10 gal pics

[sstewart]

Here are a couple of pictures of what I have going for my marine tank. Not the best but an idea of what I have.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...00724-0941.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...00722-1715.jpg

[harry-garry]

not a bad start but can add some more live rock just make sure and get it from a good distributer, some pet stores like petco and etc have bad algae problems and what not. the north rock one has some pretty good fiji rock and ryan who works there can help you out alot!, but the aquarium and marine extremes are best bet

maybe even add another korela nano can nevre have to much current



and that growing in the second picture is aptasia, is not good if u plan to have coral in the future but there are shrimp and fish that eat it and ways to get rid of it. peperment shrimp love them and belive copper band butterflys as well but they are a little large fora 10 gallon tank.

as for fish the damsels although cheap are bully fish and make it hard to add new fish becuase they will chase them and torment them. chromis are a great fish and very passive. maybe even try and tank raised perc clown they are very hardy fish and your kids if the love finding nemo they can have there very own nemo fish.

also might try using bio-chem elite in your filter it is a great all in one filter product that lasts several months and helps maintain water quality. i use it in both my tanks and am very happy with it.

check out drfosterandsmith.com and bulkreefsupply.com they have great products and prices.

and dont be afraid to ask questions there is a ton to learn in this hobby and i learn something new everyday!!!

oh and also try not to let your water level get down to low before you top it off! this can cause a large salinity swing and stress fish as well, adding a small amount each day of quality water will help maintain stable conditions

[jwestwood]

Not bad at all. Make sure that you get rid of (kill) those aiptasia anemones. They WILL take over your system if you don't act. If your rock is not cemented down you can simply take it out of the tank and drip some super glue on them to smother them (assuming you don't have a huge number yet).

[sharkbait]

the aiptasia are not a big deal for now, especially not with a FOWLR. Let's concentrate on getting the tank healthy but eventually a peppermint shrimp would work fine here.

Let's get another 5 lbs of rock in there.

as for acclimation, fish are pretty hardy. temperature acclimation is usually fine for hardy species. Corals are slightly to significantly more fragile, crabs are OK to just toss in. Snails vary widely in ability to handle swings; some must be dripped while others can be tossed in safely. Shrimp should be drip acclimated IMO - I do it over several hours.

good luck--
--Michael

[lkbart]

Should've looked at this one before replying to the last - good start with the photos!!

Also, make sure when you top off, that you are using de-chlorinated plain water, and not saltwater. It's a good idea to check the salinity every few days to make sure it's on track. Actually, it's a good idea to test all your parameters at least weekly. Later on, you can back it off, but until you are accustomed to your tank maintenance, it's a really good idea.

And I think on the other thread, somebody commented on water changes - very important in a smaller tank, especially if you are adding new critters. Less water = higher concentration of bad stuff in the water. Dilution is the solution to pollution! (not an original quote, but a good one!)

And probably the most important - take it slowly! Somebody on here has a signature that says only bad things happen fast - & boy that is the truth in saltwater. But it sounds like if you've been cycling for 2 months, you're doing okay with the patience thing!

[sstewart]

I definatly dont want to throw money down the drain. I do have the patience when it comes to doing this the right way.

[harry-garry]

get u a few more lbs of good quality live rock to give u some more bacteria in there and it will help alot, then try if u can adn start using ro water and u will see a big improvment

[Crystal]

I have all sorts of sizes of good live rock if you want to do a Hutchinson run. $3 a pound.

[sstewart]

I added 5 more lbs. of rock, some water to top it off and another Korilia nano. The Damsel seems to like his new hiding place. I also seen some black and white star fish with long leggs moving around after I set the rock.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...00724-1642.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...00724-1642.jpg

[harry-garry]

Looks good this will help fish a lot having places to hide you can stack the rock up just make sure and have a sturdy base more holes in the rock the better