Need Help please

[reefworried124]

Here are my tank specs as of 10/1/2004

40 gallon glass tank
10 gallon DIY sump/refugium
36" 2/96 watt current USA 10k and Actinic/ moonlite
19W flourescent floodlight (5100K)
Siphon Overflow box
CAP 1800 return pump (600 gph)
emporer 330 HOB filter
Seaclone 100 skimmer
Aquaclear 300 (260 gph) powerhead
Visitherm 150 Watt heater
DIY canopy
6 stage R/O D/I filter

About 30 pounds of grade 0 Aragonite (10 pounds in refug)
20 pounds of live sand
Instant Ocean salt mix
50 pounds of premium fiji live rock

1 three stripe damsel
1 lawnmower blenny
2 oscellaris clowns
1 peppermint shrimp
15 hermits
20 snails

[reefworried124]

dont worry bro, you are dope and good looking. your reef tank will turn out sick!

[motorslave]

Welcome to TRT! You might want to post in the "General reef discusion" as it gets most of the traffic on the site. This forum doesnt see alot of traffic. There is a ton of people who will be glad to help and give great advice to help you get where you want to be. First decision would be to figure out what you want to keep. The types of coral will influence some of the equipment needed. I know that anenomes like alot of light as do SPS and some LPS coral. My advice would be to get the best skimmer you can, they are usualy rated for more than they are built to handle. Lighting is very important. For SPS, clams, some LPS and most anenomes metal halide is the ticket. This would bring some heat issues to your tank though. VHO is another type of lighting that is widely used ( I have 440 watts on my 55) It will limit you as to some of the coral you can keep as will PCs. What most people seem to going with is a quality skimmer and Live Rock. The LR will handle the biological filtration and the skimmer removes disolved solids (waste) before it can break down and release phosphates and such into the water. A canister or other type of filter will catch the waste but it will be in the water untill you remove it by cleaning. Since the waste begins to break down almost immediately, this is not as good as removing the waste completely form your system as a skimmer does. Skimmer very important, investing in a good one will keep your critters happy on down the line.
Probably the best advice I could give you is to take your time and read and read some more. Hang out in "the general reef discussion" and " the think tank" and also check into the archives here. There is a wealth of information and experience to be had and everyone is VERY helpfull! But the patience thing will save you money and headaches in the long run. This hobby takes time to be succesful. I know a guy at work who didnt think it was neccisary and hes paying for it with livestock dying and algae problems. Ive been working on my set up for about 5 months and will probably add water in a week or two. But Ive checked and re checked with the folks on TRT and made many changes along the way and Im confident in my set up know that I have saved myself some problems from how I was originaly going to set up. Believe me, once you realy get into it the chances are good youll do things at least a little different!
So hang around and ask a bunch of questions and check out other peoples tanks. And again, Welcome to TRT!!

Robert

[reefworried124]

Thanks Robert! I appreciate your reply. Well, the thing is, I dont have the money to run those metal hailide lights, so I just got a 2x96W 10,000k/actinic light from current usa. I also found some really helpful info on Walt Smith's site about curing rock. I just ordered some fiji rock. What I am wondering, is that once I get the rock, are there any supplements I need to add to the tank like strontium, calcium buffer, or what? And with my lights and the seaclone 100 skimmer, can I end up with a cool looking tank? I'm really stoked about setting it up man! After I cure my rock, is there anyone out there that can help me pick out some fish? I dont know where to start. Thanks again!

[motorslave]

You realy dont need to add anything to the water. Most salt mixes have everything you need in them. Regular water changes will take care of it all. As a general rule you shouldnt add anything you cant test for. You dont have to have MH lighting, although you will be a little more limited as to what you can keep. You can absolutely have a cool tank, just listen to the folks around here and take your time. Another thing to remember is that most stores want to make money, Ive heard and experienced them trying to sell something that is un needed or that wont work. That is by no means saying they are all out just for the money. Try and find one you can trust. Check out the tanks, see how they have things set up. Do they have reef set ups? Are they practicing good husbandry? There are peoplr on TRT who have Fish stores and have a real knowledge and integrity. As far as fish go, if you have coral you should be careful not to overload the tank. The more fish the more waste and the coral are more sensitive to the water conditions than the fish are. That is where lots of reading comes in. Check out the tanks in the photo gallery, ask how they do it, and read any thread you can. Believe me, this takes alot of research and time to do it right. My thought is that I only want to tear it apart while Im building, not after I get it stocked. Do it right the first time and you wont regret it. Keep it simple untill you learn more, that way your decisions regarding changes and additions will be well made. Like I said before, Ive been working on mine for about five months. Oh and research the fish as some like the taste of coral polyps and others like things like your crabs and snails. Good luck and keep us posted and ask questions .


Robert