Road to Success - 6 Gallon Fluval Edge

OnTheEdge

OnTheEdge

New member
Let me make it clear: I have never owned a fish tank, I am a total noob trying to get something done.

Having worked at a fish store I have picked up some things and know a thing or two.

What I have:

6 Gallon Fluval Edge
Reef Crystals for 25 Gallons
10 LB of Argonite Sand

My plan:

Percula Clown Pair (probably not going to happen, maybe one)
Goby
Invert (Sexy shrimp, snail, etc)
Corals (I am blind in this aspect and will get one once I have the tank running in perfect parameters for a month or so)

MY QUESTIONS TO YOU:

Can I premix salt water and leave it in a container (top covered with plastic wraping)?
The fluval edge I have comes with some kind of LEDs, is this enough for any reefs?
How much top off should I need to perform a day?
Would an ATO be helpful?
Do I need a heater?
Should I get a powerhead?
Livestock help?
General coral help?
What should I be careful about?

Let's avoid this: :headwally:
 
You can premix the water if you have a proper storage container Im not sure if plastic wrap will be good enough but it may. The LEDs that Ive seen that comes with those arent much of a light you MAY can do something like mushrooms and maybe a few Zoas but you probably wont get much color out of them. Depending how warm your house stays you may or maynot need a heater. A powerhead for that small of a tank is going to cause a typhoon so I wouldnt do that. Livestock I would only stick to the fish that stay small and dont get any size on them at all, perc clowns, damsils theres more but maybe someone else can chime in on that. My advise as to what to be careful about watch all of your levels tanks that small things can get out of hand quick I would do water changes very regularly
 
davidadelp said:
You can premix the water if you have a proper storage container Im not sure if plastic wrap will be good enough but it may. The LEDs that Ive seen that comes with those arent much of a light you MAY can do something like mushrooms and maybe a few Zoas but you probably wont get much color out of them. Depending how warm your house stays you may or maynot need a heater. A powerhead for that small of a tank is going to cause a typhoon so I wouldnt do that. Livestock I would only stick to the fish that stay small and dont get any size on them at all, perc clowns, damsils theres more but maybe someone else can chime in on that. My advise as to what to be careful about watch all of your levels tanks that small things can get out of hand quick I would do water changes very regularly
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I plan to do water changes once a week and test the water while I'm at it. Thanks for the help!
 
I started saltwater with a Fluval edge don't let people discourage you because believe me they will. I found the stock lighting wasn't adequate so i made an led fixture for it. I am now able to keep lps and some sps just fine. I also added two Hydor pico evo 200 mini pumps. They are only 70 gph and are compact enough to fit perfect. Depending on where you live you will most likely need a heater luckily fluval makes one for about $30. Top offs aren't any trouble either i just add ro water when the water level drops usually less than 1/4 cup a day. Livestock wise i have a single percula clown a pair might be pushing it and idk about all three but a clown and some inverts would be good. I wont tell you you can't put all three but if its not that important to you i wouldn't. I would steer clear of an anemone because it will eventually consume your tank. If you upgrade your lights and get adequate water flow you should be able to get almost any coral. I don't know about the water storage with plastic wrap when i do a water change (usually at least a gallon a week) i find it no trouble to mix up a gallon the day before. Lastly be patient, wait for your tank to completely cycle and add livestock at a slow rate parameters can fluctuate very quickly but as long as you keep up on water changes you'll be fine. Good luck!
 
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TheFishyCouple said:
I started saltwater with a Fluval edge don't let people discourage you because believe me they will. I found the stock lighting wasn't adequate so i made an led fixture for it. I am now able to keep lps and some sps just fine. I also added two Hydor pico evo 200 mini pumps. They are only 70 gph and are compact enough to fit perfect. Depending on where you live you will most likely need a heater luckily fluval makes one for about $30. Top offs aren't any trouble either i just add ro water when the water level drops usually less than 1/4 cup a day. Livestock wise i have a single percula clown a pair might be pushing it and idk about all three but a clown and some inverts would be good. I wont tell you you can't put all three but if its not that important to you i wouldn't. I would steer clear of an anemone because it will eventually consume your tank. If you upgrade your lights and get adequate water flow you should be able to get almost any coral. I don't know about the water storage with plastic wrap when i do a water change (usually at least a gallon a week) i find it no trouble to mix up a gallon the day before. Lastly be patient, wait for your tank to completely cycle and add livestock at a slow rate parameters can fluctuate very quickly but as long as you keep up on water changes you'll be fine. Good luck!
Click to expand...

It seems like I'll just keep a clown and some inverts, don't want to put too much stress on the fish. I'll be starting with either a damsel or a chromis. When you top off the water you just add RO water without any salt? Will that not change the overall salinity of the tank? I will look into some mini pumps and some lights. I have seen many hoods redone and might just try to get that done myself. I will probably get a heater just to be sure. Thanks for the help!
 
No problem and yes you add ro water because when water evaporates the salt doesn't and remains in your tank so adding ro keeps it in balance you add saltwater when you have taken water out not due to evaporation. Just keep an eye on the salinity and if its low add saltwater if its high add ro. A a chromis is an excellent fish to start out with they are virtually invincible in fact i still have my first one from my edge he is now in my 110 gallon. A heater just in case would be a good idea it will only come on when the temp drops too low so why not get it. I found it was cheaper to build my own lights but if you can afford something like and api nano it would be worth it. I found my coral seems happier with flow, I didn't have too much growth before i bought my powerheads. On a side note definitely get the best looking piece of live rock you can find i kind of just settled for mine and really wish now i would have found a better piece. You'll only need 5-6 lbs but because of the small opening you might be limited on what you can get i was thinking about buying a nice piece and splitting it to get it in the opening then glueing it back together. If you have any other questions just let me know ill help you out best i can.
 
TheFishyCouple said:
No problem and yes you add ro water because when water evaporates the salt doesn't and remains in your tank so adding ro keeps it in balance you add saltwater when you have taken water out not due to evaporation. Just keep an eye on the salinity and if its low add saltwater if its high add ro. A a chromis is an excellent fish to start out with they are virtually invincible in fact i still have my first one from my edge he is now in my 110 gallon. A heater just in case would be a good idea it will only come on when the temp drops too low so why not get it. I found it was cheaper to build my own lights but if you can afford something like and api nano it would be worth it. I found my coral seems happier with flow, I didn't have too much growth before i bought my powerheads. On a side note definitely get the best looking piece of live rock you can find i kind of just settled for mine and really wish now i would have found a better piece. You'll only need 5-6 lbs but because of the small opening you might be limited on what you can get i was thinking about buying a nice piece and splitting it to get it in the opening then glueing it back together. If you have any other questions just let me know ill help you out best i can.
Click to expand...

I will probably build my own lights soon enough. Should I go get live rock now or can I wait 3-4 weeks? The fish store where I go doesn't have any yet (just opened). If I have to I will go to another store and get some. Once again thanks for the help. The whole topping off thing seems so much simper. I assumed that salt evaporated with the water and I had to continually add a mix into that tank. I will probably draw a line on the neck of the Edge and just fill continuously during the day. Also, how often do you keep the light on? Is it only on when you are at home, or all the time during the day, then off at night? Did you run the stock filter that came with the Edge?
 
If you can buy an AI Nano, that'd be the best in my opinion. Just bolt it to the top plastic piece, angling it forward a little.

-Matt
 
MattFrancis said:
If you can buy an AI Nano, that'd be the best in my opinion. Just bolt it to the top plastic piece, angling it forward a little.

-Matt
Click to expand...

At 300 it's a little steep for a nano. I am probably going to build my own for significantly less. If I can get a great deal somewhere I might pick it up. Thanks!
 
I would suggest putting your live rock in when you put water in your tank, because the live rock will start a cycle. The good thing is that the tank is so small it cycles at a faster rate i believe our cycle was over in only a couple weeks. I keep my lights on for about 6-8 hours a day. I feel it is good to have them on timers that way it is like a natural cycle. You can also add moonlight and keep that on for a few hours after your lights go off to simulate the natural light cycle plus you get to see your tank lit for a few extra hours.
 
TheFishyCouple said:
I would suggest putting your live rock in when you put water in your tank, because the live rock will start a cycle. The good thing is that the tank is so small it cycles at a faster rate i believe our cycle was over in only a couple weeks. I keep my lights on for about 6-8 hours a day. I feel it is good to have them on timers that way it is like a natural cycle. You can also add moonlight and keep that on for a few hours after your lights go off to simulate the natural light cycle plus you get to see your tank lit for a few extra hours.
Click to expand...

My fluval 6 gallon took 5 weeks to cycle.
 
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All it is are 6 Cree 3w leds attached to a 3"x6" heat sink. What color combo you use is up to you. I like the bluer light but you can easily add more whites or even go with a fuller spectrum by adding other color its up to you. Make sure you get a dimmable driver to control the intensity of the light. I didn't use a controller for this tank, kind of started on a budget, but got by just fine. Its all budget and preference and how much work your willing to put into it. Here's a pick after the light was installed. Its a little lighter blue in person camera darkened it for some reason.
attachment.php
 
TheFishyCouple said:
attachment.php
attachment.php

All it is are 6 Cree 3w leds attached to a 3"x6" heat sink. What color combo you use is up to you. I like the bluer light but you can easily add more whites or even go with a fuller spectrum by adding other color its up to you. Make sure you get a dimmable driver to control the intensity of the light. I didn't use a controller for this tank, kind of started on a budget, but got by just fine. Its all budget and preference and how much work your willing to put into it. Here's a pick after the light was installed. Its a little lighter blue in person camera darkened it for some reason.
attachment.php
Click to expand...

Mind reuploading the pictures? I'll probably create something similar.
 
10nb7o5.jpg


The tank has finally been started and I have some beginning questions.

When will the salt settle (I have added Biomagnet Clarifier that came with the argonite sand).
Should I cycle with LR only or get a damsel? (I currently only have 2.5 pounds of marshall LR but I will be adding 2-3 pounds tomorrow)
What powerhead should I look into?
 
Your salt should settle over night. Personally I would cycle it a couple weeks before adding a fish but its up to you. Powerhead wise i have two hydor pico evo 200 mini pumps really small (mounting is stupid) but i like them. I have heard of people running the koralia nanos 240gph, as well as an mp10 but they are a bit pricey (you do get what you pay for).
 
The MP10 would def be your best option they aren't cheap as stated but in my opinion they are well worth it because you have a wide variety of settings.
 
davidadelp said:
The MP10 would def be your best option they aren't cheap as stated but in my opinion they are well worth it because you have a wide variety of settings.
Click to expand...

It looks like I will be getting one and an AI Nano. I have a job at a fish store and being a high school student allows me to save the money. Picture updates coming in a second!

500 for lights and powerhead = :headwalls:
 
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