Please Help. 220 Reef Tank Given to me

[jeremyk45]

Hey guys. My name is Jeremy Kosteczko. I am new to the salt/reef keeping world. I have always wanted to be a reef keeper. All started a month ago when I got a call one night from one of my customers who just bought a house and needed to get ride of his 220 reef tank imedietly to move and gave it to me. Now I need to learn fast how to keep everything alive. The tank is 220 gallons with two over flows. 2inch deep "live" sand layer. I put live in quotes cause it was 22 degrees during the move. Lots of live rock that is starting to return to its normal coralline algae colors. There are a ton of various mushrooms, a carpet anemone, two other green anemone looking creature, 3 feather dusters, 12 blue legged hermits, 1 long spine urchin, 1 pencil urchin, 2 lion fish, 3 yellow tangs, 1 yellow stripe maroon clown, and two clams. I have lost a toadstool mushroom and one clam. Now for filtering there is a wet dry filter with bio balls and a uv filter. The protein skimmer given to me is broken. I need help figuring out the right filter system and protein skimmer. The lighting system has 2 metal halides and 4 compacts and lunar lights. I don't want to have everything die on me. It seems to be stabilizing but again I am new. I am concerned about one of my clams. It looks better now then when we got home but still concerns me. The shell is separated a little on the one side and has a brown ring on it. Now to water parameters. My nitrates are amazingly zero. Phosphates are around 3ppm but my calcium numbers are though the roof. I am reading over 500. Please help guys by reading your stuff the wet/dry sounds outdated and need skimmer asap but what kind? Also will be looking to sell/trade the lions and yellow clown.

[phishdreams]

the calcium being over 500 is a good thing phosphates are a little higher your looking to get 0 but not having a skimmer would do that i have a 180g tank and im running a coralife super skimmer 125 and its working fine. i would think the sump is the ideal way of filtering. i have a canister filter and am about to pick up a overflow unit and sump and plan on running both for the just in case. you can take your time now and read up on things. because its such a large tank it will take longer for things to go south for you. but you have the right idea of posting a thred hear ou will get all the answeres that you will want and soome you dont so read everything and think about what someone else is telling you. not everyone is right good luck

[crvz]

The phosphate number is pretty high, do you have an algae issues?

If you're shopping new skimmers, look at the octopus and MSX brands. Those are the biggest bang for the buck these days.

[OneDummHikk]

What are you using to test for phosphates? With a reading that high on a hobby level kit you should have an over abundance of hair algae in the tank. If you don't, that makes the 3ppm test results suspect.

The Ca numbers, with clams, isn't that high. Just keep up with water changes and the tank will be fine for a few weeks.

A skimmer would be helpful, the Octo or MSX lines are good ones for that size tank.

And welcome to TRT.

[jeremyk45]

I am not having an algae problem. Just the normal glass cleaning every2 to 3 days is what i am having to do. is it possible that the testing kit is off? i mean it was only a 40 testing kit. and it has been that same number for 3 weeks now. it did go a little higher the first week and then leveled off. does anybody have recommendations for a protein skimmer? how bout a new sump or wet dry? the one i noticed has a crack in it today. not leaking but don't want it to start.

[Loverotties]

Welcome to TRT! Phosphate is way highI hope your useing RO/DI water.

[jenglish]

http://www.reefspecialty.com/Protein...duct_info.html

I post this as a suggestion as it is near the price of a filter you asked about in another thread. This skimmer is likely a bit on the smallish side as most peopel go for a skimmer rated at twice their water volume. Bioload is more important than water volume though.

[OneDummHikk]

The fact that you aren't having an algae issue makes the Phosphate test results suspect. Hobby level kits aren't accurate from the beginning but a reading of 3 without an algae issue makes it very very unlikely that the test results are accurate.

If you are using treated tap water that might explain a Phosphate reading without algae though.

As for a skimmer, look into the Octopus line of skimmers or the MSX line from marine solutions. Both are awesome skimmers and would work perfectly on a 220 gallon tank.

And for the wet/dry filter box being cracked, if you aren't comfortable with it being cracked, then by all means replace it. If for no other reason than being able to sleep at night without worrying about it breaking/flooding the house. Just find a regular fish tank that will fit in the space and you can turn it into a sump.

[Sndwave80]

Hello and Welciome!

[Fat Tony]

skimmer

http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/ca...duct_info.html

as far as the sump... do you have any DIY skills (very little is needed)
If so, build your own... take a look at the link to my 135 build thread in my signature, go to page three and follow along from there... it is very simple.