Need Guidance

[beachplayer14]

Hello,

I just recently bought the personal 30g aquarium of an exemployee of a LFS, and I want to turn it into a reef tank. I want to do this right, and I've been putting in the hours of research. I already don't trust my LFS, and I'd rather just take on DIY projects.

I have as follows:

Heater
Powerhead
30lbs LR
Fluval 305 Canister Filter
Substrate (I don't know if it's live sand or not)
Hagen Glo Single Bulb 24 Inch 24 Watt T5HO Fixture A-3900
6 hermit crabs wandering about

It's all set up and has been running for a week with no lighting (haven't turned on the light, and it's been out of the sun), a ph of about 8, a temp of about 78, and a salinity of about 33, but now I'm not really sure where to go. I know I can fix the salinity next time I do a water change but how do I lower the ph.

Firstly I want to know what to do about filtration, since I don't know whether the sand is live and the LR has been taken care of will the filtration system be adequate for a reef tank once everything cycle? I have heard that canister filters and LR alone can't be relied upon for adequate biological filtration. Do I want a protein skimmer?

Next I'm considering building a sump because it sounds best, and I would like to get a bigger tank in the future. The cabinet I have could house a 20g but I can't s find the right DIY instructions, some contradict each other and I need to know if this is even necessary, and how to go about it.

Also what kind of salt should I be using? I panicked an threw in the stuff he gave me but I doubt that was the right thing to do.

Lastly I just need direction. I feel like one of the best ways to really learn is trial and error, and in a couple of weeks once I'm satisfied with water quality I want to introduce some janitor critters and maybe an easy coral frag to see what happens. What's the process from here? All critisism and comments are welcome.

Thanks very much for reading my short novel.

 

[BL1]

Welcome to the reef!!

Your pH is fine at 8, you don't want to lower anymore than that, generally you want it between 8-8.4. Also, you want to try to get your salinity about 1.024-1.026, if you're using a hydrometer then purchase a refractometer. It is vastly more accurate at measuring salinity.
As far as filtration goes use the LR and dump the canister filter. If you keep the canister you will have to clean it often to make sure it does not spike your nitrates. LR and PWC are all the filtration needed in small tanks like your. You can get a protein skimmer and it will help to clean your water but not necessary in smaller systems.
A sump is not necessary but, it will add extra water volume to your system which is always a good thing and it will give you a place to hide your equipment (heater, protein skimmer, etc.) I just got done building my 20g long sump I've attached a pic of my plans and here's a link to my build thread https://www.livingreefs.com/diy-fuge-t25032.html . Several other members have also posted their ideas in my thread as well.Once you build that, you can put your protein skimmer (if you decide you want one, in there also).
Above all, just take it slow. This hobby requires a lot of patience and research to make sure everything is done right, for you and the fish. And if you have any questions about equipment purchases, livestock, or maintenance definitely ask!

 

[beachplayer14]

BL1,

Thanks for the fast reply. I'm glad that you think the biological filtration will be ok with what I have in there beacuse that's what I was most worried about. But should I just junk the filter altogether? Would it be worth it just to use it for mechanical filtration?

All the reading that I have done makes me want to do the sump especially since I'm going to expand later. Thanks very much for the plans, they are much easier to understand than others I've found, but can someone direct me to a solid guide which can explain why there is algae being grown, and the reasons for the different compartments? Also how would I go about getting a pump.

Thanks

 

[SeaBee]

Live rock and some power heads are your main filtration. You might consider a small sump to locate your heater and such. Once you go to corals you will need a protien skimmer, Reef Octopus is a good brand, in sump or external. Your light now is ok only for low light corals, leather, mushrooms, some zoos, star polyps are cool also. You need to monitor your tank right now for the cycle, so dont get any fish right now, you need to wait a few weeks. I think you can leave your canister on for now, and be ready to clean it in a few weeks. I run an eheim just to keep the carbon and floss, no mechanical stuff. That's coming out once my reef octopus arrives this week....


And welcome to the reef!

 

[BL1]

BL1,

Thanks for the fast reply. I'm glad that you think the biological filtration will be ok with what I have in there beacuse that's what I was most worried about. But should I just junk the filter altogether? Would it be worth it just to use it for mechanical filtration?

All the reading that I have done makes me want to do the sump especially since I'm going to expand later. Thanks very much for the plans, they are much easier to understand than others I've found, but can someone direct me to a solid guide which can explain why there is algae being grown, and the reasons for the different compartments? Also how would I go about getting a pump.

Thanks

You don't have to junk the filter but, you will have to clean it often. Sumps are great ideas and the added water volume will make your tank more stable. The macroalgae (chaeto) feeds and grows off of nitrates. So it along with water changes will help to keep your nitrate levels down.
The first compartment (where the water comes from your tank) will generally house the protein skimmer. The 3 baffles (walls) separating section 1 and 2 are used to remove any micro bubbles created in the first section and prevent them from being sent back into the main tank. the middle section is the refugium. The area where you will have some LS/LR and your algae. This area is used to grow the algae, extra LR for more filtration, as well as, a place to grow pods (a live food source for fish). the last section is where the return pump going to the tank is housed. When choosing your pump make sure it can handle more water volume into your tank then you actually need (you can slow the flow with a ball valve), and has enough head height (the max distance the pump can effective send the water through pipes).