1 Month Newbie

dvong

dvong

Reefing newb
Hello everyone. I just started this hobby about 1 month ago. I was given a 75gal tank by my cousin but I decided to start with a small tank to get experience first before working on a bigger tank. I didn't want to spend a lot of money and mess things up and end up wasting all that hard earned cash.

My 26gal bow front tank has live sand and 20lbs of live rocks. Once the tank was cycled, which took about one week. I'm proud of myself in achieving this because the local fish store guys were impressed and said most people take about 1 month. I believe it was partly because my house has two filters for our tap water.

I added two clown fish about a week ago. They seem to be healthy. At first they would stay in one corner of the tank. I suppose it is because they are not used to the new environment. After a few days, they ventured from one corner to the other corner. As of today, they are now exploring the tank.

I just bought a 14watt x 2 Solarmax HE T5 to anticipate me adding coral reefs. My next goal is to add coral reefs, a blue tang and a yellow tang.
 
Hello and Welcome!

Cycling your tank has nothing to do with what type of water you use, cycling your tank is all about growing the bacteria that can process the fish's waste. Did you test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate during your cycle? If you used all live rock, or a majority of live rock a tank will cycle faster.

I would highly suggest reading this article, it will talk about all the water chemistry that is very important to understand if you are going to a have a successful reef tank.
https://www.livingreefs.com/water-chemistry-t31270.html

I would also suggest reading this article because most tap water, even filtered (unless its a RO/DI filter) is not suitable for using in a reef tank because tap water contains all sorts of toxic chemicals and fuel for ugly algae growth. A standard filter will not remove all of this and neither will a decholorinator.
https://www.livingreefs.com/why-using-tap-water-bad-idea-t19865.html

Also, in our tank you are limited to one small fish for every 10 gallons. So i would say you can only add one more fish to your tank. Also, each fish requires a certain amount of space to live happily and healthily. Your clowns will live fine in a tank that size, but any tang need at least 6 feet of swimming space, the blue requiring close to 8 feet.

A great place to research fish is this site: Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums
Be sure to research how much space each fish needs, its temperament and other special things about each fish.

Research twice, buy once.

Also, I highly doubt that light is going to be enough to grow most corals. You want around 3 watts per gallon. You might be able to keep a few softies (leathers, mushrooms, zoas, xenia etc) with that light though.

Another thing to keep in mind is take the advice of your LFS with a grain of salt. Their goal is to sell you things, and if it dies because that fish or coral was improper for you tank and you go back to get something new they have made money on you. Also many people who work there, work for the pay check, not all have a tank or have a successful tank.



With all that being said, you should start a tank showcase thread! We would love to see your tank!
 
Hello and welcome to the site! As little_fish said, you will unfortunately be very restricted with those lights -- they are not strong enough for most corals. And your tank is way too small for any sort of tang. They would be fine, however, in the 75 gallon when you decide to set that one up. The clowns are perfect for your tank. If you want to add another fish, you can consider a goby or blenny. Or firefish. Those would be good additions to your tank.
 
Thank you for all the info "little_fish". What is a "tank showcase thread"? With the suggestions, I will start with zoas and softies.

If I wanted anemones for my clown fish, I guess I would need stronger lights? What do you suggest? I bought the light at my LFS two weeks ago and I can return it. Actually they have an anniversary sale going on and ends this Sunday. If I return the light and get something else, I can get up to 20% off.

I'm looking forward to hear what you all suggest. Thanks a bunch!
 
A showcase thread is where you can post pictures of your tank, fish, corals, equipment, basically everything about your tank so people can see what you have done. Here is my showcase thread so you know what i mean:
https://www.livingreefs.com/little-fishs-46-a-t28553.html

And i would not recommend a nem for your tank, especially with your light. They are some of the hardest animals to keep in this hobby, requiring perfect water conditions and high lighting conditions. They are also dangerous in the sense that if they die, they can kill everything in the tank from the toxins they release. Personally, i think you should have your tank set up for at least a year before you add one. Also, there is no guarantee your will want to be hosted by the nem. They will be hosted by whatever strikes their fantasy, rocks, powerheads, algae etc.

I think a four bulb T5 fixture with individual reflectors would work well for your tank, but im not sure the size of your tank so it might be hard to find one that is the right length. The other option that would work really well is 70 watt metal halide bulb set up. Hopefully someone can link to a good fixture for your tank. I think you will have to buy it online. Ive never seen quality lights for sale at a LFS
 
Bifferwine said:
Hello and welcome to the site! As little_fish said, you will unfortunately be very restricted with those lights -- they are not strong enough for most corals. And your tank is way too small for any sort of tang. They would be fine, however, in the 75 gallon when you decide to set that one up. The clowns are perfect for your tank. If you want to add another fish, you can consider a goby or blenny. Or firefish. Those would be good additions to your tank.
Click to expand...

I will consider the firefish. It will add some flare to the tank! :)
 
Bifferwine said:
I prefer the red firefish to the purple firefish. If you want to get a pair, they tend to do better with more than one!
Click to expand...

OK so having two of these in addition to my 2 clown fish will not over crowd the tank? If so, I will get two!

I also added 6 soft coral reefs today. The LFS said that I do not need any coral food at the moment, is that correct? When would I need it?

Also, do I need to add a "cleaning team" at this time? If not, when and what should they be?

So many questions! I appreciate everybody's help.
 
I think you will be at your max stocking capacity if you add a pair of firefish. I think they will be fine in your tank, but you won't be able to have any more fish.

You do not need coral food for the corals that you bought. They will get everything they need from the light. I am skeptical that your light will be good enough to keep them though. If they start to look bad or unhealthy, you will either have to upgrade lights or take the corals back to the store. I hope you have good luck with them!

You should add a clean up crew. If I were you, I'd start with some snails and hermits. Maybe 5 astraea snails for the glass, 5 nassarius snails for the sand, and half a dozen hermits for the rocks.
 
I can tell you are excited about your new tank! But I really think you should listen to Little Fish and all the other experience people on Living Reefs. I like yourself was all excited and wanted to fill my tank but mine only lasted 3 months before I started to loose fish and have to start from scratch. I am still new to the hobby but my advice for you is to listen to these people and go slow and like what little fish said do lots of research and buy once! When you go to your LFS, you should know what your walking in there for, what it is by name, what it eats and is it compatible in your tank with your current inhabitants. It is our responsibility to take care of these animals :o) Good luck on your journey, we are all learning here!
 
Bifferwine, OK I will get the suggested cleaning crew.

Savannah, you are right and I was planning on upgrading the light. From what I've researched so far, it looks like I will get more bang for my buck if I go with metal halide lamp. Any suggestions on where to buy online?
 
Bifferwine said:
You should add a clean up crew. If I were you, I'd start with some snails and hermits. Maybe 5 astraea snails for the glass, 5 nassarius snails for the sand, and half a dozen hermits for the rocks.
Click to expand...

Bifferwine,
I'm starting to get green algae on my glass. It seems that all of a sudden I have this outbreak. I wonder if it is because I leave the lights on for too long per day? I leave it on for about 10-12 hours. Last night, I was not home until midnight and it was on since 10am.

I suppose I should start adding the astraea snails now? Will this fix the issue or do I need to buy some treatment to help? Is it safe to keep the lights off for a few days? Or should I turn on the lights but only keep them on for 4-5 hours per day for a few days?
 
The snails will help, but they won't fix it. Algae on the glass is normal, and it's not something that will ever go away. You are going to have to buy a magnet and clean your glass every few days. It's normal to leave lights on for 8 to 12 hours a day, and cutting back the lights won't eliminate algae on the glass.

I would not use medication to treat for any algae issues, especially one that is normal like algae on the glass.
 
OK so the snails and cutting back on the hours the lights are on for the next few days will help? Cutting back on the lights won't hurt the fish or corals?
 
I doubt cutting back lights is even going to help. Nothing except a magnet scraper is going to keep your glass clean. Cutting back lights is not going to hurt any of your animals though.
 

Similar threads

F
New to marine.
Replies
2
Views
1K
kbuser92
kbuser92
Mike
  • Sticky
New Member (Owner 😲)
Replies
0
Views
720
Mike
Mike
Mike
We're Back!
Replies
0
Views
654
Mike
Mike
Sashimi
75 gallon LPS 2.0 suggestions
Replies
0
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi
75G LPS 2.0
Replies
2
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
Back
Top