photoquarium Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hello, I am new to this whole thing and I was hoping to get a few opinions on my set up before I proceed much further and make a huge and costly error. First, here’s a little background: This is my first venture into reef tanks, however I’ve done many types of freshwater aquariums, with my last one being a 40g of cichlids. Unfortunately, I had to go overseas for a year and was forced to give away my tank and fish, but now I’m back and ready to try something new! I’ve actually wanted to do a saltwater tank for about 10 years, and I figure now is the time to start. Because of my current living situation (and the possibility of a move across town in just a few months) I need to stay small. I bought a 9g biube (photo here: http://www.netshops.com/cart/shopper.cfm?a...p;ci_sku=CGI001 ) and have had it cycling with 6lbs of live rock for the past two days. I’ve spent the last few weeks reading as much as possible on the subject, including a lot of the info on this site, and I am completely afraid that I am going to make a fatal error without even realizing it. The tank currently has an under gravel filtration system, although I’ve read that it’s not necessary with live rock. Your thoughts? Should I just pull out the carbon and ceramic cartridge for now? As you can see from the second photo on the linked site, my tank has a center tube which “erupts” bubbles near the top. Is this a good thing or bad idea? I am not opposed to gutting the tank and installing a better system. I do eventually want to introduce some soft corals, sponges, and maybe some feather dusters, but I know that I need to have adequate water flow. What’s the best way to do this in such a small circular and vertically oriented tank? Finally, I doubt the lighting this tank came with is good for invertebrates, but I will cross that bridge when the time comes. Any comments and recommendations you have for me would be great, and thanks in advance! Link to comment
snowmaker Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 if you want a sponge than you cant have bubbles, you need more flow and light for corals. if you want a serious challenge then go for it, just do alot of research to keep your pets safe. but for a beginner tank i would advise a different one. there are alot of good aio's out there that have lighting and filtration covered for a beginner and mods as you grow. its a nice tank tho, keep it fresh till your ready and hold off till after the move. until then keep planing and doing research. Link to comment
Lalani Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hihi, I used to have a Biorb 30l set up as a reef. The undergravel filtration system is less than ideal for a saltwater tank. I would suggest you remove the sponge and other filter media. The bubbles shouldn't be a problem since they stay at the top, near the surface, but you'll need to add a powerhead to increase flow. Some Biorb discussions: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=186698 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=145897 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=185352 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=135989 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=144869 Link to comment
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