Lighting

superpet

superpet

New Member
Hello Friends
I have a 180gal. aquarium that I have just changed to saltwater.I have the specific gravity right on the money at 1.022 (after 48 hours of cycling) here's my question what kinda lighting do I need?? I have these ordered plus misc. LR
I have had a great success in freshwater setups ( no fish loss in 15 years ) other than natural loss.
Volitan Lionfish - Venomous
Atlantic Blue Tang
Blonde Naso Tang
Clown Tang
Purple Tang - Red Sea
Yellow Tang
Jewel Damsel
Tomato Clown-Wild
Orange Skunk Clown-Wild
Yellow Head Butterfly
Doubled Saddle Butterfly
Atlantic Carpet Anemone
Blue Carpet Anemone
Green Carpet Anemone
Bubble tip Anemone
Florida Condi Anemone
Thanks
Superpet
 
superpet

superpet

New Member
yes, the lfs said they would quarantine them for 15 days ( thats their policy). they said by then my tank would have cycled long enough. they gave me a free fish to help the cycling process.i forgot to mention that they gave me 45pounds of rock to cycle also
 
sula

sula

Member
Do you have any test kits for monitoring your cycle?
And what else in the tank right now with the sacrificial free fish?
 
superpet

superpet

New Member
yes,
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Liquid Master Test Kit
this is what it does
A complete kit for testing saltwater & reef aquariums. Tests include: high range pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. With 4 test tubes, tray & rack. Tests water 4 ways to protect marine fish from dangerous water conditions.
 
sula

sula

Member
Is the rock they gave you live rock or base rock?
Any sand, gravel or crushed coral covering the bottom?
 
superpet

superpet

New Member
Sand about 1.1/2in. deep. and as i said above the rock is live. i really want this to be successful so any input would be appreciated.
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
Get rid of the Aq. Pharm. test kits and get something that works! Those tests, especially the one for ammonia, will give false readings most of the time.
Anemones should ONLY be added to tanks that have been cycled and stable for at least 6 months. They need metal halide lighting, which you should have bought when you set the tank up.
Be prepared to lose most of that livestock...you really ought to have started much more slowly and added 1-2 fish at a time week by week.

Please research somewhere other than the LFS...they are only out to make money, not help your fish live.
We will answer all your questions honestly and we have tons of experience with saltwater.
Please don't take this post wrong, I just get upset when LFS gives bad advice to beginners. :mad:
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
It's best to add most of your live rock first, because it can cause the tank to go through a cycle. After the tank has been stable for at least a week after the cycle is complete, then add your cleaner crew (snails, crabs, starfish, conch, etc) to clean up the diatoms and other algae growth that came from the cycle. After another week or so, add 2 fish at the most, then wait at least 2-4 weeks before adding another couple of fish until you get the full bioload you want (general rule, but not set in stone, for SW is 1 inch per 5-10 gallons). After at least 6 months, then you should add anemones and/or corals. Be sure to look into the MH lighting for anemones and SPS corals and clams, but if you don't want those, you could go VHO or PC which would be cheaper.
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
You're welcome.

The best thing that you can get yourself in this hobby is big bucket of patience.
Trust me, when I switched to SW from FW, I didn't have any...and now there are clownfish, damsels, a chocolate chip starfish, and some hermits in that big fish tank in the sky.
Thank God for this website!
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
For a 180 gallon tank, you might want to concider a larger sump. The 180 that I am planning will have a 55 gallon sump/fuge.
If you have a deep sand bed with some macro algae in there, that will help lower nitrate levels and keep algae in the main tank to a minimum.
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
You can use a larger tank for the sump, then use a divider to make part of it a refugium. Use the sand in the fuge, but not in the sump. Your sump should be just for equipment like the filters, skimmer, heater, etc...and the fuge is like a tank connected to the tank to grow plants and bacteria. You can divide a tank using plastic dividers sold in most LFS which allow water to pass through. Search this site for sumps, fuges, and DIY projects for more info.
 
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