life rock

[Max]

would it be worth it for me to try to grow live rock in a 10G? also what does a protein skimmer do, cause they are ALOT... thanks any info on live rocks would be great!!

 

[Teelie]

You could grow live rock in a 10 gallon though not very much and a protein skimmer does as it says, it skims protein off the water. It's essential to have one in saltwater. I don't think any aquarium can last without one.

 

[Navarre]

A tank cant last without a protiene skimmer? That really depends on the type of system you are using.
I have one on my 40 gallon setup but not on my 100 gallon setup. Protien skimmers are very good at extracting from the water. The problem is that it does not differentiate between good eliments and bad protien. Thus if you run a natural system then you are probably going to remove alot of very useful trace eliments.

On a normal liverock system with perhaps a trickle filter or canister filter then a protien skimmer is a worthwhile addition though.

As for the live rock.. I presume you mean can you use it as a filter? Live rock doesnt grow it matures. I have a friend who has a 14 gallon setup, no skimmer and only live rock as filtration. The bioload is very low of course for a tank this size but it proves that live rock can work in any size tank.

Above all, be patient and take things slow and steady. If you do this then you system will reward you in the months to come

 

[Max]

ok wait so if i just have live rock in a 10G i do or dont need a skimmer? and what about if i had some peppermint shrimp without a skimmer?

oh and is there a websight that sells life rock and corral?

 

[Navarre]

Firstly i am not sure where you are from. I am from the UK and i can give lots of shops with mail order capabiltiies. If not then there should be plenty of shops in your area that can also do the same thing. If you go to your LFS you may well find they have live rock in stock.

As for simply jumping in without skimmer just because i say it works for someone else should be treated with care. We must remember that the smaller the body of water, the faster it can contiminate and thus give trouble to the fish/inverts. A dead fish in a 100 gallon tank would probably not do much to the bioload but in a 10 gallon tank it could be fatal if its not removed fast.

This is the setup i mad for my friend.
14 gallon hexagonal tank.
16gk live rock (fuji well cured)
1 cleaner shrimp
2 Atlantic shrimps
1 Blood shrimp
1 6 line wrasse
1 Algea blenny
2 Common clowns
7 Redleg hermit
4 Astrea snails
1 Sandsifter starfish.

The tank is full of different varieties of macro algea to help with nitrate removal but other than this there is no other filtration apart from the live rock.

1 heater, 1 powerhead and thats it.

Dont go rushing out thinking this was achieved over a weekend though. It took over 6 months to get the tank to this level and i really feel its at its very limits with stocking levels now.
Thankfully they are now upgrading to a 40 galon tank so they will be heading for a far easier tank to run IMO

Tank perameteres:

Temp 76 degrees
SG 1.025
PH 8.2 (with refractometer)
Cal 410
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphates 0

hope this helps

 

[Teelie]

A tank cant last without a protiene skimmer? That really depends on the type of system you are using.
I have one on my 40 gallon setup but not on my 100 gallon setup. Protien skimmers are very good at extracting from the water. The problem is that it does not differentiate between good eliments and bad protien. Thus if you run a natural system then you are probably going to remove alot of very useful trace eliments.

On a normal liverock system with perhaps a trickle filter or canister filter then a protien skimmer is a worthwhile addition though.

As for the live rock.. I presume you mean can you use it as a filter? Live rock doesnt grow it matures. I have a friend who has a 14 gallon setup, no skimmer and only live rock as filtration. The bioload is very low of course for a tank this size but it proves that live rock can work in any size tank.

Above all, be patient and take things slow and steady. If you do this then you system will reward you in the months to come

Maybe they can but of the multitude of saltwater tanks I've seen, and I've seen nearly every type there is, every last one had a protein skimmer and it was always something seen as essential.

 

[Max]

evan if i dont haev any fish? all i want to do is see some cool corral, or maybe a shrimp or starfish? so its evan needed with no fish?

 

[Teelie]

Hmm, that's a good question. I would lean to yes if you have inverts as many are actually more sensitive to water conditions but at the same time some are much hardier and don't. Corals are live animals and they're sensitive so I'm thinking yes for them.

 

[Max]

well isnt corral and live rock differnt? i think i should just try this, im thinking of selling my dragonfish tank so i can get about 25$ for just the fish im thinking... and then another 10 for my clown knife, then i already have a 10G tank... as for live sand im not sure what that is but i have sand.... so all i really need is about 50 more$

i hope...

 

[Navarre]

Maybe they can but of the multitude of saltwater tanks I've seen, and I've seen nearly every type there is, every last one had a protein skimmer and it was always something seen as essential.[/QUOTE]
[/quote]

Follow this link to the Eco system website. They dont recomend a skimmer with their system as it removes the very nutriets required for the ecosystem to live on

Eco systems

 

[Teelie]

That's sort of like a biological protein skimmer actually. It takes the place of an artifcial one if I'm reading this right.

 

[Navarre]

There are a lot of questions made about about what it "actually" does. I think that in laymans terms its basically an enriched bed for the caulerpa to bed into. The caulerpa will grow fast and remove nutrients. The corals that remove trace eliemtns etc should have these replaced by the mud (although im sceptical that they can do this with a mud thats not from the ocean)

Its basically seems to work even though many questions are left unanswered (or not answered as fully as would like )
I dont run Miracle mud, (many due to price) but i do run Mineral Mud *same things really just cheaper

 

[Max]

do i need live sand?

 

[Max]

i got some today, i bought a filter/protein skimmer, it has a bubble thing and a sponge on top of it... then the water goings though more filtration.... working good... i use RO water and bought a damsel and a clowfish.

also i got crushed corral and shells for gravel...

Price list

10G- 9.95$
filter- skimmer-25$
live rock-25$
clownfish-25$
damsel- 5$
red alge plant thing(help me id please)- 1.50$
salt- 8$

total is 106$ with tax, not bad at all...

 

[Teelie]

No, that's not bad at all for what you got.