Egats! What do I do!

M

mosaphet

Reefing newb
Equipment I Bought:
50 Gallon tempered glass fish tank
Dual Bio-wheel Power filter emperor 400
Nova Extreme 48" 10,000K dalight and 460NM actinic Lams
A few Pounds of Live Rock.
2 fish
Heater (water kept at 76 degrees)
(on the way) Reverse Osmoses Water Filter

What I want: Bright colors with not alot of $$upkeep
Any Advice would be helpful

This is what It looks like now
 
You will need a lot more rock if you want to keep anything. You need 1 to 2 lbs of rock per gallon, so 50 to 100 lbs total. Live rock will serve as your primary source of filtration. The bacteria that live on the rock will serve that purpose.

The Emperor filter is not for saltwater, it's a freshwater filter. In saltwater, HOB filters like that often lead to high nitrates, algae problems and water quality. It will work for now, but you have to clean it frequently -- once a week or so. Down the road, you should look into getting a protein skimmer instead. A protein skimmer and sufficient live rock will be all you need for filtration.

What kind of fish did you get? I doubt your tank has cycled already. You can't add fish until the tank cycles. And you really shouldn't add fish with so little rock in there.

I'm glad you ordered an RODI unit! That's one of the best things you can get from your tank. Tap water leads to problems, and RODI water will make it so much easier (especially in the beginning).

How many bulbs is the Nova? 4 bulbs? If so, that light is a good light and will allow you to keep pretty much anything you want in a 50 gallon tank. Good choice!

Have you been testing your water? If not, you should buy test kits. If your ammonia and nitrites are both at zero, you can add some easy corals that are colorful. Mushrooms and zoanthids would be best.
 
You will probably need to change out that filter system for either a sump system or a more powerful filter. Canister filters require much more frequent cleaning and monitoring. Since you want to reduce your maintenance and costs, you'll want to look at a sump system instead. You will also need some more live rock to help with filtration.
 
Your tank looks pretty empty for it's size, if you're going for a reef type setup you'll generally want to try and have about 1 lb. of sand per gallon and 2 lbs. of live rock per gallon. These will not only make your tank look interesting but, give the fish places to swim around and hide if need be but, also it will act as a filter to help keep you water and tank clean. Alot of people will recommend you get rid of the filter due to issues it will cause you with Nitrates later on. Some people have managed to turn their HOB into small refugiums to grow macro-algae which again will help with your water quality.
Also, do you have a test kit? If not, that should definitely be your first purchase so that you can know where your water parameters are at.
 
I did not expect the responses to be so quick, I am impressed.

What is the going rate for good live rock? They are charging me around $5 per pound at the local pet shop. Is there a good place to get it online?

Fish
I got the little blue kind but they are green sometimes too... I just asked for a harty fish to start to help the cycle. they cost me $10 a piece and seem to be doing alright (I know thats sad)

It is a 2 bulb system but the amount of light it puts out is impressive.

I just read about the RODI unit from one of your other post tonight Bifferwine. I thought it is perfect for me and my daughter as well. I hate the tast of my city water and with the concerns with prescription drugs increasing in city water.

I have been testing the water and everything is testing fine, but the tank is only a week old.

Everyone agrees that my filtration system will not do eventually, I am a bit upset with myself on that purchase then. I should educate myself before buying ay.

BL1 Could you point me to an article on turning the HOB into a small refugium? (quickly googles refugium)
 
TampaBaySaltwater is probably one of the best places to get LR from, LiveAquaria is another place that I've heard good things about. Tampa has great prices if you're buying "The Package" but, if you're just buying LR it's $5/lb. So, you might just be better off buying from your LFS.

Below are a few articles that I've found for converting into a refugium:

How to DIY an AC 70 fuge - Reef Central Online Community
Birth of a new 10 gallon nano (pic intense) - Reef Central Online Community
DIY Aqua Clear 70 mini refugium - Coralforum.com Reef Community
Aquaclear 500 (110) refugium - Tropical Fish Forums at the Age of Aquariums
Diy hob fuge - 3reef Forums
wanna replace my hob penguin filter with refugium - Nano-Reef.com Forums
AquaClear 110 Fuge Mod - Michigan Reefers
 
+1 Biff

mosaphet said:
I did not expect the responses to be so quick, I am impressed.
Click to expand...

Cuz we are impressive (not modest though! LOL)

mosaphet said:
What is the going rate for good live rock? They are charging me around $5 per pound at the local pet shop. Is there a good place to get it online?
Click to expand...

$5/LB?? Sheesh. At my lfs they go for $7-12/lb, depending on the type of rock.

mosaphet said:
Fish
I got the little blue kind but they are green sometimes too... I just asked for a harty fish to start to help the cycle. they cost me $10 a piece and seem to be doing alright (I know thats sad)

I have been testing the water and everything is testing fine, but the tank is only a week old.
Click to expand...

Blue/green chromis, perhaps? Is it this:
Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Blue/Green Reef Chromis

Liveaquaria.com is an awesome place to learn about your fish choices -- from their requirements to their temperament. I hope they survive, because during a cycle, there's no bacteria in your tank yet that safely breaks down ammonia to nitrites, and you definitely have no bacteria that will break down the nitrites to nitrates.

A test kit is a must. You were better off tossing a piece of table shrimp in the tank to cycle it rather than live fish. Ideally, you should return them to the LFS. Either way, test your water often for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates -- test for ammonia first...once the ammonia is detectable, test for nitrites...once those are detectable, you just test for nitrates. Once your ammonia and nitrites (which are fatal, by the way) test ZERO, and your nitrates are detectable, do a small water change, and you can add a couple of fish! Patience :)




mosaphet said:
Everyone agrees that my filtration system will not do eventually, I am a bit upset with myself on that purchase then. I should educate myself before buying ay.

BL1 Could you point me to an article on turning the HOB into a small refugium? (quickly googles refugium)
Click to expand...

That's what we're here for....ask away!
 
Yeah, more rock, I use a Emperor filter currently but will be switching soon, buy some blank filter media take the biowheels out and replace the cartridges with the blank filter media. It is sold in strips that you can cut to the size you need, this will work for mechanical filtration and will make the most use out of what you have already bought. I do this and replace the media every 2 weeks, depending on how it looks. Should work for now, and keep some $$ in your pocket till you need to upgrade.
 
$5/lb for live rock is actually cheap. Now THAT'S sad! My LFS sells it for $14/lb.

To save money, you can get a mix of live rock and dry rock. Dry rock is usually about $1 or $2 a pound. If you mix them together in the tank, the live rock will eventually "seed" the dry rock and the two types will be indistinguishable from each other.
 
I dont think I would trust sand from the beach in my tank.
But if you decide to go that route,check with your local game and fish officer first.In some places its illegal to take anything from the beach except trash.
 
Bifferwine said:
Do you have access to a clean beach? I'd be afraid of pollutants and crap in the sand.
Click to expand...

It would come from the beach along Lake Michigan.... I am so tempted now.... I guess I could take the two fish back and use that money to buy some more sand or live rock....
 
Last edited:
That would be a different type of sand that will probably contain a lot of silicates.The silicates will fuel diatom blooms for a long time.
 
mosaphet said:
It would come from the beach along Lake Michigan.... I am so tempted now.... I guess I could take the two fish back and use that money to buy some more sand or live rock....
Click to expand...

Lake Michigan is one of the most polluted areas of the country. I would stay away from that sand!
 
yote said:
That would be a different type of sand that will probably contain a lot of silicates.The silicates will fuel diatom blooms for a long time.
Click to expand...

Wow, that stuff is ugly, note taken.

I took back the two fish and bought 4 lbs of live rock. Going to buy some more on my next paycheck.
 

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