Nitrate Control??

[redviper74]

:help: I'm about to set up a 75 gallon salt water tank and I am going to cycle the tank for 1 month before putting any fish in the tank, but once I get the cycle process done, is there any way to help keep the nitrate levels down? Does more live rock, live sand, or ect help?
I want to put a:
Yellow tang
Blue Tang
Clown
eel
snails

 

[beth]

Yes, it all depends upon how you set up your tank to begin with. How do you plan to set up?

 

[redviper74]

I put 60 pound of live sand in the 75 gallon tank, is that enough? I have a penguin bio wheel filter. I want to get a sand shifting star, crabs, snail, blue, tang, eel, and in a little while some live rock.

 

[jackspets]

To keep your nitrates down make sure that you do not over feed your fish (they are eating it all within 3 minutes). Also do monthly water changes (30% with syphin). If you also want to you can buy a product called Chemipure that you put in your filter that will help keep nitrates down. Live rock and live sand will also help because the sand is putting the benifical bacteria into your tank and the rock acts like biological filtration. Also you have to put fish in your tank for your tank to cycle to put the waste in it to start the cycle. Adding live rock and sand will speed it up. Also you need to get a canister filter or a wet dry filter because a power filter (penguin) is not designed for saltwater. If you plan to get corals you need a canister filter, protein skimmer, ect. ALso you cant put more than one tang in a tank they will fight. A tang will also fight with a clown and an eel will eat a clown. I have been working at a pet store for a year and a half.

 

[popnfrresh]

ALso you cant put more than one tang in a tank they will fight. A tang will also fight with a clown and an eel will eat a clown.
That is not always true. Yellow tangs will fight other tangs that look similarly to eachother . Purple, scopas , sailfin, other yellow's. They usually wont fight different shaped tangs. There are always exceptions. I have a blue and a yellow in a 75 BUT IMO tangs shouldnt go in anything smaller than a 120+. They are active swimmers and usually occupy an area of 6 sq yds in the wild. I only have these in my tank cause i got them all for free and it was either take them or they die.
My tangs do not fight with my clowns.
An eel will eat a clown though.
IMO also that filtraion is not sufficient for a 75g. I would try to add a refuge/ats in there.

 

[jackspets]

I would never put tangs together because i have put different looking ones together before and they fought. You always take a risk while doing so.

 

[redviper74]

What would you reccomend I put in my 75 gallon tank? I want to put a snowflake eel, horseshoe crabs, lion fish. What else would be good to put in my tank? Thanks!

 

[jackspets]

Groupers are good, wrasses (i love the green bird wrasse), trigger (i like the Niger trigger). If you are going to get a tang, look at chevron tangs. They are beautiful fish, and whenever we got any in at the pet store i work at they seem to do really good.

 

[ssweet1]

Hmmmm, I am in trouble now cause I have a blue hippo tang, a naso tang, a sailfin tang, a achilles tang, a yellow tang, and a clownfish all happy. Some types of tangs will fight with each other though. Purple tangs and clown tangs are generally more aggressive especially if they were added first. For a 75 gallon I would only recommend 1 tang simply because of space. Tangs get big and some get huge so research the one that you are interested in first. Clownfish definately fight unless you have a pair and only keep the one type dont mix the breeds especially maroons they will fight to death!! Lion fish are cool looking but aggressive and will eat whatever fits in their mouth search this website and the fish descriptions help you make up your mind. Also keep in mind if you ever want corals than certain fish will eat and pick at them. Have fun, Carrie