New....and Have questions ooh boy!

[cru328]

Haha Well let me begin by saying hello!

My name is Chris, just recently moved to harrisburg pa from florida (i know my introduction may seem like some kinda dating game but i asure you it's not lol)

So given the fact i've recently moved here, i wanted some kind of hobby to kill my boredom of moving to a new city.....guess what hobby I picked!!! lol

So i picked me up a 10 gallon tank at my local shop(small apartment), power filter (mistake), power head, heater, the whole 9. Plus Live rock thats been in this guys fish tank for years (nice local guy). My tanks been cycled some what for a month and a few weeks, so i guess it was time for some fish. So i bought some turbo snails, and a coral banded shrimp.....then a week later i picked up a LTA and a Clarkii. I had to ditch the coral banded shrimp because he keep trying to eat the LTA.

A day after that I started noticing a werid transparent slim with some live sand on it. I wasn't sure what it was!

I wasn't sure if its because of the stress, sick, or even dieing(since they may take up to 2 months). since i've got him he hasn't burrowed into the sand yet...i think it was because of the power head being so close to it...soo i moved that. its standing upright now, before the whole base on floor. I didn't notice any difference in smell in the water....

here some info

SG...1.023
PH. 8.2
Nitrite no2...0ppms
Ammonia .25 <---recently peeked
Nitrite no3...0ppms
Alkinity....2.5

Recently did a 10% water change.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/icangivit2uma/021.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/icangivit2uma/023.jpg

[Amphibious]

Hey Chris, welcome to TR.

I don't know who possibly told you keeping an Anemone in a 10 gal was okay or if you made the decision on your own but, (and I hate to be the first to point this out to you) it was a mistake. If it was the local fish store (LFS) I'd recommend taking it back for cash or credit. I know the desirability of having a clown and Anemone, they are so darned cute, but a 10 gal isn't a proper home for the Anemone. Anemones require very bright light to survive and there is no way you can properly light a 10 gal for the anemone. The heat generated would cook the water, killing everything.

There are many assumptions people make and misconceptions surrounding the aquarium hobby that get beginners into trouble so easily. First let me commend you for finding, joining and beginning to post questions here on TR. That's the best thing you could have done. Now, the best way to utilize your newly found source of unbiased correct information is to bring every decision you ARE ABOUT TO MAKE to TR for evaluation before you make it.

Sad to say, you simply cannot trust information given by employees at MOST LFSs. It's true and others here will chime the same warning bell.

Just a couple more things and then I'll stop with the lecture. Every decision you make is extremely important to the life of the critters you intend to keep. A 10 gallon aquarium is a really, really small size to begin with. Many newbies start small, kill a few things and get out, proclaiming saltwater is too hard and expensive. A few go on to become quite good reefers usually after they go up in size. The larger the volume of water, the more stable it is. Marine critters require stable conditions. Ten gallons of water can literally change from stable to unstable in hours. In fact, truth be known, your 10 gallon tank probably has about 8 gallons of water making it less stable.

We appreciate a member posting water parameters because that's how we can better evaluate problems. Your's seem to be OK with the exception of Ammonia. The usual cycle progression is for Ammonia to peak and fall to 0 ppm, then Nitrite follows to a peak and falls to 0 ppm. You posted your Ammonia at .25, that would raise a question to me. Did something recently die that you didn't take out? Is your tank really cycled? If your tank truly cycled and nothing died, your Ammonia should be 0 ppm.

Remember this, the only thing that happens fast in a marine aquarium, is disaster.

Sorry to be so point blank about things but, I'm only trying to avoid a disaster for you. Being in the hobby and business all my life (70 yrs young), I've been there, done that.

Dick

[cru328]

Well, heres the thing, Before I moved from FL I had at 100 gallon, tons of live rock, and sand.......I can't fit 100 gallons because of my move. I'm not new to saltwater itself, but new to "nano tanking". My up keep on my nano is ALWAYS up, and never missed. I have a clip on MH, its only one for 3 hrs per day, and 20k t-8 bulbs 4 hrs......I was just worried about the LTA..and that spike.....maybe i'm over feeding, because its such a pain in the balls to get the right portions for it. Or that LTA is just going threw a cycle. Who knows....I will retake water samples and repost. I seen nano tanks as a challange, THATS WHAT I WANT! I was told lighting isn't that big of a issue because its not a big tank.....doesn't need tons, what i have it ok. When i moved and get a house..........i want to do a 200 gallon.........that will be tons of fun!


BTW my water temp have never gone up above 83degrees

If i can get this tank running under 400....not including food...i'll be happy

I just want 2 clowns, 4 turbo snails, and 2-3 cleaner shrimp...and i would love a goby

[PhotoJohn]

Keeping a 10g tank is possible. If you plan on staying small pick one small fish, a clown would probably be best. However the clown you chose may not have been the best. The Clarkii clowns gets large and if you upgrade he will not necessarily get along well with other tank mates. I would exchange him for a percula or fasle percula clown. They are great clowns and very hard to kill.

If you plan on staying with the 10g you will need to do frequent water changes I would guess 1-2g every week minimum. You might need to change water 2x a week.

I kept a clown in a 2.5g eclipse for a long time before moving him to a larger tank. I kept him alive and he seemed happy enough but the 2.5g was to small.

[cru328]

BUTT WHATS THE SLIMEY CRAP ON THE LTA?.......is the stress making the ammonia and the slimy come ??

[cru328]

ok it went back to zero!!!!! :)

[CarmieJo]

Slimy stuff is probably an attempt to protect itself. Anemones are very sensitive, thus the rule of thumb that they need to be in a stable mature tank, so even a little blip can cause them to go downhill. Often once they start looking bad they often just crash and burn and pollute your tank.

[cru328]

well he's seems to be doing ok, my clarkii gave him a nice piece of sliverside and he took it no problem......still hasn't burrowed into somthing yet!........i guess i should buy some more live sand.....