Tracy G June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 (edited) I would love it if someone could give me advice if I have everything I need to start a reef tank. I have done salt water fish with great success in the past but never reef and I wanted to get some help. 72 Gallon Bowfront Reef Ready Tank Aqueon 34502 ProFlex Sump Model 3, 65-110-Gallon setup as a refugium with 3-4" DSB with Chaeto algae and 1 small piece of live rock EHEIM Compact+ Pump 3000 for up to 792 US Gallons (3000L) as return pump 2 of Hydor Koralia Evolution 1050 Aquarium Circulation Pump, 1050 gph AquaEuroUSA Classic 135 Protein Skimmer w/ Needle Wheel Pump and Bubble Plate ViaAqua Titanium 300 Watt 80 Gallon Aquarium Heater a dual bulb T5 Lighting using 2 Solarmax T5 28w Actinic-03 Bulbs 2-3" of live sand in DT, with 50+ lbs of live rock 6 Turbo snails 10-11 Nassarius Snail 1 Coral Beauty Angel (poor lonely guy) 1 Sand Sifting Starfish 4 Hermit Crabs (1 is in sump and) Bristle worms (some really big ones 6" maybe.... Nasty looking things) Tank has been running since mid march and is looking great water is extremely clear and you life is starting to explode. No big algae problem (im sure snails help) Im sure I am asking for a lot to help I just want to be sure I dont kill everything else I buy. I really love this hobby and I am looking to increase my knowledge and understanding of what I need to do. I thank you for reading and any advice you can give me. Edited June 2, 2012 by Tracy G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 How long did you let the tank cycle before you added livestock? What are your parameters. Flame angels are usually not reef safe. They are reef safe with caution. The first most important suggestion I would make is to decide which types of corals you want. Educate yourself on the proper parameters needed to maintain those corals; light, SG, Calcium, PH, etc. Also educate yourself on what to look for as far as pests go for the particular corals you want. Read about how to dip, what to dip with and proper QT. After you're corals are safe to go into your display place them appropriately; SPS high, LPS mid to bottom, etc. Read more about their needs. Then start searching for "reef safe fish". Again, read about the illnesses and disease before you buy so you can spot the healthy from the not so healthy. After you've made your purchase QT them for about 30 days unless you are absolutely sure they aren't harboring any illnesses. Learn what they like to eat, their habits, etc and make sure you have everything they need to feel at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 Your lighting could be improved on. Right now it looks like you have two normal output T5 bulbs and they are both actinics. You could keep the basic corals like mushrooms but not much else with those lights. The coral beauty may be an issue later on as some can nip at corals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 Like Jan said.. you should decide what types of corals you want... im just setting up my 55g LPS/softie tank and Im going with a T5HO light since the output is alot higher than the 2 bulb lights out there... Look in the For Sale forum and you can find alot of great buys on better lights especially if you are thinking of any SPS... My only other suggestion is let us know your wants for your fish list also and what order you think you will be adding them.. we'll try to help you hone in on that too other than that most of your equipment looks good... how much live rock do you have in your DT? and have you checked your Alk, Mg, Ca yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G June 2, 2012 Author Share June 2, 2012 Like Jan said.. you should decide what types of corals you want... im just setting up my 55g LPS/softie tank and Im going with a T5HO light since the output is alot higher than the 2 bulb lights out there... Look in the For Sale forum and you can find alot of great buys on better lights especially if you are thinking of any SPS... My only other suggestion is let us know your wants for your fish list also and what order you think you will be adding them.. we'll try to help you hone in on that too other than that most of your equipment looks good... how much live rock do you have in your DT? and have you checked your Alk, Mg, Ca yet? In my Display tank I have over 50lbs of live rock (just put 25 more yesterday) and my test kit is a Master test kit by API but here is what I got. PH 8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrate 20ppm, Nitrite 0. The tank temp is a little high 79.2 (have heater set to 78) and salt is at 1.022. How do you think the levels look? Should I wait to add anything else because more live rock was added? I know for sure the tank has been cycled but I am patient and dont mind taking it slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 yeah you should wait.. the new rock could give a bit of an ammonia spike if there is any die off.... with such little life in the tank your nitrate should be at 5 or less, so work on getting that under control while you have the ability because some corals dont tolerate much and 20 isnt bad for a FO.. but isnt good for say an SPS tank.... make sure if you are feeding any frozen that you are rinsing it prior to disbursing it in the tank... that is the usual cause for that nitrate level... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G June 2, 2012 Author Share June 2, 2012 yeah you should wait.. the new rock could give a bit of an ammonia spike if there is any die off.... with such little life in the tank your nitrate should be at 5 or less, so work on getting that under control while you have the ability because some corals dont tolerate much and 20 isnt bad for a FO.. but isnt good for say an SPS tank.... make sure if you are feeding any frozen that you are rinsing it prior to disbursing it in the tank... that is the usual cause for that nitrate level... I will do. Thank you so much for saving me! lol. I would have been discouraged if they started to die (thinking my tank was in good shape) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 Reef tanks need 1.026 SG. You can do water changes and don't feed so much to reduce nitrates. Feed only as much as your fish can eat in under 5 minutes. Feed small amounts 2-3 times a day. Herbevores need more frequent feedings, but not alot. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 make sure your protein skimmer is actually working. many skimmers that are being sold today simply do not work as stated. the skimmer is the backbone of your berlin-styled aquarium and it should be capable of producing a rich, thick, stinky foam. you should also get a calcium and alkalinity test kit. maybe you could put your location in your profile so people can more easily help you. If you live in Reston/Herndon area, drop by for a few free mushrooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G June 2, 2012 Author Share June 2, 2012 Reef tanks need 1.026 SG. You can do water changes and don't feed so much to reduce nitrates. Feed only as much as your fish can eat in under 5 minutes. Feed small amounts 2-3 times a day. Herbevores need more frequent feedings, but not alot. http://www.reefkeepi...5/rhf/index.php Ok awesome some quick fixes. I will raise salt to 1.026 to get prepared. As far as feeding I only have the one fish and I feed him (or her) 2 times a day just some flakes and I dont put very much at all. Im guessing the Nitrates issue is because of the newer live rock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G June 2, 2012 Author Share June 2, 2012 make sure your protein skimmer is actually working. many skimmers that are being sold today simply do not work as stated. the skimmer is the backbone of your berlin-styled aquarium and it should be capable of producing a rich, thick, stinky foam. you should also get a calcium and alkalinity test kit. maybe you could put your location in your profile so people can more easily help you. If you live in Reston/Herndon area, drop by for a few free mushrooms. Sweet! I added my location to my profile (Burke VA) and a few free mushrooms would be really cool. I think I should make sure my tank is ready for them first so I dont waist your time and kill them. As for my skimmer I am not an expert at using one and I will tell you it makes very thick foam and I get a good amount out of it. It does take almost a constant adjustment (not sure If I am doing anything wrong). Anyone have any advice on getting a skimmer working better? Or do they all need as much hands on time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G June 2, 2012 Author Share June 2, 2012 Took out the Angel Fish (moved to fish only). Increasing salt slowly changed rock setup around. Now just time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 In my Display tank I have over 50lbs of live rock (just put 25 more yesterday) and my test kit is a Master test kit by API but here is what I got. PH 8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrate 20ppm, Nitrite 0. The tank temp is a little high 79.2 (have heater set to 78) and salt is at 1.022. How do you think the levels look? Should I wait to add anything else because more live rock was added? I know for sure the tank has been cycled but I am patient and dont mind taking it slow. 79.2 is not high at all. This time of the year mine rarely gets below 80. Last Monday it was at 84.6 but I normally keep it between 80-83. Many reefers say keep it at 1.026 but I like it a little lower, around 1.024-1.025. If you are using a swing arm hydrometer then I would not recommend 1.026 as they are not very accurate and tend to read lower then actual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc June 2, 2012 Share June 2, 2012 get a refractometer! my hydrometers read 1.023. with the refractometer, actual salinity is between 1.025-1.026. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k June 3, 2012 Share June 3, 2012 Sweet! I added my location to my profile (Burke VA) and a few free mushrooms would be really cool. I think I should make sure my tank is ready for them first so I dont waist your time and kill them. As for my skimmer I am not an expert at using one and I will tell you it makes very thick foam and I get a good amount out of it. It does take almost a constant adjustment (not sure If I am doing anything wrong). Anyone have any advice on getting a skimmer working better? Or do they all need as much hands on time? With a good skimmer you should be able to set it and forget it with very little tweaking once it is dialed in. Some skimmers were designed to work in a certain depth of water and if it is in water significantly diffferent depth, then it might not work as designed. Ask around to see if anyone is using the skimmer that you are using and see if they have any helpful hints. Don't fret about Nitrate yet. As long as your water chemistry is stable, you can keep the majority of corals in 20-30ppm of nitrate. Ideally, it would be best at less than 5ppm, but since this is in the real world, you should do fine. Stable water chemistry is the key to the success of your tank more than lighting or filtration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G June 3, 2012 Author Share June 3, 2012 get a refractometer! my hydrometers read 1.023. with the refractometer, actual salinity is between 1.025-1.026. I did hyposolinity (sure I spelled that wrong) a few months ago and picked up a refractometer. I have it now set at 1.025 and seems to be good. Right now issue is I changed too much water and I dont have RO/DI yet so just put Aqua one + in and protein skimmer went nuts (just found out cant have it on). I am going to go buy some salt water today so I can do a easy water change (been looking for RO/DI on for sale forum). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k June 3, 2012 Share June 3, 2012 I did hyposolinity (sure I spelled that wrong) a few months ago and picked up a refractometer. I have it now set at 1.025 and seems to be good. Right now issue is I changed too much water and I dont have RO/DI yet so just put Aqua one + in and protein skimmer went nuts (just found out cant have it on). I am going to go buy some salt water today so I can do a easy water change (been looking for RO/DI on for sale forum). I have an r/o filter that you can have for $40. It needs a D/I canister to make it a complete ro/di unit. It has an asov on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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