55 gal set up

KelliZackMOM

KelliZackMOM

Amy
This is what I got going so far:
Lighting: 28W daylight and 28W actinic(I think that is T5?). I threw out box so I am going on what the bulbs and back of fixture say. Also, has decorative LED nightlight. Is this enough to add coral? I'm pretty sure when I bought it the guy said it would be a good fixture if I decided to add coral.
Substrate: crushed coral
Filtration: 3 stage canister(filter pads, carbon, and bioballs). Again, threw out box, but the canister says 1000L/H. Wavemaker/powerhead with 3000L/H flow. It is not running yet because I goofed and bought 220v and I need to get converter to run it 110v. That I am confused on what it is actually considered. I bought on Ebay by doing search for wavemaker, but the add said wavemaker/powerhead. Can someone clarify by checking out the pic? Someone mentioned on my "chemical catastrophe" post that a wavemaker was optional, but I should have 2 powerheads going, so based on this do I still neeed to add something? I'm going to be adding a protein skimmer soon also. Probably will order in next week or 2 when I get some more cashflow.
Other items: digital thermometer, hydrometer, and 1 piece of live rock. Will be stocking tank with more rock soon also. Again, just waiting on funds.
I am not adding any animals until this tank is right so I'm compiling a list of other necessities I need to get while it's cycling. I definitely want live coral so I need some advice. Bound and determined to have a beautiful tank eventually even if it takes months and I'm figuring it will.
 

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I would add a lot more rock to the tank if i was going to add corals. you will need the flow of the heads to hit the rocks to filter the tank and ya a skimmer would be good as well. but if you are going to get any coral after the cyckle. i would get some Zoa first.
A wavemake makes the powerhead come on at differnt times so it is like a timmer. one will run for 5 min than the other will run for 5 min and so on.
your doing good bro keep it up and never give up
 
Yea +1 to Blue..deff need more rock when u get everything around.. Rock is going to be good for your fish and help filter your tank also dont add fish until ur done with ur rock because when u add more rock to your tank i believe you have a chance to start a cycle again.. And yea i would get a wave maker or another power head at the other end..There's no such thing really as to much water movement lol.

And just wondering is that sand or crush coral..if i was u if it is crush coral go to sand..trust me haha i just did it to mine. Crushed coral catches to much crap and your nitrates and all will go up because your bottom feeders cant get that far into the rock.
 
That light is not okay for corals. If it was T5, each 4 foot bulb would be 54 watts. It sounds like a light for freshwater (non photosynthetic animals). I would research stuff before you buy -- if that guy told you it was okay for corals, you were misled. :( If you are going to keep corals, you should get at least a 4-bulb T5 fixture. That would be the best way to go for a 55 gallon tank and would allow you to keep whatever you want.

Adding rock as you go, and as you can afford it, is a good way to go. This hobby is expensive, so there's no point in breaking the bank!

That is a powerhead you have. A wavemaker is a box that the powerheads hook up to that runs them on a timer. You don't need a wavemaker -- so if you are on a budget, don't waste your money on one. You will need one more powerhead on the other end of the tank. Saltwater tanks need a lot of flow. I've heard of people buying 220 vs 110 powerheads on Ebay before. Buyer beware!

Maxi Jets are good powerheads. You can get them at Petco or Petsmart and they are in the $20 range.

You are on the right track, but I would see if you can return that light if it's not too late. At least try to get your money back from that, because the only thing it's good for is keeping fish.
 
+1 on everything Biff said! Given that your funds are limited, I think there are a few other things I'd recommend getting before you spend the money on a protein skimmer - namely a refractometer (far more accurate and less likely to break than a hydrometer), an RO/DI unit to make your water (you can get a unit from Bulk Reef Supply for around $125 and it will save you huge headaches with algae blooms down the road), another powerhead, and more rock. Aside from lights, these are really essentials IMO, way before a protein skimmer. Skimmers are really useful and good to have, but your fish and corals can live without one for a few months while you save money - but they can't live without live rock, flow, stable salinity, and good water quality!

Welcome, and you are off to a good start with doing your research and slowly building your tank and waiting to stock until you have what you need! (I read your other post so know you are back tracking after a few catastrophes!)
 
Zoa is short for zoanthid -- a type of coral. Zoas are great beginner corals. Google zoanthid to see what they look like. I wouldn't even consider adding corals until you've got the tank ready for them. That is a ways away in the future, so take that guy's advice with a grain of salt. ;) Slow and steady, you know?
 
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Thank you guys so much! I have learned a lot more in the past few days here and I'm sure I'll have a ton of more questions. I am so addicted already just to researching this stuff.
 
I would suggest buying dry rock for your tank, in just a few weeks it will be live and you will have saved a lot of money. I would buy the dry rock now and then toss in the dead shrimp so you can cycle your tank. Then all you need is another powerhead or two and your tank will be ready to add your first fish!

MarcoRocks Aquarium Products
 
Gonna be making my rock purchase on Thursday. Payday woopwoop!!!!!
I'm a bargain shopper and I think I found a good deal. 50# of dry Aragonite based reef rock from Florida with 40# Bahama Aragonite sand for 100 bucks shipping included. Good or bad? I see different types of rocks and sand on different sites. Is there any I should stay away from? This deal is on reefrocks.net
I was thinking before I get onto this too far I was gonna switch the crushed coral out to sand. I know it may mess with the cycle, but I would rather do all this now before I start to add animals.
 
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That is a very good deal. I've never ordered from them, so I can't say whether they are good or bad, but the price is definitely good.

It's a much better idea to replace your crushed coral now rather than later.
 
I am doing the happy dance tonight! I was so worried with the levels I had I was doomed to have to start completely over, but I tested and it's still bad, but better. Everything was high high high so this is an improvement.
Ammonia 8.0 still
Nitrite down to 0
Nitrate down to 0 I'm confused on that. How can it go from 40 to 0 without a water change? When I seen my nitrite had dropped, I expected the nitrate to be higher.
PH 7.8 still
SG 1.024
Temp 78.7
 
That is really odd, I would test that result against another test kit. Test kits do go bad pretty often.


However, I too am glad you getting started on the right foot this time :)
 
I am using an API saltwater master test kit. I just got done testing and I got the same results as last night. I also took a water sample to Petco today to compare. They got PH 8, ammonia 6, nitrite 0, and nitrate <10. They use the strips there so I think my test is probably more accurate. So the mystery continues, where did my nitrates go? I am running a canister with bioballs so maybe that's where they went?
 
A canister filter wont uptake any nitrates, but algae will so if you are starting to get algae growth that is where your nitrates went.
 
Had some red and brown growing on glass, but I scraped it all off 2 weeks ago and no more has grown. My lone piece of rock has some pretty green and maroon colored stuff on it.
 
A couple more questions. I ordered the dry rock and sand today. Can I just put in directly in tank when it gets here since no animals yet or do I need to soak or rinse it first?
Also, my ammonia has remained at 8.0 for a week and nitrites and nitrates still 0. Is my cycle stuck?
 

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