Getting Started

[Indigent]

I recently built a tank for these super shrimp after receiving one of those small ecospheres as a gift. I currently have four little friends residing in the sphere (I have yet to open it). The reason I have not opened the sphere is because my tank set up is not complete. I currently have a 2 gallon tank with a salinity level of roughly 1.014. I threw in some beach sand I bought from the store and combined some RO water and the salt Mustafa recommends we use. I also included some lava rocks to keep the acidity of the water down. My questions are the following: 1) The tank has little bubbles of oxygen attached to the glass (in all four walls, it's a rectangular tank) why? 2) Before I put in the macroalgae is the salinity level appropriate for the macroalagae? 3) Was using the beach sand I bought a good idea? The brand name is Natures' Ocean. 4) I have some rocks I'd like to use in the tank. One of them is is compressed carbon from a volcanic eruption. It's a light black stone who's composition is mostly carbon. Could I use this in the tank?

Any help with the following questions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Indigent

[KenCotigirl]

Lava is inert. You do not want to lower pH. You want stable pH. Coral and old shells buffer or keep the pH stable. The starting pH of the water using reef salt is around 8.

Check the label on your Natures Ocean sand. The product usually has aragonite and often broken shell pieces. Aragonite is a mineral with calcium like limestone. It is your pH buffer.

The salinity is ok.

Compressed carbon? From a volcanic eruption? I am curious. I leave that to someone else.

[Indigent]

I feel much better knowing the sand I used acts as a buffer. I might throw in some old shells I have to stabilize the pH level a bit more.

What of the little oxygen bubbles around the tank? Should I not worry about those?

Perhaps compressed wasn't the appropriate word to use. When a volcano erupts you end up with a bunch of ash flying all over the place. Sometimes this ash consolidates. That is what happened in the case of this black stone I have. The composition should mostly be carbon. However, there may be other minerals present in there. Nothing too out of the ordinary though. Maybe some zing and etc.
I also have some Pumice I want to use.

Anyway, I appreciate the help. You helped ease a lot of my worries. Thanks

[Mustafa]

Don't worry about the bubbles. Those are normal in new tank setups. They will go away after a while. You can also wipe them away with your hands if you can't wait.