Hello! I'm Stevie. I'm new to everything. This is what I've got going

[evites]

Hello everyone!

I've been creeping in the background for awhile but I've decided to start sharing my setup process. So far its been a lot of reading, a lot of shopping, a little buying and a lot of waiting.

 

This is my first reef tank, and first real attempt at aquarium keeping at all, besides disastrous freshwater attempts as a teenager and young adult. I had no idea what I was doing, and I killed lots of things. Feeling guilty about that now, so this time around I'm doing it right and being a responsible 30 year old about it, instead of an impatient child. I fell in love with the freshwater planted tanks and started shopping around for equipment for that particular project, and in my stalking of forums and constant research, it occurred to me that my real fascination with aquariums was the coral! Uncharted territory for me, but nothing I'm sure I can't handle. I've always always wanted the classic saltwater tank with a happy little clownfish and colorful reefs growing everywhere. I saw this tank and then the decision was made for me. Saltwater it is! And so, the adventure begins.

 

A list of equipment so far (with some redundancies because I'm fickle and have difficulties making decisions)

 

• Mr Aqua low-iron 12 Gallon Long (I like the way it fits on my room divider bookshelf so I can look at it laying in bed or sitting on my couch)

• Mr Aqua low iron 7.5 Gallon Cube (cause I bought a Kessil and it won't fit on the bookshelf with the 12 gallon long )

• Kessil A160WE Tuna Blue w/ Spectral Controller and Gooseneck (a very nice $280&freeShip used eBay deal that included 2 pumps and a heater, perfect for my beginner setup needs)

• Hydor Koralia Nano 240

• Hydor Koralia Nano 425 (unfortunately missing the magnet holder, the caveat of buying used)

• Eheim Jager 50 watt heater

• Aquaclear 20 HOB filter (went back and forth between this and a sunsun canister, eventually deciding that I probably don't even need a filter with frequent enough water changes but, eh.. it was only $20)

• cheapo made in china 25 watt heater and air pump with bubble stone for mixing salt water

• 10 lbs CaribSea Fiji Pink "live sand" (seriously doubting how live this stuff is )

• Instant Ocean Salt Mix (did I mess up not paying more for the special reef salt?)

• RO/DI unit for reef & drinking water, eBay purchase for $136, installed by my handy SO.

• the required refractometer

• digital & oldschool mercury thermometers

• The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta

• Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History by Eric H. Borneman

• Corals, A Quick Reference Guide by Julian Sprung

 

So, since I have now found myself with not one but TWO aquariums to setup, I have a rough outline of what my plan is.

 

I'll start with the 7.5 gallon, since thats the one the Kessil fits on. Planning on filling that with live rock from the LFS ($7.99 a pound for that stuff - how many pounds for a 7.5 gallon cube? 7.5 lbs?)

 

While thats happening at a nice quick pace, I'll be slowly curing my 12 lbs of BRS Reef Saver rock (a future purchase I haven't actually made the leap on just yet... do I really want to spend ALL that time curing to save $$$ ??) in the Mr Aqua 12 Gallon long while I save for the purchase of an appropriate light that fits on the bookshelf. Here is a photo of the shelf so you can see the lighting conundrum. There she is filled with freshwater to test for leaks, as well as the strength of that shelf. Its been that way for about a week, looking good so far.

 

 

I don't plan on starting with SPS or anything like that, obviously a bit much for a total n00b, but I want to keep that option open in the future, so the light is a big deal. Suggestions on a low profile LED that can handle SPS on the 8" depth of a 12 gallon long would be MUCH appreciated. That particular bit of info us hard to scrounge up around here. The Current USA Orbit Marine LED has been sitting in my shopping cart for a month, but something is keeping me from pulling the trigger on it.

 

So! Thats what I've got going so far! Already having fun and I haven't even mixed a drop of saltwater

[Ibuyen]

My friend has the orbit marine leds on his 20 long, I like the remote that it comes with and its easy to use.

[jack1978]

Welcome aboard!

 

That's a great tank to model after, nice inspiration.

 

The Kessil / 7.5 gal will be a great combo.

I would agree on staying away from the canister filter, they work....but out of sight out of mind....they can get jammed up full of nasties and negatively effect your water quality.

 

I'd grab the larger Aqua Clear HOB (Hang On Back) filter....AC 70. You can buy custom made media baskets for enhanced filtration from Stevie (Mr. Hookers and Blow) from inTank (sponsor here on NR). Wit the larger filter you can put your heater in there and keep your tank a little less cluttered. You can make mods to the impeller on the filter as well to create less flow if desired.

 

Live rock. You may not need the 1 lb per gallon rule. Some rock is dense, less desirable. Other rock is light weight and super porous. ...equalling greater surface area for bacteria.

 

Don't scape like you would in freshwater.....try to picture your grown out coral as the scape...not so much the rock. Sometimes, less rock is better.

 

Post some pics when you get the time.

 

Oh, ditch the cheapo heater and spend money on a quality one......cheapo heater can nuke hundreds in livestock.

 

Have fun!

[smeagol108]

The orbit marine (don't buy the pro version, it's a waste) will be perfect for 8 inches of depth. For the price u cannot beat it. Used one for a long time on a fluval edge which was like 9 inches deep.

[evites]

I'll probably put the Aqua Clear 20 on the 7.5, and do like you say with the AquaClear 70 on the 12 gallon. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

The cheapo heater was only for mixing new saltwater to get it to tank temp - the nicer Eheim Jager will actually be used in the tank...

although from what I've read those aren't exactly stellar either.

It was part of my jumbo eBay auction of used gear, so why not give it a shot?

[evites]

I'd grab the larger Aqua Clear HOB (Hang On Back) filter....AC 70. You can buy custom made media baskets for enhanced filtration from Stevie (Mr. Hookers and Blow) from inTank (sponsor here on NR). Wit the larger filter you can put your heater in there and keep your tank a little less cluttered. You can make mods to the impeller on the filter as well to create less flow if desired.

 

Tell me more about putting the heater in that filter. Keep in mind this iss for the 12 gallon long. Do you have heater suggestions? Where, exactly, does it fit in there? And could I bother you for a link to this Stevie's custom media baskets?

What sort of custom media are we talking about?

 

So many questions! Such a noob!

but again, advice is MUCH appreciated

[evites]

cords everywhere, empty tank. where does the pump go?

[intarsiabox]

cords everywhere, empty tank. where does the pump go?

IMG_1950.JPG

 

What pump are you referring to?

[intarsiabox]

http://shop.mediabaskets.com/ This is the link to the store with the custom media baskets and all kinds of other good stuff. Under "Sponsors" the company is call inTank LLC in case the link doesn't work. If I click on it the direct link doesn't seem to work on my end but if I copy and paste the link into my browser it works?

[evites]

 

What pump are you referring to?

the koralia. where in the world are you supposed to stick it? top bottom left right? I just randomly plopped it in. does it matter?

[squamptonbc]

I don't have this specific tank, but in all the tanks I have had, I just place the pump around in different spots over a few days until I get the desired flow and water movement, I'll toss in a flake or 2 of food to see how the food moves around to get an idea of how the water is moving.

 

Currently I have a 10 gallon M40 from Fluval which is a cube, and I ended up with the pump in the back left corner facing directly across from the other wall.

 

Trial and error, easier to do in my experience once filled with water and you can see the water flow.

 

 

For the record, I always use instant ocean and always have, I don't keep anything fancy though, just mushrooms, and the occasional zoa. But they do fine.

 

 

 

 

 

the koralia. where in the world are you supposed to stick it? top bottom left right? I just randomly plopped it in. does it matter?

[SideCar_Falcon619]

WELCOME!

 

So jealous that your tank runs the length of your bed!

 

I have to lay all kinds of weird directions to look at my tank from me bed : (

[Reef Hollister]

 

Tell me more about putting the heater in that filter. Keep in mind this iss for the 12 gallon long. Do you have heater suggestions? Where, exactly, does it fit in there? And could I bother you for a link to this Stevie's custom media baskets?

What sort of custom media are we talking about?

 

So many questions! Such a noob!

but again, advice is MUCH appreciated

FYI. StevieT (Intanks) is the man with the answers and advice. Great person to do business with. Great products and customer service. Listen to him! He will steer you right.

[Clown79]

Welcome

 

You are on the right track.

 

Good call on ditching the canister filter and going with hob. Canisters need weekly cleaning or they end up being an issue.

 

If you clean the hob filter, intakes, and the pump monthly- you won't run into nutrient issues.

 

The cheap heater for water mixing is fine- i do the same thing and always have. You don't need high end for bucket.

 

The jaggers are good heaters. They need calibrating but thats what makes them more accurate. They may not fit in an hob filter- they seem bigger than other heaters.

 

You could put a black background on the back outer wall to hide the hoses, it blends- eventually it will be covered in coralline and it won't be a big issue.

 

Powerhead placement is trial and error. I found the best for longer tanks on the side walls. I put one on one end facing up to cause a nice ripple on the surface, on the other end the powerhead faces same direction but more mid tank. The two cause a nice flow.

 

You will be fiddling with the powerhead until you feel its in a good position.

 

I love the tank on the shelf. As long as it can withstand 200lbs you should be good. The only issue will be water changes, make sure you have clearance to work in the tank- its a pain in the a$$ not having good clearance.

 

Lighting for longer tanks isn't as easy. A lot of led is pendant lighting which causes shadows at the ends.

 

There is Aquamaxx Marine. Its a newer light but its got a lot of great reviews. Its controllable and full spectrum. I run the aquamaxx nemolight on my 10g- love it. My corals are doing great. My birdsnest has been in full bloom since switching to the light. This light has also kept my temp stable. My other led light created a lot of heat!

 

Other options would be nanobox, Ai Hydra, mars aqua, orbits, t5ho.

 

Looking forward to pics:)

[evites]

Day one of Live Rock! The fun begins

[vegasgundog]

Great start!

[Bcb577]

Looks great!

[Hammerstone]

Welcome ?

[jolee0722]

 

Tell me more about putting the heater in that filter. Keep in mind this iss for the 12 gallon long. Do you have heater suggestions? Where, exactly, does it fit in there? And could I bother you for a link to this Stevie's custom media baskets?

What sort of custom media are we talking about?

 

So many questions! Such a noob!

but again, advice is MUCH appreciated

In terms of putting a heater in the AC70, there are some pictures on Steve's website, but the neotherm heater from Cobalt Aquatics seems to fit nicely into the first chamber of the media basket, which would normally be filled with filter floss. While the Neotherm heaters are probably the most expensive aquarium heaters, they are almost indestructible, not made out of glass which can shatter, are more accurate and maintain a consistent temperature better than any other heater. BRS did a review on a bunch of heaters with a few graphs and the Neotherm heaters performed the best. Would highly recommend one if you have the money.

[Clown79]

I wish I had gone with a smaller heater so I could put it in a filter...the jagger heaters are big!

[evites]

serious green algae!

less than a week in.

its too hot in my apartment, tank sits at about 79 degrees. bought an air conditioner today (needed it anyway!) so hopefully that'll make things a little less.... green.

[Pjanssen]

79 is a perfect temperature. Too many nutrients. Do you have a cleanup crew yet? You can do a water change and change out your filter floss. How long are you running your lights? Maybe cut back a little.

[Clown79]

Is the tank still cycling?

 

79 is normal temp

 

Most new tanks have high nutrient levels and algae outbreaks.

 

What are your nitrates at right now

[evites]

No clean up crew yet. My rock has only been in there for a week. My nitrate test kit is on its way in the mail ? When is it safe for the clean up crew to go in? After I've finished cycling?

[fishfreak0114]

Yep, once the cycles done you can add some CUC to deal with the algae