Made some bad choices!! point me in the right direction!

[pensky]

I went out and bought a saltwater tank with ever doing any research. Now after reading and posting question through this site I realize I have made some big mistakes. I want to fix my mistake before I have any problems, but I can afford everything. I'm getting married in sept. (another big mistake, I know

) so I can't go out and spend more than $100 at one time without upsetting the "Wife", however I can spend 30 to 40 a week without her thinking twice. :yes: So here is where I am and I want to evenually start working with corals. Please point me in the right direction and give me some advice on what to be working towards?? :help:
This is a picture of my 29gal that has been set up for 3 months now. I would appreciate any suggestions on what I should be working toward to evenually have a reef tank. I bought a 55 gal with sump but don't have any room in the house for it so it is out in the shed until we can buy a new house (by the end of the year). So I don't really want to buy lights untill i can use them on the 55 but what suggestion do you have as far as more rock to later go in the 55. Should I be useing any additives? I have only been testing for PH, Ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, salitity, temp. All readings are good and most zero but nitrate at 10ppm. What else should I be looking out for?
40#Live Sand
15# Live Rock
Yellow tang (Big mistake)
pink tipped anemone (another mistake)
choc-chip star
2 clowns
5 bubble bee snails
I am useing the old strip light from freshwater.
I used tap water to start, but have doing water changes with R/O once a week
Thank you for any suggestion :joy:
the first pic is a bit old so I will take a new one in the morning :sleepy:

 

[trainfever]

My first sugestion would be to be completely honest with the future wife or sooner than you think, she will become the ex-wife. One of the bigest problems in marriages is money.

 

[swatskee]

lighting, lighting, lighting............ get good lighting or, "reef" it will not. at least $200.00 for about 260w for your 55g. cleanup crew is a must, and more LR. calcium, iodine, probuffer DHk is what i use. seems to me helping since i started to use it. the lighting has been the biggest factor in my setup that has helped the most. put them on timers for consistancy really helped too. IMO....... take it for what it is worth.

 

[pensky]

do I need to test for calcium and iodine or just use the supplement?
and i will buy lights when i can set up the 55gal.
Here is my 29gal today

 

[pensky]

I pick up some Kent marine Liquid calcium today, but it says to add 1 teaspoon to 50 gals each day. Is this right? how much and how often should i use it? Should I worry about anything else?

 

[jjlittle]

well you need calcuim test you dont really need iodine test just do as it says. Your calcuim should be around 450. You will not be able to house corals with the fresh water lighting you have . Do you have a protien skimmer? You will most likely lose you ananome for he needs good lighting. Dont use tap water any more.... Would get more Live rock and woudl be patient till you get the other tank set up for the lighting and reef.Good luck on your marrage

 

[latino277]

wooooow HOLD THE PHONE!! Do not suppliment any thing your not testing for!!!!! that would be a huge mistake! :scared:
SO! before you start adding anything go by test kits! your going to need the normal stuff (Ammo, nitrite, nitrate, PH) if you want a reef go pick up Calc, Alkinity, Phosphate, and Magnisium (sorry about the bad spelling!! ) I would pick up the salifert test kits. they are the best. After you test for something and it need suppliments... then you dose the tank. don't just start adding stuff.

 

[pensky]

Thanks for the warning I have tested for Ph 8.2, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10, sal 1.022, temp 82.

 

[snipe]

I agree and even with a tank with only 5 snails a water change would be suffeciant in keeping clacium levels right. Corals will suck up calcium quicker that is why ppl add it since you dont have any right now I dont think calcium is a problem.
Right now I would worrie about amonia,ph,nitrite,nitrate,calcium "test only not additives" and dkh "alkalinity".
Thoughs are tests I wouldnt buying any suppliments for anything unless I have a test to go with the suppliment "so I know if I need to add anything or not".
As far as fish go your over stocked period! The tang should go back and replace it with a goby or something similar. As of right now I would keep this tank as fish only since you dont have good lights and I can understand wanting to wait till you get your bigger tank going before blowing a bunch of money on a small reef just to do it all over again on a bigger one. If you dont want to update your lights just keep inverts "snails crabs shrimp" and fish. Take the anemone back he will die before long in that light. I would try to trade him for a feather duster or two "they flow just like the anemone but dont require light".
If you keep on top of it you can take everything from your 29 and put it in your 55 when you get it going. Also did you cycle this tank?

 

[latino277]

How big is your ytang? he looks really small. if that is the case then you may be OK until you move. so everything you doing now will end up in the 55 in about 1yr.... so what every you by sould be bought with the 55 in mind.
Start looking for a good Protein skimmer
your going to need way more LR... I would look for 2 or 3 Large Center pcs for you 55 just make sure they fit in your 29 for now.
I see you have the tank on a dresser.... so your going to need a stand and canopy/light hood. if your handy you can make them yourself... not to hard to do. Good luck

 

[pensky]

I just bought 10# LR off the net. I went with the 4 day shipping because I can always keep it in the shed till the die off is gone. (I put saltwater in the rubbermaid with a huge pump to keep the water mixing and it stays warm.) I also have a protien skimmer is it a berlin airlift 60 and it seem to do well. do you think I will be ok to put that skimmer in my wet/dry sump with bio-balls for the 55? Also I plan to build my own stand and canopy do you have any plans for a DIY stand and canopy with suggestion on the light set up? You were right about the tang it is small so I just wait it out. As far as the calcium goes I will just wait till I buy a test for it.

 

[latino277]

the air lift would be ok for the 29 but..... IMO... if your going to spend really $$$$ on any thing it should be a skimmer and LR! I would try to get the best one I could afford for the 55. that will be your only sorce of filtration aside from the LR. And for the Bio balls...... X them. they will end up being a head ace later (trapping nitrates). instead of bio-balls use LR rubble or base rock. you can get some the size of a baseball and that will work alot better because it is porris (SP?)
for your stand and canopy... if you give me your E-mail I send you a few links. (Can't post any on this site)

 

[pensky]

do you think I should start with the bio-balls and slowly phase them out as I get more LR. I'm thinking for the 55 show tank and the filtration I would need 75 to 100 pounds LR. I just bought 10# off the net and that will put me at 25# right now. how much do you think I will need to properly filter.
Thank for the help with the stand and canopy also here is my email jeremyhorton@charter.net

 

[latino277]

the amount of LR you use is completley up to you and you bio load and the type of rock you use.... I would put no less than 50# but that is me and I like Fishie swimming room. some people like more rock. what you want to look for in LR in rock that is very Porris (sp?) it won't be as heavy and provide more filtration. That is why I stated you should go to your LFS and get 2 or 3 nice Large pieces. but ultimatly its up to you and what you want to do with your aquascaping? As for the bio-balls. go on the trading site and look for base rock. you can get like 20# for $25. then you can slowly swap out the BioBalls.

 

[latino277]

you got mail!!!!

 

[pensky]

Thank you for those great links I will use those often.
I was looking around that big aution place and can across some 24"lighting that I thought could go on my 29 gal right now and when i switch to the 55 I could just buy another 24" light iddentical to this. what do you think? I was also wondering since I am not useing a sump with my 29gal how would I fit the light and the filter and protein skimmer. If i get a cheap glass canopy it looks like i would not be able to open it. Or maybe would the light need to set above the surface of the water more than that?
this is the item I was looking at it is going for $150.00
Item Description
24" Aqualight Fixture 2x65 Watt lamps (....) 23 7/8" x 7 1/4" x 2 5/8" includes 10,000K and Actinic Compact Fluorescent Lamps, 2 on/off switches, 2 - 8 foot power cords for separate timers, 2 cooling fans, built-in ballasts, sleek aluminum housing, highly-polished reflector and acrylic lens cover.

 

[pensky]

Hold on maybe this would be the better buy for only $10 more.
24" with 65 watt 10,000K Daylight and 65 watt True Actinic 03 Blue Compact Fluorescent Lamps plus two 3/4 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED 470nm Lamps
Includes: 3 on/off switches, 3 - 8 foot power cords for separate timers, 2 cooling fans, built-in ballasts, sleek aluminum housing, highly-polished reflector and acrylic lens cover.
Our state-of-the-art Lunar Aqualight compact fluorescent light fixtures incorporate the Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED light which creates rhythmic glitter and shimmering effects while promoting spawning cycles in corals and reef life. Backed by the proven quality of the Aqualight product line, these superb lighting fixtures allow you to Capture the Sun and now...the Moon.
Dimensions: 24" x 7" x 2 1/2"

 

[snipe]

Nope that second light has a fake antinict and it would need to be replaced. As for getting 2 24" lights for a 55 it would work but you would have to have a glass top and that would cause heat problems and gas exchange problems. Its best to get a 48" Lights for the 55 and run open top.

 

[gfk]

Originally Posted by Snipe
Nope that second light has a fake antinict and it would need to be replaced. As for getting 2 24" lights for a 55 it would work but you would have to have a glass top and that would cause heat problems and gas exchange problems. Its best to get a 48" Lights for the 55 and run open top.

how is that actinic fake?
thats the light i have. the bulb is white when its turned off, if thats what youre referring to

 

[latino277]

OK.... either one will do for you 29... one quick ????? Are planning on making you 55 canopy out of wood :thinking: if so then you can canabalize this lighting and re-wire it to work on you wood canopy. then all you have to do is get some MH and you can have any coral you want.......

that's what I would do.