Newbie question

Arglebargle · 03-26-2004, 09:08 PM

Hello and greetings! I am in the process of setting up a fish only marine tank of 29 gallons. My old filter that I had many years ago died so I purchased a Bak Pak 2 and I am awaiting its arrival. In my past tank I set up the biofilter using damsel fish but from the new literature I've been reading says to use live rock instead to set up your filter. Is this good advice, even for a fish only tank? Is there a better way? Sorry if this question has been asked a thousand times before! Thanks!!!!

btang · 03-26-2004, 09:26 PM

Lots have changed over the last few years. I just read a great book that covers alot of the newer thinking, 'The New Marine Aquarium' by Michael Paletta. Got mine off of Amazon. It has great intro info. Live Rock is the way to go. But read some good books.

Arglebargle · 03-26-2004, 09:52 PM

Thanks for the reccomendation! I've been doing quite a bit of reading at Barnes and Nobles and Borders and I think I was reading that book today! Since I was going to have a fish only tank with biological filtration in the Bak Pak will the nitrates cause problems with the live rock, and will the lack of high output lighting affect the live rock? Can live rock support the bioload of a fish only tank if I take the biobale out of the Bak Pak? Thanks!

tims · 03-26-2004, 10:17 PM

1st welcome to TRT .. your new home away from home..

a question and an answer for you.. you said fish only tank..is it a fish only with live rock, just fish, or fish and maybe some corals?..
it will make a big difference down the road..

if you are going with just fish and no corals at all.. then your BP will do fine with it.. just make sure you clean it often enoough.. starting of the tank with a damsel was the OLD way.. it also stresses the fish big time.. you can use sevearl differnt ways to do it.. some have used a pice of uncooked shrimp... and let it basiclly rot in the tank.. this will start the bio cycle.. another way is to add live rock.. this is the " normal" way now a days so to speak..it will take a bit longer to get your levels to the numbers you want..this also gives you the choice of later down the line to add corals to the tank.. since this is only a fish tank and not corals .. just noraml lighting will do..

HTH..

sorry if this is a bit long..

remember don't rush it..

jimcfar · 03-26-2004, 10:42 PM

ArgleBargle... welcome to TRT.......live rock = good.... damsel = bad listen to Tim.... Tim = wisdom..... lol

sorry for the encrypted message but that Hash brown casserole from this morning has me in a sleep induced coma. Tim I tried to save you some but youwere late!

btang · 03-26-2004, 10:54 PM

You should also look at a good Protein Skimmer. Especially with a heavy fish load. Live Rock will actually help with the Nitrate levels. But you will have to keep to a good maintenance schedule. What are you planning on doing on the bottom of the tank?

Arglebargle · 03-26-2004, 11:08 PM

Is the skimmer on the Bak Pak 2 inadequate for a 29 gallon tank? I already put a half inch of coral sand on the bottom, but from what I've read on the net tonight seems to suggest I should remove it! Oh well, I only had to rinse it off for over an hour of constant fill the bucket with water swish it around till it runs clear and dump and repeat action!! LOL

btang · 03-27-2004, 07:33 AM

Here is the problem with having access to lots of information. You get alot of different information. I am in the same boat as you are. Trying to learn as much as I can and making the right decisions. From what I have read you are fine. You just have to keep it clean with a good maintenence, or add some critters that will help keep it clean. Some folks are going bare bottom, I dont like the look. Others still have DSB. SO at the end of the day its up to you to decide how you want to go forward. The great thing about this hobby is there is no one right way. Can you add a Refugium/Sump under the tank. It would give you more volumne and you could put all your machanics there to. It would allow to free up more space in your 29 for good stuff.

MiddletonMark · 03-27-2004, 07:38 AM

:thumbsup: btang ... there are a number of systems and each has a catch, and other factors that determine how to do things. I'd only say there were bad ideas for the substrate, etc ... not an ideal one.

-- But I never cycled with fish. Live rock did me good, patience as well. It sounds like you have good advice above. I just would jump on the `just LR to cycle' bandwagon as it did me good. No forced huge `spike' meant less die-off of micro-crustaceans and other cool life on the rock.

Good books are worth their price easy, too.

btang · 03-27-2004, 08:00 AM

Getting back into this hobby after many years out has been a challenge. Trying to quickly re-educate one self in the latest and greatest. When I did my first Salf tank many moons ago, there was only one way to go, Undergravel. Now the thinking has come a long way and success rates have gone way up. I almost went with a Plenium, but then decided on a Refugium approach from Ecosystem. I have read alot of good things about the approach, I'll now find out if they are true or not.

I have also read you can start a cycle with a uncooked raw shrimp in a stocking bag. I guess that does make sense

Phishnoob · 03-27-2004, 09:11 AM

For Mrs. Phish we used a piece of live rock that was already cycled from the big tank, and I dumped a cup of sand in there from my 90g to mix with an arogonite bed. We have a little backpack filter with only the pad in there that I will rinse out every week and change every month.

This tank is just FOWLR so I am not sure if skimming is really needed at this point.

There are so many ways to do this, but this seemed to work for us.

Phishnoob

Arglebargle · 03-27-2004, 04:54 PM

Thanks for all the replies!!! When I had my tanks before, algea scrubbers were sort of just coming in style in the Fish magazine advertisements and the idea fascinated me! I had never even heard of the word refugarium until I stumbled on this place, and I had assumed it was just a way to isolate new fish when I first saw the word. Looks like a good idea, but I won't be able to afford it for a while. I love puffers and trigger fish so I doubt I'll have any invertabrates, and my wife said I could have one tank, and no more! A sump to add more water capacity is definately something I'm interested in though. Thanks again!!

tims · 03-27-2004, 06:25 PM

argle,
good luck with the tank.we are here if you need us.. the trick is to get your wife to help pick out fish and to feed them..

soon SHE will say you need another tank..

when you are setting up.. how about some pictures.. we love pictures.........

Arglebargle · 03-27-2004, 06:45 PM

Well my wife's favorite fish are damsel fish, and I keep telling her no way!!! I did take a few pictures the other day, when the sun rises it shines right through the window across the living room and illuminates the tank and sends rainbow ripples all over the place! My other hobby is photography and I have some photos online here: http://alanbelanich.fotopic.net/ but I haven't posted the fishtank rainbows yet. It may be the only psychedelic photo featuring a close up of a lid to an Instant Ocean bucket yet!

fishfriend1928 · 03-29-2004, 04:34 PM

I have had a 29 gal tank up for a year and have dallade geting beter light so i just have a stock floresant right now and my fish do just fine. I would reacamend a prizum skimmer that is what i have and it worcks realy well i also have 30 lb of live rock i reacumend it. it takes stress of of the fish by giveing them a place to hide if they need it if they do have a place like that my experance showed my fish to be more active.`