New Reef Tank, New To Saltwater Fishkeeping!

[ech0o]

So about 3 weeks ago we decided to start a reef tank with very little knowledge.  Started with a 10g standard tank, an aquaclear filter, and 1 piece of liverock.  We purchased instant ocean for the water mix, used live cured argonite sand, and the piece of liverock was also cured for quite some time, and covered in macro algae.
 
Not knowing much about any of it, they guy at the LFS said our aquaclear would work fine for now until we bought powerheads and such.   WELL, clearly the aquaclear filter pads starting collecting bacteria because we did see ammonia come and go, then nitrite come and go.  Then i started reading how sensitive EVERYTHING in saltwater is to nitrates, and how liverock is supposed to be the main filtration, SO, we took the aquaclear filter we had (50 or 70 i forget), removed all the sponges and ceramic and floated them right in the tank, and converted the aquaclear into a refugium.  I have now built a light bar for the refugium, and will include pictures below.  Also, we purchased a powerhead, a cheap zoo med wavemaker/powerhead that swings from side to side.
 
After removing the filter media we did have a small spike and hazy water, but after a day of the refugium running and the new current in the tank, the levels dropped by the next day back to 0.   We then stocked another 6-7 lbs of liverock, putting us at about 8-9lbs for the entire tank.  Funny enough, someone who wasn't fit to be helping us with liverock accidently pulled 2 star polyp covered rocks that were covered with algae and sold them to us at liverock weight.  They also brought with them some other coral frags, some fan worms, and some other critters.  We purchased a bi-color blenny at that point as well to mow all the algae on all of the rocks.
 
Which brings me to the part where I start asking questions.  Before the refugium when we were running all sorts of filter media, the water was crystal clear, which I understand is not good for a reef tank, as polyps and other corals/anemones feed off of plankton floating in the water.  After the refugium addition, and now only having a little floss before the refugium and a coarse sponge on the powerhead intake, instead of lots of pads and sponges, the water seems to have A LOT of particles in it.   From a distance the water does look clear, but when you get up close you realize that it isn't all bubbles being tossed around the water, but TONS of copepods, as well as what looks like some free floating particles as well.  Should I get a meat eating fish in this tank ASAP?   Can you have an overrun of plankton?  Is too many copepods bad?   Should I put a finer prefilter on the refugium to collect more of the finer particles?    Also, any tips, suggestions, pointers will be greatly appreciated!!
 

 

 

 

 

[Donya]

Not knowing much about any of it, they guy at the LFS said our aquaclear would work fine for now until we bought powerheads and such.   WELL, clearly the aquaclear filter pads starting collecting bacteria because we did see ammonia come and go, then nitrite come and go.  Then i started reading how sensitive EVERYTHING in saltwater is to nitrates, and how liverock is supposed to be the main filtration, SO, we took the aquaclear filter we had (50 or 70 i forget), removed all the sponges and ceramic and floated them right in the tank, and converted the aquaclear into a refugium.  I have now built a light bar for the refugium, and will include pictures below.  Also, we purchased a powerhead, a cheap zoo med wavemaker/powerhead that swings from side to side.

 
 
Bacteria are good, but trapped decaying gunk isn't. If you were scared away from the HOB by the nitrate factory idea, it's a myth or misunderstanding of the source of nutrients in the tank. I could've sworn I put a thing in the FAQ or hardware list about that, but I can't find it now so it must not have gotten added. Short version: excess nitrates from sponges are produced by uneaten food and debris accumulating where larger organisms can't break it down first. There might not have been anything wrong with the aquaclear in fact, although HOBs are prone to gunk accumulation once food actually starts getting added to a tank - so it may be that if you prefiltered it then it would've been fine. Sponges aren't the only culprit; fuges can do it too if not properly maintained so keep an eye on it for stuff accumulating inside.
 
 

Before the refugium when we were running all sorts of filter media, the water was crystal clear, which I understand is not good for a reef tank, as polyps and other corals/anemones feed off of plankton floating in the water.

 
 
This type of coarse filtration won't effect the sorts of nutrients most corals require. You won't get much in the way of plankton in a 10gal as well, and even in larger systems having any sort of elevated live planktonic population requires a bit of a weird setup or dosing with cultures (not recommendable in a 10gal for stability reasons). Corals like various LPS that need to eat larger planktony things need to be specificallly fed.
 
 

Should I get a meat eating fish in this tank ASAP?

 
 
No, don't rush. In a large tank it's more possible to set up food chains like you seem to be thinking of doing but in a small tanks like 10gal it's usually too small to maintain a lot of the diversity that works in the larger systems. What animals are you stocking that you are worried about feeding?
 
 

Can you have an overrun of plankton?

 
 
You can have blooms, but it will settle out to what the system supports. 
 
 

Is too many copepods bad?

 
 
Pods are good. However, "tons" of pods this rapidly in such a small tank is kind of unusual. Are you sure that's what you're seeing? If it is pods, it may also be a temporary bloom. Usually this kind of particle-filled appearance is due to debris/dust and bubbles rather than useful planktonic animals.
 
 

Should I put a finer prefilter on the refugium to collect more of the finer particles?

 
 
 
Prefilters can go a long way to preventing the crud buildup I mentioned earlier and might also help with the clarity. Just make sure to clean or change it regularly depending on the material used (sponge is cleanable, floss not so much).

 

[ech0o]

Well I am not sure what they are, but they certainly have no trouble swimming, you can see them because they travel in different directions then the bubbles.  I guess I was just more worried that the tank would be overrun with the buggers, it must just be a bloom.   I am not trying to culture them, they just naturally came, I don't believe I have anything currently that really needs them to eat, but I figure with all of them in there I may as well eventually have things that eat them, especially because we added the refugium and they seem to be breeding even more now.
 
Another question, what is the absolute best way to deal with aptasia, just noticed 2 on the back of a piece of liverock in the corner, would like to get them out of their, I bet they are loving the pods!!!
 
 
So pretty much, regularly change the filters so no gunk builds up, and something more fine like floss or even finer padding, and we should be good to go!