Hi all i finally got my tank. I got a biocube 29 gallon and set it up today. I have started it with 22 lbs of live rocks and about 40lbs of live sand(medium grade) and 1 lb of rubble. I also bought the saphier skimmer for teh bc29.I want to do a jaw fish/pistole shrimp combo and a pair off false pecular clown fish. as for corals i want to go with some soft corals like shrooms and ricorda and mybe a zoa colonie. have a couple quick questions having problems getting my stelth heater to be compleatly submused. i had it in the middle compartment but that compartment dosnt seem to fill up with that much water and i cant seem to lay it down that mutch whith the skimmer in their. is their a way to get the water to maintain a deaper lvl in the middle compartment or should i try the first compartment and remove the middle screen. I was not going to usse the carbon fillter and have taken it out of teh tank. I was going to put some of teh ruble in the fist compartment can i still do that if that midlle peice is their? Tommoro ill take my first readings and post them for any one who has some comments for me. currently i have only taken salinity and it is at 1.022 my temperature is at 74 deg(probly cause the heater (a marineland stealth 75 watt) dosnt fit in their correctly. ps also interested in possible dartfish
first saltwater tank
- Thread starter DaOracle
- Start date
ok i took my measurements today and this is my readings. Specific gravity rose to 1.024 (i am using a hydrometer and currently have a lot off airbubles so that might be affecting my readings. i also took the following readings with an api reef test kit.
CA-320-340 ppm
KH-179
Nitrate(no4)-5-10 ppm
phospate (po4) .25 ppm
also i think i might have too mutch circulation what do u guys think i have a korallia 3 rated at 850 gph.
as for the heater i moved it back to the middle compartment and after mutch figiting around got it under the skimmer now it is almost compleatly submursed only the tip of the top sticks out i would say 1/4 inch so do u guys think that is good?
CA-320-340 ppm
KH-179
Nitrate(no4)-5-10 ppm
phospate (po4) .25 ppm
also i think i might have too mutch circulation what do u guys think i have a korallia 3 rated at 850 gph.
as for the heater i moved it back to the middle compartment and after mutch figiting around got it under the skimmer now it is almost compleatly submursed only the tip of the top sticks out i would say 1/4 inch so do u guys think that is good?
youngmiki13
New Member
Congratulations on your new tank! I have yet to get my saltwater tank, but I am still looking for the perfect timing to have it set up. Good luck with your tank!
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ok its 11 Nov 09 and i retested nitrates and phosphates:
Nitrate(no4) 0 ppm
phosphate (po4) 0 ppm
So it looks like my tank is going to be ok. i am going to probaly put the lights on the timer tonight and if everything tests good i might put my first fish in sat.
wish me luck.
Nitrate(no4) 0 ppm
phosphate (po4) 0 ppm
So it looks like my tank is going to be ok. i am going to probaly put the lights on the timer tonight and if everything tests good i might put my first fish in sat.
wish me luck.
mikeguerrero
Active Member
Any pics that you can share?
I added my first fish today. A small pair of false pecula clowns that the wife picked out. I also added a pair of blue legg hermit crabs. I belive my power head is to strong so i turned it off and will chnge frmo the #3 to #1 size powerhead on monday. i will also try to post some picks. I plan to let the new inhabitants break in the tank for the next 2 weeks before i add any more fish/inverst wish me luck. also put the lights on their timer.
mikeguerrero
Active Member
Good job on the lights with a timer... If you regulate the amount of light your tank gets in the beginning, you will not break away with so much un-wanted algae...
Be sure not to add anything else until you get through those weeks, you fish and critters need to acclimate to their new surroundings...
Anything else too quickly can crash your tank; disease, or bioload creaping up too high...
Be sure not to add anything else until you get through those weeks, you fish and critters need to acclimate to their new surroundings...
Anything else too quickly can crash your tank; disease, or bioload creaping up too high...
well my lights are on a 7h timer wich i will probly increase to eventualy a 10-12 hour day as my tank ages up. I switched my powerhead to the smallor #1 size of hydor pump for nano tanks. Wife still thinks its to mutch preasure i am not sure might set it up to run in day time only any one have any opinins. currently have 2 small false pecula clowns and 2 small blue leg hermit crabs. I also fed the fish today and they ate so i was happy with that some of the food went flying around in the turbulant water should i turn off teh pumps at feeding time? Also how many times a day should i feed currently thinking 1 times just a small bit of mysis shrimp from frozen flat pack. well tommaro i will take all my chemical measurements and post them for comments(all constructive crit is appricited) ps man my hermit crbs get around and my clowns stay in a small corner of the tank(could that be from to mutch water movement) they are active and they can move about when they want they grabed up the food as it zoomed by them rather quickly so is this normal.
mikeguerrero
Active Member
Your fish are still acclimating to their surroundings. They feel safe where they are at and will seek the food when the risk is there to feed or die. They will not normally seek the outskirts of the tank when they are healthy and cautious.
With time they will acclimate and will be all over that tank even with current. I cannot tell how much current you have until I see a video or a picture.
If they are feeding that is a positive note. If they are not, then there exist a problem.
If you are feeding them once a day and it's very minute portions you are okay. But if it was my tank I would feed them every other day as I let the tank cycle.
You don't want any uneaten food floating around. You could shut off the sump pump during feeding as to not lose food, gives the fish amble time to feed.
A pump moving it around is only going to simulate natural environment.
Keep us posted...
MG
With time they will acclimate and will be all over that tank even with current. I cannot tell how much current you have until I see a video or a picture.
If they are feeding that is a positive note. If they are not, then there exist a problem.
If you are feeding them once a day and it's very minute portions you are okay. But if it was my tank I would feed them every other day as I let the tank cycle.
You don't want any uneaten food floating around. You could shut off the sump pump during feeding as to not lose food, gives the fish amble time to feed.
A pump moving it around is only going to simulate natural environment.
Keep us posted...
MG
Ok i took my measurements today and they are as follows:
Specific Gravity--1.022
PH--8.2-8.4
Nitrate--0-5
phosphate--0-0.25
calcium--440-460
hardness--125.3-143.2
Thanks everyone for the info and the warm welcome. I will probly go to feeding once every two days and shut the pumps off during the feeding time. Does any one know if its better to feed clowns in morning/nights or when ever. Also it seems like the clowns are moving around a bit more so i think they wil be ok. i am going to try and post some pics real quick
Specific Gravity--1.022
PH--8.2-8.4
Nitrate--0-5
phosphate--0-0.25
calcium--440-460
hardness--125.3-143.2
Thanks everyone for the info and the warm welcome. I will probly go to feeding once every two days and shut the pumps off during the feeding time. Does any one know if its better to feed clowns in morning/nights or when ever. Also it seems like the clowns are moving around a bit more so i think they wil be ok. i am going to try and post some pics real quick
mikeguerrero
Active Member
Good call on feeding them every other day, will become a healthier environment for the fish.
Looks like your water parameters are good, remember you are testing for high nitrates and low nitrate tests are a better margin for SPS corals.
So where you think your nitrates are good, they can actually be bad for sensitive corals, more than you think.
Being that your tank is young, you will still see the parameters change, nothing to be alarmed, just stay on top of your water changes.
MG
Looks like your water parameters are good, remember you are testing for high nitrates and low nitrate tests are a better margin for SPS corals.
So where you think your nitrates are good, they can actually be bad for sensitive corals, more than you think.
Being that your tank is young, you will still see the parameters change, nothing to be alarmed, just stay on top of your water changes.
MG
mikeguerrero
Active Member
Did you post the picture correctly? Nothing is appearing on your thread?
i thought i posted the picture correctly but it would apear that i am mistaken. I tryed looking at the faq to see if it had any info but the links for how to post just sends u back to teh forum. After doing a bit more research it apeares that my pic is to big was like 3 mb and u need your pics to be 256kb or less so any one know how to fix that?
mikeguerrero
Active Member
If you open the picture on your desktop most likely the program has the ability to edit. Click on edit and go to resize and bring it down 640x480 resolution.DaOracle said:
There it will be small enough for you to go to:
www.tinypic.com
Follow the simple instructions of upload and find it on your desktop, then copy and past the appropriate file for message boards.
Past it on your reply within your thread and bingo, you have pics.
Good Luck,
MG
ok so what do u guys think should i add another piece off live rock it is a little bit sparse in their. also was looking for some good idears on a coral that the clowns might host in. i want somthing strong and semi easy to care for. I thought it might make the clowns feel safer. one last question should i use the carbon filter that comes with the tank? was thinking about maybee using it for a month or trying to rig somthing with out carbon just to catch large particles.
i would add more LR for sure and as far as hosting wise you dont really need but if you want it you can give it try but its never a for sure thing. will need to up grade your lighting for any Anemone. now i have been able to keep them live with stock lighting but its alittle hard. Right now i have BTA but my clowns wont host so i need to find a new pair. its my opion