My Nano Tank

[JasonLee]

Hey everyone, I'm setting up a nano reef and it's really small 5 gallons... (excuse me if I start talking litres cos I'm Australian :P )
I've Just added the live rock and getting ready to start cycling it....

A few questions...

I couldn't find any real nice live rock at the stores so I purchased what they had... should I add a small amount of fish food to the aquarium to help aid the cycling?

some stuff I have read has said to do 10% waterchanges every 3-4 days when cycling though other books and stuff say not to at all so confused on that

any advice (apart from buy a bigger tank :P would be greatly appreciated)

eventually I want to stock the tank with a small clean up crew, a few mushroom corals and 1 or 2 small fish.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Welcome to the site!!!

You can add a piece of uncooked table shrimp or fish food to help the cycle.

I have never done water changes during a cycle, but have heard of other doing so. Its up to you.

With a small tank like that, You will probably be limited to only one fish. But there are plenty of nice corals and even other inverts that would go nicely.

I would do a 10%-20% water change weekly. It will help keep the tank parameters more stable.

 

[lilmatty5dimes]

The best thing to do is add a raw uncooked table shrimp into the tank. This will causes the tank to cycle. Doing water changes during the cycle will prolong it. Here is what I was given and helped alot. Oh yea ask all the question you can think of some1 here will guide you in the right direction.
https://www.livingreefs.com/cycling-tank-adding-fish-and-corals-t26452.html

 

[JasonLee]

cool thank you for that. I'm not sure what I eventually want to add to it in the way of a fish I was thinking perhaps a coral goby

 

[JasonLee]

on my live rock I saw some life that looked really pretty and now through reading posts on here and doing some research I have to get rid of it!!!
what's the best way to erradicate Aiptasia?

I currently see 3 of them that have come in on my live rock and want to get rid of them before I end up with an invasion.... I heard that injecting them with lemon juice concentrate works..... is this true?

 

[bjohanson1234]

I have had best results with a product called Apstasia X

Aiptasia X

I tried making kalk paste, salt paste, lemon juice, but this worked the best. I haven't seen any apstasia in my tank it almost a year.

 

[JasonLee]

ok cool thanks for that

 

[JasonLee]

I have a few more questions....
In the mornings just as the sun is beginning to light my room I hear a clicking noise coming from my newly set up nano tank.... I can't see what's making the noise. Does anyone have any ideas on what it is that's possibly come in with my live rock?

Also I found what resembled spiderwebs under one of the live rocks is this bad or good???

My Nano has been running with live rock in it for 10 days and Ammonia levels are at zero, Nitrite levels are Zero and Nitrate levels are at 15...

Tank is full of copods, I have seen 2 bristle worms and a tiny white starfish....

 

[bjohanson1234]

The clicking is probably one of two things. Either a mantis shrimp, or a pistol shrimp. Both can be hitch hikers on live rock. I would try to locate it and remove it.

The spider web things are some type of worm i believe. If they are the worms that I am thinking of, it is a good for eating left over food.

Looks like the tank has finished its cycle. I would do a water change and watch the levels a couple more days.

 

[JasonLee]

ok cool thanks for that.... any idea where this shrimp would hang out?

 

[ErinCahir]

The spiderwebs are most likely vermatid snails... if you can find the tube they're coming from you can superglue it shut.

 

[JasonLee]

not overly fussed by the snails the tenticles that they stick out look pretty cool. more worried about whatever it was making the noise in my tank... Hopefully I can find the shrimp and remove it cos I looked at them on youtube..... not pleasant!!!!!

 

[JasonLee]

I'm about to add Mushroom corals and Zoas to my tank... I have 1 in there already. Tank has been set up for ages now and I'm planning on adding my fish soon.... should I purchase the majority of my corals before I add my fish or is it cool to constantly add coral once the fish is in there??

 

[x19]

You can add coral constantly, thats no problem.

 

[Bifferwine]

+1 x19. Add corals whenever you want.

 

[JasonLee]

ok cool thanks everyone!! I now have pics too :)

 

[beeguiles]

Well where's the pics! Lol

 

[bobby]

+ 100 lol add coral whenever you want if the tanks ready for that type coral. Softies are great for now; LPS later then SPS and anemones after atleast 6 months or when the tank perameter are steady. So did you you ever find the shrimp? If it's a pistol shrimp and you're adding a fish you could add a goby that goes with it and have a pair. BTW where are the pics lol

 

[JasonLee]

Nano Reef pictures by JaseLee78 - Photobucket
here are the pics

I found the shrimp.. there were 3 tiny mantis shrimp

 

[JasonLee]

so I need some more advice I have added (finally) a coral/clown goby, (Gobiodon okinawae). Just wondering if it's normal for him to be hiding away still after about 18 hours of being in the tank?