The first of many questions

D

dr_frnkblck

Reefing newb
I am looking to put together a 55 gallon fish with live rock tank. Can I add corals further down the road if I have proper lighting?
It seems like there is so much information I feel a bit overwhelmed.

As I have a limited budget, I probably won't be able to buy everything at once.

I have a stand and tank. Beyond the water testing kit, water, salt, sand and live rock...is ther anything else that is necessary for cycling? Do live rocks need heaters when cycling?

I don't think a sump will be possible to begin with. Is that something I have to have at the beginning or can I add one at a later date without messing up my tank? Do I need a more traditional filter if I don't have a sump?

Is there a maximum time limit for cycling or can a tank cycle indefinitely before fish are added? I'm not in any rush for fish and it may take a while for me to get everything needed for a full set up but I feel I will be more inclined to get everything if I can at least start somewhere.
 
You will need some powerheads for the tank and I think you need a heater to cycle. Make sure you have ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph tests.

You can have a sump later, but you will need an overflow box (I assuming the tank isnt drilled) I wouldnt bother with any filters, they are usually more for freshwater systems. You would be better off with a protein skimmer. You will be able to get away with 10% a week waterchanges for a while if you dont have a protein skimmer though.

Cycling time im not exactly sure how long you could cycle for, I always added my first fish after the cycle finished.

You can add corals to you tank later on if you keep to a reef safe fish list and upgrade to good lights.

There are some excellent articles on this site and liveaquaria.com has some great information on fish (minimum tank size, reef safeness, diets etc)
 
Welcome aboard! Yes, you can always upgrade to keeping corals later on when you have the budget for lighting. Go ahead and get a heater to keep the tank as stable as possible while cycling. One thing to think about when adding a sump later is putting it into the stand with out having to take the tank down to do it. Either that or install the sump outside of the tank stand. Some people do display sumps next to the tank where you grow different types of algae, mangroves, etc.
As long as you have cycled your tank and have the nitrifying bacteria growing, you can hold off on adding anything. Nothing wrong with going slow.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Now I read in a different post that for a 55g tank your powerheads should move 1000-2000 gph. So if I get 3 that move 600 gph what is the pest positioning for them? 1 on each side and 1 in the back? Or 2 on 1 side? Should they be low so the are circulating just above the sand or at varying heights to move all the water?

I looked online for an overflow box. In the setup video for one I looked at, it looked like they used it as a "pump" to pull water into a sump or something similar underneath the tank. Is that something I will still need to do or can I have the overflow box return directly into the tank?
 
You could position your powerheads numerous ways but it will largely depend on your aquascape.
The return pump should push water back up to your display. The overflow only requires gravity.
 
dr_frnkblck said:
Thanks for the replies.

Now I read in a different post that for a 55g tank your powerheads should move 1000-2000 gph. So if I get 3 that move 600 gph what is the pest positioning for them? 1 on each side and 1 in the back? Or 2 on 1 side? Should they be low so the are circulating just above the sand or at varying heights to move all the water?

I looked online for an overflow box. In the setup video for one I looked at, it looked like they used it as a "pump" to pull water into a sump or something similar underneath the tank. Is that something I will still need to do or can I have the overflow box return directly into the tank?
Click to expand...

For the best results you want to pull the water out of the tank and into a sump then return it to the tank. Having a sump has many advantages you will be glad you have it for if you make that jump.

As for where to place the power heads it depends on how your tank is arranged and what fish, coral, and rock placement you have. Your sump/overflow moves water too, and that exchange of water counts in the water flow calculations.

You do want a portion of the water flow near the top to create ripples and assist in cooling and oxygen exchange. Plus the ripples figure into the light effects on a coral reef.
 
Ok, so after seeing a lot of people suggesting craigslist for used tanks, I found a 75g tank with a 30g sump and just about everything I need for less than it would have cost me to set up the 55g!

the display is a 75g,
comes with a stand,
the sump/refugium is a 30 long tank with 3 stages, overflow, refugium, return...
the return pump is a mag drive 7
the overflow is a eshopps quiet overflow, designed for 1200 gph
the light is a deep blue 448. its a 48" fixture with 2actinic's and 2 daylights, also has 12 led moonlights. and a built in timer adjustable for however you want to program it.
there is some dead rock left, about a heaping 5 gallon bucket full.
there is a fluval 440
there is a hydor smartwave wavemaker.
there are 4 hydor 750 powerheads.
and 2 hydor 425 powerheads.
there is also a 3 stage reverse osmosis, to make your own water.

It also came with a hydrometer, a bunch of test kits, an octopus skimmer, a 10g quarantine tank, a 9" mini light meant for a nano tank I can use over the refugium, a bunch of heaters...

I didn't realize how much stuff I got until I started to list it!
 
geeeze, that is one great head start...
...if you didn't get one you will need a DI canister to go behind the RO set. .. that is easy.

If that is dead "live rock", you said left.. I guess that means the tank is full of LR? .and the bucket is left over???

You will soon want to ditch the hydrometer because they are famous for being incorrect, especially if they are used and been laying around a while, and buy yourself a refractometer.. they aren't all that expensive.

You have a hoard of power heads..

Like Ted said... great score!
 
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That list looks pretty good to me That should easily get you up and running in the hobby. It sounds like all you really need is a few pieces of live rock to seed the rock you already have when you are ready to start your cycle

I've never personally heard of that light, but it sounds like it would at least be enough for some of the soft corals and mushrooms, but if you're going to get serious about keeping corals and clams, you may want to look into a new fixture down the road. You absolutely would not need to worry about it for getting started with fish though
 
Thanks everybody! New question, I got about 10 lbs of live rock from the not so lfs. When I got it home it has at least 1 hermit crab and a bunch of snails living on it.

Are they going to survive the cycling? Should I remove them and keep them in the 10g while the large tank cycles?
 
:DThe snails will not.. the hermits..ummmmh... maybe but why put any life form through that stress.. send them on vacation to the 10 gallon while their new home is being renovated. Then they can go home to a tank with matched salinity, temp and tests.
 
Ok, tank is set up and been cycling for about a week. I have 10 lbs of live rock with about 25 lbs of dry rock. I'll hopefully be adding more rock soon when I get the funds. I tossed in a raw shrimp to speed up the process. My ammonia looks to be between 4.0 and 8.0. Can I take the shrimp out? What is a good level for your ammonia to reach using this method? I've heard that the shrimp will start to stink and my wife has been pretty patient through the whole set up process (dining room full of aquarium supplies, bathroom sink unusable due to filtering unit) I don't want to have to make her deal with a rotten fish smell on top of it! :D
 
Yeah you definitely need more rock - that will help your cycle along. Aim for 1-2lbs per gallon, so you need at least 75 lbs minimum for your tank Cheapest way is to add dry rock - its far cheaper than live rock. Check out marcorocks.com or bulkreefsupply for good dry rock. I've also occasionally found good deals on dry rock off of craigslist, but make sure its actually ocean rock and not lava rock or river rock. Sounds like you're off to a great start and got an awesome deal!

At this point the only other thing I would recommend investing in is a refractometer. Hydrometers are notoriously inaccurate and need to be replaced every 6 months. You can find a decent refractometer for $25 - $50 off of ebay or amazon. Make sure to get some calibration fluid with it also!
 
dr_frnkblck said:
Ok, tank is set up and been cycling for about a week. I have 10 lbs of live rock with about 25 lbs of dry rock. I'll hopefully be adding more rock soon when I get the funds. I tossed in a raw shrimp to speed up the process. My ammonia looks to be between 4.0 and 8.0. Can I take the shrimp out? What is a good level for your ammonia to reach using this method? I've heard that the shrimp will start to stink and my wife has been pretty patient through the whole set up process (dining room full of aquarium supplies, bathroom sink unusable due to filtering unit) I don't want to have to make her deal with a rotten fish smell on top of it! :D
Click to expand...
im in your shoes dr_
i filled my 65 gallon 9 days ago. i added a shrimp around 5 days ago. still no cycle. im checking ammonia every day. i know it could take longer but i see your cycled in a week. i know patience is the key. (i wasnt checking the ammonia the first 3-4 days, any chance it cycled then and i missed it)??
i started the tank with 50 pounds dry rock then added about 6 pounds live rock from LFS the next day and then 5 days later added another 8 pounds live rock.
 
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