Setting up a "new" tank

[gabegmonkey]

I work at a Doctor's office and I'm setting up an existing 55 Gal. tank for the Doctor. It's been up and running since 1995 or so but for a long time it had nothing but algae growing in it and it had no filtration at all, just a sump/pump running 24/7.

It used to have live rock, dolomite, anemones and clownfish. At some point they introduced some fish that basically ate everything.

I need some advice as to what I need to do next. I've cleaned all the walls and topped up the tank and even took out the "dead rock" and hosed off all the loose junk and I've added a Fluval 404 canister filter, upgraded the lighting to Power Compacts W/ Actinic lights.

Should I take out the old Dolomite? Replace? Can I use live sand with dolomite? Should I run it with just Live sand/rock?

 

[Avi]

Well, the first thing that you ought to mention is whether this tank will be for fish only or you plan to have coral in it as well as fish. In either event, I wouldn't use dolomite (wouldn't it be crushed coral, rather than dolomite?) and instead use just sand. The "dolomite" or crushed coral can easily trap detritus and that may well lead to elevated nitrates that can foster an algae growth. And, I'd say you can run live sand and live rock, though try to get the live rock to about one or more pounds per gallon of water. If you do plan on adding coral, you should consider putting a protein skimmer on the tank. If you do, you wouldn't need the Fluval.

 

[gabegmonkey]

We want to set it back up with live rock/live sand, anemones/clownfish and maybe some cleaner fish/hermits/snails and that's about it. So you think I won't need the canister filter once I get all the live rock/sand? It's really cleaned up the tank. should I replace it with powerheads for water movement?

Is this tank going to cycle when I add the live rock? I'm assuming it will...

How deep should my sand bed be?


I'm planning on getting a protein skimmer...

 

[Avi]

I would use the canister filter until you get the protein skimmer. Once the skimmer's on the tank you wouldn't need the canister any longer. You are right about adding a couple of powerheads to enhance any water flow that the canister return creates.

Adding the live rock will start the cycle. I'd suggest that you don't add any fish or inverts in during the cycle and then go slowly with adding anything.

Do some research before you add an anemone to the tank. They generally require intense lighting for long term success.

I'd have a shallow sandbed in a setup like you're considereing...maybe 3/4-inch.

 

[Zan]

what do the levels look like currently?

 

[gabegmonkey]

eventually I want to get Anenomes that are rated for low/moderate light so we don't have to go crazy with the lighting...

I don't have any levels yet because I don't have a test kit for saltwater. I have Fish at my home but only Freshwater. I'm going to make them buy a kit and some other supplies soon... is there any brand that's better worse etc. as far as test kits...

Should there be maybe a timer for some of the powerheads to simulate tidal changes? I was thinking about maybe having like a low/moderate flow during the day and moderate/high flow at night? Is this a good idea? or do I have it backwards or something?

 

[Avi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7381826#post7381826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gabegmonkey
eventually I want to get Anenomes that are rated for low/moderate light so we don't have to go crazy with the lighting...

Hmmm....there aren't many that are attractive that can subsist with low lighting levels...But, like I said, do the research before you do buy any anemone.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7381826#post7381826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gabegmonkey
I'm going to make them buy a kit and some other supplies soon... is there any brand that's better worse etc. as far as test kits...

Salifert test kits, which are more costly than most others, are generally recommended here in RC. I use them and have found them easier to read and more consistent than just about any other that I've tried.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7381826#post7381826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gabegmonkey
Should there be maybe a timer for some of the powerheads to simulate tidal changes? I was thinking about maybe having like a low/moderate flow during the day and moderate/high flow at night? Is this a good idea? or do I have it backwards or something?

Well, that would be pretty much backwards. But flow is a very imprortant matter in reef keeping, though not as critical if you aren't going to keep coral. If the tank's going to be fish only with some motile inverts, then probably somewhere about 15 to 20 times total gph of flow compared to the 55-gallons of your tank would be enough. I don't believe that you'd need any kind of wave motion for a more or less fish only with live rock kind of tank...but for the benefit of the fish which don't want to be pushed around by an intense narrow flow, I'd use a powerhead like a Seio 620 or 820 with a MaxiJet1200s with Hydor flow deflector on it in a tank like yours will be.

 

[gabegmonkey]

So if I decide to do a tidal kind of thing, It should be stronger during the day and slower at night?

We'll probably only have 1 or 2 Clowns and some cleaners/scavengers. We mainly want to get Anemones, but it's nice to have at least a few more "animated" animals...


Once I get rid of the Canister Filter am I going to have any Mechanical Filtration? Could I keep the Canister and a protein skimmer? Or would that be counter-productive?

 

[meco65]

I myself would use a sump/refug you need a tank that is split in three parts one for the skimmer one for the refug(for sand and plants to help remove nitrates from the system).
http://www.melevsreef.com/29g/sump/sump3.jpg

 

[Avi]

If you have a good amount of live rock, in an amount like mentioned above, and a good quality protein skimmer, you wouldn't need any additional "mechanical" filtration. The canister may tend to foster elevated nitrates if not constantly cleaned. It isn't, IMO, worth the effort. Adding a refugium as meco suggests would be a good idea, too. It isn't likely to be necessary in a fish only tank but with inverts, it would be beneficial.

As for the water movement, less during the nightime, when the lights are off, would be all right, but I don't think it's something that you should trouble about. I keep the flow in my reef on at the same rate all the time and as long as it's a good quality and sufficient amount of flow it can be constant, day and night without any problem.