No expert here, but some answers to your questions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
1212chris1 http:///forum/thread/384510/complete-slatwater-begginner-need-some-help-for-stocking-equipment-etc-need-alot-of-help-fowlr-tank-lots-of-questions#post_3368372
ive done freshwater before
so far i have an empty 180 gallon that used to be freshwater... so i finally want to do something with it and do a FOWLR tank.
equipment that i was planning to get is....
aqua c 180 skimmer
90 gallon sump
50 pounds LR
100 pounds live sand
90 pounds dry rock
will i need a canister for mechanical filtration?
Probably not since you plan on having a sump. Its a personal choice and another piece of equipment to clean. I dont have a canister or any other kind of mechanical filtration, other than a protien skimmer, in my system and I have a 56g DT and a 16g sump/fuge.
my stocking list hopefully would look something like this...
2 true occellaris clown fish
2 neon goby
1 yellow tang(after the tank is setup for a while)
1 blue tang(after tank is setup for a while)
1 nigger triggerfish(in the future after about 6 months from whn tank is setup) will probably eat the snails and shrimp
1 flame dwarf angelfish
1 starry blenny(iffy)
6 pajama cardinals
1 flame wrasse
bunch of sand sifting snails
maybe some shrimp
overstocked? 16 fish in a 180 isnt so bad with the proper filtration and water maintenance.
thats all i have so far....
any suggestions for the stock list or equipment?... More rock. Guidelines are 1 to 2 pounds per gallon.
ok now for some questions...
how do you acclimate saltwater fish?
See this post ->
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/380378/125g-completely-cycled/20#post_3310579
what would be the weekly maintenance?
If you want to do weekly water changes, start with a small 5% water change. Monitor your levels. If this is keeping the levels stable or dropping the bad nitrate, then keep at it. If not, bump up the ammount of water volume you change.
how to setup sump and protien skimmer?
Lots of ways to do this but it really depends on what you get. Most skimmers are a set it and reset it and reset it until you get it right. The people here will be more than happy to assist you with this.
good lighting choices?
If you are going to stay with a FOWLR setup, any basic lights will do. You could go with regular incasenant light bulbs really. However, if you plan to do a reef one day, this is where you should not cheap out. T5HO is a good place to start with the ability to do corals down the line while keeping the $ to a minimum.
how many powerheads would i need and what is a good brand and model?
The number of PHs depends on placement. I would assume you have a 6' or 8' long tank right? Start with 4 and put one on either end and 2 on the back. If that is not enough, add to the sides first and then add to the back. Good namebrand would be Korila.
how to make the saltwater?
Get yourself a mixing tub/can. Most people have a Brute 50 gallon trash can that they use to collect RO water from a RO/DI unit. Then they might have a second Brute can to actually mix the saltwater in. For me, I have a 18 gallon rubbermaid tub. I pour in 11 gallons of RO/DI water that I get from sprawlmart and pour in the salt. I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals as i need the extra trace minerals for my corals and inverts. I have an el cheapo powerhead in there to churn up the water. I let it sit for atleast 24 hours before I use it and most of the time it churns for 48 before I use it. Whatever PH you get to churn the water, get a vinyl hose to go on the end so that the PH can pump the new water into your tank.
how to do WC's?
Depends on your setup. Typically you start the syphon into a 5g bucket (or larger if you are doing a bigger change. I do the 5g bucket twice.) and position the tube in the tank so it wont come out. Then take a fish only turkery baster and start "blasting" the rocks to get the craop off of the rocks and into the water column. Then take the syphon tube and collect as much of the floating bits as you can. Once you have removed the water, time to put the new water in. Besure the new water is the same temp, or as close as you can get it, to the system water.
What to feed the fish once there in?
From your stock list, there are meat eaters, algea eaters, and scavangers in there. So, get some mysis and algea strips. If you have a choice in color of algea strips, go brown. Brown algea is the only color that has all 3 acids in it naturally. Green is the next best and then red. (I could have it backwards with red instead of brown. I have forgotten this from the meeting i attending in my local reef club. I feed green strips because I dont have a choice currently.)
how to cycle the tank?
Get the tank setup how you want it, basically position it in the room where you want it. Then place eggcrating on the bottom glass (this step is optional) to hold the rocks in place incase a sand sifter disturbs the sandbed. Then place your rocks where you want them. Add in sand to the desired level. Place a plate on the sand bed and add in your mixed saltwater to the desired level making sure that when your pour in the water, you hit the plate. This is to prevent churning up the sand bed too much. Turn on your PH and pumps, leave the skimmer off, and add a piece of raw shrimp. Now the waiting begins. Take water readings on a regular basis watching for ammonia and nitrite spikes. Once you get a spike, take the shrimp out, usually done when the ammonia hits 1. Once the ammonia and nitrite are at 0 for a week, you can now start to add fish. Start slowly and small. Clowns do wonderfully as the fist additions.
how to test for salinity?
Hydrometor is good to start with, but we all need refractometers.
lol tons of questions
good luck answering them......
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get yourself a good water test kit. The API test kits are great for beginners. And yea, read the 2 stickeyed threads at the top of the new hobbist forum. Lots of helpful information in there.
