Poly's new fish tank Question Thread!

[ThePolyFish]

Hi everyone! I'm planning on starting out brand new making a coral reef for the first time! I've done a lot of research and a lot of lurking and reading, but there's a lot of stuff I still don't know.

 

Firstly, I was wondering about live rock. So far, I haven't seen any live rock I like at fish stores. It seems to be really grimy, lumpy, clumpy chunks of big rocks that won't make for really neat areas for the fish to hide and swim through and be happy. I was looking at some of the dry rocks from AquaMaxx, on MarineDepot. I like the tonga ones, because they're lighter colored. However, are they good rocks? Does anyone have experience with them being shipped to them and are they neat shapes? Lastly, how do I turn them into live rocks?

 

 

The second big question I have is about the aquariums themselves. I'm interested in the Coralife Biocube 29, but I'm worried it'll be too small for me. I was also looking at the Innovative Marine NUVO 40 gallon, and the CAD Lights Versa 42 gallon system (which is really expensive though).

 

Aside from the price, one of the biggest deciding factors for me is sound. I'd like to get, or make an aquarium that's as close to silent as possible, as ambient nose really grates on me. I was wondering if anyone would be able to assist me with that?

 

While I"m totally inexperienced, I'd also be tentatively interested in building an aquarium setup too. I'm pretty smart, (I'm a CS Student) and I'm willing to build things. Any input from anybody is greatly appreciated!

[Balix]

Choose your equipment first and build your list. Nuvo 40 is a decent price but having a sump is better. I would do real reef rock and add a Tonga rock as to how you like. Just advice from my experience and if I would get a chance to redo.

[ThePolyFish]

Choose your equipment first and build your list. Nuvo 40 is a decent price but having a sump is better. I would do real reef rock and add a Tonga rock as to how you like. Just advice from my experience and if I would get a chance to redo.

THank you for your response! I think I'm going with the Nuvo 40, because its a bit more room than the biocube, but not super expensive like the CAD lights. Also I can just deal with my own lights instead of trying to keep the biocube lights cool, so it'll hopefully be nice and quiet. How would you recommend I get some good real reef rock? I've been to a bunch of local fish stores, but they seem to just have chunky, really fragmented 'bricks' that are really featureless and kind of ugly looking (also not very conducive for giving fish nice hiding places or areas to swim through).

[Balix]

My LFS has them with cardboard for us to aquascape in the store. I think BRS also sells them.

[PDR]

Hi everyone! I'm planning on starting out brand new making a coral reef for the first time! I've done a lot of research and a lot of lurking and reading, but there's a lot of stuff I still don't know.

 

Firstly, I was wondering about live rock. So far, I haven't seen any live rock I like at fish stores. It seems to be really grimy, lumpy, clumpy chunks of big rocks that won't make for really neat areas for the fish to hide and swim through and be happy. I was looking at some of the dry rocks from AquaMaxx, on MarineDepot. I like the tonga ones, because they're lighter colored. However, are they good rocks? Does anyone have experience with them being shipped to them and are they neat shapes? Lastly, how do I turn them into live rocks?

 

 

The second big question I have is about the aquariums themselves. I'm interested in the Coralife Biocube 29, but I'm worried it'll be too small for me. I was also looking at the Innovative Marine NUVO 40 gallon, and the CAD Lights Versa 42 gallon system (which is really expensive though).

 

Aside from the price, one of the biggest deciding factors for me is sound. I'd like to get, or make an aquarium that's as close to silent as possible, as ambient nose really grates on me. I was wondering if anyone would be able to assist me with that?

 

While I"m totally inexperienced, I'd also be tentatively interested in building an aquarium setup too. I'm pretty smart, (I'm a CS Student) and I'm willing to build things. Any input from anybody is greatly appreciated!

 

 

Welcome to Nano-Reef!

 

I have used 5-6 different kinds of rock and so far my favorite rock was the Aquamaxx Eco-Rock, which I no longer see on Marine Depot's site. Second would be the rock from reef cleaners. By far the best value imo. Also John at reef cleaners has been great when I have requested different size/shape rocks when ordering from him. Don't worry about the color of the rock, it will all change to relatively the same color after a few months in the tank. The only main difference between "dry rock" and "live rock" is the presence of bacteria needed to process ammonia into nitrates.

 

If you haven't already, make sure you read up on cycling a new tank and trust me, don't rush this part of it. Thats the other good thing about the two types of rock I mentioned, they are very "clean" in the sense that they won't introduce any unwanted pests or algae.

 

Out of the tanks you mentioned I would definitely go with the Nuvo 40, however I highly recommend the Red Sea Reefer series if you have the extra $$. I have personally owned the Nuvo 20 and Reefer 350 and I can tell you that both are about as silent as you can get with an aquarium. The Nuvo return pump did make some noise the first month or so, but then quieted down substantially.

 

Something else to consider is if you ever wanted to add a skimmer, as far as I know, the only skimmer that will fit the Nuvo 40 is the IM Ghost skimmer, which has a lot of complaints about noise.

[RC1313]

Hi and Welcome!

 

I've had AIO tanks and I always have wished I had a sump. The AIO are very convenient but its nice to have that extra water volume and a place for a fuge and lots of filtration. I also prefer live rock over dry rock. I have used dry rock for the price before but if you can afford it I would go with live. I ordered mine from gulf live rock and liked it a lot.

 

With noise, I'm definitely not an expert on those tanks, but I do know that you will probably eventually want a skimmer, so keep that in mind! Feel free to ask any more questions that pop into your head!

[ThePolyFish]

 

 

Welcome to Nano-Reef!

 

I have used 5-6 different kinds of rock and so far my favorite rock was the Aquamaxx Eco-Rock, which I no longer see on Marine Depot's site. Second would be the rock from reef cleaners. By far the best value imo. Also John at reef cleaners has been great when I have requested different size/shape rocks when ordering from him. Don't worry about the color of the rock, it will all change to relatively the same color after a few months in the tank. The only main difference between "dry rock" and "live rock" is the presence of bacteria needed to process ammonia into nitrates.

 

If you haven't already, make sure you read up on cycling a new tank and trust me, don't rush this part of it. Thats the other good thing about the two types of rock I mentioned, they are very "clean" in the sense that they won't introduce any unwanted pests or algae.

 

Out of the tanks you mentioned I would definitely go with the Nuvo 40, however I highly recommend the Red Sea Reefer series if you have the extra $$. I have personally owned the Nuvo 20 and Reefer 350 and I can tell you that both are about as silent as you can get with an aquarium. The Nuvo return pump did make some noise the first month or so, but then quieted down substantially.

 

Something else to consider is if you ever wanted to add a skimmer, as far as I know, the only skimmer that will fit the Nuvo 40 is the IM Ghost skimmer, which has a lot of complaints about noise.

I'm leaning heavily towards the Nuvo 40. I like that it's bigger than the biocube, and that I can get my own lighting which won't be blasting with fans. I looked at the reefer 350. I like it, and the CAD Lights Versa 42. It's just a lot of money for me, especially since I've never done this before. I'd like to start small(er), and build up from there. Maybe if I really like it, I get something big later on, that I can really have fun with. I've heard that the Tunze 9004 or something skimmer works in a Nuvo 40, and is quieter, is this true? Also, I think I'll go with live rock if I can, but I've seen mixed reviews of them, where they're just featureless, dry clumps. Is there a way/vendor that seems especially reliable?

[PDR]

I'm leaning heavily towards the Nuvo 40. I like that it's bigger than the biocube, and that I can get my own lighting which won't be blasting with fans. I looked at the reefer 350. I like it, and the CAD Lights Versa 42. It's just a lot of money for me, especially since I've never done this before. I'd like to start small(er), and build up from there. Maybe if I really like it, I get something big later on, that I can really have fun with. I've heard that the Tunze 9004 or something skimmer works in a Nuvo 40, and is quieter, is this true? Also, I think I'll go with live rock if I can, but I've seen mixed reviews of them, where they're just featureless, dry clumps. Is there a way/vendor that seems especially reliable?

 

 

I think you may be right about the skimmer, I think its just the nuvo 30 and under that only the ghost works with. Tunze skimmers are quiet and work great. If you do get the Nuvo 40 make sure to get the media baskets from inTank, and I highly recommend Nanobox lighting if you have it in the budget.

 

I'm going to take a pretty hard stand on this, but I personally do not think a beginner should use live rock. IMO the cons far outweigh the pros. Here is how I personally see it.

 

Live rock Pros:

Without going into detail established live rock (not just the stuff the lfs throws in a bucket of water and calls live rock) can have a lot of good things on it that can benefit the tank that may not be immediately available when using dry rock. (pods, brittle stars, other microfauna and the beneficial bacteria necessary for a successful tank).

 

Live rock Cons:

Costs significantly more $$.

Needs to be "cured" before anything can be added to the tank, which can take just as long or longer than cycling dry rock.

High risk for unwanted pests that can potentially kill fish, kill coral, and algae that can take over and is very hard to get rid of long term (bryopsis).

 

Dry rock Pros:

Cost less $$.

No risk of unwanted pests.

Typically a higher quality rock imo.

 

Dry rock Cons:

Takes a few months to fully "establish" and start getting good color.

No chance for good hitchhikers, most of which can be purchased to seed the tank however.

Takes a few weeks to cycle, but a much better alternative to curing live rock imo.

 

Please understand that this is just my opinion based on experience and there are plenty of tanks that have used live rock and are great, there are however plenty that have used live rock and have had to do full tank breakdowns to get rid of pests, etc.

[ThePolyFish]

 

 

I think you may be right about the skimmer, I think its just the nuvo 30 and under that only the ghost works with. Tunze skimmers are quiet and work great. If you do get the Nuvo 40 make sure to get the media baskets from inTank, and I highly recommend Nanobox lighting if you have it in the budget.

 

I'm going to take a pretty hard stand on this, but I personally do not think a beginner should use live rock. IMO the cons far outweigh the pros. Here is how I personally see it.

 

Live rock Pros:

Without going into detail established live rock (not just the stuff the lfs throws in a bucket of water and calls live rock) can have a lot of good things on it that can benefit the tank that may not be immediately available when using dry rock. (pods, brittle stars, other microfauna and the beneficial bacteria necessary for a successful tank).

 

Live rock Cons:

Costs significantly more $$.

Needs to be "cured" before anything can be added to the tank, which can take just as long or longer than cycling dry rock.

High risk for unwanted pests that can potentially kill fish, kill coral, and algae that can take over and is very hard to get rid of long term (bryopsis).

 

Dry rock Pros:

Cost less $$.

No risk of unwanted pests.

Typically a higher quality rock imo.

 

Dry rock Cons:

Takes a few months to fully "establish" and start getting good color.

No chance for good hitchhikers, most of which can be purchased to seed the tank however.

Takes a few weeks to cycle, but a much better alternative to curing live rock imo.

 

Please understand that this is just my opinion based on experience and there are plenty of tanks that have used live rock and are great, there are however plenty that have used live rock and have had to do full tank breakdowns to get rid of pests, etc.

Hmm, the way you describe it, it does seem like going with dry rock seems like a better idea. So from there, I have a few questions:

 

1. Where do I get good/interesting looking dry rock from good vendors (and not like, featureless slabs/chunks/pebbles).

 

2. How do I turn dry rock into nice live rock? What kinds of things/supplements do I need to buy to turn it into live rock?

 

3. How long do I need to establish dry rock? Are there good markers to tell? Are there things I'll be doing while I wait for it to establish? Like adding cleanup crew/first coral, stuff like that? Or am I just hanging out with rocks?

[PDR]

Hmm, the way you describe it, it does seem like going with dry rock seems like a better idea. So from there, I have a few questions:

 

1. Where do I get good/interesting looking dry rock from good vendors (and not like, featureless slabs/chunks/pebbles).

 

2. How do I turn dry rock into nice live rock? What kinds of things/supplements do I need to buy to turn it into live rock?

 

3. How long do I need to establish dry rock? Are there good markers to tell? Are there things I'll be doing while I wait for it to establish? Like adding cleanup crew/first coral, stuff like that? Or am I just hanging out with rocks?

 

 

1. I would recommend the rock at reef cleaners. If you really want an interesting aquascape you can cut and epoxy rocks to pretty much any design.

 

2. & 3. All of this should be answered here. http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/_/beginners/cycling-your-tank-r8

But just point out a few things that I didn't understand as a newbie.

 

You don't need to add anything to the aquarium to cycle it except an ammonia source. I would however recommend a good bottled bacteria to kick start the cycle like this http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Nitrifying-Bacteria-Cycling/dp/B002DVRHMS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456940226&sr=8-2&keywords=dr+tims+one+and+only and use pure ammonia as the ammonia source.

 

A typical cycle takes 4-6 weeks at which point you add your CUC. Diatoms showing up is a good indication the cycle is nearing completion. The true test that it is completed is when ammonia is converted to nitrite -> nitrate in <24 hours.

 

 

If you have the time, I HIGHLY recommend watching the BRS 52 weeks of reefing on youtube (currently on week 32). If you start on week one and watch them consecutively, they will answer most questions a beginner will have and questions you will have as you advance in the hobby. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBaMLrfToJyybUT18OE3fMomFb9XU0ffC

[RC1313]

One thing I would like to add about cycling live rock is that I have always added a bacteria source such as Dr. Tim's or the LA Nitrifying Bacteria and it sped up the curing process immensely.

Also with the algae thing.. you're gonna get algae. There is no way to stop that from happening. You run about the same risk of getting things like bryopsis, aptasia, and other nasties buying coral frags and not quarantining them. I personally have done the dry rock set up because of cost and regretted it. Just my .02

[ThePolyFish]

One thing I would like to add about cycling live rock is that I have always added a bacteria source such as Dr. Tim's or the LA Nitrifying Bacteria and it sped up the curing process immensely.

Also with the algae thing.. you're gonna get algae. There is no way to stop that from happening. You run about the same risk of getting things like bryopsis, aptasia, and other nasties buying coral frags and not quarantining them. I personally have done the dry rock set up because of cost and regretted it. Just my .02

Well, you kind of want a little bit of algae, right? So you can feed your snails and crabs and stuff (and some herbivore fish later on). I think a small sprinkling of hair algae and stuff is kind of pretty, as is bubble algae, as long as its controlled.

 

So would I buy that Dr. Tim's or LA Nitrifying Bacteria for dead rock to add it?

[PDR]

One thing I would like to add about cycling live rock is that I have always added a bacteria source such as Dr. Tim's or the LA Nitrifying Bacteria and it sped up the curing process immensely.

Also with the algae thing.. you're gonna get algae. There is no way to stop that from happening. You run about the same risk of getting things like bryopsis, aptasia, and other nasties buying coral frags and not quarantining them. I personally have done the dry rock set up because of cost and regretted it. Just my .02

 

 

Just curious, why did you regret using dry rock? And yes, there is a good chance you can/will get pests on coral frags, but it is way easier to properly dip a frag, inspect for pests and then remove if any unwanted algae is noticed than it is to pull out all your rock work.

Well, you kind of want a little bit of algae, right? So you can feed your snails and crabs and stuff (and some herbivore fish later on). I think a small sprinkling of hair algae and stuff is kind of pretty, as is bubble algae, as long as its controlled.

 

So would I buy that Dr. Tim's or LA Nitrifying Bacteria for dead rock to add it?

 

Not necessarily, a CUC will help with algae but it can quickly get out of control. Bubble algae and bryopsis can look cool, but they have the ability to take over a tank very quickly, especially bryopsis and just about nothing eats or kills it.

[Marine Depot]

I have used 5-6 different kinds of rock and so far my favorite rock was the Aquamaxx Eco-Rock, which I no longer see on Marine Depot's site.

 

1,500 pounds of AquaMaxx Eco-Rock was picked up Monday from Florida and is on its way to Marine Depot. We anticipate arrival as early as this Friday or as late as next week.

[RC1313]

Well, you kind of want a little bit of algae, right? So you can feed your snails and crabs and stuff (and some herbivore fish later on). I think a small sprinkling of hair algae and stuff is kind of pretty, as is bubble algae, as long as its controlled.

 

So would I buy that Dr. Tim's or LA Nitrifying Bacteria for dead rock to add it?

 

I mean that stuff happens anyways, I wouldn't say you necessarily want it though. You can feed herbivorous fish and CUC with algae sheets too if you run out of algae.

Yes you need to if you use solely dead rock, and it is helpful anyways.

 

 

 

Just curious, why did you regret using dry rock? And yes, there is a good chance you can/will get pests on coral frags, but it is way easier to properly dip a frag, inspect for pests and then remove if any unwanted algae is noticed than it is to pull out all your rock work.

 

Not necessarily, a CUC will help with algae but it can quickly get out of control. Bubble algae and bryopsis can look cool, but they have the ability to take over a tank very quickly, especially bryopsis and just about nothing eats or kills it.

I just regretted lacking the diversity that I had in my other tanks, so much interesting and cool stuff came in on my live rock, and nothing bad at all. The dry rock just took forever to look as good as the live IMO so that's why I regretted it. But I definitely understand pros of using it. And true about the coral, but also hard to be 100% sure you got everything.

[ThePolyFish]

 

I mean that stuff happens anyways, I wouldn't say you necessarily want it though. You can feed herbivorous fish and CUC with algae sheets too if you run out of algae.

Yes you need to if you use solely dead rock, and it is helpful anyways.

 

I just regretted lacking the diversity that I had in my other tanks, so much interesting and cool stuff came in on my live rock, and nothing bad at all. The dry rock just took forever to look as good as the live IMO so that's why I regretted it. But I definitely understand pros of using it. And true about the coral, but also hard to be 100% sure you got everything.

Just curious, what kind of cool biodiversity did you miss out on? Is it stuff I can add in myself?

[jdog]

I have purchased both, Live and Dry Rock my personal preference is Dry in Main and some Live in Sump.I have had more bad Stuff then Good with Live,but that is just my opinion.

[RC1313]

Just curious, what kind of cool biodiversity did you miss out on? Is it stuff I can add in myself?

 

I mean yes, but with my live rock I got some cool algaes, some tunicates, and different colors of coralline besides just purple, mostly small things but I appreciated them. It really is up to you, neither option will hinder your success. It was always exciting to me to watch my live rock even without anything else because I would never know what I would find next..but I definitely get that isn't everyones cup of tea.

[ThePolyFish]

So, I'm currently building my 'shopping cart' for getting everything I need for a NUVO 40 by Innovative Marine. I do have a couple of initial questions. Firstly: I'm looking at testing kits, and I"m not sure what to do. I see a couple of ones by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, one for saltwater, and one for reefs. However, it seems like they both have things the other doesn't, and I"m wondering whether I need both, and what the best course of action would be there (or should I consider something totally different?). I'm also wondering what lighting i should get for it. I'm looking at LEDs, hopefully something quiet, relatively inexpensive, but still lets me grow all different things (I have great biodiversity as a goal in mind for my tank).

[ThePolyFish]

Hey everyone, I'm really stuck on the lighting, flow, or other features I might need. The lighting thing is the most difficult. I'm really not sure what would provide sufficient lighting, while still being inexpensive and quiet. I'm pretty sure I"m sticking with a stock pump. I'm also pretty lost as far as powerheads go. Do I need others? How many do I need? What are relatively inexpensive ones that are most importantly QUIET? Lastly, are there any other things I'm going to need that I haven't thought of? Any help is appreciated.

Thank you everyone!