Starting a new Saltwater Tank

[Anonymous]

Setting up a new 29 gallon for a couple of Clownfish and a bunch of different colored mushrooms.

Just looking for some opinions.

What size heater should I get?
Is the CPR backpac a good skimmer?
Is it OK to just use tap water with a declorinator?
Is Marinemix a good salt to use?

I plan on using a sand bed and a few live rocks for filtration. Will this be enough? How often will I need to change water to keep the water clean?

Thank you
M

 

[liquid]

Hi Mushrooms and

:welcome:

What size heater should I get?

I'd recommend something like a 150 - 200 watt heater.

Is the CPR backpac a good skimmer?

For what you're planning to keep it should be adequate as this will be a lower light tank with fish and soft coral.

Is it OK to just use tap water with a declorinator?

Depends on your water source (total dissolved solids, nitrate, and phosphate levels). You could check w/ your local treatment plant on their numbers. A lot of people end up biting the bullet and just purchasing a RO/DI unit as it makes things easier from the beginning or purchasing RO/DI water from either your LFS or from some other location.

Is Marinemix a good salt to use?

Personally I prefer Instant Ocean. It's inexpensive and a good salt. Our Salt Survey also seems to reflect this:

http://www.reefs.org/GBSurvey/surveyq.p ... sults=true

I plan on using a sand bed and a few live rocks for filtration. Will this be enough?

Sounds good to me. You're on the right track.

How often will I need to change water to keep the water clean?

Generally I recommend either changing water every 2 weeks or every month. Normally I do 1x per month at maybe 25-30%.

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

My recommendation is to get plant life thriving and then do the rest. In a refug sure but get the "final" part of the nitrogen cycle started first.

I don't use a heater

I don't use a skimmer.

I do use tap water without a dechlorinator

Any of the commercial salt mixes should be fine.

 

[Tackett]

Bob buddy, I understand that things work for you the way they do. (though I dont understand how it is possible.) I appreciate the help that youve offered me in previous threads and I am by no means trying to make it sound like you do not know what you are talking about or insult you in any way, but, please do not confuse new reefers with information regarding your techniques. Im not trying to start flame fest 2004 or insult you like I said, so do not be offended. Let the guy start out like everyone else and get the basics down so that he can learn and then try your techniques if he wants to. If he does what you just said, He will be unsuccessfull and discouraged.

 

[Anonymous]

My recommendation is to get plant life thriving and then do the rest. In a refug sure but get the "final" part of the nitrogen cycle started first.

I don't use a heater

I don't use a skimmer.

I do use tap water without a dechlorinator

Any of the commercial salt mixes should be fine.

I've been lurking & reading about refugiums. I'm not going to be able to have one I don't think.

So I don't need a heater? I thought the water would get too cold if I don't use a heater.

I already have the skimmer so I think I'm going to use it.

 

[Anonymous]

For what you're planning to keep it should be adequate as this will be a lower light tank with fish and soft coral.

Thank you for the welcome Shane. Should I start using the skimmer right away or wait until after the cycle.

I also have an old 250 watt MH pendant and the strip light that came with the tank. I can't use both so which one should I use? I wanted to use the MH but will that be too much light?

 

[Fozza]

I've been lurking & reading about refugiums. I'm not going to be able to have one I don't think.

So I don't need a heater? I thought the water would get too cold if I don't use a heater.

I already have the skimmer so I think I'm going to use it.

Refugiums are not a necessity, but they do help alot.

The need for a heater basically depends where you live, where I live in PA, if I didn't have a heater, I'd be screwed. The tank would freeze over. (Well not quite, but you should get the point). It also depends on how hot you keep the room temperature, if it doesn't fall below 70'f in that room then you won't be needing one.

Seeing as you already have the skimmer, then you may aswell use it. I don't use skimmers, but they are a valuable tool to have on your system.

 

[SnowManSnow]

I'd go with a heater.. particularly taking into account we are headed into the winter months. The CPR should be fine for your bioload...at least consider the AquaC Remora .. a bit more expensive.. but will allow you to upgrade later. Your LR and substrates sound fine.

For your water... I would recommend 1 of 2 things.. either purchasing it from a grocerystore from a RODI water machine, or investing in a decent filtration system.

Reason being is that even after you remove chlorine there are still a LOT of things in most water systems that are used in the closed aquarium system as nutrients. When you have an excess of nutrients you NORMALLY have an algae bloom of some sort.. AND as you replace evaporated water keep in mind that all the extra things...salt...additives...extra nutrients.. stays in the aquarium and builds up. Thats the main reason you want to use RO DI water.

Thats just my 2 cents.

Hope it helps out..

Good luck!


As far as refs go.. they will help, but MANY people who have very successful tanks dont worry with them.

 

[liquid]

So I don't need a heater? I thought the water would get too cold if I don't use a heater.

It will get too cold. Get a heater. They're not expensive.

Should I start using the skimmer right away or wait until after the cycle.

Start using it right away.

I also have an old 250 watt MH pendant and the strip light that came with the tank. I can't use both so which one should I use? I wanted to use the MH but will that be too much light?

For clownfish and a couple of mushrooms, MH will be overkill. However, you could use it if you wanted to. The pendant would make the tank look nicer than the striplight... Up to you.

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

Mushrooms,
With the exception of one post, you've been given solid advice. The only thing I will add is that mushrooms many times do not like intense lighting. You will get better extension from them with lower light levels.
For all my experience with "advanced" corals such as SPS, mushrooms are still among my favorite corals. I would never put MH's over them in a tank such as yours though, they just don't do as well. I currently keep many in a 150 gallon running several 250w DE bulbs, but they are under 20" of water, and many grow in shadow areas, and get mostly reflected light.
Good luck!

Jim

 

[liquid]

That's a good point that mushrooms may not do well under halides. I had them under a 250 watt Iwasaki, but they were off to the side and not directly under them. You could just raise the halide up quite a bit to reduce its intensity or you could go w/ your striplight.

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

My recommendation is to get plant life thriving and then do the rest. In a refug sure but get the "final" part of the nitrogen cycle started first.

I don't use a heater

I don't use a skimmer.

I do use tap water without a dechlorinator

Any of the commercial salt mixes should be fine.

I've been lurking & reading about refugiums. I'm not going to be able to have one I don't think.

So I don't need a heater? I thought the water would get too cold if I don't use a heater.

I already have the skimmer so I think I'm going to use it.

I didn't say you don't need a heater just that I don't use one. I have this big noisy expensive thing that keeps my livingroom at 75 degrees year round. My 55g remains at 80-82 all the time. Your conditions may be different.

And heater can and do fail. Usually sticking on and are capable of crashing the tank.

But then that big expensive noisy thing for my livingroom can fail also.

 

[fishfanatic2]

My recommendation is to get plant life thriving and then do the rest. In a refug sure but get the "final" part of the nitrogen cycle started first.

I don't use a heater

I don't use a skimmer.

I do use tap water without a dechlorinator

Any of the commercial salt mixes should be fine.

I've been lurking & reading about refugiums. I'm not going to be able to have one I don't think.

So I don't need a heater? I thought the water would get too cold if I don't use a heater.

I already have the skimmer so I think I'm going to use it.

Definitely use the skimmer, and definitely get the heater. The tapwater thing depends, i ended up buying an RO filter because i couldnt keep the algae and all in check.

beasl, your method has worked for you, but it does not work for everyone else. There is an opposite side to everything, and there is always an exception to the rule. The key with this is to experiment. Plant life is not going to turn his tank into a public aquarium. Not using a skimmer is also a risky exploration, and a heater is something that depends where the tank is. Please do not take this as an insult or offense; I am simply and basically restating what Tackett said.

Cheers

FF2

 

[Anonymous]

Tackett and fishfanatic2

No offense taken. I am sure mushrooms can understand the methods are different.

 

[Anonymous]

I didn't say you don't need a heater just that I don't use one. I have this big noisy expensive thing that keeps my livingroom at 75 degrees year round.

I guess I was just looking for opinions on what I should be doing. I don't understand why you would post what you do unless you were recommending it. I'm really glad I have several opinions but I think I would have been smart enough to get a heater anyway.

How does your water stay at 80 when the lights are off with no heater?

I can't afford to keep my house at 75 in the winter, I let it get down to 65 at night. I guess that's hard to understand for someone in Alabama.

What kind of plants should I be getting? Do they go in before or after the cycle?

 

[Anonymous]

Definitely use the skimmer, and definitely get the heater. The tapwater thing depends, i ended up buying an RO filter because i couldnt keep the algae and all in check.

That seems to be the consensus, thanks! I'll do that. Of course that means more questions...

 

[liquid]

I would not recommend plants (aka macroalgae) in the main tank as once they get a foothold it's a PITA to deal with if and when they go out of control. Some people tend to setup a refugium (second tank) where they grow macroalgaes for added nutrient export but there's no way in heck that I'd use them for primary nutrient export. That's what a skimmer is for as it will pull out much more gunk than macros will take out of the water column.

Shane

 

[liquid]

Of course that means more questions...

By all means ask.

Also if you haven't seen our online magazine Advanced Aquarist (link @ top of page), definitely check it out.

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

With the exception of one post, you've been given solid advice. The only thing I will add is that mushrooms many times do not like intense lighting. You will get better extension from them with lower light levels.

OK, I appreciate the insite. The MH is a garage sale kinda thing that I didn't pay much for anyway. Is there a way to dim the output with a filter or something? What about taking out the reflector part so it doesn't put out so much light? It's a rectangular pendant with the dimpled shiney metal reflector.

 

[Anonymous]

OK, I appreciate the insite. The MH is a garage sale kinda thing that I didn't pay much for anyway. Is there a way to dim the output with a filter or something? What about taking out the reflector part so it doesn't put out so much light? It's a rectangular pendant with the dimpled shiney metal reflector.

I wouldn't mess with the MH lights. Put it aside. Soon enough you're going to want to get some corals that require more intense lighting. Most of us get that bug.
At that point you can bust out your MH that's been in storage, and you'll be glad you didn't tear it apart.

For now, it may be too much heat and possibly too much in electricity for what you need.
I'd just use the strip lights and save the heat and electricity.
Good luck and welcome to the hobby.