Leslee
Reef enthusiast
:sfish:Hello!:sfish:
Hi there! My name is Leslee. I am 25. I live in a suburb of Chicago, Naperville, IL. I am a graduate student and a teacher. I am getting my masters degree in special education. I love to spend my time volunteering when ever I can. I have even done the polar plunge, for Special Olympics and I will be doing it again soon!
I have *some* experience with saltwater tanks. I started a tank 2 years ago with my ex-fiance, I had it for 5 months, then moved out and he took it over. Since I had that tank with him it wasn't all mine.
Six months ago I started my own tank using a fresh water tank kit I found at the big box store. It is a 29 gal tank. I am using 3 over the back filters. 2 are for a 30 gal tank and the 3rd is for a 15 gal tank. So that is 75 gallons worth of filters on my 29 gal tank. I do not have a protein skimmer. :question:Do I need one? I do water changes every other week, and I rotate the filter changes. My water tests all come back clear and safe. I have been advised that I need one and I have also been advised that I don't. The store I trust the most says that I don't and they have not steered me wrong yet....I would just like to know your opinions! I use the strip light that came with the kit. I have a filter and the temp is usually about 80 degrees. :question:Is that too warm? My fish seem to be doing fine but I was worried about the temp. I do have one power head.
In my 29gal tank, I have 4 fish and numerous snails and crabs. There is about 35 lbs of live rock. On one of the live rocks I bought there is a clam or mussel or something along those lines that opens and shuts. It is apart of the live rock. The fish I have are 2 True Percula clowns, one royal gramma, and one green wrasse. There was a tiny little white starfish on one of the rocks, and it has since broke off two of its legs and now there are two. The green wrasse hides A LOT! He is only out for about 5 hours a day. :question:Is that normal? I have had the wrasse and royal gramma for about 2.5-3 months.
I took my time adding to my tank. I started out with the live rock for a week. Then I added 3 damsels and kept them for about 6 weeks and took the 3 out and took them back to the store. (didn't lose a single one!) Then I added the 2 clownfish and waited about 6 weeks before adding the royal gramma and wrasse. I added live rock and snails and crabs along the way.
:question:Can I add more fish to this tank? If yes, what would you suggest? My wrasse hides so much it seems like I only have 3 fish in the tank.
I rotate the food I feed my fish. One day they get flakes and sinking pellets, and the next they get brine shrimp and Rod's fish food, the Rod's frozen fish food is a mixture of all sorts of seafood.
For Christmas my mom bought me one of the cube tank set ups with a stand. It was the floor model at my favorite fish store so not a lot of information came with it. The guy told us it was all set up for corals, since mom knew I wanted to try out corals she bought it for me! While I know I can call the store and ask them, I like to hear all the opinions on it! The tank is a 22 gal with the protein skimmer and pump all built in the back. There is no top just a huge light for it. The light sits about 4 inches from the top of the tank.
The light is where MOST of my questions come from! I am not sure how to work it and what does what! The brand is a Finnex. There are 3 sets of bulbs in it! The first set is 2 blue-ish bulbs, that says Actinic blue/AB. The middle set of bulbs is one blue-ish bulb one white bulb, it says Actinic blue and 10000K. The last set is 2 white bulbs and I am not sure what that says it is in another language, no numbers. There are 2 switches on the side. One turns on only the middle bulbs (blue-ish and white) and the other turns on the outer sets of bulbs.
:question:When do I turn on which set of bulbs? I am sure if I do more research on corals I would learn more information but I am just starting out!
:question:Do I need a heater for this tank? Or will the lights keep it warm enough?
I have the water in the tank and I filled up to about an inch from the top of the tank. :question:Since there is no lid I didn't want it to flow over, is that alright?
I am getting live rock for the tank, and then maybe next week I might get some damsels.
I have only bought fish from one store. It makes me nervous to buy else where, because when I had my tank with my exfiance, we would buy fish from several different stores, and we lost several fish throughout the process. Since I have started my new tank, I have bought from one store, and haven't lost one fish, is that a weird fear?
Sooooooo....if you have made it through all of this,:Cheers: thank you very much! Your help is much appreciated!
I have *some* experience with saltwater tanks. I started a tank 2 years ago with my ex-fiance, I had it for 5 months, then moved out and he took it over. Since I had that tank with him it wasn't all mine.
Six months ago I started my own tank using a fresh water tank kit I found at the big box store. It is a 29 gal tank. I am using 3 over the back filters. 2 are for a 30 gal tank and the 3rd is for a 15 gal tank. So that is 75 gallons worth of filters on my 29 gal tank. I do not have a protein skimmer. :question:Do I need one? I do water changes every other week, and I rotate the filter changes. My water tests all come back clear and safe. I have been advised that I need one and I have also been advised that I don't. The store I trust the most says that I don't and they have not steered me wrong yet....I would just like to know your opinions! I use the strip light that came with the kit. I have a filter and the temp is usually about 80 degrees. :question:Is that too warm? My fish seem to be doing fine but I was worried about the temp. I do have one power head.
In my 29gal tank, I have 4 fish and numerous snails and crabs. There is about 35 lbs of live rock. On one of the live rocks I bought there is a clam or mussel or something along those lines that opens and shuts. It is apart of the live rock. The fish I have are 2 True Percula clowns, one royal gramma, and one green wrasse. There was a tiny little white starfish on one of the rocks, and it has since broke off two of its legs and now there are two. The green wrasse hides A LOT! He is only out for about 5 hours a day. :question:Is that normal? I have had the wrasse and royal gramma for about 2.5-3 months.
I took my time adding to my tank. I started out with the live rock for a week. Then I added 3 damsels and kept them for about 6 weeks and took the 3 out and took them back to the store. (didn't lose a single one!) Then I added the 2 clownfish and waited about 6 weeks before adding the royal gramma and wrasse. I added live rock and snails and crabs along the way.
:question:Can I add more fish to this tank? If yes, what would you suggest? My wrasse hides so much it seems like I only have 3 fish in the tank.
I rotate the food I feed my fish. One day they get flakes and sinking pellets, and the next they get brine shrimp and Rod's fish food, the Rod's frozen fish food is a mixture of all sorts of seafood.
For Christmas my mom bought me one of the cube tank set ups with a stand. It was the floor model at my favorite fish store so not a lot of information came with it. The guy told us it was all set up for corals, since mom knew I wanted to try out corals she bought it for me! While I know I can call the store and ask them, I like to hear all the opinions on it! The tank is a 22 gal with the protein skimmer and pump all built in the back. There is no top just a huge light for it. The light sits about 4 inches from the top of the tank.
The light is where MOST of my questions come from! I am not sure how to work it and what does what! The brand is a Finnex. There are 3 sets of bulbs in it! The first set is 2 blue-ish bulbs, that says Actinic blue/AB. The middle set of bulbs is one blue-ish bulb one white bulb, it says Actinic blue and 10000K. The last set is 2 white bulbs and I am not sure what that says it is in another language, no numbers. There are 2 switches on the side. One turns on only the middle bulbs (blue-ish and white) and the other turns on the outer sets of bulbs.
:question:When do I turn on which set of bulbs? I am sure if I do more research on corals I would learn more information but I am just starting out!
:question:Do I need a heater for this tank? Or will the lights keep it warm enough?
I have the water in the tank and I filled up to about an inch from the top of the tank. :question:Since there is no lid I didn't want it to flow over, is that alright?
I am getting live rock for the tank, and then maybe next week I might get some damsels.
I have only bought fish from one store. It makes me nervous to buy else where, because when I had my tank with my exfiance, we would buy fish from several different stores, and we lost several fish throughout the process. Since I have started my new tank, I have bought from one store, and haven't lost one fish, is that a weird fear?
Sooooooo....if you have made it through all of this,:Cheers: thank you very much! Your help is much appreciated!