Dazz78uk Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 hi everyone my names Darren and i am from Cumbria in England. i am about to set up my first marine pico reef. i have had fish since i was a kid but have i never had a marine tank. i have been researching and finaly decided to give it ago. when i first started researching i was overwhelmed with information and i knew there was alot more to marine fish than tropical fish but i did not realise exactly how much more there was to know. the more i read and watched youtube videos the better understanding i gained. i have been reading posts on this forum and have found it to be very informative and the people seem to be very friendly to "newbies" most forums i visit dont take kindly to "noobs" i am going to document my experience in the hopes people will be able to help me out when i need it but also for others to learn from my mistakes ( hopefully not many ) and hopefully help other people to get started too. i made this video to show what equipment i am using and show my set up here is a few pics of the dry setup here are a few pics of the filter. should i leave it as it is or turn it into a refugium? if anyone has any advice on my set up i would love to hear it. thanks in advance Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 to nano-reef.com You will need to regularly clean or replace the filter media if you want to keep it as is. A refugium can help, but the size means it will play a small part in helping the tank's filtration capacity. Link to comment
Rymah Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 to nano-reef.com You will need to regularly clean or replace the filter media if you want to keep it as is. A refugium can help, but the size means it will play a small part in helping the tank's filtration capacity. +1 take out that sponge and run CPE in one chamber and Chaeto in the other. those sponges will just be a PITA in the long run. Link to comment
Dazz78uk Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 thanks for the advice i am just new to this could you tell me what CPL means please. carbon something? i take it Chaeto is an algae? should i put a few small bits of live rock in there too? Link to comment
Rymah Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 thanks for the advice i am just new to this could you tell me what CPL means please. carbon something? i take it Chaeto is an algae? should i put a few small bits of live rock in there too? CPE= Chemi Pure Elite- its Carbon + GFO. Chaeto is an algae most keep in there Nano's a cheap submerge-able light will keep it alive and growing. Personally i wouldn't bother with the Rubble, if you have extra room drop a bag a Purigen in - its got magic HUUduu. (absolutely no idea what is in there but a lot of ppl run it and everyone loves it lol. ) Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Chaetomorpha is the full name. It's a type of macroalgae that can absorb some nutrients (and lead to nutrient export with periodic trimming). There are also small compact fluorescent lights that you can clip onto the filter to help the algae grow. Or, if the main tank lighting is going to be suspended, you could just remove the filter lid. Link to comment
Dazz78uk Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 Thanks I will invest in some new media. Yeh my lights are suspended so I will take the top off the filter. Link to comment
jec11718 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 welcome to NR...warning its addicting! my advise is to start slooooowly! josh Link to comment
Dazz78uk Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 yeh i can see its addictive but i will take my time and learn as i go. besides my wallet wont let me go to fast anyhow lol Link to comment
Dazz78uk Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 well i set my tank up just over 24 hours ago. it has 5kg of live sand and 1.5kg of live rock. ive just tested the water and here are the results ph 8.2 ammonia 0ppm nitrite 0ppm nitrate 10ppm i was told by the local pet shop to wait 48 hours before adding any corals or fish. i would have thought i would have had to wait longer than that i would have thought at least a week or two. while we were in there my wife spotted a goby would this be a good starter fish for a 5gal(imperial) 6gal(us) tank? Link to comment
MeepNand Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 told by the local pet shop to wait 48 hours before adding any corals or fish.i would have thought i would have had to wait longer than that i would have thought at least a week or two. while we were in there my wife spotted a goby would this be a good starter fish for a 5gal(imperial) 6gal(us) tank? The blue text is making my OCD kick in... Do not add any livestock for about a month. Put some food in there to decompose and start the cycle. Once all the ammonia/nitrites are zero (around 2-4 weeks) and the nitrates are blow 10 ppm, add in a fish. Stock slowly, like a couple corals a week. Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 It's best to avoid LFS (local fish store) advice when you're starting out. Some owners have outdated info, and others are sometimes out to sell "just one more" product. If you haven't noticed by now, this hobby has a lot of additives and supplements, all of which you don't need to have a successful tank. You're correct about waiting a week or more. Sometimes the rock is cured, or pre-cycled at the store, and will not have a cycle itself (cycle = an ammonia spike followed by nitrite/nitrate spike). Make sure ammonia is always 0 ppm (nitrites should also remain 0 ppm because they are quickly converted to nitrates) for multiple days. While a small goby may be okay, you should try to stick to only one or two max. A five gallon tank is not suitable for a large group of fish (10-15 gallons is a better range for starting). Instead, focus more on invertebrates like shrimp, snails, and corals. Link to comment
the gzaa Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 +1 I have a 14 gallon biocube and I learned the hard way about having a huge bioload on this small tank. I now only have one fish. Good luck and welcome to N-R! Link to comment
Dazz78uk Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Thanks for all the advice. Tested water today and nitrate nitrite and ammonia are at 0 and ph is 8.2. I got the tank to make a reef so I won't be putting loads of fish in there. I would like 1 or 2 small fish but that would be the max I'm not sure what clean up crew to get yet. Bit wurried about putting crabs n snails together incase the crabs eat the snails. Would crabs have a go at shrimps? Link to comment
ward827 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I know you live in England, but take a look at reefcleaners.org for a good list of the different CUC's. You can get an idea of what you may want to add for your crew based on the size of your tank. Good luck and have some fun! W- Link to comment
Dazz78uk Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 i wish marine stuff was that cheap over here. im looking at least 5-10x the prices on that sight from my local shop! Link to comment
SSLVRNBLK Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 i wish marine stuff was that cheap over here. im looking at least 5-10x the prices on that sight from my local shop! Any pics yet? Link to comment
Dazz78uk Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 i put up a post under members aquariums but heres a pic of the tank. i took a pic with the lights on but they didnt come out verry well Link to comment
the gzaa Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 No worries man snails and hermits should be good together! Link to comment
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