Re: Another Desert Dwelling Aquarist
Re: Another Desert Dwelling Aquarist
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15424657#post15424657 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coyote97
Hello folks,
I've decided to take the plunge into reefkeeping! Long story short, my kids (ages 4, 8 and 10) wanted to get a cat. Been there, done that. Told myself I'd never have a cat(s) again! They came with my marriage! Instead, I promised my kids that we'd set-up the 70 gallon aquarium that I've been storing the last 14 years! Before you say it, I've already leak tested it. It held water for 3 days with no leaks. Before the tank was taken down I had just about everything you could have in a tank except marine fish. The closest I came was Africans. I've always wanted to have a salt tank but have been reluctant to try until now. My kids are really excited about getting fish. So much so that they went to the library to get books about fish. Meanwhile, I've been researching on my own and trying to learn all I can. Yesterday I stumbled upon this site and spent hours reading waterkeeper's introductory "course". Wow! What a wealth of information. I wish that I had found this site a week ago! So, here is where I am right now. As I mentioned, I have a 70 gallon glass tank (undrilled). I just finished building an oak base stand and canopy. Tried posting a picture but the file was too big. Most of the equipment that I have from 14 years ago is outdated. So I am basically starting with a glass box! I guess my first question is (and probably should have been asked before I built the stand), should I even use the tank I have? I'm not sure if it's tempered glass, so I don't know if I can drill it. Because the tank is going to house my kids pets I was initially thinking FOWLR. But after doing some research, I don't want to limit myself to that. I want to get the correct equipment up front to grow into a reef. I think my kids will be happy with just a few fish and my wife is a scuba diver so she'd also like the reef tank. I want to use a wet/dry set-up with a refugium, but with an undrilled tank I realize I need an overflow that hangs on the back of the tank. This is where I got stuck. I don't want my tank that far off the wall to make room for the overflow. I spoke to someone at the LFS that said I probably needed 6" behind the tank. That puts my tank too far into the room I want to put it in. So, now what? Last week I think I prematurely bought some stuff. I purchased about 80 lbs of crushed coral (size #1) for the substrate. After reading waterkeeper's thread, I'm bummed that I purchased that. He recommends a smaller size sandbox sand. Should I attempt to return the crushed coral? I also purchased the salt and de-chlorinator. Sounds like I don't need the de-chlorinator? I was initially thinking I could set-up a cannister filter to get the tank cycling until I could build the sump/refugium. The LFS sold me some activated bio-"balls" to put in the cannister. Sounds like that was a bad purchase as well. Especially since they cost $50. SO, I'm looking for some recommendations from the resident experts here at RC. I know the saying about opinions, but I'm asking for them. I think I really am going to enjoy the reef, but now I'm thinking I probably should have gone freshwater with the existing tank for my kids and set-up another tank for my wife and I with a reef. That's not ideal, but if I have to start from scratch for a reef tank, I'm going to have an extra tank! Sorry for the long post, but I have tons of questions and it looks like this is the place to ask them! Once I figure out how to reduce the size of my pictures I will post them. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Dennis
Can you hang the overflow on one of the sides? This would allow you to setup your sump and refugium.
You should be purchasing an ro/di water filter and using only that water. A declorinator will not remove all the dissolved substances that are in your water including heavy metals and phosphates. Phosphates and nitrates are the key substances for fueling algae growth.
the most effecient biological filtration system in a marine tank is the live rock. You should have at least 85 lbs of it.
the other consideration is flow. You need between 10-20 times your tank volume in gph. If you purchased 2 koralia 3's you would get 1600 gph an hour from them and they are very reasonalbe priced.
I am glad you are checking things out on here---50 bucks for bioballs---which are about 15 bucks:eek2:
Bioballs are not as effecient as live rock--you are far better to invest your money in live rock--get a good filtration base that will last you forever.
Similarily you do not need the cannister filter if you have the right amount of live rock.
Cycling in a salt water tank is a little different then in a fresh water tank. In both cases we try to reduce the ammonia to nitrates. However to remove the nitrates we just do a water change in a fresh water tank. In a salt water tank the bacteria in the crevices and deep in the live rock reduce the nitrates for us.
Cannister filters, bioballs filter media only reduce ammonia to nitrates --this is why with live rock we don't need them.
For cycling, put your live rock in the tank and go away for three weeks leaving the tank alone and nature will cycle the bacteria
Actually you should monitor the ammonia and nitrate levels. The ammonia will spike and go to zero, similarily the nitrate will do the same thing. At this point your tank is ready.
Some reefers prefer to do a water change when the ammonia spikes as to preserve the living things that hitch hike in on and in the live rock.
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