My 16.5 starting out!

[owengibson]

Heres my litte reef: I will update as I updade:

 

It has 30W florescent "power-glos", a fluval 204, two fluval1pluses, and a 150 watt thermal-compact heater. There was about 50 dry lbs of coral skeleton and about 30 mollies to start.

 

I added 7 lbs of carrib-sea

Thanks,

OG

 

PS Great site

 

[phergus_25]

read some about the use of LR and take about 20 of the millies out, maby 30 read before you start it because you are going to get flamed in 5.....4......3.......2.......

[birdman204]

[Whitten]

Ok I can see that things will get ugly unless you get some help first.

First thing is first, is if your LFS doesn't have some LR that looks sort of like this.

Or this

Then you need to order some from a store like,

www.drsfostersmith.com

www.tampabaysaltwater.com

www.reefermadness.us

 

That is some ideal looking LR, and that would be much better than what ever your LFS sold you as LR.

 

Second if you need sand, those places all carry various types of it, and I am sure you can either find some from them, or someone here on line.

 

Next, yes you need to either be using distilled water or RODI water from the get go. Do not use Tap...it will do nothing but complicate maters later on.

 

Take your time, and don't put anything in that tank for the next month...after you get sand and some actual LR.

 

Lighting: You need some serious lighting if you intend to keep an anemone. I would suggest doing some reading about lighting needs here at Nano Reef. Lighting is a very important thing and should never be passed over or ignored. With the lighting that I think you have, you are going to be hardpressed to keep anything.

If you need help with Lighting checkout the section devoted to it, and don't be affraid to ask a question.

 

Livestock, while I like the idea you have to cram as much LR in the tank as possible, you are going to need to wait for a few key things.

1. Cycle

2. Cycle

3. Cycle

After those have happened and your parameters have leveled out then you can begin adding stuff. Other wise you will be doing nothing but wasting money...as it is a risk to put anything in the tank before the cycle has occured.

 

I suggest you come up with a budget, a list of goals, and maybe some ideas you have and check back with us. We will be happy to help you with any question you have, and would love to help get your tank up and running.

 

Let us know if there is anything we can do.

 

--Michael--

[The_Barbe-Hatten_Project]

I have to disagree with you on filling the tank w/ LR... i did the same thing... and now i'm having to take some out just to get coral in there... buy enough rock to fill your tank half way up and from one end to the other for starters... then as you get coral and other inverts in there you can take some out or buy little pieces to fill in gaps that you don't want... if you buy good LR, then you can save some money by just buying crushed coral and crushing it up a little more... it serves the main purpose of LS by controling the PH, but with out some of the trace elements... so a good thing to have is some mineral mud mixed into your crushed coral or in a refugium... but instant ocean contains pretty much everything that arag-alive sand contains....

[mik]

-edit-

[owengibson]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies. I guess anyone needs more info.

Why would I get flamed for showing a picture of a tank of mollies?

Can I not cycle the tank with them? I plan on using Ro water from now on, and adding a skimmer before I get any salt water animals. I will be adding more light next. Maybe a pc flo or two or just two more regular blue flos. If I add live rock/sand to this tank, will it not eventually spread to the other rock? Can I not just add mushrooms and a little coral later on? I was thinking of an anemone, but after reading up on them I think I wont bother ( I already had read up).

 

is this a joke. I geuss its a cool tank if you like a 16 gallon tank full of crappy rock 2-3 times as much as your supposed to have and a bunch of crappy brackish fish. Dont mean for the harsh words but you really should read a lot about this hobby before attempting it.

 

Thats pretty rude. Why is any of this crappy? Who makes you the one who gets to decide what is crappy or not? I just started this tank, Im sure it will get better as it gets older, with the help of nice people like mic and flamer. Its called cycling.

 

Just so you guys know I have read a lot on saltwater tanks. I ran a LFS for a year. Just because a person gives a little information doesnt mean they only have a little. How much rock should I have?

Thanks

OG

[Whitten]

I would thin your rock out just a bit. In order for you to be able to put things on the bottom of the tank, it will be necessary to have some dead space in the front. Granted I can't really get a good perspective of what the aquascarping is I think you may need to either pull a bit out, or just manuver it so it is a bit more subdued instead of just stacked in there.

 

Take a bit of time to look through pictures of other peoples tanks to get some good ideas, and maybe try re working the rock.

 

As far as how much should you have I like to go towords the 1-1.5 lbs per gallon. Here again I can't tell what kind of rock that is, so if it is really dense you may have like 50 lbs of rock. IF that is really porus rock you still will have around 20 atleast.

What size tank do you have... how many gallons?

 

Yes if you truely like the rock that you have then yes you can seed it with some LR that is uncured and is full of life, or some cured rock from your LFS.

 

Let me know some specifics so that I can review and help. Stuff like tank size, you know, water parameters.

[owengibson]

Hey thanks,

It is a 16 gallon, the sg is .026, pH is 7.6 out of tap so it is probably a little over 8 now, I will check it tommorow. I might

get rid of some of the skeleton to make room for LR. Why can't the tank be full of rock though? I like the rock I have a lot more than paying 16 per lb at the LFS. I am in no hurry and want to seed it...

Why should I take the mollies out?

OG

[mik]

i apologize if i was rude before guess i was a little harsh. Now for help for 1 thing brackish fish can bring in a lot of diseases to sw tanks because sw fish have no immunity to brackish diseases. For another 30 molllies in a 16.5 is crazy you should have 1-3 fish max in a sw tank. Also nobody every really cycles sw tanks with fish cuz its much more effective to go with an lr/piece of shrimp cycling method. As for the base rock a lot of people have base rock in there tanks buts its covered by lr and usually no more than a 1:1 ratio of base rock to lr because it will take a long time to seed it and cycle the tank if you have like a 1:8 ratio of base rock to live rock.

 

hope dat helps

mik

[brianemone]

you do not need live rock, most americans have this stuff very readily and so they use it, (fair enough) but here in NZ the only live rockis from other peoples tanks, use what you have but make it full salt water now, add some live rock a little down the track to speed up the cycle if you want but you dont need it.

 

i personally would take out some rock as it looks pretty full and i prefer to have some room for the fish to swim and a place to put some corals : )

[owengibson]

Thanks guys,

I knew there was more than one way. No problems with the rudeness mik, Ive been guilty before. The 30 mollies are pretty small and the tank is definately big enough for now ( in my humble opinion). They will go to the store when I have the tank more established. I havent had any problems with them so-far. Are there any diseases that could still be present after the mollies are gone?

Brianemone sees my dilema, Im Canadian and the LR is crap and expensive crap here at the LFS. I have to contact some local reefers to get good LR, and hopefully more things like shrooms and inverts.

OG

[Whitten]

Seeing as how LR is apparently really expensive over there, I would just get one lb. Unless you can order from some of the sites that I listed, and even though you may pay more in shipping it still might be cheaper than buying it over at the LFS. Man I wish you were in Alabama with me right now....I could get you the hook up for sure.

 

LR is completely and totally necessary. IT is essential to the Reef aquarium and in most cases is also for a Fish only. The rock is not for looks or for coralline algae. The rock containes beneficial bacteria that will cycle your tank, dispose of amonia, nitrates, and a whole slew of other things. W/o LR you have no reef tank. You have nothing of benefit for a reef tank, and you will have big problems. IF nothing else just get one piece and that will help get your tank going. Hell if you can see if they will give you a scoop of the crap at the bottom of their LR bin. What you are needing is bacteria...and the bacteria I am talking about is not able to be bought in a bottle and added contrary to what most LFS will tell you.

[owengibson]

Thanks Whittin,

Thats what im going to do, I will ad add a pound or two from LFSs,

Until the tank is cycled. i will probably travel a couple hours to a better LFS if mine doesnt get some nice rock soon.

I am going to look for small LR pieces with mushrooms

Is it possible to order next day to Canada? I think customs would be too much an issue....

OG

[brianemone]

fisrt of all what makes live rock live?? time

 

if you have the patience you can use dead base rock, the little bit of rock or scoop of "crap" is a good idea but again the bacteria will develop by its self, it just takes longer, get one rock the size of your fist and chuck it in 5$ to speed it up

[owengibson]

Added 8 lbs carib sea aragonite ( a week ago), 1 lb live sand, 1 lb Fiji rock, and got a starfish too in the deal! In one week I am adding a firefish, maybe in a month a bi-color blenny. Will post pics... cameras down for the night...

 

I am making plans for a refugium and adding lights. I am going to cut the in hood filter out of my eclipse tank, and put it on the back of the reef. Is it a good idea to use the bio-wheel in a refugium?

Added two fluval1 plus powerheads too, theres a nice current in there now

Will a 36W white compact be good over it?

 

I am then going to use the space in my planted eclipse tank for more lighting, probably the same 36W white compact or two.

 

I also am going to put two more 36W on the reef for a total of 138W = 8.4 w/gal

since the reef is already so high, I think it may be intense enough for my needs.

Thanks Santa for giving me the the aquarium fish handbook by Mills and Lampert, and Comeplete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium by Nick Dakin! Great books!

OG

[owengibson]

Added a firefish!