New to the forum. Few questions..

[Tomorleans]

First time poster. Just started lurking. I look forward to picking your brains..
First off lets start with the tank. It's a 30gal long. The plan for it is to be a Reef tank.
Coralife Aqualight T5
Supreme Skilter 250 Protein Skimmer
AquaClear 30
I put water and live sand in the tank on Apr 21st and the live rock and blue green chromis a few days after that. I had to have something else to look at other than water heh. Plus the lps said it was ok.

My questions are is the setup I have a sufficient enough design for a reef tank?

Do I have enough live sand in it?

I seen where some people were saying that it's better to NOT have the glass cover on the tank so that you get a better gas exchange etc..? As of now the top of the tank is virtually sealed off. I do have about a two inch strip of plastic that I can cut to allow for this gas exchange. If I do that wont the evaporation rate increase?

I guess this is a start. I guess the whole reason for posting is aside from learning all about saltwater tanks I like to have 2nd opinions other than just listening to the LPS.

As of now the pH is at 8.0. The Ammonia is at 0.25ppm. Nitrite at 1.5ish. and Nitrates at 20ppm... O and the Salinity is between 1.022 and 1.023.. These are the same readings I got 5 days ago.

Here is a pic of the tank. The tank is slightly cloudy in this pic because I cleaned up something off the background right before taking the pic.

 

[herpencounter]

First,
:welcome:

Supreme Skilter 250 Protein Skimmer- from what I have read (from this forum) skilters are junk (don’t have any experience with skimmers).

How many pounds of sand (from the picture looks like you have enough)?
You need a lot more rock.

LPS means Large Polyp Stony I think you want LFS that’s local fish store.

The tank is 9 days old it has not cycled so your fish might die.

Get all your LR (30 to 40 pounds)let it cycle then you can get your tank going (takes 6 weeks or so).

At 0.25 mg (ammonia) toxic if present for extended periods of time very toxic to inverts.
For a reef tank you need 1.023 to 1.025 Salinity.

Also talk to us before talking to a LFS.IMO

 

[mr_X]

what are you going for with that live sand? filtration?
did you purchase it to get through the cycling process faster?

if your answer is the latter, you are going to go through a cycling process not unlike a freshwater tank regardless of the sand.

if you chose the live sand as a method of filtration, you don't have nearly enough. that sand bed would need to be 4 inches deep or so.

if you chose the sand for looks, i'd say you have the perfect amount :wink:

the skilter skimmer is about worthless i'm afraid.

it's up to you if you would like the tops on or off. you are going to get some decent aeration from the skimmer you eventually end up with :wink: , and i don't think your tank is actually "air-tight", so the gas exchange thing is not too much of a worry.

it's really not ok to use fish to cycle a tank if you are wanting to make their glass cage a comfortable place for them to live. when i think of this, i picture having to swim through a giant jug of ammonia 8O , or some other toxic pool. that's kinda what they are feeling swimming through ammonia and nitrite :roll:

i think you are going to need some extra flow, besides the aquaclear 30. what "reef" inhabitants do you intend to keep?
how many watts is that coralife t5?

and yes, alot more live rock will help greatly.

 

[Tomorleans]

First,
:welcome:

Supreme Skilter 250 Protein Skimmer- from what I have read (from this forum) skilters are junk (don’t have any experience with skimmers).

How many pounds of sand (from the picture looks like you have enough)?
You need a lot more rock.

LPS means Large Polyp Stony I think you want LFS that’s local fish store.

The tank is 9 days old it has not cycled so your fish might die.

Get all your LR (30 to 40 pounds)let it cycle then you can get your tank going (takes 6 weeks or so).

At 0.25 mg (ammonia) toxic if present for extended periods of time very toxic to inverts.
For a reef tank you need 1.023 to 1.025 Salinity.

Also talk to us before talking to a LFS.IMO

I kinda figured the fish might die..;( Hope they can hang in there..

Let the live rock cycle? the LFS told me it's ready to go just put it in the tank..?

And the salinity I didn't know it needed to be higher than 1.023.. First time I heard that. And trust me I do plan on leaning on this forum for advice..

 

[Tomorleans]

what are you going for with that live sand? filtration?
did you purchase it to get through the cycling process faster?

My buddy who started up his 20 gal reef tank did this. His was ready to go in about 3 weeks with no problems. So I'm kinda blindly following him..

if you chose the live sand as a method of filtration, you don't have nearly enough. that sand bed would need to be 4 inches deep or so.

No Im not using the sand for filtration..

if you chose the sand for looks, i'd say you have the perfect amount :wink:

Sweet!!!

the skilter skimmer is about worthless i'm afraid.

damn that sucks to hear.. What brands, size should I look up as a possible upgrade?

i think you are going to need some extra flow, besides the aquaclear 30. what "reef" inhabitants do you intend to keep?
how many watts is that coralife t5?

inhabitants/ hmm clowns, shrimps,.. standard stuff for now..

The lights are Daylight & True Actinic 03 Blue T5 Fluorescent Lamps 28 watts each.

 

[herpencounter]

For fish only its 1.021 to 1.025 but if you want to have inverts you should have 1.023 to 1.025. :wink:

How many watts in all for your light?

Let the live rock cycle? the LFS told me it's ready to go just put it in the tank..?

That’s called curing.

 

[Tomorleans]

For fish only its 1.021 to 1.025 but if you want to have inverts you should have 1.023 to 1.025. :wink:

How many watts in all for your light?

Let the live rock cycle? the LFS told me it's ready to go just put it in the tank..?

That’s called curing.

56 watts total..

 

[herpencounter]

Well you cant keep any corals with that.
I know X will probably tell you mushrooms can.

You should want more like 150watts (I have 130 on my 29g I wish I had found something a bit better).

 

[Tomorleans]

Well you cant keep any corals with that.
I know X will probably tell you mushrooms can.

You should want more like 150watts (I have 130 on my 29g I wish I had found something a bit better).

well my thinking was since it's a shorter tank height wise I may be able to get by with those lights.. Plus the coral will be on top of the live rock which will put them that much closer.. Does that sound right or am I way off?

Could I get by with another T5 like the one I have?

 

[herpencounter]

I would say (IMO) 120-130 would get you by with a good choice of corals with a lower tank like yours.
I’m still learning about corals so I might not be correct.

 

[mr_X]

skimmer for a 30 gallon tank- aqua c remora
3 weeks to cycle a tank is not really that out of the norm, but the tank will remain "new" for much longer than that. corals and inverts are a bit more sensitive than fish, so you might wait a bit for those.

as far as your lighting, it's not total wattage that you need to be concerned with, it's quality. yes, it's possible to keep some of the less "light needy" corals closer to the 56 watter. you mean a second identical fixture over your tank? i don't see why that wouldn't work. it would end up being in the way though, wouldn't it?

most reefkeepers eventually end up wanting the more picky corals that require alot of light, so 9 times out of 10, you'll say "oh crap, i should have spent the money up front on that awesome light instead of this mediocre one".

you have a small tank. anything you do in that tank is big. in other words, if you put 20 pounds of live rock in there right now, it will be a major change in that little world.
be careful of LFS's advice...it's been wrong more than a few times, and sometimes they just want to tell you whatever, to sell you something. just the other day, a LFS owner told me that he didn't want to give me any advice, because if my fish and corals die, i'll have to come back to buy more from him. he didn't use those words, but i asked him about special care for a certain fish, and he said he couldn't tell me because that was a "trade secret".
live rock, "fully cured" or not, will often cause a parameter change in your tank.

.025 is closer to the salinity of a reef, which is what you want to shoot for, in a "reef" tank.

as for inhabitants, i meant corals. what corals are you going to want to keep?

 

[Tomorleans]

thanks guys.. I've learned alot already.. As far as what corals in particular. I really haven't gotten that far yet. Im still trying to learn the names of different corals ..

Which Remora would be best sized for my tank the one with the 800 pump or the 1200 pump? And where is a good place to buy it?

Also it sounds like you're both telling me I should go ahead and fill it with the 20-30 pounds of live rock now as to avoid "shocking" the tank? Is it ok for me to just out a couple of peices in at a time as I go?

 

[Anonymous]

Many of the sponsors here are great to deal with. The Aqua-C should be very good for that size tank.

I agree that the lights you have are not going to cut it and I would not even try it. (I went this way with my first tank - 130W PC over a 46G was not enough).

I not have a 58G with 2 VHO = 190W plus a 250W MH. I can keep what ever coral I want now.

Bump the salinity to 1.025

IMO you will need more LR

Wait for you ammonia/nitrate level to reach 0 and then wait 2-3 more weeks before trying a coral. Better to be safe then sorry.

Get ready - your tank WILL go through some algae cycles. Probably diatoms first then maybe some green hair algae and or cyano. Keep up on your husbandry of water changes, dont over feed, get some good flow and you should be on your way.

I dont know what your source water is but you may want to look into a RO/DI system to make sure you are using the cleanest water possible to avoid allot of headaches down the road.

Also STAY AWAY FROM MIRACLE TANK CURES IN A BOTTLE. Just go slow.

Best of Luck.

And
:welcome:

 

[Tomorleans]

Many of the sponsors here are great to deal with. The Aqua-C should be very good for that size tank.

I agree that the lights you have are not going to cut it and I would not even try it. (I went this way with my first tank - 130W PC over a 46G was not enough).

I not have a 58G with 2 VHO = 190W plus a 250W MH. I can keep what ever coral I want now.

Bump the salinity to 1.025

IMO you will need more LR

Wait for you ammonia/nitrate level to reach 0 and then wait 2-3 more weeks before trying a coral. Better to be safe then sorry.

Get ready - your tank WILL go through some algae cycles. Probably diatoms first then maybe some green hair algae and or cyano. Keep up on your husbandry of water changes, dont over feed, get some good flow and you should be on your way.

I dont know what your source water is but you may want to look into a RO/DI system to make sure you are using the cleanest water possible to avoid allot of headaches down the road.

Also STAY AWAY FROM MIRACLE TANK CURES IN A BOTTLE. Just go slow.

Best of Luck.

And
:welcome:

awesome advice.. I cant tell yall enough how much I appreciate it!! Around here I really have no one to turn to except the LFS and you know how that advice can be.. hit or miss.

Question about bumping the salinity up. As far As I know the only way to do this is to wait for the water to evaporate and instead of adding fresh water add saltwater right?

I do plan on getting more LR. Since this new advice Im thinking about running to the LFS store tonight and getting 20 pounds and some epoxy to build/position the rocks the way I want. Now that I think about it this is probably the way I should go. Or is it ok to just add a small piece here and there as I go?

The water I get will come from the LFS. They sell saltwater ready to go for about $1/gal. I'm assuming it's good water. All of his tanks look great..

Let me ask you. After the cycle is complete and I have the LR in. I'll add the reef cleaners, invertabrates, snails, hermits etc..Would it be ready for a couple of "Nemo's" and a bubble tip anenome?
Then upgrade the lights and skimmer and maybe another Aquaclear 30, then add the coral.. sound like a plan?

 

[Anonymous]

Question about bumping the salinity up. As far As I know the only way to do this is to wait for the water to evaporate and instead of adding fresh water add saltwater right?

Correct - do it slowly.

I do plan on getting more LR. Since this new advice Im thinking about running to the LFS store tonight and getting 20 pounds and some epoxy to build/position the rocks the way I want. Now that I think about it this is probably the way I should go. Or is it ok to just add a small piece here and there as I go?

IMO - Get all the LR you plan to have now. This will avoid future cycles from adding new LR.

Let me ask you. After the cycle is complete and I have the LR in. I'll add the reef cleaners, invertabrates, snails, hermits etc..Would it be ready for a couple of "Nemo's" and a bubble tip anenome?

Add fish slowly and never more than 2 at a time. As for the bubble tip anenome - they need a well established stable reef. Most tanks usually dont achieve that for at least a year. And the BTA will need MH lighting.

For water movement you can add powerheads like a Maxijet instead of the aquaclear.

 

[Tomorleans]

Question about bumping the salinity up. As far As I know the only way to do this is to wait for the water to evaporate and instead of adding fresh water add saltwater right?

Correct - do it slowly.

I do plan on getting more LR. Since this new advice Im thinking about running to the LFS store tonight and getting 20 pounds and some epoxy to build/position the rocks the way I want. Now that I think about it this is probably the way I should go. Or is it ok to just add a small piece here and there as I go?

IMO - Get all the LR you plan to have now. This will avoid future cycles from adding new LR.

Let me ask you. After the cycle is complete and I have the LR in. I'll add the reef cleaners, invertabrates, snails, hermits etc..Would it be ready for a couple of "Nemo's" and a bubble tip anenome?

Add fish slowly and never more than 2 at a time. As for the bubble tip anenome - they need a well established stable reef. Most tanks usually dont achieve that for at least a year. And the BTA will need MH lighting.

For water movement you can add powerheads like a Maxijet instead of the aquaclear.

what size maxijet?

Also is it really that necassary to clean the LR? The Fiji LR i get comes from the tank to a heavy plastic bag and can be in my tank in 5 minutes..

 

[Tomorleans]

Question about bumping the salinity up. As far As I know the only way to do this is to wait for the water to evaporate and instead of adding fresh water add saltwater right?

Correct - do it slowly.

I do plan on getting more LR. Since this new advice Im thinking about running to the LFS store tonight and getting 20 pounds and some epoxy to build/position the rocks the way I want. Now that I think about it this is probably the way I should go. Or is it ok to just add a small piece here and there as I go?

IMO - Get all the LR you plan to have now. This will avoid future cycles from adding new LR.

Let me ask you. After the cycle is complete and I have the LR in. I'll add the reef cleaners, invertabrates, snails, hermits etc..Would it be ready for a couple of "Nemo's" and a bubble tip anenome?

Add fish slowly and never more than 2 at a time. As for the bubble tip anenome - they need a well established stable reef. Most tanks usually dont achieve that for at least a year. And the BTA will need MH lighting.

For water movement you can add powerheads like a Maxijet instead of the aquaclear.

what size maxijet?

Also is it really that necassary to clean the LR? The Fiji LR i get comes from the tank to a heavy plastic bag and can be in my tank in 5 minutes..

also the Aqua C comes with a Maxi jet 1200. Do I still need the seperate pump?

 

[Anonymous]

skimmer for a 30 gallon tank- aqua c remora
3 weeks to cycle a tank is not really that out of the norm, but the tank will remain "new" for much longer than that. corals and inverts are a bit more sensitive than fish, so you might wait a bit for those.

as far as your lighting, it's not total wattage that you need to be concerned with, it's quality. yes, it's possible to keep some of the less "light needy" corals closer to the 56 watter. you mean a second identical fixture over your tank? i don't see why that wouldn't work. it would end up being in the way though, wouldn't it?

most reefkeepers eventually end up wanting the more picky corals that require alot of light, so 9 times out of 10, you'll say "oh crap, i should have spent the money up front on that awesome light instead of this mediocre one".

you have a small tank. anything you do in that tank is big. in other words, if you put 20 pounds of live rock in there right now, it will be a major change in that little world.
be careful of LFS's advice...it's been wrong more than a few times, and sometimes they just want to tell you whatever, to sell you something. just the other day, a LFS owner told me that he didn't want to give me any advice, because if my fish and corals die, i'll have to come back to buy more from him. he didn't use those words, but i asked him about special care for a certain fish, and he said he couldn't tell me because that was a "trade secret".
live rock, "fully cured" or not, will often cause a parameter change in your tank.

.025 is closer to the salinity of a reef, which is what you want to shoot for, in a "reef" tank.

as for inhabitants, i meant corals. what corals are you going to want to keep?

Mr. X and Rob is correct!!

What LFS are you using? I'm from Louisiana too. You should also check out the local reef forum b/c they have monthly meetings and do frag swaps.....

www.lareefclub.com

Oh, one more thing, you should get all your rock at once. Don't keep putting a little in at a time. It will change your water parameters every time you add more rock. Do it all at once so that you can get your parameters right and not have to worry about it again.

 

[Brian5000]

It's almost a plan. I would upgrade the equipment first, and then get the critters. I think it would help them thrive if you already had your setup the way you want it.

Anenomes are one of the most light demanding critters in the hobby. You're definately going to want to upgrade your lighting a lot before you attempt that. They're also fairly sensitive creatures too. You may want to wait a few months for your tank to "mature" before getting one.

You can adjust your salinity as you suggested, or do it during a water change. In a water change, mix the water a few points higher than your target value. When it mixes with your existing tank water, the salinity averages out.

Also, in the past, I've kept my salinity lower (about 1.021 as recommended on the side of my salt bucket) than they usually recommend here. It may not have been ideal for them, but my corals seemed to do fine. You have time to get that part right. I don't think even your salinity as it is off enough to actually hurt anything. It's just not ideal.

Yes, water from the fish store should be top quality stuff.

If you get the full 20 lbs. of live rock, make sure it's cured and prepare for the possibility of getting anothe ammonia spike. It's not a terrible thing; just test frequently and be ready to do water changes to keep the ammonia low. The good part of that is, as you say, you can aquascape the way you want. Otherwise, a peice at a time will possibly go smoother because your existing rock can help filter the small amount of ammonia produced from one additional rock.
_________________
BMW Motorrad

 

[Tomorleans]

skimmer for a 30 gallon tank- aqua c remora
3 weeks to cycle a tank is not really that out of the norm, but the tank will remain "new" for much longer than that. corals and inverts are a bit more sensitive than fish, so you might wait a bit for those.

as far as your lighting, it's not total wattage that you need to be concerned with, it's quality. yes, it's possible to keep some of the less "light needy" corals closer to the 56 watter. you mean a second identical fixture over your tank? i don't see why that wouldn't work. it would end up being in the way though, wouldn't it?

most reefkeepers eventually end up wanting the more picky corals that require alot of light, so 9 times out of 10, you'll say "oh crap, i should have spent the money up front on that awesome light instead of this mediocre one".

you have a small tank. anything you do in that tank is big. in other words, if you put 20 pounds of live rock in there right now, it will be a major change in that little world.
be careful of LFS's advice...it's been wrong more than a few times, and sometimes they just want to tell you whatever, to sell you something. just the other day, a LFS owner told me that he didn't want to give me any advice, because if my fish and corals die, i'll have to come back to buy more from him. he didn't use those words, but i asked him about special care for a certain fish, and he said he couldn't tell me because that was a "trade secret".
live rock, "fully cured" or not, will often cause a parameter change in your tank.

.025 is closer to the salinity of a reef, which is what you want to shoot for, in a "reef" tank.

as for inhabitants, i meant corals. what corals are you going to want to keep?

Mr. X and Rob is correct!!

What LFS are you using? I'm from Louisiana too. You should also check out the local reef forum b/c they have monthly meetings and do frag swaps.....

www.lareefclub.com

Oh, one more thing, you should get all your rock at once. Don't keep putting a little in at a time. It will change your water parameters every time you add more rock. Do it all at once so that you can get your parameters right and not have to worry about it again.

The LFS I'm using is Exotic Fish Bowl on the Westbank (Terrytown). It's kind of a hole in the wall place. But it's like 2 minutes from my house.

Btw; Im sold I think im getting the rest tonight. How should I go about cleaning it? The other two peices I got I just threw them in the tank. Since they came out of an established tank.