HELP A SALT WATER NEWBIE STOCK HIS TANK (PLEASE :-)

dutchswan

dutchswan

Member
Hello Everyone!
I have setup a 47 gallon column @ 20" wide, 18" deep, and 30" tall (see attached stock photo). I have put 40lbs of live sand in, as well as 23 cups of marine salt. My gravity is a solid 1.022 and the tank has been cycling for 4 days. At present, I have not added any plants or decorations (fake or live). I am running an Emperor 400 filter, and have changed the stock lighting to a "Coralife Actinic 03 Blue lamp is a 100% blue actinic 03 phosphor that peaks at 420 nanometers".
While the tank is 47 gallons, it is a column and I understand fish typically enjoy swimming horizontally, as opposed to vertically. As mentioned above this tank has 18" x 20" of horizontal swimming space. Many of the fish I would love to put in (yellow tangs, blue hippo tang, etc), appear to be better suited for larger tanks, especially considering the virtical nature of my tank. I believe clowns will thrive well, but I don't want them to be the only thing interesting in this tank.
Anyway, I am looking for expert opinions on what fish might be best suited for this environment, as well as suggestions for decor (live or not) that would be asthetically pleasing and compliment the suggested inhabitants. (The fake coral I purchased just would simply leave too much "white space" in the upper 1/2 to 2/3rds of the tank.) This IS my first salt water tank, but please do not make your suggestions based on my experience level. Instead, assume proper care will be taken and make suggestions based on the criteria mentioned above. Thank you in advance to everyone who contributes to this conversation!
Regards,
Jon
Clive, Iowa
P.S. I am in this for the long haul, and understand that I must move slowly. But, I think it is also important to have a plan. I understand that not everything can be added all at once, and that I will have to let my tank cycle for a couple of weeks before introducing fish. I will also have the water professionally tested at my local ***** before proceeding.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

WELCOME to the site!
Fish only or a reef? Either way you want live rock, it is the best natural filter to use along with the mechanical. I personally like live sand best.
I am attaching a picture of a book and a page from it, so you can see what info it offers. It is the best book I ever got to help me make that sweet choice of which critter I want. Clowns are a perfect choice, they are corner huggers and don’t swim around allot.
This is JUST a thought:
You have a perfect sea horse tank. However those are not for beginners…if you want to do a ton of research and you are willing to make that plunge there is a nice section dedicated to them here with lots of folks who can help…you can have other fish with sea horses but you must be very careful and do the research on what can dwell with them.

 
dutchswan

dutchswan

Member
Thank you for being the first to reply! When I read that live rock is the best natural filter, I assumed my live sand filled that role. Are you suggesting I add live rock with the live sand? Probably going to be a FOWLR tank. Many fish say they require a 55 Gallon tank. Is 47 close enough to 55?
I reasearch everything to death before making decisions with regards to anything in my life. I have a Masters Degree (which doesn't necessarily make me smarter, but it does make me a better researcher :). I learn quickly and up to challenges. If I should add live rock with my live sand, does anyone have suggestions as to the best places to find the live rock? Thanks again in advance!
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3281869
Thank you for being the first to reply! When I read that live rock is the best natural filter, I assumed my live sand filled that role. Are you suggesting I add live rock with the live sand? Probably going to be a FOWLR tank. Many fish say they require a 55 Gallon tank. Is 47 close enough to 55?
I reasearch everything to death before making decisions with regards to anything in my life. I have a Masters Degree (which doesn't necessarily make me smarter, but it does make me a better researcher :). I learn quickly and up to challenges. If I should add live rock with my live sand, does anyone have suggestions as to the best places to find the live rock? Thanks again in advance!

Live sand and live rock together for sure. Add rock first then the sand. You can get live rock right on this site, or any local store where you buy saltwater fish should have it. I like to hand pick my rock for shape, size and color (lots of purple)
It is always best to stick with a fish for your size tank, and never overstock. Saltwater fish are very territorial and fight to the death if cramped. It may not sound like much but 47g compared to 55g is almost a 10g difference. Now imagine what can go in a 10g tank…. This is not etched in concrete, people do all kinds of things with their tanks. However if you start out following the rules, when you get really good at it, THEN you will know what rules you can bend safely later on.
Find a fish you really want, and build your stock around that. Whatever fish you add dictates what you can add later. So work with the one you want the most and like best.
 
dutchswan

dutchswan

Member
I put the sand in before adding the water. Once the tank was full I mixed in the salt. So I have had 47 gallons of salt water with a gravity of 1.022 sitting in tank with 40 lbs of live sand at the bottom for 4 days now :)
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3281876
I put the sand in before adding the water. Once the tank was full I mixed in the salt. So I have had 47 gallons of salt water with a gravity of 1.022 sitting in tank with 40 lbs of live sand at the bottom for 4 days now :)

Your fine, purchase your rock and scoop out half the water and save it…then push the sand to one side…add the rock and redistribute the sand around it. Then replace the water till the tank is filled.
The 4 days mean nothing in cycling…did you get a master test kit so you will know when that takes place?
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Jon
welcoms to SWF from someone who grewup inn des moines and urbandale.
May you have the best tank ever.
 
handbanana

handbanana

Member
HI.
sounds like your off to a good start. My .02 is to get your LR in there as soon as you can. That way it will help your Cycle and not interfere with it later if you decide to add it a month down the road.
Actullay I would say its pretty important to have it in there during your cycle to give more surface area for bacteria to colonize.
just me spoutin off again tho...
Welcome too, BTW.
"EDIT" Im a slow typer, someone already beat me to what I was gonna say
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Welcome! You will find most folks here are very willing and capable of steering you away from pitfalls.
I have the same exact tank you do, Marineland 47g Column. I have had mine set up for going on 4 months. Did you get the matching stand like I did? The stand looks very nice, but could be a bit more sturdy, though. Is yours on carpet? The full bottom of the stand, as opposed to feet, can cause this top-heavy tank to sway a bit on carpet, especially when my 58lb Boxer trots by (I'm thinking of changing her name to "wavemaker").
The dimensions of this tank causes limitations, mostly from the lack of "real estate" across the back for HOB items.
When you upgrade your lighting (you did not say how many bulbs/total wattage), you will have few options. With 20" to work with, I could only find either the Current USA Extreme Pro 20" 6x18w T5 or a clamp-on 150w MH. I went with the Current because I could not afford to spend space across the back of the tank for the MH clamp.
The depth of the tank may be a problem with some types of coral, getting enough light to the bottom areas, this is something I am researching now.
If you want to do a sump/fuge later on, you will have to go overflow because all 5 glass panels are tempered. I've been wrestling with this lately, I am about to decide to go HOB skimmer/fuge...I think...the one I am looking at will take 19.25" of the 20" available across the back, which impacted the lighting options I mentioned above.
Another thing about this tank. I completely love the look of it, but maintenance is difficult, especially when needing to reach down to the sand. I have to get on a ladder, then "stand on my head" to reach the bottom.
When you get your LR, be mindful of shapes. You may wish to stack your rock high so 1) you can have a lot of rock and still have some sand areas 2) have a platform closer to the lights for future coral. I picked out rock that is irregular shaped that will "lock" into place and make a stable tall pile.
Oh, almost forgot, make sure you leave space between the rock and the glass for easier cleaning.
Flow. Even with 2 koralias (1 K3 and 1 Evo 1050), near the upper corners, the flow dissipates rapidly before getting near the sand. Either go BIG on your power heads, or put them lower down the glass than you might want to look at.
I guess thats it for now, good luck and keep us posted! It's good to see someone with the same tank, maybe we can be of help to each other!
 
dutchswan

dutchswan

Member
I have been struggling with what rock to put in it. What you have described is exactly what I am looking for: something tall and narrow to tower through at least 1/2 way up the middle of the tank. My office is unique. The room is 12' x 12' with a "platform" in the corner that exists becuase of the stairs that go downstairs in an adjacent hallway. This platform is 48" by 68" and rises 18" off the ground. It is covered with hardwood planks like the floor.
I put the tank directly on top of this, as it was the appropriate height, and the platform was screaming for something to sit on it. The nice thing about this, is I simply have to step onto the platform, and it is the equivalent of the tank being on the floor with relation to me...making cleaning as easy as this column tank can be, as I can simply walk around it (I'll take pictures of the setup when I arrive home tonight...it is quite atypical.
As for the light, here are the stats (I paid like $25 bucks for it):
360 degree output
24 inch
20 Watt
1-1/2" dia. (T12)
Fluorescent
With nothing in the tank, it makes the glass sides glow with a kind of purple hue...much different than the plain stock bulb.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3281902
I have been struggling with what rock to put in it. What you have described is exactly what I am looking for: something tall and narrow to tower through at least 1/2 way up the middle of the tank. My office is unique. The room is 12' x 12' with a "platform" in the corner that exists becuase of the stairs that go downstairs in an adjacent hallway. This platform is 48" by 68" and rises 18" off the ground. It is covered with hardwood planks like the floor.
I put the tank directly on top of this, as it was the appropriate height, and the platform was screaming for something to sit on it. The nice thing about this, is I simply have to step onto the platform, and it is the equivalent of the tank being on the floor with relation to me...making cleaning as easy as this column tank can be, as I can simply walk around it (I'll take pictures of the setup when I arrive home tonight...it is quite atypical.
As for the light, here are the stats (I paid like $25 bucks for it):
360 degree output
24 inch
20 Watt
1-1/2" dia. (T12)
Fluorescent
With nothing in the tank, it makes the glass sides glow with a kind of purple hue...much different than the plain stock bulb.

Are you planning on a reef or fish only? For fish only your lights are fine, if you want coral you have to go with non-photosynthetic corals or change the lights.
 
twood

twood

Member
Be careful with that platform. Your tank is going to weigh in excess of 400lbs on a small foot print. Make sure the top of that platform can support that amount of weight. It needs to be more than a sheet of plywood covered with floor boards.
As for the rocks, I suggest going to a local fish store that sells live rock. Then hand pick your rock. Pick out pieces that look like they will lock together and stack well. Use the back wall and corners of the tank to help support the stack if you like.
You may even want to consider getting a bunch of dry base rock and gluing them together with an aquarium safe epoxy to form a nice tower. This would be more stable and less likely to collapse. However, this would need to be done in a dry environment. Either outside of the tank or in the tank with no water. Don't use live rock if you are going to try this. It will die off out of water and will smell really bad.
 
dutchswan

dutchswan

Member
Originally Posted by twood
http:///forum/post/3281922
Be careful with that platform. Your tank is going to weigh in excess of 400lbs on a small foot print. Make sure the top of that platform can support that amount of weight. It needs to be more than a sheet of plywood covered with floor boards.
Well that is pretty much exactly what it is, but I fail to see how that is any different than putting it on a stand, and then setting that stand on the floor. You have support beams, then plywood, then hardwood. Are you telling me a 47 gallon aquarium can only be put on concrete? See a picture of the setup below:
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

I am no engineer, but it looks like all the support is on the edges of your platform. So the center is hollow where all the weight is. Can you lift that platform and maybe put a beam in the center for more support?... Then replace your base and set the tank back on it.
Stands have the tank going all the way to the edges where the support is.
 
dutchswan

dutchswan

Member

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3281969

I am no engineer, but it looks like all the support is on the edges of your platform. So the center is hollow where all the weight is. Can you lift that platform and maybe put a beam in the center for more support?... Then replace your base and set the tank back on it.
Stands have the tank going all the way to the edges where the support is.
Well, it has 2x6s doubled up on 16" centers (just like a floor....well my floors have 2x12s doubled up the length of my house, but you get the idea). This means there are four 2x6s runing under the tank: 2 doubled up under the left side of the tank, and 2 doubled up on the right side of the tank (runing with width of the platform from the back of the tank to the front of the tank. I did not build it this way, it was already like that. So I figured it was a perfect spot to host a tank. Since I am not the one who built it, I have been keeping an eye on it though. So far so good. 2x6 support combined with 3/4" ply with 3/4" oak hardwood running perpendicular to the beams: I cant imagine what else is necessary to provide additional support :-|
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3281990
Well, it has 2x6s doubled up on 16" centers (just like a floor). This means there are four 2x6s runing under the tank: 2 doubled up under the left side of the tank, and 2 doubled up on the right side of the tank (runing with width of the platform from the back of the tank to the front of the tank. I did not build it this way, it was already like that. So I figured it was a perfect spot to host a tank. Since I am not the one who built it, I have been keeping an eye on it though. So far so good. 2x6 support combined with 3/4" ply with 3/4" oak hardwood running perpendicular to the beams: I cant imagine what else is necessary to provide additional support :-|

Like I said I am no engineer, you are talking Chinese to me about boards and such..LOL ….I always have a handyman double check for me whenever I move to a new place, to make sure my tank is safe and sturdy. Saltwater tanks are so heavy and wood buckles…We are not there, and that makes it a judgment call from you. So if you feel confident that’s all that matters.
 
dutchswan

dutchswan

Member
Okay...so everyone has been very nice and helpful so far. I still have my original question: what fish might be best suited for this environment? :)
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by dutchswan
http:///forum/post/3282005
Okay...so everyone has been very nice and helpful so far. I still have my original question: what fish might be best suited for this environment? :)

Get that book I recommened. Nobody can pick out your critters for you...thats all the fun.
It is still a perfect sea horse tank.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top