Aquarium levels?

[newreefguy6868]

I am a soon to be reef-o-holic who has just started a new reef tank. I have a 20g that has been runing for about 2 months while I accumulated the rest of my required necessities. I just put in live sand and the cloud has just cleared. I have a dual wheel filter, heater, bubble stone, protien skimmer, and dual wavemaker for water movement. I have heard keeping a tank this size can tend to be difficult due to any changes in your levels being drastic because of the amount of water your dealing with. Any suggestions or comments on this would be appreciated. My main reason for posting though was for levels. Do PH, nitrate, calcium, and gravity levels differ from livestock to livestock or is there some kind of medium? I have never had a reef tank before so I have a hundred and one questions, so any input, statements, opinions would be very welcomed.

 

[StirCrayzy]

Welcome aboard !!
I found this thread too late in the morning to help much,
SEARCH FORUMS !
That is the best way to find answers,
We need to know more info also, like what the plans are for the tank...
Fish Only ?
Live Rock ?
Coral Types ?
Currently inhabited?

Start by getting your water to 1.023 SG That is a happy medium

ps
PLEASE POST Pics !!!!
We like them !

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

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

Might check out this link... ACCEPTABLE PARAMETERS FOR MARINE AQUARIUMS


Routine Testing of Aquarium Water: Healthy Fish Require Quality Water

 

[BigAl07]

Hello and welcome to the forum and the WONDERFUL world of SW aquariums.

Let me start by saying RESEARCH! The more you know before adding any livestock the better off you, the livestock and your wallet will be. Research each and every purchase (livestock, equipment, WATER even) before you make the purchase. Education saves $$ and heartache.

Now if I were you I'd invest some TIME into going to
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...rs/33555-look-frequently-asked-questions.html and start reading. Go line by line and get familiar with that whole section before adding/changing anything else.


You do want your water level to stay constant especially in a smaller tank. Throughout the day water evaporates (only H20 itself leaves) which means your salinity will slowly rise. The IDEAL situation is to have an ATO (Auto Top Off) installed that will sense a small drop in water level and turn on a pump to pump more fresh water (NOT salt water) from a remote reservoir to maintain an almost constant water level. The second option is to top off manually as often as you can. At LEAST once per day. This keeps the salinity as constant as possible. If you let it go too long the sailinty slowly drops and when you top off it suddenly jumps back up. The oceans are fairly constant 24/7 so the animals FROM the oceans aren't adapted to large or sudden changes. Consistency is the key here.


Good luck and Happy Reading!

 

[newreefguy6868]

Welcome aboard !!
I found this thread too late in the morning to help much,
SEARCH FORUMS !
That is the best way to find answers,
We need to know more info also, like what the plans are for the tank...
Fish Only ?
Live Rock ?
Coral Types ?
Currently inhabited?

Start by getting your water to 1.023 SG That is a happy medium

ps
PLEASE POST Pics !!!!
We like them !

I appreciate your input, thank you... I am planning on on putting in live rock and a variety of species. I have not narrowed down yet to what livestock i am going to put in but I know that I will only add a few things untill I make sure I can maintain my levels and not kill anything before i go adding all kinds of creatures. I am aware to make sure not to overcrowd my tank. So as of the moment I have only live sand and saltwater in the tank. I am waiting on a couple things in the mail and I need to buy a gravity tester. I have a bunch of coral fossils I was going to add for decor to the live rock when I get it. and was planning on adding some live coral frags and anenomies later on. I have no idea what kinds to put in but I want them to be beautiful and at the same time possible for me to take care of as a beginner reefer. If anyone has any suggestions to some good beginner species, i would not be hesitant to listen. Also when you say 1.023 SG, is that the gravity?

 

[lcstorc]

Yes, that is specific gravity (I believe that is the term anyway but I know the gravity part is right).
Be very careful with your additions. A 20g tank is very small and you will not have room for very many fish at all. Choose your livestock carefully. The generally accepted numbers are one adult fish for every 5 gallons of water. So in a 20g tank you can have 4 fish inches. A full grown clown can easily match or exceed this amount.
You will also want to do some serious research before adding an anemone. It is really not a good idea for a number of reasons.