New to SW - 2 New Tanks - Questions

[miamilawyer]

Hey all. I live in Miami and have a brother who has had reef tanks for a while and so I've decided to get into it. With help from him and this site, I think I'm off to a good start, but have a few questions I hope you experts can help me with. Here is where I am...

First tank has been up and running about a month. It's a 20g Eclipse. Added LS and curred LR, blue damsel and similar sized orange fish first day or 2 (needed instant action for the kids). Since then I've added what I gather is typical clean up crew (turbo snails, small hermit crabs, some other kind of crab, sand sifting starfish, etc). Also added a sea urchin (black/brown approx 5" accross) and large hermit crab, both of which I picked out of the ocean. I'm running it just like it came. Only addition it a heater. I don't know how often it cycles on, if at all, but the A/C is always on in the house so wanted to be safe. Have the lights on a timer a few hours in the morning and again from about 4 till 10pm (when the kids are basically home from school and up). Just added a clown fish this week.

Now, I don't know if it's beginner's luck, but it's doing great. Water is crystal clear, had it tested once at the store and other than slightly high salt, everything looked ok. Guess I need to start water changes, but looking for general advice on keeping things going well (with minimum of fuss). That urchin, by the way, moves all over the walls of the tank, I assume cleaning as it goes. When you stare at it, it seems to be still, but every time you look back, it's in a different location. Also, someone gave me 2 small pieces of coral, but I think they died fairly quickly. Probably not the right light. I've been using filtered drinking water we have delivered to the house for topping up.

2nd tank I just ordered a 24g nano cube to keep in my office. Haven't received it yet. Any suggestions on what I should do differently (or not since i guess things are going ok so far).

Since i live so close to the Ocean, is it a bad idea to use actual ocean water to fill the tank? What about general practice of getting livestock from the ocean?

Thanks.

[dobejazz]

Welcome to TRT.

I would do waterchages either weekly or every other week. Water changes are important to replace trace elements. I'm not sure about collecting ocean water or critters from the ocean. I would be worried about polution in the water unless it was collected pretty far off shore

[JY13131]

And I am not sure if I read incorrectly, but you said you do not leave the lights on all day? THey should be on from morning until night, especially if you have corals. THey need LOTS of light.
Taking things from the ocean? Good question. I try and buy tank raised or propogated when I can to help conserve the critters in the ocean! Plus, they tend to be more adaptable to a closed aquarium system.

[miamilawyer]

so 12 hours a day of light? more? less?

[dobejazz]

12 hours is about what I run my tanks at

[jenajet]

Yep 12 hours.

[miamilawyer]

Thanks guys. I'll let you know how it goes. I should have the new tank Monday.