5G Nano Light and Other Qs

[Fazulka]

Hi all. I have had fish only since Christmas this year, so understand that I am quite inexperienced (it all started with my wife wanting to put 1 guppy in a tiny fish bowl). We got a 5g tank that fit perfectly on the counter in our apt and had guppies, and glofish in it until 2 months ago. Now we have two tanks, the 5g which i converted to a micro reef by spending way to much time reading on the internet and talking to the LFS, and a 10g freshwater tank.

First, I want to know if I can trust the LFS... And don't jump to any conclusions just by me asking that question... every thing i have read seems to line up with the suggestions from the LFS... They have talked me out of a few purchases. So please base judgment of my LFS on what I have in my tank.

First the tank is an acrylic tank with a canopy that had room for one light bulb, with a screw socket like a normal 100 watt bulb. The canopy says it has a max of 15w. When we got the GloFish originally we like how the lights made the fish look at the store, so we asked for a similar bulb that would fit out tank. We now have a 9w Coralife 50/50 in the original Socket. Once we started the saltwater the LFS told use we would only be able to put leather corals, or a few others, but none of the nice corals I wanted. One afternoon while my wife was at work (don’t leave me home alone) I decided it needed more light. I went to the LHS (local hardware store) and bought a water proof light socket. I installed the socket behind the housing for the original light, but still under the canopy. I had to cut a couple of pieces of plastic away, and made a cheapo reflector from tin foil. Not having another coralife bulb on hand I used an 11 watt florescent that was from Ikea. The tank looks much better, and the colors from the two types of bulbs really bring out color in the tank. The fish store told me that with this extra light I would be able to put most of the corals from a couple of their tanks in, but no hard corals or certain high light corals, but that I may have a problem with algae.
Thus far I have no coral, just 5lbs of LR, a starfish (don’t know the type but its light brown with black strips on it arms and a black flower shape on its body), 2 hermit crabs (very small ones), a blood shrimp, and finally 6 tiny white starfish (the ones that most people want to get rid of because they breed to fast, but my wife loves them). Algae is growing on everything. Some areas, particularly near the top have the green hair like algae growing. I scrape the green algae with a scraper, but the little pink spots don’t seem to come off (are the spots coralline algae?)
To the question--- Are the lights ok? If I cut out the original housing from the canopy I could probably put in some 12 inch bulbs (easily 2 or 3). I haven’t seen any 12 inch saltwater bulbs, the best I saw was a 12” T5 for freshwater, are they available? It there better lights I could put in the sockets?
And last... Has the LFS steered me wrong?

Thank you very much,
Adam

[D to the P]

I would change that ikea bulb over to something that gives off a better spectrum of light so you will have less of a chance of growing algae, post some pics so we can see your canopy cause I know I'm atleast interested in how it looks, and while your at it post a pic of your starfish so we can see if it is reef safe. The screw in power compacts will work fine for certain corals like polyps, leathers, mushrooms, and the like. Get ALL of those little starfish (asterinas(sp.)) out of the tank because they are not reef safe. T5 lights will work over top of a salt water tank, but they are probably not t5 High Output bulbs (maybe post a link to those bulbs if you can find them online), but having 3 of them and a power compact over top of 5 gallons might open up some options for corals for you. You need to check your parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphates, PH, alk) to see how the tank is doing. I would assume you have either high nitrates or high phosphates or both if you are having trouble with phosphates. Do a test and let us know so we can figure something out. Make sure for one that you aren't using tap water (whether its from the municiple or well). You need to use the cleanest water that you can get your hands on (ro/di) or you will continue to have problems with algae and eventually with your future corals. It sounds like your LFS are not morons, so far I agree with what they have been telling you (depending on exactly what corals they were saying are ok for you). Many people talk down on LFS, and I understand why when they get bad information, but us LFS guys have feelings too haha and we aren't all bad. I'm not too sure what a blood shrimp is, so if you can post a pic of that, or if someone else can ID it for you to see if it reef safe that would help. In order to make this tank work you will NEED to do 10% water changes weekly with high quality water (again, I would recommend RO/DI), and have a real low bio load when it comes to fish, like one or two that reach 1-2 inches (think gobies). You can always go into the DIY forum and talk to them about a good way to make that hood work, or if it would just be cheaper for you to buy a new one.

[Fazulka]

I have had the water tested at least every two weeks since i got the tank started, but not since i got the shrimp a week ago. The LFS said the shrimp was a blood or fire shrimp, i will attach the pic. I'm not home right now, but my wife just sent me a pic of the shrimp as well as a hermit crab that must have been attacked, because most of it is missing now. I have been using tap water with a de-colorinating drops, and do 1g (20%) changes every Sunday. Last time i got the water checked they told me the PH was good, but i don't remember what it was. Nitrates + Amonia at 0. The salinity I check a few times a week with a floating hydrometer, but dont see much evaporation. I'll call my wife and see if she can send a few more pics.

The Blood (or fire) Shrimp
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/2403883895_8ee776d84b.jpg?v=0

The remains of a hermit crab that was alive and walking around before I left for work...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/2404710782_469c18a1ee.jpg?v=0

Thank you for you help,
Adam

[meco65]

Sounds like a good start, I do agree with (D to the P) on the tap water. You can get RO/DI from most LFS or distilled from wal-mart will work as well.
Also wanted to say
[welcome]

[D to the P]

Ok, fire cleaner shrimp (another common name), good inhabitant, but don't expect it to actually clean parasites or anything off of your fish, it'll just steal their food and try to "molest" them. Hermits die often. Sometimes another hermit crab pulls them out of their shell, sometimes they just commit crabicide, and I've even heard of cleaner shrimp pulling crabs out of their shell for no good reason. Things like this is what you will be looking for when you get corals in there. You don't want to have anything dead like this hermit (RIP) lying around for too long (I know you're at work so don't worry, a few hours is OK, just not days). I would recommend getting a test kit for yourself, just so you don't have to worry about only doing tests when your LFS is open (incase there is a problem when they aren't open, it will be important for us to know what your parameters are at). Stop with the tap water, it will only cause problems for you (usually algae, or ill effects to the corals) even though you add water conditioner to it. I know here in PA the grocery stores have RO/DI systems in their stores, and I think wal mart even has it, and some LFS will sell it (always always always check the water with your own test kit before putting it in the tank, I've heard some bad things from people who bought RO water either at a shifty pet store or wal mart). Keep up the water changes, its a great habit to already be doing, and it will make your life a lot easier when it comes to keeping the tank clean and corals happy. API makes a nice saltwater master test kit that is easy to use and accurate. It should have everything you need except phosphates (which usually come from tap water among other places). And you'll have to check if Alkalinity is in there cause I can't remember. Other than that, let your tank settle for another few weeks so it can become mature, you can start to figure out how your system works and responds to your husbandry, and you can get a handle on that algae (which can cover corals and kill them if it gets out of hand), and on those asterina star fish. It'll be hard to break it to the wife that they must go I'm sure, but it's for the greater good haha.

[D to the P]

oh, and those pink spots are probably coraline, so don't scrap em off! good luck!

[Reef Ruler]

I think your crab may have molted...same thing happened to me. I only have one Crab in the tank, and I found what I *thought* was a dead body, and glanced up to see another crab staring at me on a rock :)

[Fazulka]

Here is the tank, but she doesnt know where the picture i took of the star fish is, so i can put it up later.

Thank you for the advice, i will buy a kit. Is the normal bottled gallons of water at the store RO water or is it distilled or is it the same thing? As for the hermit crab, it seem the bristle worms ate it as she told me there is only a leg remaining.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/2404793736_6c7e0536d5.jpg?v=0

[Fazulka]

Reef Ruler was right! The hermit crab is still in the shell ( I called her after i could see it on the top in the picture i posted, she just checked and now the crab is moving). The body is already gone, the shrimp came and either ate it or hid it somewhere.

[D to the P]

Thats a cool little tank. Make sure you post some pics once you get it really going in a few months. Sometimes you can buy it pre bottled, but it is not the same thing as spring water (there was a forum where people were talking about how spring water still has some minerals and metals in it that we don't want in our tanks), not the same as distilled water (Hopefully someone can find a thread on the pros and cons of distilled aside from a lack of dissolved oxygen). RO is Reverse Osmosis and DI is deionization. The bottle/dispenser should say it directly on it. The reason it is so good (aside from being half the price of spring water) is because it is the only way to make sure you get 100% filtered water. That means no chlorine, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, silicates, ect.

[Fazulka]

Thank you very much for you help, I hope the grocery store up the street has RO/DI water, but if they dont i bet costco does.

And with the light i was not able to find a saltwater light that was a 12" T5, but i noticed that PETCO carries a 12" T5 Freshwater bulb. Im sure that i could just get the other required hardware the homedepot, like the ballast and sockets.

Anyway, here is the starfish that I have, does anyone know the type?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/2404904610_1eed8751b3.jpg

[D to the P]

serpent star. don't know species, but it is reef safe. it's a detrivore.

[Fazulka]

I have spent alot of time today looking at nano reef related stuff on the 'net, and managed to work my way into more questions...

For lighting has anyone tried these lights from nanocustoms.com?

http://www.nanocustoms.com/product_info.php?products_id=160&show=3

I believe the thing with "pony" on it is the ballast, does it have to be in the canopy? If not I bet I could modify my canopy to put as many as 3 of these lights easily. Can three be powered by one ballast?

Also, how can i know if my serpent star (thank for IDing it D to the P) is getting enough food? It hides all the time under a rock and ocasionally comes out for a minute or two when i feed the tank. I use frozen mysis shrimp for feeding the tank, 1/4th of a cube every other day. The Shrimp are usally gone within a couple minutes but i dont see the starfish get any.

We found 4 small anonome on on of the rocks and the other day i decided to give on a shrimp with a pair of tweezers. It was fun to watch it eat. While i was doing that the fire shrimp came out and i gave it some from the tweezer also. pretty cool, but it is also fun to watch him jump to get them as they drift by. For the starfish i saw this video, and wanted to know i i could do the same thing with mine, or would the shrimp just attack the dead fish (and my hand);

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t2YfB3LD8-A&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param>******* src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t2YfB3LD8-A&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

thanks :D

[Fazulka]

Youtube embed didnt work heres the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2YfB3LD8-A&feature=related

[D to the P]

1. Never used that light, and I wouldn't think you would have to put the ballast under the canopy, and if you did I'm sure you could just split some wire and add more, as long as you've had experience with wire splitting and everything so theres no fires haha (I know I'd butcher it and probably set my whole apartment a blaze). PC's would be fine over your tank and I wouldn't think you would need more than two in order to have a decent group of corals to choose from.
2. serpent stars usually only come out at night, and thats when they will feed. the best way to make sure it is getting food is to look at it at night when it is out and about and see if it looks really depressed (not emotionally, physically), and if it looks like it could stand to have some more food, than it is ok to feed it just about anything. I wouldn't feed it big fish like that silver side more than once a week, and even then that would probably add a decent bit of waste to your tank. I usually feed mine shrimp pellets that you can get at any LFS. I drop in a few, the shrimp might steal one, and the serpant star wraps up about 3 of them. I usually do this once a week, but don't worry, he's probably finding something to eat cause he didn't look thin in the picture.
3. post a picture of your anemones, or google image seach for aiptasia anemone (aka glass anemones). These anemones are usually seen as pests in the aquarium trade because they are carnivorous so they can end up eating any fish that you put in the tank, and they spread like wild fire and will sting anything in their path so corals will be harmed. If they look like glass anemones that I would definately remove them by trying one of the 800 methods that people have posted on RC, such as Joe's Juice, Lime water, vinegar, etc.
Ok, so I think that answers just about everything except for experience with that light, so keep up the good work and have fun!