Broomer please help

anthony812

anthony812

Member
hi broomer sorry to bother you but i saw your 30 gallon and i also have one, i just wanted to ask what type of lighting do you use for it. Its jsut been really bad for me the past few days, i was thinking of quiting this hobby when i was only 5 months into it, i guess i jsut have to hold on and everything will work out.
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
Hi Anthony,
It's just a 36" Smartlite - 96 watt PC fixture.
Not the greatest lighting in the world - but for what I kept in the 30 long - it worked fine.
I would say this type of lighting is a step up from normal output fluorescent, but far from VHO or metal halide.
It is what it is - nothing more nothing less.
This hobby can get very frustrating - I would imagine we've all had tough times at it now and then.
Normally I get frustrated the most when I either try to do something too fast - or want better results quickly.
 
anthony812

anthony812

Member
Thank you broomer for being supportive everyone here is so friendley also one last thing is 2 55 watts fixture on my 30 gallon ok? thanks so much and sorry if i took some of your time away :)
 
piscesblue

piscesblue

Member
I use a JBJ Formosa PC fixture with 2x96watt bulbs. The step up from fluorescents to PC's is a huge step in the world of soft corals. A 30gal tank can be a handful if you are not patient. I've quit twice before after laughable attempts at keeping a reef, but this time around is so different. I set the tank up knowing what to do. If you start out correctly, everything is a downhill battle. I only keep the smallest fish I can find, Pygmy Angel (algae control and king of the tank), 6-line Wrasse (eats copepods and adds amazing color) and a Red Scooter Blennie (fun to watch and eats copepods). I only feed my tank every 2 weeks or so and my fish stay trim and healthy. I only use a skimmer to filter the water and have only had a few problems over the last 2yrs, all of them caused by my impatience or trying to keep larger fish. Don't give up yet, it costs more to restock your tank in the future. I've got some older pics in my profile if you care to take a peak.
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
Anthony,
I would say that using (2) 55 watt light bulbs on a 30 gallon tank would be enough lighting for certain corals/inverts - but much of it depends on the spectrum of these bulbs.
What bulbs/lighting are you planning to use, and what sort of tank/corals are wanting to keep ?
What PiscesBlue said is very true and good advise. Finding the right combination of equipment and livestock - and - having good maintenance and feeding routines helps out so much when trying to get a tank balanced.
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
Before you surrender I'd continue to attempt to maintain your present system. It can indeed be frustrating at times...especially if things get out of whack!!!
2x55 watts of pc lighting would be a great source for a lot of corals. The important thing is to develope a system that is stable and balanced. Tell us more about your 30 gal reef....lighting/filtration/water chemistry/circulation...how long has it been set up? How much LR & LS?
The more info we have the better able we'll be to help you gain control and start enjoying your reef.....
Not that you actually need it.....but just for general info purposes I've attached a link below to a great source of info on reef keeping. It is not a blueprint...there are numerous ways to develope and establish a reef ... but the link does provide a source of info.
Stick with it.....I'd hate to see anybody give up...its a great hobby and with patience and persistance you'll be able to over come any problems you may be having..... :cool:
<a href="http://www.reefcorner.com/reef%20keeping_101.htm" target="_blank">reef keeping 101</a>
<a href="http://www.aqualink.com/marine/t-reef.html" target="_blank">reef keeping FAQ</a>
 
anthony812

anthony812

Member
omg everyone here is so supportive thank you so much well i'll jsut give a little more info on my tank, and tanks broomer nm reef and picies blue for helping me on this subject. Well first of all i use 2 55 watt jbj powercompacts with a seaclone skimmer and despite what everyone says i went with a 2 inch sandbed, everything is at zero but i just am not happy because the sand looks awful when there is only 3 fish in the system. I have a very limited amount of live rock , prob ten-15 pounds but tommorow i'm going to buy 50 pounds of cured live rock, i have decided to do this to help me achieve what all of you have achieved-The continous love for this hobby
 
anthony812

anthony812

Member
hi guys one mroe question, picies blue how many pounds of live rock do you use it seems like your tank specs are like mine, i see the sea clone skimmer correct me if i'm wrong and you said 96 watt formorsa dx i ot 2 55 formorsa
 
anthony812

anthony812

Member
sory about that picies blue i jsut read your specs i didnt look at it the first place, so 50 is what i shall get. also guys i have a true percula clown a algae blenny, and a blue damsel in my tank, i feed everyday is it possible to feed every few days or something because tehy look very hungry
 
piscesblue

piscesblue

Member
I run 192watts of PC lights, 1 96w 10k & 1 96w actinic. My Seaclone is the only form of filtering I use at this time, my H.O.T. 250 cannister is used as a powerhead.
Cut your feeding to 2-3 times a week. The Lawnmower Blennie will find plenty of food on his own and the clown and damsel won't starve to death. I would only buy another 20lbs of LR if I was you, 35lbs before coral is plenty. Remember, coral comes attached to rock and space is at a premium in a 30gal. I found myself removing LR to fit new corals in the past. Do not add any other fish. If you want a new fish, remove one that you already have. I have found that 3 fish is perfect in a 30gal. Good luck and ask me anything you are curious about. I don't get on here often enough so send me an email if you need some advice.
rblehm93@hotmail.com
 
piscesblue

piscesblue

Member
It's a new version of the JBJ Formosa light strip. It's got 2 double bulbs that run across the entire tank. Pretty cool light!
 
saltyrich

saltyrich

Active Member
The typical formula for LR is 1-1.5 lbs per gallon. I think adding 50 lbs of LR would be great. Keep in mind that there will be some die-off adding that much. It might produce an ammonia spike! If you can get it, I recommend using Marc Weiss' Bacter Vital or His Reef Vital DNA supplement to help with this process. Besides, the Reff Vital DNA is awesome stuff in terms of anhancing corallina algae growth and bringing out things in the LR that you never knew were there. Also consider increasing the LS in your tank. There are easy ways to do this without clouding the tank up. Just ask. Don't give up!!!
 
piscesblue

piscesblue

Member
Saltyrich, I suggested Anthony only buy 20-25lbs of LR because he already has 10-15lbs and if he wants coral, that will be even more rock. I have a total of 50lbs in my 30 gal, but atleast 15lbs came attached to corals. In a 30gal tank, you don't have much room to work with and it's a waste when you have to remove LR just to fit your new coral in the tank.
Anthony, my JBJ lights were about $300, available on the internet for $289 at most sites. My old set of JBJ's had 4 36w bulbs for a total of 144w and worked well. They were $200.
 
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