new to aquariums

[newtothis]

Hi, I've never chatted online anywhere before, please bear with me. I have a percula clownfish, a charmis fish, a skunk shrimp and one snail in a 10 gal. marine aquarium that I inherited from family. We have had it for about a month and today we cleaned it really well and all chemicals are where they are suppose to be: ph, gravity, nitrate,ammonia etc. I also have two live rocks, fairly big, but one doesn't have as much "life to it" as the other one. The snail and the shrimp stay away from it. We did have a lot of pink brissle worms but we've cleaned them out and the rocks smell really fresh and like seawater. Can I do anything to get more 'life' on the one rock? I'm planning on getting a hermit crab and another snail, with one more charmis fish.

[Poseidon]

First off... Welcome to REEFLAND!

What do you mean by "cleaned" it? In aquariums all that dirty yucky looking stuff is sometimes the most important part of the system. There are several different types of bacteria that you absolutely MUST have to keep the tank going.

Use the "search" function above and type the word CYCLE and do some reading there, I sure it will help you quite a bit.

[The R/C Man]

Hi newtothis!

In order to help you out further: What are you using for filtration? Do you have a protien skimmer? What kind of lighting do you have over the tank? Are you considering the addition of corals?

[newtothis]

Hi newtothis!

In order to help you out further: What are you using for filtration? Do you have a protien skimmer? What kind of lighting do you have over the tank? Are you considering the addition of corals?

I do not know what exactly I have because the aquarium came fully operational, including the water [live critters were removed to a bucket with water from the tank]. I can tell you that it has a spnge and charcoal fliter, a heat tube, afloresant light and a wave maker. The two rocks were in a 38 0r 40 gallon, marine tank and put in the one I have but I think one is 'dead' as the cone snail and skunk shrimp I have will not go on it and it doesn't seem to have any life, but it does smell like the ocean, not stinky at all. The other rock is where the snail usually stays and moves around, some times going on a 'trip' around the glass.

[newtothis]

Hi newtothis!

In order to help you out further: What are you using for filtration? Do you have a protien skimmer? What kind of lighting do you have over the tank? Are you considering the addition of corals?

No, I am too new to this to add any other 'life forms', so no corals, yet.