Another new guy to the hobby. Need suggesstions.
- Thread starter mmyuki
- Start date
mmyuki
Member
Alright just got back from the store. Got myself 20 pounds of Base rock, which was in with all of the live rock so it actually has some stuff on it already but mainly pretty clean, then 5 pounds of live rock as well. I got a piece of raw shrimp also so Im going to set up the rocks and throw in the shrimp now and then let me know what I need to do after that =-)
deejeff442
Active Member
i would just add the powerhead everything else. then sit back a couple days and start testing for ammonia.
deejeff442
Active Member
either is fine but saltwater needs alot more water movement than freshwater.you can start the tank without the ph.but you need to get one soon.it will surely help in the algae bloom you will get from a new tank,it will also add more oxygen to the water.you need to have the top of the water moving for gas exchange .tp put it simple more waterflow the healthier the tank.
deejeff442
Active Member
looks like a freshwater tank.lose the plastic plants all they will do is collect algae.i would get two korilia powerheads #2's one on each side of the tank.i have 2 #3's on my 55 and it flows nice.you are not going to blow the fish around.the ocean flow hundreds of times more than out tanks do.if there are dead spots in the tank junk just sits there and problems like nitrate come with it.
raymond2688
Member
just a suggestion......the CC you have in the tank will cause you problems down the road. I only say this because as you get the tank established and all is good and you start adding all your stuff you will slowly develope a nutient problem then it will be more of a pain to fix it so you will leave it then add more stuff and so on and so on. I know thats were i am at now i have a 2 year old 125 and want to get all that crap out but i have 200lbs of rock corals fish ect. you will also be limited on things that will sift it and clean it. oh and if you develop a flat worm problem forget it i think they breed deep in the CC. this of course is my .02 worth. you are just setting it up and have nothing to loose. welcome and good luck.
cmonti
Member
I'm a new guy as well and have learned a lot through this process. I started a 20 gallon nano with CC, 15-20 lbs of live rock, an aquaclear 50 filter and 2 nano powerheads. The first mistake I made was using CC as my substrate. My tank cycled but nitrates went back up to around 30 and even through weekly water changes had trouble getting them down. Before I had any serious livestock, I decided to get the CC out and start over with live sand. Seemed the CC was a nitrate trap. From that point forward, the nitrate issue was better but not solved. Take a look at this article below. I wish I had read it before I started this venture. They talk about not running a skimmer but I have one and it pulls out a lot of junk. Just make sure you replace the trace elements on a regular basis with weekly water changes. This will replenish. I use Reef Crystals and have had success
http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/?article=3
Since reading this article and many other online postings, starting and maintaing an nano reef tank is a bit tricky. I just converted my aqualcear into a mini refugium with live rock rubble and cheato. I also have a spot with filter floss that I change weekly that pulls out any debris in the water. I truly believe that natural filtration is the way to go in a small tank. Lots of live rock, good flow and a small fuge to consume nitrates.
Hope this bit of info helps!
http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/?article=3
Since reading this article and many other online postings, starting and maintaing an nano reef tank is a bit tricky. I just converted my aqualcear into a mini refugium with live rock rubble and cheato. I also have a spot with filter floss that I change weekly that pulls out any debris in the water. I truly believe that natural filtration is the way to go in a small tank. Lots of live rock, good flow and a small fuge to consume nitrates.
Hope this bit of info helps!
Its not really not liking cc, but rather cc is just a poor choice for a marine aquarium. It will not allow for the completion of the nitrogen cycle which meants that you will always be battling high nitrates in the tank. Also, you will not be able to keep sandbed microfauna (organisms) that live in sandbeds such as many snails, worms, and even some fish. Live rock together with live sand is the primary natural filters for marine aquariums.
The first thing you will learn sooner or later about this hobby is that patience is necessary for success. If your LFS does not have sand, then wait for them to get it in or have them order it for you. Online hobby stores are also available to you; oftentimes cheaper and always with greater variety than what most LFSs can offer.
Cycling with shrimp was once a passing fad, but we learned that it really isn't much of kick-start for a marine aquarium cycle. Better to use just a few pieces of live rock. Even if you are not planning for a live rock system, just a couple of small pieces of live rock will perform well for getting a good cycle going. And, of course, live sand is also good for cycling. The live rock and live sand will do well. Yes, there will be die-off but that's the point of the cycle. Better to cultivate a real marine bio-filter, then throwing raw shrimp in and polluting your new tank. Every few days, throw in a bit of fish food to keep the live rock fed.
I usually recommend that new hobbyists get a copy of Bob Fenner's book, “The Conscientious Marine Aquarist”. This book is packed with great info for a new hobbyist, and its a very easy read.
The first thing you will learn sooner or later about this hobby is that patience is necessary for success. If your LFS does not have sand, then wait for them to get it in or have them order it for you. Online hobby stores are also available to you; oftentimes cheaper and always with greater variety than what most LFSs can offer.
Cycling with shrimp was once a passing fad, but we learned that it really isn't much of kick-start for a marine aquarium cycle. Better to use just a few pieces of live rock. Even if you are not planning for a live rock system, just a couple of small pieces of live rock will perform well for getting a good cycle going. And, of course, live sand is also good for cycling. The live rock and live sand will do well. Yes, there will be die-off but that's the point of the cycle. Better to cultivate a real marine bio-filter, then throwing raw shrimp in and polluting your new tank. Every few days, throw in a bit of fish food to keep the live rock fed.
I usually recommend that new hobbyists get a copy of Bob Fenner's book, “The Conscientious Marine Aquarist”. This book is packed with great info for a new hobbyist, and its a very easy read.
mmyuki
Member
Alright well since the crushed coral is already in there with the live rock and the base rock, I noticed I have a snail in there as well, must of come out of one of the live rocks i purchased. There are blooms on that rock which look really nice. I was wondering if the snail will benefit the tank or simply hurt it? Since I already put the raw piece of shrimp in there is it wise to remove it and try other things? I am hearing so many diffrent things Im not sure who to listen to. But like everyone knows (theres 100 ways to skin a cat)
mmyuki
Member
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57588&id=100000584476446 there's pics
Still wondering about this though.
Alright well since the crushed coral is already in there with the live rock and the base rock, I noticed I have a snail in there as well, must of come out of one of the live rocks i purchased. There are blooms on that rock which look really nice. I was wondering if the snail will benefit the tank or simply hurt it? Since I already put the raw piece of shrimp in there is it wise to remove it and try other things? I am hearing so many diffrent things Im not sure who to listen to. But like everyone knows (theres 100 ways to skin a cat)
Still wondering about this though.
Alright well since the crushed coral is already in there with the live rock and the base rock, I noticed I have a snail in there as well, must of come out of one of the live rocks i purchased. There are blooms on that rock which look really nice. I was wondering if the snail will benefit the tank or simply hurt it? Since I already put the raw piece of shrimp in there is it wise to remove it and try other things? I am hearing so many diffrent things Im not sure who to listen to. But like everyone knows (theres 100 ways to skin a cat)
1snapple
Active Member
Oh meowzer did you hear that, we are Skinning a CAT!!!! lord help us all =D
In all seriousness the snail won't hurt it, the tank will kill the snail because of the NH4
If you want burrowing fish or fish that eat/filter gravel i wouldn't do Cruched Coral, it's like eating/ living in glass to the fish.
In all seriousness the snail won't hurt it, the tank will kill the snail because of the NH4
If you want burrowing fish or fish that eat/filter gravel i wouldn't do Cruched Coral, it's like eating/ living in glass to the fish.
