My First Trip To The Salty Side!

[tnhowery]

So I have not been on here in a year or two but im back and with questions. I have decided to start my ten gallon as a saltwater tank. So far I have ten pounds of Substrate, 4 pounds of Live Rock (Getting more this weekend), and used the LFS premixed saltwater. I also have a 20G powerhead and a small HOB Filter(not sure if i need this or not). And running two 25W incadecent lights(is this okay as i dont have corals yet or should i upgrade already the LFS told me it was, lol not sure what to think.)

So far my salinity is spot on, although i am fighting with the heat in the tank its jumping during the day to 79 then dropping to 75-76 at night. I have been up and running for two days today and everything seems okay, I have noticed some activity on the live rock in the form of snails, and i think i may have aptasia(SP?) im not sure will post a pic soon. But to describe it, it is about a quarter of an inch tall brownish/clear with a tube coming from the rock, and about ten tentacles coming out with two white bands on each one. If you have any idea or suggestions please let me know thanks!

 

[mutantbigman2000]

Aiptasia. Nuke it quick.

 

[Harry1996]

tactical nuke incoming!!!
are the lights t5 or t8?

 

[tnhowery]

Lol okay in your guys experience what is the best way to nuke this thing...

Also the lights are just regular incadecent not a t5 or anything like that, i started off small just to make sure i could handle it and now im looking for a 55 to upgrade my FW setup and going with the 29G for my saltwater so I dont want to upgrade that stuff that is not transferrable.

 

[Harry1996]

ok. you have t8 then you can have most soft corals

 

[nick87]

By Incandescent do you mean like this Click

 

[Harry1996]

to kill aptasia you, take the rock out of the water and use a soldering iron to burn it. then put it back in the tank. or buy a peppermint shrimp. (it may not work)

 

[demasonisrule]

The other way to kill aiptasia is to go to your LFS and buy aiptasia X, or some other thing that says it kills aiptasia, it'll usually come with a syringe, and you just inject the little buggers with the stuff in the bottle, and it will most likely die. The soldering iron usually does a better job, but this way is easier if you can't get the rock out.

 

[tnhowery]

Okay thanks for the replys. Gonna go get the stuff to kill that tommorow.. and the lights are like you say in the link lol. Anyway I got some more LR at the lfs tonight. 44 bucks for rocks ugh anyway I got some great pieces and am hoping to see lots of cool stuff lol anyway.

So my temperature is holding steady. And I got a water test in tonight

My results are:
Ammonia = 0
Ph= 7.9
N02= .25
N03=10

Does this all seem normal? I'm also seeing alot of little white snails almost too small to see. Oh and can someone help me with pics? I can't seem to get anything to upload!

 

[tnhowery]

Okay thanks for the replys. Gonna go get the stuff to kill that tommorow.. and the lights are like you say in the link lol. Anyway I got some more LR at the lfs tonight. 44 bucks for rocks ugh anyway I got some great pieces and am hoping to see lots of cool stuff lol anyway.

So my temperature is holding steady. And I got a water test in tonight

My results are:
Ammonia = 0
Ph= 7.9
N02= .25
N03=10

Does this all seem normal? I'm also seeing alot of little white snails almost too small to see. Oh and can someone help me with pics? I can't seem to get anything to upload!

 

[tnhowery]

Okay thanks for the replys. Gonna go get the stuff to kill that tommorow.. and the lights are like you say in the link lol. Anyway I got some more LR at the lfs tonight. 44 bucks for rocks ugh anyway I got some great pieces and am hoping to see lots of cool stuff lol anyway.

So my temperature is holding steady. And I got a water test in tonight

My results are:
Ammonia = 0
Ph= 7.9
N02= .25
N03=10

Does this all seem normal? I'm also seeing alot of little white snails almost too small to see. Oh and can someone help me with pics? I can't seem to get anything to upload!

 

[tnhowery]

Okay thanks for the replys. Gonna go get the stuff to kill that tommorow.. and the lights are like you say in the link lol. Anyway I got some more LR at the lfs tonight. 44 bucks for rocks ugh anyway I got some great pieces and am hoping to see lots of cool stuff lol anyway.

So my temperature is holding steady. And I got a water test in tonight

My results are:
Ammonia = 0
Ph= 7.9
N02= .25
N03=10

Does this all seem normal? I'm also seeing alot of little white snails almost too small to see. Oh and can someone help me with pics? I can't seem to get anything to upload!

 

[demasonisrule]

geez, you only have to hit the 'post' button once!

are you sure they're snails? do they dart around the glass and rocks really quickly? or are they shaped almost like a star, and move very slowly? they could be a lot of things, maybe baby snails, but cool hitchhikers whatever they are. If your lights are like in the pic, you don't have enough for corals

Your tank is cycling...you'll want to wait until that NO3 reaches 0, and once it does, do a water change, and your ready to start stocking! However, your new rock that you add may have to cycle again.

 

[tnhowery]

Thanks for the input and sorry for the triple post lol #41#### Droid does not like forums apparently. They are definately snails and I got some more apstasia on the new live rock... going to war tommorow.. my sg also dropped... any reason why this may have happened I have not added any water at all just the rock...

 

[Harry1996]

for pictures: get a photo bucket account (its free) and upload your photos to it,then save them,then there should be lots of codes under them,copy the img one into your post and thats all you have to do.