New to Saltwater Again

[dalerich]

I'm new to saltwater but not brand new. I had a 55 gallon tank with some clown fish back in 1992 (Pre-nemo) and everything went great. That tank is long gone and I just started a brand new set up 11/25/2004 with a 55 gallon tank and a everclear filter for a 100 gallon at 160-600GpH. I have two power heads on an under gravel filter 25-100GpH. The system is running at 76F and everthing is fine. Ammonia is high. Nitrite are starting to increase and nitrates are low. (break in period) I put 6 Black mollies in the tank to get things going. The black mollies were converted from fresh water $1.99Ea to saltwater $5.99Ea over an 8 hour period. The mollies are having babies and are doing fine. Everything is going so great you might ask were is my question. Well that was the back ground to the problem. I was told True or false that Live Rock will help speed the process of the biological filter and decrease my break in period. So I went out and bought 11.5 pounds of live rock. On the live rock I have feather dusters and I think one of the three pieces is hard corral. The hard corral piece has 4 feather dusters and 15-20 things that look like 4 tenacles out of each tube on this purple rock or hard corral. The clerk had no clue what he was doing and charged me $9.99 for the one pound item. What do I feed a feather duster? What do I feed the tenacles of the rock/corral? What are the chance of these items making it through the break in period of a new saltwater system? Thanks for your help. If you need more information or a photo please let me know. I can test the water tonight and post a photo. Thanks again.

 

[clarkiiclo]

Pics would be a great help. If they are feather dusters they are filter feeders. Marine snow is a good starter food.
Live rock will help your tank cycle quicker.

 

[dalerich]

Here the specs of the tank
55 Gallon
2 visijets at 100 Gph
under gravel filter
1 aquaclear 110 160-660 Gph
11.5 pounds of live rock
6 Black mollies
5 two week old black mollies
PH 8.0
Ammonia 2.0
nitrite 0.50
nitrate 20
salt 1.021
temp 76.8
start date 11/27/2004
Please let me know what the yellow arrows are pointing to and how to feed them also how to feed a feather duster I have 4 of them.
thanks

 

[clarkiiclo]

Those are star polyps!! YEAH!
That looks like a pretty big colony. Not sure what color they will be. Most likely green.
Give it a few days to adjust. They will start to open up.
Here is pic of some
http://reefsources.itgo.com/features...tarpolyps.html
Do a search on green star polyps and Im sure there are more pics.
They do not require food they are photosynthetic.
Dont plant any corals on that rock because they grow and will sting other corals.
Keep them out of the super high flow areas.
Good luck!

 

[clarkiiclo]

bump for dale

 

[clarkiiclo]

Here is what your star polyps may look like when they open.

 

[sw65galma]

If I were you i'd ditch the undergravel filter.
IMPO, they cause more problems then they are worth.
Technology has come far since 92 in sw world...
So ditch the undergravel (you can keep the powerheads running) and get yourself a Protein Skimmer.

 

[dalerich]

Please explain how a protein skimmer works. I understand that it filters out wastes. I thought the under gravel holds the wastes until the monthly water change when you vacuum the gravel. thanks.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by dalerich
Please explain how a protein skimmer works. I understand that it filters out wastes. I thought the under gravel holds the wastes until the monthly water change when you vacuum the gravel. thanks.
The best way i can describe it (since i'm a car guy) is like Carburetor and Fuel Injections.
The carburetor technology worked...but wasn't the most effecient. The reason I say this is because your way isn't "Wrong" by any means...It's just not the most Effectient based on new technology.
Undergravel filters pull everything down and is broken down by bacteria. (not your water changes or vacuuming)
Based on new "findings" and new technology.
They've found that Live rock is very porus and can house HUGE amounts of GOOD bacteria. (this takes over a part of the undergravel Filter)
Also use Sand...Not gravel or crushed Coral. Sand Provides MORE surface area on the magnatiude of 100's x mor than any other substrate for good bacteria to grow.
Protein Skimmers send a ton of small bubbles through water...wastes attaches itself to the bubbles and overflows into a collection cup. Proteins are the most likely to be removed via this method, hence the name...But a lot of other wastes are removed as well.
All this come after recent studies of the ocean. Instead of trying to Mechanicalized (is that a word? ) a fish tank, it's better to try an mimic the Ocean as much as possible and use what Mother nature has set up and has worked for Billions of Years. The mechanical stuff we do use, is only to replicate somthing specific in nature that we can't duplicate in our tanks.
So what's all this mumbo jumbo mean?
You'll want mechanical Filtration By means of a Filter...Although you'll probably want to add one more filter.
Add a protein Skimmer either hang on the back or Sump (Sump is the little tank people have under thier tanks for either wet/dry filters or fuge)
Plenty of Live Rock. If you do not like Liverock, then I suggest a good Wet/Dry filter.
Also I added a little extra so that others who may not know as much will understand.
Hope this helps!

 

[dalerich]

Well being a diesel guy you got my attention on the opening statement. Thank You. I now understand.
I wish I had found this web site and talked to you before I set up my tank. Now i'm mid cycle and slightly over my budget. I think to turn back now will send my cycle into an uproar. Can I add a skimmer to my tank with the under gravel?
or is that like putting nitrous on a 1989 Yugo

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by dalerich
Well being a diesel guy you got my attention on the opening statement. Thank You. I now understand.
I wish I had found this web site and talked to you before I set up my tank. Now i'm mid cycle and slightly over my budget. I think to turn back now will send my cycle into an uproar. Can I add a skimmer to my tank with the under gravel?
or is that like putting nitrous on a 1989 Yugo
Nice I got an 01 Excursion 7.3L PSD. downpipe back exhaust, cold air and a chip and it smokes imports lol!
Anyway you can change mid cycle, I'd suggest pulling your live rock out into a bucket with water from your tank.
Rip out the undergravel while you have no inhabitants..well "real inhabitants" Move the mollies for a few minutes
If you have gravel, scoop that up and get some sand.
This would be the equilivent to redoing your bottom end.
It will make your tank in a sense "Safer" like a new bottom end wouldl make your motor safer.
This is your base...so no sense in having a 200,000 mile motor with a killer topend.
Also we don't use "starter fish" anymore...
No need for mollies or damsels..
Someone figured out that a piece of regualr store bought shrimp sitting in your tank, does that same thing than torturing fish through a cycle. Or even just tossing in food everyday and letting it break down..does the same thing..
On my fresh water tank, I bought...when I pulled the undergravel up, there was sooo much "stuff" under there, that it turned the water to Pure Mud and that was on a 180gal!! Fortunately I took the fish out before that..But it's like keeping a sewage system In the tanks!
Good Luck!

 

[casper]

The Kent Marine PhytoPlex is a great for the star polyps. You need to get a small syringe type device and feed them about 1-2 times per week. Mine are going great...
typical about $10

 

[dalerich]

Things are going great with the feather dusters now that I started adding liquid plankton concentrate. Star Polys were not blooming or doing anything until I shut off the lights one night. The ocean does not have afternoon sun 24/7 ? Go figure. Now that I turn off the lights at night the Star Polys has life.
This past week-end I took your advise sw65galma. I took out two under gravel filters and 60 pounds of crushed coral. I put in 60 pounds of live sand and a protein skimmer. Will have to see what happens to my cycle. I left one power head running but without the tubes of the under gravel its just flopping aound in the tank. Would be nice if power head suction cups and mounting brackets. I will have to make up something. I will keep you posted.
Thanks

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by dalerich

This past week-end I took your advise sw65galma. I took out two under gravel filters and 60 pounds of crushed coral. I put in 60 pounds of live sand and a protein skimmer. Will have to see what happens to my cycle. I left one power head running but without the tubes of the under gravel its just flopping aound in the tank. Would be nice if power head suction cups and mounting brackets. I will have to make up something. I will keep you posted.
Thanks
Glad to have helped! You'll be much happier I know, cuz I did the same thing lol...I started off with Crushed Coral and an Air Huge Air stones lol...Later I found out Air stones are a No No lol..And switched to Live Sand..
Just make sure to ask questions before you do anything..You'll save yourself a lot of money in the long run