I am NEW to reef tanks!

[livingston]

Hi everyone, I recently switched over my 33 gal fresh tank to salt. I got a little carried away when buying $400 worth of live rock (and still want more). Here is what I have done, and what I wish to do. Maybe a few (or more) of you can give advice.

Tank started April 25/07

Added (all by April 30th)
29 pounds of tonga deep water live rock
?# pds of Cuban and Indo live rock
20 pds of live sand

April 30 added scarlet and large blue legged hermit crabs

May 1st added large tan/brown tub worm (feather duster)

May 4th added yellow tailed damsel

May 17 added cleaner srimp
emrald crab
small (yellow/red tube feather duster worm)
Temp @ 77 F
Salidity/Gravity @ 32/1.024
I have air stones, 301 filter with carbon, heater, power head, and light with timer set frome 9am -9 pm. (not sure what type of light)

I would like to eventually like to get into corals that are good for begginers.

1. I am just starting to get brown algea on rocks and back glass (what should I do? is that normal?

2. My smaller duster ruptured its tube, 2 days later dropped his head and 1/2 in of body (I left in tank should i take it out? Will he grow back and at what end?) I am conserned because of the price I paid) Are there any good sites that talk about this?

3. What type af light should I get for sponges and soft coral? How long should it be left on.

4. Have any of you heard of plastic fake coral for a reef tank? Is it safe?

MOST importantly What and how much of each (any thing) should I add and when to the tank. I whant this to be as much of a no brainer (what ever worked and is working for you with this size tank.

THANKS so much for any help.
Livingston!

[JY13131]

Welcome! Others will be chiming in soon I am sure

[dobejazz]

Welcome to TRT !
Have you tested your water parameters? Ammonia - Nitrite - nitrate? It usually takes 4-6 weeks for a salt water tank to cycle and be safe for critters.

Here is a good overview on starting a reef tank

http://thereeftank.com/forums/faq.ph...les#faq_sywart

[zero186]

o yea you will get brown algae its all part of the algae cycle and lets see what else and feathers do drop there head every now and then and wil regrow them i beleive i an not much of a light person but other are but soft corals i would think well depending on whichtypes (i will let others answer more). check the back of the lighting any info? also pics here help every thing and there are some great looking plastic corals out there and i know we have some pics of a users tank with them too, you will just need to find what you like and a trusted vendor


hope this will help

also besides the air stones is there any other way that your tank is getting air like a filter or pump?

[medicdiver]

I agree, its way too soon to be adding that much, water params would be helpful, I too have a newer tank. Its about 3 months old. Only thing I have is some hermits, starfish, couple of shrimp and 1 feather. The more time you take to add new stuff, the easier it will be to add. Another question is: Is the rock cured or has it been shipped and need to cycle?? If so, you need to take everything out or it will all die. Need more info on your tank before you can get a good answer..

[zero186]

o adding fish and inverts verys with everyone i add hermits and snails when even before its done cycling, and people use fish to help cycle their tanks but it most of the time will kill the fish it is just a cruel way of cycling

[jenajet]

Welcome to trt! Yep time to slow it down. Yep need to now some test numbers and the light that's on it. More than likely it is normal florescents which is no good for coral but fine for a fish only tank. You don't want to use air stones in a saltwater tank, the last think you want is a lot of microbubbles. Really don't need a carbon filter, we usually only use them temporarily for clearing the water like after a waterchange. I would look into a skimmer either a corallife superskimmer or cpr backpac. Tho if you are religious with waterchanges you can get by without one if you are just keeping soft corals. algae is normal and will go away on it's own. After your test get to zero you could get a bunch of turbos, they are great for algae but bad if your rock isn't stabile. Little bull dozers they are!

[Geoff]

Welcome to TRT!!!



whoaaa, slow down partner.

you gotta give the tank time to get settled. this is by far the most annoying thing about starting a SW tank, the 2 month wait with nothing in it but LR.

G~

[livingston]

Thanks for the quick responses. I wish not to get into snail as I've heard they nock things over. I'm not much interested in adding other things at this time except corals (when I learn more)!

Can I continue to added more rock, or wait till it's cycled. I have being trying to take it slow, so now I have set up a savings acount for this tank. So I can buy things when tank is ready!

My water seems to be fine, But what tests should I do to help you understand my tank.

I do have a power head and a filter (Aqua Clear 300) and (not sure what type of power head will search for package and let you know

so I should take out my air stones?
How long should the light be left on? I am going to invest in a better light head So any suggestions are welcome (I have a power glow 30"/74.22cm 25 Wat hope this helps)

I am very on top of things when doing water changes (33 gal tank - 2gals emptyed and added every Sat evening!

Will add pic later.

Thanks Livingston

[dobejazz]

I'd take out the air stones they really aren't needed in SW they just make a mess with the salt creep

[zero186]

Originally Posted by livingston

Thanks for the quick responses. I wish not to get into snail as I've heard they nock things over. I'm not much interested in adding other things at this time except corals (when I learn more)!

Can I continue to added more rock, or wait till it's cycled. I have being trying to take it slow, so now I have set up a savings acount for this tank. So I can buy things when tank is ready!

My water seems to be fine, But what tests should I do to help you understand my tank.

I do have a power head and a filter (Aqua Clear 300) and (not sure what type of power head will search for package and let you know

so I should take out my air stones?
How long should the light be left on? I am going to invest in a better light head So any suggestions are welcome (I have a power glow 30"/74.22cm 25 Wat hope this helps)

I am very on top of things when doing water changes (33 gal tank - 2gals emptyed and added every Sat evening!

Will add pic later.

well many people here are the same wa about hermits but snails are not going to topple any thing over that a fish will not they dont have the power too.

for test you want to test the basics for a while like PH,ammonia,nitrate and nitrites

and yes remove air stone in the SW world you dont want micro bubbles

and water changes might want to up it a little after the tank has cycled

[livingston]

How much water sould I take out in a 33 gal each week?

Theses are my water tests.
Ammonia = looks like 0.6
PH= 8.0 or 8.5
Nitrate= 0.0 (consentrated pee colour, but not close to the sunflower yellow for 5.0 then again it looks some where between?
Nitrite= deffenite 0.1
* What should the test rage be at for these?

Should I remove the dead feather head?
Air stones are taken out!
How many hours for the light with the stuff I have in it?

I have a foam and charcal media is that ok. What would you use?

So as I am waiting, are their good sights that talk about beginner coral.
Who hear has tried the plastic coral and how is that working out for you?

[jenajet]

If you are not running a skimmer I say 20% for waterchange. As far as snails, I love my turbo's you just have to make sure your rock is stable. I would add the rock now, if you get cured it should keep the cycle at a minimum but I would still rinse it in fresh saltwater very well. That lighting is a normal florescent, you'll definatly need to upgrade to at least some power compacts for corals.

[Orient Master]

Welcome to the TRT. My LFS (Local Fish Store) swears by T-5 lights. they have a 180 gal reef setup with 12 of the 36" HO T-5's. I think i have heard some people on this site talk about 6 or 8 hours a day for the lights to be on. Get a timer from wally world and "set it and forget it!" love saying that.

I have also heard that the foam filter is bad. i have taken mine out of my HOB filter. just using charcoal in the filter compartment. also using a skimmer. I take it that you were using the air stone to get O2 into the tank. the skimmer will actually get the O2 in the tank for you. at the same time keep the bubbles in the chamber and not in the tank.

Better lights help with the brown algae. I have a new tank myself going now for about three to four months and i still have a regular light like yours, but mine is only 20 gal. i have on order some t-5 high output lights. Now the brown algae is normal it will go away on it's own when the cycle finishes.

The question about the fake coral. now is it fake rock or coral that you are talking about???

Again my LFS has another tank that has fake coral in it. Of course it is a fish only tank not reef though. some reef bones too in the tank.

I haven't heard to much about mixing in a reef tank live coral/rock and fake coral/rock other than the coraline will eventually cover the fake coral/rock and make it hard to tell which is fake or real, especialy on the rock.

Don't know if i really helped or just made things worse hope it helped though.

[Loverotties]

Welcome to TRT!