My First time setting up a reef tank

[redkneecoral]

Eversince I have been working at a pet store i have been wanting to setup a regular Fish Only saltwater tank. But instead i have ventured into coral reefs. So now I have started up a mini reef tank, a 15gal high tank.

I had setted it up 5 weeks ago for the water to go through a cycle, which is needed.

 

last thurdays i did my first water test. Here are he results.

PH level 8.4 (which is decent)

Ammonia 0

nitrite 0

Nitrate 0

 

So now i am able to place corals and fish in there, but going to wait lilbit longer cuz i am going to add more cured Live Rock in the tank. By adding more cure LR, that could through my tank into another mini water cycle. So i will have o see what happens by testing the water a week later after adding more LR.

 

All i have in there right now are 2 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, 5 astrea snails ( I need more, willing geting some on my next payday), 2 peppermint shrimps and 1 sandsifting starfish ( was a hitchicker from the live rock i purchase from a Saltwater supply store).

 

I had sold a few of my T's, almost all of my scorpions and all of my reptiles (which i didn't have a lot of repts). to purchase the lighting, heater, filter, Maxijet 400 wave maker, liverock, Reef marine salt and live sand in order to get this tank going. I'm not out of the game of keeping arachnids, just slows down some to learn more of SW reef tanks. Infact, still breeding tarantuls, i have breed my Grammastola aureostraita (Golden Chaco Knee) last night.

 

Here are a few pix, will be adding more as I add more things , such as fish and corals.

my 15gal tank with both lights, 15w aqus-glo and 15w arctinic

NOTE* this is how my tanks looks for now. Going to add more live rock.

 

here is just the arctinic, thought it was pretty cool looking

 

One of my peppermint shrimp, the bigger one. The smaller one wouldn't come out of one of the cave like rocks.

 

Sorry for the crappy pix, was taken from my wife's cell cam.

 

Aslo, working on a 2.5 gal picto for my daughter.

 

Thanks

Mark

[NAL]

Nice start, but if you tank isn't cycled, or you aren't sure if it is, don't add livestock.

[redkneecoral]

Hey Nal, thansk for the comment. And I am sure my tank is done cycling, according to my tests and from what a friend helping me to learm more of reef keeping tells me, my tank is good to go with adding livestock.

But I am waiting on adding any cuz i want more LR in there. By me adding more LR, that could through my tank into a mini cycle, right. So i am waiting.

[fellbeast]

Nice! How much LR is that.. You should make an island with it. That way your flow is better. Also your light s with that tank depth are gonna need to be stronger. You only have 2 watts per gallon.. need at least 4 to 5 watts per gallon. Get the orbit 80 watt PC light. $114 at Marine depot. I know.. this hobby will burn a hole in your pocket.

[fellbeast]

Nice! How much LR is that.. You should make an island with it. That way your flow is better. Also your light s with that tank depth are gonna need to be stronger. You only have 2 watts per gallon.. need at least 4 to 5 watts per gallon. Get the orbit 80 watt PC light. $114 at Marine depot. I know.. this hobby will burn a hole in your pocket.

[redkneecoral]

Nice! How much LR is that.. You should make an island with it. That way your flow is better. Also your light s with that tank depth are gonna need to be stronger. You only have 2 watts per gallon.. need at least 4 to 5 watts per gallon. Get the orbit 80 watt PC light. $114 at Marine depot. I know.. this hobby will burn a hole in your pocket.

 

 

At that point i had about 12 or 13 lbs of LR. Now I have about 15lbs, I bought another chunck of LR today. And still going to add more LR up to have a total of 20lbs at least. That is my goal amount to have.

Going to buy some LR from Sea Life inc.

 

Making an island with my LR will actually be better for the current flow.

 

I know i don't have enought lighting watts per gallon, money is lilbit tight for me purchase a better lighting. Hell, i cannot even just go out and a skimmer. But that will change eventually, lol.

Now with your light, will that be great for my tank, my tank size is the same length and width of a ten gallon, but talling in heighth.

 

 

Question, i have a MJ 400 (106 gph ) in my tank, is that enough. I would like to upgrade, but money isn't abundant right.

[fellbeast]

Yeah it'll be perfect if your just keeping softies.. the thing is, and even with my tank, Halides penetrate better, so more wattage would be needed for stony coral, but even for softies, you need more than what you have. Our tanks are tall so shade loving mushrooms will like the bottom, and put your light lovers towards the top. Yeah a protein skimmer is next on my list, and turning my AC 70 into a fuge.. I better start earning more tips at my part time job,... lol that funds my hobby, while my real job funds me living!

[redkneecoral]

Yeah it'll be perfect if your just keeping softies.. the thing is, and even with my tank, Halides penetrate better, so more wattage would be needed for stony coral, but even for softies, you need more than what you have. Our tanks are tall so shade loving mushrooms will like the bottom, and put your light lovers towards the top. Yeah a protein skimmer is next on my list, and turning my AC 70 into a fuge.. I better start earning more tips at my part time job,... lol that funds my hobby, while my real job funds me living!

 

 

yeah softies is what i am looking to get right now. And the lighting is going to change here shortly, what i have right is what i already had to hold me over until i get something better.I like the fact my tank is tall, that is why i picked it out of all the other smaller tanks i have ( have over 25 tanks right now, mostly 2.5's 5's and 10's since i have lots of tarantulas and few scorpions). I likie the fact i can place the mushrooms on the bottom and the higher lighted softies on the top..

 

I like how you're turning yout AC 70 into a fuge, i will have to get with you on how to make me one of those once i am ready to get to that point.

 

You do need to make more tips. I sell baby tarantulas and baby and adult scorpions to supply my SW hobby.

[redkneecoral]

Bought a piece of LR today, a chunk about 2 pounds and ordered a 4lb Fiji cured rock tonight from premiumaquatics.com.

will have an updated pic here shortly, after i rearrange my rocks abit

[fellbeast]

Bought any piece of LR today, a chunk about 2 pounds and ordered a 4lb Fiji cured rock tonight from premiumaquatics.com.

will have an updated pic here shortly, after i rearrange my rocks abit

 

Nice can't wait for a pic!

[redkneecoral]

Today UPS delivered me 4 lbs. of uncured LR from premiumaquaticsinc.com.

Now i have about 22 lbs in my tank. But, after seeing all that LR in the tank, i am thinking it's alilbit much for the 15 gal high tank. I will be tanking some out to place a few chunkc in my other tank. Or maybe i should just setup my 29 gal.

Before i do, some time this weekend i will have a pic up.

[acdctom92]

Very nice setup coming along man, but did you put uncured LR in the tank along with your livestock?

[redkneecoral]

used both cure and uncure in there. but mostly cure lr

 

To let you know, this tank is no longer up and running. I setted up a 30 gal long and moved everything over.

 

I really do need to try to borrow a cam to get a pic for my tank

[Curly Joe Reefer]

Can't wait to see the pics. It looked like you were off to a good start w/the 15 and i'm looking forward to seeing how your 29 turns out.

[redkneecoral]

I've never setted up the 29, cuz i i gotten my hands on a 30gal long with stand and fl lights for sw and once i cycled out the 30 i transferred everything over to my 30. the 2 bad things with this 30. 1 is that i don't have a cam to take pix from the starting point. 2, i am really not that crazy of my rockwork, but everyone else seems to like it.

 

thanks for commenting

 

 

Mark-

[bruce922]

Your tank seems to be moving along, get some new pics posted when you get a chance.

 

Bruce

[monosyth]

yes, we are requesting pix!

[redkneecoral]

i have to wait the next time my step mom comes over again and see if i can borrow her camera. Once i am able to do that. I will post pix of the 15gal that i already have and then post pix what my 30 gal looks like now after moved everything from the 15 to the 30.

Sadly to say, i have lost few zoa colonies and both of my X-mas favias awhile ago. but still have a fair amount of corals left.

[redkneecoral]

Shortly i will have pix up of my 30 gal tank. Not too sure what the quality the pix will be, but you'll get an idea

[redkneecoral]

since i have made known of moving everything from the 15 to the 30

here it is

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=228380

[cameraman_2]

Sounds like a good start, would like to see some recent pictures.

[snookman03]

Sounds like a good start, would like to see some recent pictures.

tank looks great!!! Nice job!!!

[redkneecoral]

i keep on forgetting to delete this off cuz i no longer have this tank setup, i transfered it all over to my 30gal

but thanks for the compliment

[snookman03]

Looking good, I like the scape it leaves alot of room for some acans lol.

[Curry02]

You're making me want to start a small tank in my room now! My wife is going to kill me! The fact that I have all the equipment laying around to do it, makes it worse... lol