[Salty Lady]

Hello TRT!
I recently started a BC29g....I'm completely new to the saltwater world, but have been an avid freshwater keeper (?) all my life. My tank has been cycling now for 8 days with about 23-25lbs of live rock and live sand. So far my parameters look great...I had a little spike in a ammonia about 4 days in. After another 2 days, it seemed to have gone away. I bought live rock with a decent amount of coralline algae on it. My other pieces look to have small amounts of green hair algae.

I would like to keep fish, inverts, and soft corals. After days of reading on TRT (my husband thinks I have a problem..haha!), I'm under the impression I should have a powerhead for more circulation. I have looked at a few of the Koralia products. Is there a rule of thumb for tank size and gph? Any specific angle for ideal current?

Thanks in advance!

 

[SaltyJoe]

I have a 14g bio cube and I run a Korillia Nano 240 powerhead in it. Has made a WORLD of difference.

I highly recommend adding a powerhead for increased circulation. Also, I would remove the bioballs from chamber two and replace with live rock.

 

[Salty Lady]

I had been looking at the Koralia Nano....I think that will be a decent match for my tank. Did you angle it in any specific way? I've read that some point it toward a rock or the surface. Suggestions?

 

[Nate_Bro]

Welcome to TRT and this great hobby

a good rule to follow it 30-50 times turn over in the tank per hour, but some corals like SPS hard corals need the high side, and softies are on the lower side...

you can point the power heads in any direction really, just not directly at corals, they don't seem to like that much.

also you are going to need surface movement as well...

maybe one pointing lower and another pointing at the surface.

 

[SeaCow]

definitely gonna wanna get 2. Flow is also a key part of keeping detritus suspended so it can be removed. Will save you many headaches. Also you want to have one in the upper portion of the tank slightly pointed at the surface to agitate it and make it ripple and wave. This helps with gas exchange. 2 of about 450gph should be good. If you were to only get one, I would get a 750gph and place it a little above half way up in the tank pointed at he surface.

Buying more than one powerhead allows you to get flow to dead spots as well as be more versatile in how you want your flow moving around the rocks and the tank. Ive even if I had only softies it my tank as far as corals, I would still have more than 1 if not more than 2 depending on dead spots. Dead spots will also grow algae like wildfire

 

[Salty Lady]

I take it that is why people get wave makers? To agitate the surface? Why would someone get a wave maker, if they could just point a powerhead up? Sorry for the rapid fire questions...but I just want a better understanding.

Right now, I think I have cyano. I believe I got it off of 2 live rocks that I purchased at Petco. I changed around my rock formations and put the rocks down in the sand and have decreased how often I have my light on. The last time I rearranged my rock into the sand, it killed off the cyano (starved it maybe?). I'm sure I should do a water change. I'm just afraid I will screw up my water parameters. Would cyano be more likely to grow without a powerhead? It isn't spreading like wildfire, which I've read it can do. But I do believe it could be spreading onto my sand.

 

[Nate_Bro]

Cyano grows from nutrients, I have had cyano grow in the strongest flow in my tank before...

wave makers are nice, for creating a random flow for the corals, and stirring up more detritus.

 

[SeaCow]

Wavemakers can create agitation and random flow that corals love, instead of being constantly blasted by the same powerhead from the same direction. I got a 750gph koralia on a Wavemaker in my 29g and seems like the corals love it. They seem to open up more.

Also don't worry too much about the cyano. Yes more flow will help but every tank has cyano to some small degree atleast. Plus since your tank is new your will experience. We tank syndrome or what is called the "uglies". You will see cyano outbreaks and algae blooms for months before your tank can settle in and become stable. Clean it when you can by brushing it off rocks and siphoning it out, also by siphoning your sandbed. If you do this is should slowly go after some time. Same thing with algae. Do weekly water changes of 10% a week I typically do about 5 gallons in my 29g and my parameters stay very good. Your tank will go through lots of stages and swings during the first few months so don't fret it's normal. However a lot of these problems can be helped with more flow or better flow combined with a protein skimmer. Hope I answered your questions

 

[SeaCow]

Also just took a look at that pic and is that a box a some kind of petco salt? I'm not familiar with it but your gonna wanna get yourself a good quality saltmix. Your saltmix is what will replenish all the elements that are depleted and in the proper ratios. A good brand economical brand that I use is Instant Ocean. There are other good ones too but I think instant ocean has a good price for what you get if you buy it by the bucket

 

[Nate_Bro]

I use IO also, but I always wondered what was in the Petco stuff, only thing I found out is they export it from China...

 

[Salty Lady]

It is a salt mixture from Petco....they also had IO for a few bucks more, but gave the Petco brand a shot. I'll do a switch to IO after I finish the box.

Thank you so much for the input!