I put about 15 drops of Dr. Tim's ammonia in there. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow. The only other thing I'm worried about is making sure there is something for the snails to eat....although I would like to have a couple in there before it gets too bad. Can I feed saltwater snails algae wafers like freshwater? I wonder if the wafers can be used for both or is there something unique I would need for salt?

 

[Fish Fan]

Awesome- that's what I did today- I put about 15 drops of Dr. Tim's ammonia in there. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow. The only other thing I'm worried about is making sure there is something for the snails to eat....although I would like to have a couple in there before it gets too bad. Can I feed saltwater snails algae wafers like freshwater? I wonder if the wafers can be used for both or is there something unique I would need for salt?

Yes, if there's not enough algae growing for the snails, you can spot feed them algae wafers or nori

 

[overhead]

Auto-Top Off Question:

1. Do I really need it? I'm thinking I can just pour in a bit of distilled water every day to keep it up to the right level rather than buying auto-top off. However, I can tend to get inconsistent, so I'm a bit nervous. Also, when I travel, it'll be problematic.

2. Is there one that is foolproof? I'm looking at the AutoAqua Smart ATO Nano G2. It looks simple, it's small and has some safety features that they say will prevent issues.

If possible, I would like to find one that doesn't require me to add extra safety measures in addition to what's already part of the unit. I don't have any experience with these, though, so not sure.

I started out with no ATO on my Biocube. I quickly realized ATO's were so cheap it was really not worth not...wait, I mean it was worth it to buy one. I have them on both of my tanks, just makes one less thing I need to do or worry about. But you don't really need it.

 

[muddywaters]

Today was interesting. I intended to go get a couple of Trochus snails as recommended by my buddy AI. However, my tank has lost 0.78 gallons through evaporation. So, I wanted to check the salinity and then get some distilled water to top it off.

I just got a brand new refractometer- never used one. The instructions said it was calibrated at the factory and I didn't have any distilled water to calibrate with, so I figured I'd just give it a shot.

The salinity was lower than it should be. What? It should be higher than it should be after losing .78 gallons of water. Now I'm confused.

Took the water remaining in the jug I got from the LFS (I got my saltwater from them) and some from the tank to the LFS and asked what was going on. Turns out the refractometer was not calibrated. Those lying liars!!!

I was happy, because if the thing was calibrated, then my LFS's water sucked. It does not suck however.

She also tested my water- I know that the ammonia is 0 and the nitrite is pretty high. She confirmed that. I told her I had read on Reef2Reef that nitrites don't matter for salt and she said, "yeah, technically that's true..." - spoken like a true freshwater aquarist (like me). We are conditioned to be terrified of nitrites.

Anyway, my nitrAtes were 80ppm, so I gotta change the water before introducing anything. It makes sense because I was dosing with ammonia every couple of days.

Anyway, no snails today, but learning more bit by bit...

 

[Fish Fan]

I’d hold off on the water change for now. Although it wouldn’t hurt, it may be a waste. Your nitrate may indeed be high due to all the ammonia you’ve added, but you don’t yet know what your nitrate concentration is. Nitrite at this time will cause a false high reading for nitrate. So until your nitrite goes to zero, you won’t know your true nitrate concentration just yet.

For your salinity, I’d suggest calibration your refractometer with a simple to make DIY calibration solution. It’s actually not a great idea to calibrate a refractometer with distilled water, even if the device’s directions tell you to do so. You ideally want to calibrate near the range where you’ll be testing, so I’d suggest using a 35 ppt standard solution. This article has all the details, if you have questions, just let us know:

Reef Aquarium Salinity: DIY Calibration Standards

Reef Aquarium Salinity: DIY Calibration Standards By Randy Holmes-Farley One of the most important issues facing marine aquarists is providing a suitable environment for their aquaria's inhabitants. Among the important properties for a marine...

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But I say get some livestock if you’re ready, hardy inverts or a hardy fish; I think the tank ready

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Auto-Top Off Question:

1. Do I really need it? I'm thinking I can just pour in a bit of distilled water every day to keep it up to the right level rather than buying auto-top off. However, I can tend to get inconsistent, so I'm a bit nervous. Also, when I travel, it'll be problematic.

2. Is there one that is foolproof? I'm looking at the AutoAqua Smart ATO Nano G2. It looks simple, it's small and has some safety features that they say will prevent issues.

If possible, I would like to find one that doesn't require me to add extra safety measures in addition to what's already part of the unit. I don't have any experience with these, though, so not sure.

I personally could not imagine not having one. I got a TUNZE osmolator, and it was the best investment I ever made for my tank.

 

[muddywaters]

Yeah, I'm going to get one (auto-top off) for sure. I know me...i will never be able to keep up with it and I guess varying salinity is not a good thing in these tanks?

UPDATE: Well, I got a new light- this one. AquaIllumination AI Prime 16 HD LED Wow what a difference. I put the light on the side so that I can easily get to the middle chamber in the filter area. It still covers the tank well.

However, I still don't have any life in there yet. I waited some time to let the nitrite lower - not because it's a big deal- you guys have convinced me otherwise- but because I was thinking the nitrate might be lower. Nitrate is 80ppm, so I need to do a water change. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to go to the LFS anyway, so I'll do it tomorrow and get the snails on Saturday. I'm excited to finally get something in there!

Here's a pic with the new light- still empty, but looking more inviting for the critters that will inhabit it.