Beginner to Saltwater Aquariums. Need advice.

[PittsburghAqua]

Well considering I'll have to cycle the tank, I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong though) that it will be plenty of time for the rock to become cultured. I didn't price out dry rock but I can easily call around to see how much dry rock will cost. I can mix it with some live, some dry...

and what is "fake" rock? Is it as good as the real rocks? How much did you end up spending on it?

I won't bother with UV sterilization at first then. I'll focus on lighting, the protein skimmer, and the RO/DI unit as first purchases while my tank cycles.

 

[washpawryder]

You can also check out this place Saltwater Sanctuary for livestock in Canonsburg off the Southpointe exit on Morganza Road. Very nice setup this guy has.

https://www.facebook.com/SALT.H20.SANCTUARY

 

[LadyQuorra]

I recommend the Ocellaris Clownfish, they can come in black and lots of different patterns, and they are quite hardy and active (fun to watch).

Flow rate wise I think your fine with just the HOB filter for now. My good friend has been running a 29 gal FOWLR with just a 300 gph hob filter for many years. If you get a nem or any corals then i'd def pick up a nano powerhead. Just make sure your aquascape is good (lots of arches and spaces in between not just bunched up in a pile).

I've been using API's saltwater master test kit and all work well except maybe the nitrates they seem a little higher then i got with my previous test kit (but then again my previous test kit could have been the less accurate one)

I'd say no need for a protein skimmer just yet unless you plan on having delicate fish or non-hardy corals (some beginner hardy corals tolerate and even like "dirty" water) this shouldn't be any kind of issue as long as you don't overstock the tank and you keep up with your water changes.

One question, why did you decide on a sump??? I don't think it's necessary at all until you get into hard core reefing, you'll want to put your protein skimmer and other equipment in there. but you could very well have a hob skimmer, thought eventually all that equipment (once you get all set up for an intense reef) might look cluttered.

Also why bio-balls? Your live rock should provide more then adequate biological filtration.

And yeah i wouldn't consider UV sterilizer unless you want to keep sensitive fish or corals though i've never even seen one in use amongst my aquarist friends.

Just started it up my 20g reef tank 2 months ago, it will be beginner coral ready this weekend in which i will transfer over some stock from the established 29g which has been holding a few beginner frags just fine

Here are links to my tanks:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2241309
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2255730

Good luck! ^_^

 

[PittsburghAqua]

That was actually the one I was planning to get .

I figured I'd want more flow rate when I eventually make the jump from FOWLR to reef. I read up that I am in the "safe zone" for fish only tanks, but not for reefs, which require more flow.

Protein skimmer was definitely a "wait and see" thing. Was going to get one after the tank cycled and everything was going smooth and I found I needed one.

The reason I decided on a sump is I got it dirt cheap. I only paid 20 bucks for it off Craig's List. I figured that the extra water flowing through the tank would be great to have! And it came with bio balls and stuff.

I think, then, after thinking it over and discussing it, I am going to see about either giving my girlfriend the freshwater fish (she had a horrible accident in her tank where her heater broke and fried almost all her fish .. and so she is down to a few fish.), or trading them into my LFS for some Saltwater supplies.

After that, I'll plan out the sump and see about purchasing the RO/DI unit. I'll also clean the tank and start off with my first purchase of dry rock. I'll also get some sand, and on the day I purchase my saltwater, I'll also buy the "cultured rock" and set all that up at once.

While the tank is cycling I'll grab my test kits

Then, once the tank is cycled and I got my first fish (probably only have 2 or 3 Ocellaris Clowns), I'll determine if I need a protein skimmer/more flow. And I'll then slowly work towards more fish and going to full reef.

Last questions then:

1. Will the stock lighting be OK for a FOWLR tank? Is lighting upgrades only needed for reef tanks or will my stock lighting not be good for my tank?

2. Should I leave the filter media in the HOB filter? Or should I remove it and just let the water flow through it?

3. How do I go about cleaning the tank? Is there a huge procedure for cleaning it since it once housed FW fish?

 

[LadyQuorra]

Alrighty. Yeah if you got the sump dirt cheap then why not use it

Still a little weary of the bio-balls. Heard they can accumulate nitrates. My reef friends are always selling them away cause they don't like em.

About clowns, I'd recommend at max 2. Try to buy them from the same tank and make sure one is significantly bigger then the other, so they are less likely to fight. If you only want to get one at a time. Pick the largest one of a group or a lone one that is of a decent size. when your ready for the next one pick one that is not the biggest of the group nor alone and make sure it is significantly smaller then your current clown.
This complexness is due to the fact that the clown can change it's sex from male to female, and not back. The largest is always the female and the second largest her male partner, the rest of the clowns in the group will be sterile males. If you get any clown alone changes are if it wasn't a female to begin with it will morph into one. I have no idea how long the process takes but maybe u can find that in the web.

Most likely the stock light is a T-8 if it came with a standard tank hood. Check the bulb for print and see what the temp is. I wouldn't do anything under 7k, though replacing the bulb with a 10k white T-8 Marine bulb or a 50/50 T-8 Marine bulb would be ideal for a FOWLR. I believe the 50/50 has a slight blue to it.

Once you get corals you'll need to to upgrade to T-5's, Power Compacts, or LEDs fixture. Though i have and LTA and few hardy beginner frags growing under T-8 lighting. This definately isn't ideal but I'm planning on upgrading very soon

Idk if i would call it a huge procedure but. What i did with mine a few months ago was: Pull it into the tub run it under hot water, used some instant ocean sea salt put a small scoop of it on a wad of moist paper towel and scrub it down really good, you'll probably have to continue to add a bit of salt to the paper towel since it will dissolve and maybe make a new wad of paper towel if it gets really nasty or breaks up. Once you scrubbed every inch of the inside, rinse it with hot water and make sure it's nice and clean. If you want to be extra safe fill it with about two inches of RO/DI water and swish it around to dilute any of the crap from the tap water that may dry up and stick to the tank surface. then let air dry.

 

[PittsburghAqua]

Right now it's an Aqueon 8,000k T8 Light

 

[MondoBongo]

Well considering I'll have to cycle the tank, I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong though) that it will be plenty of time for the rock to become cultured. I didn't price out dry rock but I can easily call around to see how much dry rock will cost. I can mix it with some live, some dry...

and what is "fake" rock? Is it as good as the real rocks? How much did you end up spending on it?

I won't bother with UV sterilization at first then. I'll focus on lighting, the protein skimmer, and the RO/DI unit as first purchases while my tank cycles.

the "fake" aquacultured live rock i am referring to is this stuff:

http://realreefrock.com/

 

[LadyQuorra]

That light will due for FOWLR just keep it on for no more then 8 hours. If you want a more blueish hue you could replace it with a 50/50 bulb for like $12-$20 I've seen the bulbs at Petsmart.

For reef lighting I'd recommend Aquatraders.com or Ebay or DIY LED . You want around 2 to 4 watts per gallon that will due for all beginner corals. For anemones like bubble tips i would go at least 4 watts per gallon.

 

[PittsburghAqua]

@Mondo:

Thanks for the link! That is pretty sweet. Eco-friendly is always a good thing.

@Lady:

Alright cool! I'll probably have it set to run from Noon to 8PM since I'll be home around those times.

I have a friend who is very handy with DIY (I'm handy but no where near his level) so I can get him to help with DIY LED. I'm gonna have to research it and see what I can do. When I go for the lighting I am going to go for the higher end. I don't want to skimp out on lighting that will affect the anemones.