55g Reef beginner

[jaw88]

Hello, i have been wanting to start a reef aquarium for a long time now but never had the money, so this year with the income tax i got i went to a local pet store and got 50 lbs of sand,a 55 pound bag of instant ocean reef crystals,40 lbs of live rock,a SolrmaxHE t5 lighting sytem with led moonlights, an instant ocean hydrometer,a submersible heater and some biozyme. I know i need more rock but that is all i could afford right now,and i figured i can always get more when i might have a little more money. I do not have a protein skimmer,and the filters i am using as of now are just blue carbon filters that came with the tank. My tank was a freshwater tank before it was mine but i got it for free from a friend and decided i was just gonna convert it to a SW tank. The tank is a 55 gallon with stand and lid,but my lid is not on my tank right now.I have my tank setup lights,heater,the carbon filters and my sand and live rock are in it. I put the water and everything in about a week after i got it,and got it all up and running. I did the 7 day dosage of the biozyme,and i now have brownish red algae growing on my sand and rocks,some looks hairlike,and some does not. I am planning on having a reef setup,but i will have to add things little by little because of the money right now.

 

[WVUReefer]

Your tank is cycling...ride the wave out...no corals until you can get your hands on a filter system designed for reef tanks (i.e. protein skimmer, sump/fuge)..You may be surprised how you can aquascape ith 40lbs. of live rock...But all in all you have some time to collect your thoughts about what you need while the tank cycles..

 

[jaw88]

i have done a lot of research before i even went and bought my SW stuff,so i know its gonna be a challenge,and i need to be patient i just hope in the end i have a healthy SW tank.

 

[tnwillia]

My .02 is start reading here in the fourms. I found the answer to every question I had doing searches on the site. Good luck!

 

[GreatWhiteShark]

Welcome to the Reef Sanctuary. I also have converted a 55 gallon to a reef tank. Just hang out here ask a lot questions and study, study, study. Good luck!!

 

[kospaintball]

welcome to RS, Your brown stuff is more than likely diatoms and the "hair" stuff is called hair algaie.... ironicly lol

I noticed no where in your post did you mention any power heads or pumps. I think before you buy any more live rock you should get a skimmer (double rated based on tank size) and atleast one power head.... it would be best to keep the live rock you have as healthy as you can then to keep killing off more.

As far as the skimmer goes i would recommend something like this --

Super Skimmer with Needle Wheel - Up to 125 Gallon | Venturi Models | Protein Skimmers | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com

it is not to expensive but not to cheap. its a nice mid range priced skimmer. It is adjustable to water level and can be set up as an "in sump/fuge" or hang on the back-- and since you said you have no fuge, grabbing one of these as a HOB for now and then getting your fuge / sump set up and moving it later would be a good move IMO.

There is a guy in our Dry goods for sale section that is selling a "6 ft tank with every thing you need"

check him out he has some power heads that are already modded for extra flow and you could buy them used and save yourself a little moo-lah.

Ask around if you need anything and feel free to PM me if you have some specific questions.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

 

[jaw88]

Maybe i need a new thermometer,it came with the tank so idk for sure how old it is,its a digital one that is a sticker so idk if they go bad or not. I have no skimmer or powerheads just a heater,a light,that thermometer,and the carbon filtering system that came with the tank.I want to get a skimmer,but dont have the money quite yet,i did have enough to get them when i first started it all up but almost 200 of that money had to go to something unexpected. I do not have an R/O filter either,i just got a salt mix that has a metal detoxifier in it and some start right powder stuff.
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[Rye_84]

you might want to switch out your filter system. Some carbons can leach phosphate into the water. I don't think it will have an affect on the rock too much (don't quote me on that) but I know coral doesn't like it. Good luck with everything and be patient!! Patience is one of the toughest things I have found but you can do it! work on your flow as well. I know its been mentioned but its important to get the water circulating so that you don't have dead spots.

 

[OAKI4676]

Welcome !!!!! I Have A 125 And The 220 Skimmer, Both Work Great, The 125 Is A Little Less Tempramental. Best Of Luck. Take Your Time, The Ocean Did Not Get Created Over Night......