New(ish) 75 gallon tank and a bunch of questions.....

[grrlywhirl]

Hi,

I'm Amy, I have 4 kiddos and a busy house but I have always wanted to set up a saltwater tank so I finally did this August. I've previously had freshwater tanks but it's been awhile since we were in the fish game at all.

Tank setup:

80 lbs of man made live rock (which was way too much for my liking aesthetically so some is shoved into the sump, is that beneficial at all or should I just take it out?)
30lbs of sand
r/o water mixed at home to 1.023
sump (not sure what size, maybe 20-30?)
a pump more than capable of circulating a 200 gallon tank (can't remember details)
octo reef space saving protein skimmer 150
2 AI Prime HD lights


Live Stuff:
2 clowns
1 cleaner shrimp
20 ish snails (variety)
a few crabs

some coral but nothing big or complicated yet, green stars, leathers, torches.

*recently added this Tues*
1 Blue Tang
1 Sailfin Tang (not sure he's being nice to the Dory)
1 Royal Gramma

I'm confused about a few things and worried about one.

First and foremost, We are heading out of town for 3.5-4 days this weekend, I just added three fish and I haven't even seen the Royal Gramma since i moved him into the tank. I don't really have anyone I trust to take of the tank. Would you just leave it? If I have to have someone check it. Do I put portioned/labelled days of food and hope they can handle it? Do I give them pre0mixed water or plain R/O in gallons to add? Leave the skimmer on or off?

Other things about the tank in general:

1. Does the tank raise it's own salinity levels? Do I have to add plain R/O from time to time? Or just pre-mixed 1.023 water? I have been very careful about my mixing and it was just 1.026 when I tested, so I assume I have to add plain R/O. How often do I add plain vs. mixed water

2. How often should I be adding and testing alkalinity and Calcium? Is there anything else I should be testing all the time? The tank fully cycled within a week of having 5 royal damsels living in it (which I traded in for the tangs yesterday just to be safe). So am I done testing the initial Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates?

3. Automatic Top-off systems. I'm kind of handy but the electrical aspect seems confusing and somewhat iffy. Is there a way to rig a system up that works more like a toilet (sans electricity)? A float that turns or opens a valve in a bucket or tub with a valve installed? Links? Knowledge?

4. Do you ever clean the pump or bottom of the protein skimmer? How? It's a super tight squeeze for the skimmer to get in under the stand and into the sump, so I'm not sure I can remove it.


I'm going to attempt to add pics from my phone in the comments.

Hello and Thank you for any advice you have, I really don't know what I'm doing,

Amy

 

[grrlywhirl]

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[grrlywhirl]

my pump.


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[ALLIDOISREEF]

1: The salinity in the tank will rise due to evaporation. Top offs should be done with R/O to keep the salinity constant.
2: Testing will vary depending on what you are comfortable with. If you are dosing anything, you should be testing for it. I tested every few days when my tank was young, now I test weekly.
3. I recommend an ATO keeps water level constant and maintains a constant water level for the skimmer. I have a standard ATO not sure if there are mechanical versions available.
4. I clean the pumps and skimmer every 3 months or so. I remove them and use a vinegar solution to clean and breakup buildup.

5. Your tank is too small for those tangs. The Blue tang and the Sailfin get way too big for a 75. They need an 8ft long tank. I know they are probably small and can live and may do well for some time in a 75, but it is not ideal and likely causing them unnecessary stress. Trust me I had a 2" Blue tang in a 75 and I thought it was happy until I put him in an 8ft tank. Then he was a totally different fish, super happy, better color, no more weird fin injuries that didn't heal or took forever. Trust me I'm not the tang police, but I would look to rehome them.

 

[joshbrookkate]

Hi, Amy...
Your aquascape is beautiful!
I agree with ALLIDOISREEF about the tangs. You want to becsuccessful in your reef and you are setting yourself up for problems. I'd take the tangs out.
I am also a female reefer who is handy but not with electrical things. I bought a Tunze ATO system and set it up myself. Easy! And worth it. Stability is so important to reefing and this was the first thing I did to work towards achieving that.
As for going away, portioning out the food is a great idea. Fish can go without food for a few days if needed. So before I got my auto feeder, my daughter would come over to feed them every other day. By the way, an auto feeder is a good thing to have around if you go away frequently.
As for the topping up of RODI water while you are away, put a piece of tape at the water level you keep your tank. Then get your tank sitter to top up with the RODI up to that mark.
FYI - I aim for a salinity level of 1.026. As do many, if not most reefers.
It's perfectly fine to have live rock in your sump. It does add to the filtering in your tank. Many people do this.
You add RODI water to replace evaporation. That's called ATO or auto top off. You only add salt water when you have removed salt water, as in water changes.
Have you read the stickies here on setting up a reef tank? If not, they are a great resource for understanding this hobby. I read and re-read because little by little, it started to make sense. Lol.
Good luck! Keep asking questions.....
Michelle

 

[JMorris271]

HI Amy,
The best thing for you to do is to read the stickies and then go to the library.
Good luck with your hobby.

 

[grrlywhirl]

I get it with the tangs, I plan on buying a bigger tank and keeping the 75 for corals and smaller fish and a bigger tank 180-250 for fish only.......I figured I had a little time with the size of them now.

 

[grrlywhirl]

I have been reading all the stickies for awhile now. Thanks on the aquascaping, it's been grating on me, I get annoyed by something and attempt to take it apart and end up having to start from scratch. I'm hoping this one sticks.

 

[grrlywhirl]

Which autofeeder do you use and do you trust it? I read a ton of discussions where people came home to an overfed, algae ridden system due to one, so I kind of freaked out about that possibility of getting one.