So you got a new fish tank Newbie

[ahill3780]

^^BUMP^^

After looking through most of the recent posts in this forum I think its about time to bring this post back up to the front for some much needed schooling to us newbs.

OK, OK, so the truth is that I am trying to read through the whole post and I'm only on page 16 so far. Having to search back 15+ pages into the forum history to find this thread each time I switch to another computer is just annoying me so I am bringing it to the front.

Great job WK, and great idea for a thread. Although its been said time and time again for a few years now, you still deserve thanks for such a compilation of necessary information for the new reefer, so THANKS!

I may chime in again with a question or comment, but I'll hold off until I've finished all 32 pages of the thread!

 

[PatMayo]

I second that one. WK this thread helped to get my 90 off the ground. 46 to a 90. Nice jump I would say.

Regards,

Pat

 

[mikeymike126]

Ok I got a few questions! Im trying to understand all the terminology and what not that is being discussed throughout this post. My live rock is getting a brownish color, that's brown alge? i just ordered another 22lbs of live rock and I have to cure that, so i have to go out an purchase another heater for that? Should I try to sell all my fish back to start all over? Also my goby sometimes to be turning blackish color underneath his skin but then it goes away (this usually is noticed in the morning)? Do I need a sump for a 29gal? Lighting? Will I fine if I purchase a Power-Glo?

This site is great!

Thanks!

 

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Mike
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

I hate to say it, but if you are in a diatom bloom, you have started way too early to have that much livestrock in your tank. You don't need to sell all those fish to the LFS but I would consider removing that Gobie. Color changes with fish can just be a sign of being sleepy but they can also signify other problems. It is hard to tell.

To keep your LR happy you need to match temps close to that on a tropical reef. Curing rock at room temp will work but it is far better at close to 80. This keeps some of the LR critters form getting the chills and coming down with a winter cold.

A sump is always a good addition to any tank. Not only does it provide increased water volume but improves circulation to the tank.

Now I need to figure out if A Hill is just a Bump in the road.

 

[mikeymike126]

What should I do about the diatom bloom? How would I set up a sump utilizing a 10 gallon tank? I am a little confused as to what a RO/DI unit is? and are there any other suggestions?

Sorry I am asking alot of questions! I am trying to learn as fast as I can before I do any more damage! In a few years I plan to have the tank of the month!

Michael

 

[mikeymike126]

RO/DI water is just "live water"?? I was also reading another post and it conflicted with what I had in my tank. I have a Bio wheel filter and a Fluval 204 cannister filter. Are they both okay?

So many things that I was told by the LFS is wrong! makes me very very angry!!

 

[BadOleRoss]

RO/DI water is clean pure water with all of the impurities removed. You might want to start reading at the beginning of this thread. There is a wealth of info in here!

 

[dastratt]

You will need to watch nitrate levels.

Try some snails (20?), change a lot of water and just wait for it to lose the battle. Ive run a canister on a 35g with those inhabitants for a couple of years no problem but would clean them 2-4 times a mo. and change 10-15% H20 a week, more if I thought the algae was bad.

Not sure about large hermits with some corals and anenomes for sure, they may get picked on.

Ro/Di -- I think when it comes to what's in tap water, the deader the better! I have a plumber coming to plumb a sink for me so I can stop lugging so much Ro/Di

 

[mikeymike126]

I read in another post to only leave the carbon in the cannister because it messes with the LR?

 

[dastratt]

My LR turns purple no matter what I do LOL

For FOWLR no worries just don't let gunk build up in the filter pads. With the load you describe 30 lbs or so of LR is enough bio media though.

 

[PatMayo]

Carbon will not hurt the liver rock. I think it would be beneficial to read this thread from the beggining. It will teach you most of what you need to know.

Regards,

Pat

 

[ahill3780]

Now I need to figure out if A Hill is just a Bump in the road. [/B]

I would think that a Bump, be it hill or mountain, in the hungry reefers road to starvation would not be much of a hold up as we can starve on the move or on the ground at the same rate.

Still, I will try not to ask any questions that have been asked 300 times before me and answered 5 times already in this thread alone. We like to keep WK grumpy, not irritated. BTW, I love the R. Lee Ermey style intros to your instructional posts. Every time I read one it makes me want to drop and do 20 on general principle alone.

:uzi:
Semper Fi

Aaron

 

[WaterKeeper]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6788443#post6788443 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikeymike126
RO/DI water is just "live water"??

I think you need to travel to Dune for the Water of Life, if I recall.

Mike if you plan on having just a FO your setup will probably be OK. On the other hand, if you plan on corals you may face some nitrate problems using a HOB biowheel filter. You would be better off in that case using a HOB skimmer and natural filtration.

I think you were misunderstood on you carbon question. You were asking about using media other than carbon in your canister, I believe. Any type of mechanical biofilter is usually a bad choice in reefing. Be it a biowheel or bioballs, they all have a tendency to promote nitrate accumulation in one's tank. With a small tank, like yours, you can control them with frequent water changes but with larger tanks it is easier to use LR and a DSB.

Thank for the help here gang as I was nursing a cold for the past couple of days and wasn't on-line very much.
:thumbsup:

Now I can go back to bed, sniff.

 

[PatMayo]

Tom, before you head of to bed, what is the average time for the algae/diatom outbreak to end in the average aquarium. I started my new 90 with already cured rock and the initial outbreak seems slow to come.

I sincerely hope you are feeling better very soon!!

Regards,

Pat

 

[WaterKeeper]

Pat,

That depends on several factors but the biggest is how much die off happened in the main tank itself. If you cure the rock in curing vats you usually get past the serious algae stages in under a month. If the rock is cured in the tank two months is more in order. There is no fixed rule however.

 

[PatMayo]

Thanks, you answered my question. My rock was cured outside the tank and about half of it came out of the 46 gallon that was up for 6 months.

Regards,

Pat

 

[WaterKeeper]

May your algae attack be short and painless then my son.

 

[BadOleRoss]

Tom,

I have enjoyed your thread and your sense of humor that you bring to it but now I have a question concerning my balls. What are your thoughts on bioballs in a sump? I have a 3 month old 110 gallon reef w/135lbs LR and a 5" 130 lb LS bottom. Well, it's part live anyway 80 lbs worth. I have heard good and bad about bioballs. Some say they get rid of nitrites while others say they raise nitrates. Is it either, neither or both? If I should remove them from my sump at what rate do I want to accomplish this and due I want to replace them with more live rock perhaps?

 

[BeachBoy]

I will add one thing:

the website contains tons of info, but apart from coming at 3am, there is no way you can use th search button, that's probably why people will ask over and over again basic questions.

and i know if you pay you'll get search function, but if you need only 1-2 hints it's not really an option.

This site is awesome and the knowledge on it is second to none, but there is so much info hidden behind that search button and we can't even access it.

Regards,
E.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Ross,

You have what sounds like good biofiltration with your LR and LS. In almost all cases I would forego the bioballs and just rely on the rock and sand. It seems that tanks using a wet/dry in the sump are constantly nagged with nitrate build-up. Remove the bioballs slowly,maybe 1/5 at a time,over a two week period and I think you'll have better luck.

BeachBoy,

We get a lot of complaints on searching using the portal's search engine. There have been all sorts of attempts at improving it but the number of people on RC keeps growing at such a rate that it still is a problem.

Here is a Link that goes to the Google Search engine for RC. It is at the top and does require you use as many descriptive keywords as possible or you get flooded with hits. Make sure the Search Reefcentral.com button is checked. Hope that helps.