Brand new tank! advice wanted?

[Breto]

I am just starting off with this new hobby and I am looking for advice on some of the things I have read.

My setup:
30 gal tank (see picture with rock and sand below)
Apollo 5000 led lights
hang on AquaC Remora Skimmer
heater bar
maxijet 1200 power head
fluval 204 canister filter

My tank has been cycling for the past 13 days, and I just took in a water sample to my local shop and they said everything looked great.

Now for the questions:
1. I have heard the debate on canister filters. What are my other options?
2. What livestock should I get first? and When can I get them?(cleaning crew, fish, corals)
3. There are a ton of gadgets out there its a little over whelming. What essentials do I need?

 

[phenom5]

1. No need for canister filter. Liverock and skimmer, along with water changes should be all the filtration you need.

2. I would definitely go clean up crew first, then fish, then corals.

3. You have the essentials, although I would look for something more for a powerhead. The maxijet will produce little flow, and the flow will be a narrow jet. You really want a prop-style pump. Koralia, Jebao, Tunze, Vortech or the Maxspect Gyre pump (not a prop pump, but very good flow) depending on your budget. I would shoot for 20x turnover, unless you are thinking about 30+ turnover. I would also recommend 2 smaller powerheads versus 1 large powerhead.

The other two essentials are testing supplies & RO water. I would recommend an RO/DI unit to make your own water. The upfront cost is more, but you'll be much better off in the long run. Or you can go to your LFS for water, or one of the RO water dispensers outside of grocery stores.

Test supplies I would get a basic test kit that has ammonia and nitrate. 13 days seems a little fast, but it does depend on the liverock. Always a good idea to be able to test your own water and get a number rather than a "everything looks great!" from someone that is anxious to sell you something.

I assume you have something to test SG/ salinity. IME swing arm hydrometers work, if you keep them clean, and if you check them against a calibrated refractometer. They tend to be consistent, if not accurate.

Down the road, auto top off is good for stability and your own sanity.

 

[Breto]

Thanks Phenom,

I have a test kit that I have been using just to verify what the LFS tested and to learn a bit about what is going on in my tank.

The LFS also has RODI at a good rate that doesn't make it that enticing to go out and get a system quite yet.

I have a swing arm hydrometer but I don't really trust it. A refractometer will probably be a purchase in the near future.

Thanks again for the advice and I will defiantly look in to a better powerhead and an auto top off system.

 

[blitz49]

You seem to have almost everything you need. I would buy cleanup crew first before buy fishes.

 

[phenom5]

If you are picking up a refractometer, definitely pick up some 35ppt pinpoint solution to calibrate it.

 

[FraggledRock]

Setup a Quarantine tank asap for ANY new fish before putting said fish in your main tank.

you'll tank me later =P

also add fish slowly.

the tank has to adapt to the bioload changes

 

[Breto]

For my clean up crew, I was thinking:
1 cleaner shrimp
1 small snail
2 hermit crabs

After I get them how long till I should add fish? And do I need to feed my clean up crew?

 

[phenom5]

I would bump up the number of snails. You don't need to do the 1 snail per gallon "rule" which is too much IMO, but I would add a good mix. A few cerith snails, a few nerite snails, a few trochus snails, and a few nassarius snails.

Hermits are opportunistic feeders, and may/ will kill snails for their shells. Adding in some extra shells of various sizes can help reduce this. You could do 6-12 hermits. IME the scarlet hermits are a little less aggressive that the blue legs.

You can drop in a pinch (small pinch) to the tank every few days for the cleanup crew.

I would do a water change, and wait a week to make sure your water parameters are stable. From there, you can slowly start adding fish.

 

[Sk8r]

Step One, read the sticky atop this forum, SETTING UP. This will prevent a lot of expensive mistakes.

 

[Esage]

For my clean up crew, I was thinking:
1 cleaner shrimp
1 small snail
2 hermit crabs

After I get them how long till I should add fish? And do I need to feed my clean up crew?

You're going to need a bigger cleanup crew than that. I have about 15 snails in a 34 gallon tank