@Grins
Thanks for the list of things to test for. I wasn't sure what else to have tested besides copper. Are there any ranges that they can be in? Or should they all be reading zero? Anything other things I should test for in the tap just in case?
Ammonia and Nitrites should both be at 0. Nitrates should be as close to 0 but at least below 20 in my opinion. Copper and Phosphates should be 0. If you're going to reef you'll want to test for other things that are essential for some corals to even survive such as carbonate hardness..they need it for their skeltons to grow. But before you go down that road test for the other things mentioned at the very least. Many of the other minerals unforunately can't be tested for by most home aquarists which is partly why some so highly recommend RO/DI as it purifies water to avoid much of that testing. Many tests can be done with a simple TDS meter and that helps with speed. But again, at the very least test for copper, ammonia, nitries and phosphates. And read your water analysis that each water supply facility in the states at least is required to supply to the end users.
Right now, the filter is mainly to help circulation. While I'm still running untested tap water I think the carbon will help a bit in lowering any possible toxins in the water.
It will help with some, but not as many as some assume. Much like the the additive you mentioned for chlorine I think. It doesn't remove them, it binds chemicals to those toxins. As far as circulation, most won't add enough to negate needing powerheads.
A FOWLR will be all right with 10x turnover, right? I'm pretty sure the powerhead covers thats. The person who gave it to me also had a stronger powerhead that he was willing to sell me for a couple dollars. I'll ask him the GPH and pick that up, I think.
Yes 10x will be fine for a FOWLR. But that again is minimum, you are wanting no deadspots at all as the deadspots will be your trouble areas for algae, bacteria, waste build up, etc.
If I want to keep the hermit, why do I need to have a store hold on to him for me? Is he in risk if I try to cycle the tank with him in it as well? Yes, not sure you understand the cycle and what it is an how it works. If you don't please ask or read the stickies above about what it is for. Bottom line though, any life that has to be in the tank during the cycle is being exposed to ammonia that is basically burning it from the inside out. Imagine you go in a gas chamber without a mask, it isn't the exact same, but it would feel pretty much the same I'd think to have it's gills burned by ammonia. I doubt you'd want to do that, just might not be aware of it.
At this point the tank is still a FOWLR. Besides testing for a completed cycle, do I still need to do regular testing? At this point I'm still unsure of why I would need to do testing besides the initial cycle check. Perhaps if/when I turn the tank into a reef I should get a test kit.
It is because a good reefkeeper knows their tank well. They know how to recognize signs of something going wrong and how to fix it. As a new reefkeeper you're not yet ready to determine when things are going wrong and most likely won't know until something really wrong happens. If you are doing regular testing you'll start to not only see how quickly things can change, especially in a nano tank but you'll start to understand why. There is a common saying in the hobby..nothing good ever happens fast. That not only means that you need patience in the hobby but that you need to appreciate that when things happen fast they tend to be bad. In a small body of water such as your 10g (considered very small for a marine tank) things can change quickly. I'm not suggesting you'll always need to test but I can tell you that I'm new myself at about 9 months into the hobby and I don't feel anywhere near ready to go without testing for more than 2 weeks at a time. During some periods I make sure not to go more than a week. It depends on what is going on in my tank. I didn't make the decision to drop to 2 weeks because it wasn't necessary to test, but because I've made an effort to educate myself about water chemistry, how my livestock reacts to certain factors, etc. With that I now know certain things are off because a certain coral is doing something different, etc.
Also, there will be times when something goes really odd in your tank. A fish dies for no reason that you can see visibly. A coral won't open up. Snails are moving slowly or you can never keep a shrimp alive. You're going to want help and ask people for opinions..and you should. But the first questions you're going to get from anyone are going to be :
1. what are your water parameters
2. how long have you had it and what else is stocked with it
3. tell us about your tank specs
Its pretty much standard, and if you don't have water parameters people are not going to have the ability to help you with any meaningful advice or thoughts. And trust me, most of the time these questions come when the LFS isn't open and you can't run down to them to get a freebie test done.
I went through your Advice to Newbies article and it's great. It helped me figure out what I could add in my measly 20 watts of lighting. Also helped to clarify aeration in an aquarium. I had never seen a saltwater aquarium with bubbles. I only assumed the powerhead was the source of aeration. Now I know.
I'm glad it helped. As I said, I am new to the hobby myself and just have tried to put together blog posts for questions I see asked all the time or things that would have helped me when I first started. It is fantastic that you are asking questions now. Sincerely, I wish I had asked more before I ever bought a single thing.
