Newbie with a Nano

Jessie · #1 10-04-2013, 06:55 AM

Thank you for the great welcome! Here is a couple pics of the tank, they're not the greatest since it's just from my iphone.

My Tank1.JPG

My Tank2.JPG

AHHH, THIS hobby is NOT for the faint at heart! I have gross, gross worms crawling out of tiny holes on one of my live rocks. Bleh. Obviously night time creatures. I don't know if it's 2 or 3 or 4 or 1 with 3 heads??? lol. What ever that is it better get the heck back in the rock cause it's ugly. Well, I think all worms are ugly so this isn't especially ugly with legs or tentacles or anything. I still don't like it though. I bought this rock "used" from someone else's aquarium they were taking down, the sand is from that aquarium too. And apparently, so are the critters

I hope that is the end of the surprises.

Azzkr · #2 10-04-2013, 10:34 AM

Sounds like you have a bristle worm living in the rocks.

newsaltfan · #3 10-04-2013, 01:22 PM

Being that you are using a canister you may want to invesigate this little contraptions. now i've never used one but these allow skimming from the surface as well as intake from the bottom. maybe other can give opinions if they are worth trying. i think they are like $20 if that.

ponokareefer · #4 10-04-2013, 01:42 PM

Canister filters tend to cause a lot of problems unless you clean them every other day. They aren't recommended for salt water. Your live rock will act as a filter for you, and a skimmer will do the rest.

As for the aiptasia, I'd get the rock that has it out of the tank. You might be able to get rid of it, but you might not. I wouldn't take the risk since you are just starting out. They can become a nightmare, and that's the last thing you want just starting out.

Good luck!

mike31154 · #5 10-04-2013, 02:06 PM

Looking good with the LED light fixture! Something I'd recommend is getting some additional water movement in there asap in the form of a powerhead or two. I purchased my whole system used years ago & it took many years to purge the live rock & sand of nutrients. Hair algae was a problem for quite a while in my tank. The previous owner only had a couple of tiny, inadequate power heads in the tank when I went to pick it up. There was a lot of detritus in the sand & rockwork. Even if you don't have hard corals or other livestock other than hitchhikers in your system now, the sooner you get some good flow in there, the better.

Best of luck with your start up, this forum is a great resource. I wish I had found it before making my leap into the hobby. I had 0 experience with any type of aquarium as well, but with plenty of research, I've managed to muddle my way through.

Sunee · #6 10-04-2013, 10:08 PM

Welcome!!

Dearth · #7 10-04-2013, 11:49 PM

All rock will have hitch hikers of some sort you will find many additions some good some not so good

If the worms are grey or grey with a red tip they are harmless bristle worms they are a good part of your CuC however once you have them almost impossible to completely remove from your system. I don't like them myself but kinda learning to live with them.

As to aiptasia you have a couple of options as I previously stated you can get peppermint shrimp which are relatively cheap, you can remove and cook the rock but not a guarantee to fully remove unless you cook it properly and it takes a lot of time, manual removal but that is hit and miss.

As others stated get some power heads in there it will help a lot and stir up the detritus

Canister filters are ok in a smaller system but they are a lot of work and honestly getting a skimmer will cut your workload so much

Most importantly don't rush take your time and ask questions if your not sure and take time to enjoy it you will get so much pleasure from it

Madreefer · #8 10-05-2013, 01:03 AM

Welcome to canreef
I say this to all who run with a canister filter. Take out all the sponge filters and media in it and fill it with liverock rubble. It's the best thing thing filtration you can use in a canister filter. When you do clean it just use water from your water change to rinse the rubble. You can also put a nylon sack full of carbon in one if the compartments to polish your water. As for peppermint shrimps, go to a reputable LFS as quite often stores sell camelback shrimps as peppermint. You can put a chunk of prawn in a piece of pantyhose to catch bristle worms if you would like to thin them out.

Dearth · #9 10-05-2013, 02:57 AM

Yes water changes weekly

HoB skimmers are good investments everybody has their own personal choices I ran an Aqua C remora HoB on my small tank till I upgraded tanks and I never had issues with it.

mike31154 · #10 10-05-2013, 03:27 AM

I used to run a canister filter as well, with empty baskets & a bag of carbon. If you run it in a similar fashion it's essentially a mini sump that adds a gallon or so to your total water volume, which is never a bad thing. The main reason I ceased using a canister is they all eventually developed leaks. I've always run a skimmer & seeing the goo that it collects, it's really a no brainer to have one. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or costly, I use an old wooden air diffuser counter current skimmer & it works well. Fine bubbles & maximum contact time are the key to effective skimming and a wooden air diffuser run by a good air pump will create some of the finest bubbles you'll ever see. Then all you need is a small pump to circulate the water slowly through the skimmer body for maximum contact time & you have a nice quiet unit that does the job. The thing runs 24/7 so what it misses on one pass, it will eventually capture during another. Since you don't have any livestock yet, you can take your time & do some additional research on skimmer technology. Once you get a couple of power heads into the tank, your cured live rock will be the first stage of filtration. You probably won't even see a cycle since everything is already matured.