novice setting up 150 gallon reef aquarium

Discussion in 'Say Hello!' started by fielding12, Aug 15, 2009.

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  1. oceanparadise1

    oceanparadise1 Fire Squid

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    I suggest an octopus mw200, its what i use on 500+ gallons of water and the stuff it pulls is amazing!
     
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  3. fielding12

    fielding12 Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Yes, I did.

    About salinity: it was way, way too low. Embarrassingly low. I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate me :) It is about right now, but I'll recheck it a couple of time tomorrow. Aiming for range of 1.010 to 1.023 (27-31). Seem about right range to you?
     
  4. oceanparadise1

    oceanparadise1 Fire Squid

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    You want it NO lower the 1.023, i run mine at 1.024, this way if i ever cant get to the top off, the small rise of salinty wont harm any thing!
     
  5. fielding12

    fielding12 Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    This live rocks vs. bioballs discussion is a total mystery to me. Please know that I mean no disrespect. I am trying to figure out if this is a "choice" of filtration or a "problem".

    First, logistically, do you remove the bioballs and then put small live rock in that portion of the wet/dry filter? Using "live rock" may mean having live rock in the tank not the filter compartment. Don't the bioballs make the filter run quieter? Won't it be very noisy if only water?

    Second, if I don't have much live rock in the tank, wouldn't the bioballs be required to make the tank function until I had more? My tank is 150 gal and I estimate that I have 40 lbs of live rock. (I have about 50 additional lbs of base rock that I hope to make live over time.)

    The biggest problem is the local aquarium maintenance person has cared for this functioning tank for 5 yrs and she swears by the bioballs. She would like me to add a protein skimmer as soon as I start to have many fish and coral. But she maintains that, properly fed and not overstocked, the tank will work fine with bioballs. Remember I am a complete novice. She knows that I am building a reef tank. (My best guess is her experience is light on reef tanks and she is telling me what would work with rock and fish, maybe?)

    Last, why cannot I remove bioballs slowly if I find nitrate problems develop. If I removed them one at a time over weeks, why would it cause a new cycle?

    I know this will all make sense to me someday but I feel a bit like a person hanging off a cliff with a discussion above my head about whether to keep my harness as I have it or reconfigure it based on someone on the ground's experience.
     
  6. jkat21

    jkat21 Bangghai Cardinal

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    you`ll be fine.don't get toooo over whelmed..just keep asking questions and read read read lol...have fun with it..
     
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  7. Geoff

    Geoff Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    Welcome to 3reef.
     
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  9. fielding12

    fielding12 Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    I am shopping for a skimmer to add to my wet/dry filtration (picture in 150 album). I've gotten under the tank in the cabinet and measured and it seems to me that I have 22" + 2 to 3" between the base and the top. So I think I can put a skimmer in the cabinet that is as high as 22" and needs 1" cap space.

    Some recommendations are for a skimmer of 2X the tank volume so my skimmer would be specified for 300 gallons. I have no idea if this is general knowledge or one line of thinking.

    POSSIBLE PURCHASE: (Description by seller) "The protein skimmer is a Euro-Reef Model RS100.
    It is for aquariums up to 100 Gallons, but I replaced the original 350 GPH
    pump 6 months ago with a Sedra KSP-5000 pump which pumps 500 GPH, more than enough to handle a 150 gallon tank.


    RS 100. Capable of skimming a moderately loaded tank with the maximum
    capacity of 100 Gallon, this Euro Reef Protein Skimmer can handle a heavily
    loaded tank of maximum 80-Gallon capacity. Euro Reef's RS 100 model requires
    a Sump Area of 8.5" x 10". The height of this Euro Reef Protein Skimmer is
    20" and its Neck Diameter is 3.5", while the Reaction Chamber Diameter is
    6". With the Reaction Chamber Volume at 1.22 Gallon, the model's Air Intake
    is 420 lph."

    OTHER CURRENT OPTION: "Coralife Super Skimmer Protein Skimmer for tanks up to 220 The Coralife Super Skimmer 220 is a hang-on tank mount or sump hook-up protein skimmer for tanks up to 220 gallons.

    Features:
    Dimensions: 6.0" X 8.0" X 25.5"
    Includes Needle-Wheel Water Pump with Air Inlet Silencer
    Easy-twist collection cup
    Water-level adjustment dial
    Bubble-production diffuser
    High-grade acrylic construction with custom components
    Patented Needle-Wheel System with aspirating venturi
    User Manual (pdf file in new window)"

    Advice? Should I keep shopping?

    I'm looking for a used Reef Octopus NWB 150 (up to 150 gallons?) or NWB 200 (up to 260 gallons). Other brand I think might work is ASM G3 which seems to be lower cost than Euro-Reef because of PVC material construction. (ASM G1X is up to 150 gallons ?).
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2009
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  10. fielding12

    fielding12 Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Today I added four small green chromis to my tank. I'll be monitoring ammonia and nitrite/nitrate levels. After two weeks, I expect to do a 10% water change if the tank values get high. After three weeks, 5% water change. Hoping that the four fish survive through cycling.

    Fingers crossed.
     
  11. fielding12

    fielding12 Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Four fish doing fine.

    I notice a pattern that three of the fish school together most of the time and the fourth is sometimes/often swimming alone.

    Did I put the wrong number of chromis together? In reading, some people recommend odd numbers. I thought four was 2X more than a pair, but should I have put in six (or seven)?

    I won't add more until cycling is complete and then I'll probably add another four to six chromis (or odd number).
     
  12. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    This live rocks vs. bioballs discussion is a total mystery to me. Please know that I mean no disrespect. I am trying to figure out if this is a "choice" of filtration or a "problem". depends who you ask. it can easily become a problem, but isn't necessarily a problem. In my book, I'll just avoid it.

    First, logistically, do you remove the bioballs and then put small live rock in that portion of the wet/dry filter? Using "live rock" may mean having live rock in the tank not the filter compartment. Don't the bioballs make the filter run quieter? Won't it be very noisy if only water? Since you're not cycled yet, you can do it all at once now. Live rock can be base rock. It will eventually become alive, even here. Yes, bioballs do make it run quieter on the same principles that the rock would do the same thing. break up the fall of the water.

    Second, if I don't have much live rock in the tank, wouldn't the bioballs be required to make the tank function until I had more? My tank is 150 gal and I estimate that I have 40 lbs of live rock. (I have about 50 additional lbs of base rock that I hope to make live over time.) i hear the way you keep wording this 'make live over time'... just to be clear, any base rock you throw into the tank now (or later) will become live... that's all you have to do, put it in... (wording is correct, just a tip)

    The biggest problem is the local aquarium maintenance person has cared for this functioning tank for 5 yrs and she swears by the bioballs. right, people swear by what has worked for them... it's an older way of doing it. it works, sure. But isn't the only way of doing it... because of the maintenance issue, folks often like more maintenance free approaches (whenever they can). Rock would be pretty maintenance free. She would like me to add a protein skimmer as soon as I start to have many fish and coral. good suggestion. particularly to keep water pristine for your corals. But she maintains that, properly fed and not overstocked, the tank will work fine with bioballs. this isn't incorrect. do you think it'll not be over fead and over stocked, etc.? we're just trying to make it easier long term. you should not over feed in any event however. it's just dirty. Remember I am a complete novice. She knows that I am building a reef tank. (My best guess is her experience is light on reef tanks and she is telling me what would work with rock and fish, maybe?)

    Last, why cannot I remove bioballs slowly if I find nitrate problems develop. If I removed them one at a time over weeks, why would it cause a new cycle?
    because they're dirty from the bottom up... it's easier to just do it now while you're cycling when you can do it all at once. i'd add my base rock here first (bc of noise) but rock here or there or wherever... as long as it's in your water system somewhere it counts the same basically.

    doing it as you say, slow... most likely would not cause a cycle unless you did it so slowly that they built up too much (not related to you even taking them out)
    I know this will all make sense to me someday but I feel a bit like a person hanging off a cliff with a discussion above my head about whether to keep my harness as I have it or reconfigure it based on someone on the ground's experience.

    good analogy. there are several several ways to go about things.... when I was new, i picked out some names on this forum that I felt knew what they were talking about and more or less followed their approach tweaking and adjusting into "my own way" as I went along...

    good luck and welcome aboard!
     
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