New tank and need help please

[luv4jjt]

Hello, We are setting up our first saltwater tank and need some help please. It's a 90 gal and it's going to be fish only. It has been running for about 3 weeks with the live sand and live rock. (about 50-60lb's) The filter is a Rena 1000. I was told by the guy at the pet store. (who specializes in saltwater but have learned that dont mean anything sometimes.

) That we dont need a protien skimmer with a fish only tank. After reading this site I am finding out different. Can someone let me know for sure if I need a skimmer. At the moment there are no fish in the tank it is still cycling. We want to do this right and only add a few fish at a time. All the test's are comming up in the safe zones. I was told that I should use damsels as starter fish because they are hardy. But I am concerned about this. I am worried about the aggresion when they get older, and I dont feel right sacrificing them just to make the water safe then disposing of them. Are there any other fish that are hardy enough for this task but are peacfull. And is it important to have the skimmer? Just please dont be to harsh with us we are new to this and want to do it right. If I am making a mistake let me know but dont critisize. We are not doing it on purpose. Any help would be great.

 

[js1976]

He might claim to specialize in saltwater but I would't use much of his advice from here on out. A protein skimmer is a must!!! Anyone that tells you otherwise is poorly mistaken.

 

[luv4jjt]

what exactly does the skimmer do? I know it has something to do using air to clean the water. But that's all I know. I haven't found any site's that tell me how it works just one's that try to sell them. lol

 

[js1976]

The skimmer removes disolved organic matter from the tank. You can run a FO tank without one but I would highly recomend not to. Unless you would enjoy doing more water changes than usual.
Some of these more experienced aquariusts can give you a little more detail into the actual process that a skimmer performs.

 

[deejeff442]

i ran a 90 gallon without a skimmer for over 10 yrs.
it can be done.but you know there is always a but.
now i run skimmers on my tanks .
basicly it creates tiny air bubbles at speed to make organics float to the top collector.which in turn less water changes.
get a big skimmer rated for double the tank if you can.
if you are cycling the tank with lr and ls you just need to look for a raise in ammonia then that will convert to nitrites and when they are both at zero the tank is cycled.
when they say to use damsels that is when there is nothing to start the cycle so when the damsel poop start the cycle and the ammonia goes up the damsels sometimes die.
some people like to use a piece of raw shrimp in the tank to start the cycle also.
as long as the lr kicked off the ammonia you dont need to do any of the other two.
you can put a couple of the fish on your wish list in.
get your list together and start with the more hardy like a clownfish.
definitly get a skimmer though.
also there is going to be an algea bloom on a new tank so might want to get a two little fishes phosphate reactor around $80 with the pump.
good luck

 

[eric b 125]

the skimmer uses small bubbles (the more, the better) to remove wastes from the water. there are several different skimmer types (venturi, turbo injected, needle wheel, etc) that put bubbles into the reaction chamber in different ways. the longer the bubbles are in the water, the longer they have to contact waste, and therefore the more waste they remove. very (VERY) simply, the bubbles are created, go through the reaction chamber where the waste comes into contact with them and sticks to the bubbles, and then the bubbles form a foam that rises up the neck and spills into the collection cup and turns into a nasty liquid (skimmate) to be discarded (or recycled into a refreshment for a friend that owes you money). i believe that needle wheel skimmers work the best. as far as a need for one, i'd say you should get one. with enough lr and other forms of filtration you could get away without one, but it's better to have one and not need it, than need it and not have it. flitration is the most important part of a tank. without proper filtration its tough to keep anything.

 

[luv4jjt]

Thank you all for the info. We will get a skimmer as soon as we can. So it is ok to start putting fish in then? Of course only a couple at a time though.

. I will go through the wish list and find the more hardy ones first. Thank you. Any more info on better fish for this would still be appretiated.

 

[deejeff442]

you have to have a bunch of fish you like right?
post a list and i am sure you will get alot of help.
i would make a bigger list than what the tank will hold and we will try to steer you in the right direction of stocking and the order they could be added.
my list would be 12 more fish than the tank will handle so i keep getting bigger tanks.
remember its what you like .

 

[eric b 125]

welome to the boards, by the way! yeah, there's a ton of way better fish that are hardy that you could add once the cycle is done. post a wishlist and the folks here will give you their two cents.

 

[crypt keeper]

Set up another tank. A quarantine tank. Say about 30 gallons. A 30 gallon breeder is a great QT. This will save you money and frustration. Do not use damsels. Throw a piece or 3 of raw uncooked shrimp from the store and allow them to waste away. This will build up waste in your tank and bacteria.
To an extent the guy is right. You dont need a skimmer, but they are a great way to make sure your water stays in the correct ranges for your fish to be the healthiest.
In a 90 I would get one.

 

[luv4jjt]

Ok attempt # 3 at responding. lol. This is my 3rd attempt at getting back to you all. I keep getting half way through then having to stop. lol. So here is the wiah list and you can help me with the solection that will live together in harmony. I have already gotten 4 fish. A black and white damsel and a maroon clown last week. Yesterday we picked up a red pixie hawkfish. The wish list for futer fish is (keep in mind that there are more fish on list then we will acually get.)
Top of list are a dwarf lion, a pearlscale butterfly, and the bicolor angel. Then there are flame angel, A basslet but being that is seems we can only have one per tank wich one is the key. Dont want one that gets over 6-7 inches but is nice to look at and peacefull. A mandarin dragonet but i am worried he will end up an expensive meal for a bigger fish. Dogface puffer, blond naso tang, or powder brown tang. The humu humu trigger depending on size they get. Then some kind of wrasse that will be beautifull and fit well with everyone else. If you have any idea's or experience with these fish please let me know. We are very dedicated to make it a happy and healthy tank.

 

[deejeff442]

the lion might eat the damsel,hawks and wrasses are jumpers so you will need to cover the tank .huma triggers are very aggressive so i might bully a mellow fish like the butterfly.mandarins are expert level fish needing alot of pods to eat so you would need to have the tank running for a year or so and have a fuge with rock for the pods to produce.
naso is way too big for a 90 gallon.
most tangs are too big for a 90.
dwarf lion would be good.
mystery wrasse
blue throat or crosshatch trigger would work.
maybe a foxface.
butterflyfish are tough to keep.