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03-14-2006, 03:42 PM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Sea Dragon
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 533
Karma: 47
 
|  Newbie: Questions
Well to start off I kind dove in this thing head first. I mean I did what I now think was a big no no, got the tank set up and did not really read into it. After fooling around with freshwater for a while I decied to get a saltwater set up. This is that I have now:
30gal tank
Hood with 17watt flouro
30 Pounds of crushed coral
5 pounds of live rock.
Undergravel filter with power head
Sumbersable heater
1 yellow tank
two damsels
1 clown
starfish(the chip kind)
and a turbo snail.
First off I am prity sure that I need more live rock I am thinking about 10 more pounds. Also what else do you guys think that I need? Also this is what I think may get me in trouble. How much should I feed them? and the big thing was what kind of maintaince should I be doing and when?
I am a uber noob.
Urban | 
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03-14-2006, 05:00 PM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Scooter Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 26
Posts: 1,200
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by Urban_s Well to start off I kind dove in this thing head first. I mean I did what I now think was a big no no, got the tank set up and did not really read into it. After fooling around with freshwater for a while I decied to get a saltwater set up. This is that I have now:
30gal tank
Hood with 17watt flouro
30 Pounds of crushed coral
5 pounds of live rock.
Undergravel filter with power head
Sumbersable heater
1 yellow tank
two damsels
1 clown
starfish(the chip kind)
and a turbo snail.
First off I am prity sure that I need more live rock I am thinking about 10 more pounds. Also what else do you guys think that I need? Also this is what I think may get me in trouble. How much should I feed them? and the big thing was what kind of maintaince should I be doing and when?
I am a uber noob.
Urban | Undergravel filters? Those things are common in freshwater, dunno if it's gonna prove useful in a saltwater setup. It will basically be a detritus trap and will be a pain to clean in the long run. If going reef, light isn't gonna cut it and might want to bump it up for FOWLR. Again, if your going reef, your gonna wish you never got that star, they are carnivorous and have 0 respect for inverts or corals. Submersible heaters are a good idea for winter, but placing them in the tank can accidentally burn inverts crawling alongside it or on it while scanvenging for food on the glass.
You might wanna re-think a lot of stuff you started with and decide what you wanna shoot for. Good luck! 
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30g reef tank, CPR CY192 filter w/ DIY plumb running Rio 17HF return, Coralife 3x 9w UV Sterilizer, 3 24W T5-Helios 10K Daylights/3 24W T5-Helios Blue lights, 2 Logysis blue meteor light strobes (moonlights/24 Blue LEDs).
Tiger tail cuke, asst. snails/hermits, asst. feathers, rainbow acan,zoos,shrooms,bubble,galaxea, asst. shrimp, 2 ocellaris,mandarin,zebrasoma xanthurum,pink-spot watchman,red-striped pistol. | |
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03-14-2006, 05:18 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Bristle Worm
Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Jonesboro, Arkansas Age: 35
Posts: 142
Karma: 9
 
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30 gallon seems pretty small for a yellow tang. I don't think they are recommended for anything under a 55 gal.. That being said I would get a heavy duty skimmer on there as soon as possible. Your going to be running a pretty heavy bio-load and I personally would want as much filtration as possible. Live rock is also a excellent bio filter, so i would definitley add some more. Good luck.
Eric _________ 
55 Gal Glass, 10 gal sump, seaclone100 protein skimmer, 2 pc 65w 10k's, 2 pc 65w actinic, 2 4ft VHO 110w bulbs, 135lbs of live rock, livesand/aragonite mix, coral beauty, percula clown, blue and yellow damsel, peppermint shrimp, Skunk shrimp, coral banded shrimp, xenia, leather, zoas, star polyps, button polyps, frogspawn, hammer, leather, mushrooms, long tentacle anemone, turbosnails, astrea snails, hermit crabs and a featherduster. | |
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03-14-2006, 05:21 PM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Sea Dragon
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 533
Karma: 47
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Well I am not going reef with this tank. I want to go reef with my 55gal when I move. I really dont know to much about reefs how should I go about getting filtering? | |
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03-14-2006, 05:24 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: St. Paul/Woodbury, Minnesota Age: 50
Posts: 1,181
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You should invest in a good Protein Skimmer and maybe a HOT filter like a penguin biowheel 350 since your are only doing a fish only tank. You will need the biological filtration if you get rid of the Undergravel filter. I like the penguins because you can remove the biowheels if you decide you dont need the bio filtration. You may also want to add a couple powerheads as SW fish require more water flow than FW and it will also help prevent dead spots in the tank. You should also plan on 1-2lbs of live rock per gallon, then you can get rid of the bio filters.
By the way, undergravel filters do work for fish only, but you have to vacum the deep sand bed regularly. I used this method along with a 650gph power filter 35yrs ago without any problems.
Good luck! _________ 75g reef with Nova Extreme 8 bulb HO T-5 lighting, refuge, Remora skimmer, DSB, Seio powerheads, Acro's, LPS corals, assorted zoo's & mushrooms, Yellow Tang, Maroon Clown, Blue Cleaner Goby , Cleaner, Fire and Sexy Shrimp, Coco Worm, T.Crocea Clam, Derasa Clam
120g FOWLR, 260w Orbit power compact lights, Remora Pro skimmer, 30g DIY Sump/Refuge, DSB,Seio Power heads, Powder Blue Tang, Purple Tang, Flag Fin Angel, False Eye Puffer, Copperbanded Butterfly and a Moorish Idol  | |
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03-14-2006, 05:44 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | 3reef Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Melbourne, VIC,Victoria
Posts: 2,261
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by Urban_s Well I am not going reef with this tank. I want to go reef with my 55gal when I move. I really dont know to much about reefs how should I go about getting filtering? | When are you going to get the larger tank?
As long as you keep it as a fish only tank and don't overfeed the UGF will do a good job for you, but probably not for an extended period. While you are waiting for the opportunity for the larger tank take some time and study what is required for a reef tank. My personal preference is to fing one good source of information, like a GOOD book or a great website ( like 3reef ) and sticj with that otherwise you will simply get very confused.
John 
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Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! | |
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03-14-2006, 05:53 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Sea Dragon
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brooklyn
Posts: 506
Karma: 104
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Don't trust everything that your LFS says and tries to sell you. If your not sure of something that your LFS says, ask around or 3reef
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55 gallon. PC lights 12K/Actinic/Moon, Chiller, Powerhead, Prizm Skimmer, Fluval, Eheim Pro2 | |
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03-14-2006, 06:18 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 21
Posts: 3,447
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Agree with reef lover 200%! _________ Tank Specs:
55 Gallon Mixed Reef
48" Tek Light: 4-54W T5 HO Fluorescents
Bulbs:
1 x 54w Fiji Purple T5 HO Fluorescent
1 x 54w Super Actinic Blue T5 HO Flourescent
1 x 54w 14000K AquaBlue 75/25 T5 HO Fluorescent
1 x 54w 10000k AquaSun T5 HO Fluorescent
Hard Stuff:
100+ lb. Fiji Live Rock
65+ lb. Live sand
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03-14-2006, 07:24 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Sea Dragon
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 533
Karma: 47
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I will be getting a larger tank in a few months. But I wanna go reef with that tank. So a protein skimmer and another power head? I am thinking of getting about 12 pounds of live rock this weekend. Anyone know where I can get some for a good price?
How do skimmers work and what do they really do.
Is this a good one? http://cgi.ebay.com/AquaC-Remora-w-M...QQcmdZViewItem
Last edited by Urban_s; 03-14-2006 at 07:34 PM.
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03-14-2006, 08:27 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: St. Paul/Woodbury, Minnesota Age: 50
Posts: 1,181
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How large a tank are you going to upgrade too? Thats a good skimmer and you can use it for up to a 75g with the right pump, but if you are planning on going any bigger you might want to go with the Remora Pro or some other higher end skimmer. Skimmers remove waste products from the water. You should be able to find a used one on ebay for $100-150. Do not get one with the Rio 800 pump, you want the Maxijet 1200 or the Mag 3. | |
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