Need Advice/Knowledge

[mgregory]

First of all I live in N. Idaho and there isn’t a good local store to go to for supplies and advise. Right now I’ve been relying on advice from friends and reading a lot. But the tanks I’ve seen are not even close to the tanks a lot of you have. I really want to succeed with my tank and know that its inhabitants are in good health and plan on staying for awhile. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s what I have:

55 gal tank with closed hood
Ice cap 660 florescent lights (1-110W 10K and 1 40W 10K and 2 40W actinic)
Approx. 80+ lbs of live rock with CC substrates approx. 1” deep
Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel
Prizm Skimmer
2 Maxi-Jet 900 (230 gph)
1 Power Sweep 214 (160 gph)

I would like to get a better Skimmer but not sure which to buy. Should I use a sump or refugium?? I only use RO water, instant ocean salt and I add cal, iodine, strontium trace elements and Pro-Buffer dKH. I will confess that I’m not the best at testing and or doing water changes but that is going to be one of my major priorities. This leads me to which test kits are best…Should I spend the money and get meters? Do I have enough water flow?

Thanks in advance for any information. I’ve had this tank for a couple of years and I’ve had a great time but also a frustrating one. I would really like to expand the inhabitants in my tank along with my knowledge.

Thanks,
Mark

[Curtswearing]

Mark,

I don't recognize your name so if it hasn't been said previously....WELCOME TO RS!!!

The more water volume you have, the more forgiving your tank will be. Sumps are awesome in this regard. It will also help you with your choice of skimmers.

I would encourage you to buy one of the DI add-on kits as most municipalities are now adding phosphates to the water supply which can encourage problem algae's.

I have my own opinions on your questions but I think it would be best if you got a lot of opinions. What would you recommend???

[mgregory]

Curt,

Thanks for the info and the welcome!

I buy RO water right now but would love to make my own someday. It's about the only thing easy for me to get around here as far as this hooby/obsession goes.

Looking forward to hearing some of your opinions and ideas.

Mark

[vjvl51]

Welcome Mark

Your total flow should be from 5 x (for fish only) to 20 x (SPS tank) your tank size. It depends upon what you will end up housing in your tank and what you like the looks of.

A sump and a refuge is always an asset to any tank - the bigger the better. Some people use combo sump and refuge but separate units are better. The sump usually has lots of flow and for the macro algae in the refuge to be effective, the flow must be slow.

I would get the biggest skimmer that you can afford. There are some brands that have good reps and some brands that you should avoid. I like my Aqua C skimmer realize that there are other brands just as good or better. My skimmer is rated for 180 gallons and I have it on a system that has about 125 gallons.

I like the Salifert test kits and recommend getting Ca, Alk, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and pH to start with. If you have problems getting your Ca up to 400, then get the magnesium kit.

Many people prefer a sand substrate over crushed coral. Do a search for DSB (deep sand beds) or substrates and you will find lots of info.

Vickie

[Hooked]

Welcome to RS Mark



I agree with everything Vickie said. I'm wondering what likestock you have or want to have?

[Pro_builder]

Mark,

1: I would get some Salifert Test kits as mentioned.
2: I noticed that you are adding Iodine to the tank. Are you testing for Iodine? I wouldn't add anything the the tank without being able to test for it.
3: As mentioned earlier, the tank setup really depends on what you are wanting to keep in the tank?
If Fish only- then you don't need a lot of light.
If Reef tank (with soft corals, SPS, LPS) then you need a lot of light in the 10 watts per gallon range (or 550 watts for your tank size)
If you run your Icecap 660 with 4 VHO bulbs you can get 440 watts of light to your tank effectively and could keep almost anything in the tank, that doesn't need prestine light conditions.
4: Skimmer- you want to get as big of a skimmer as possible, and there are bunch to choose from for your application.
5: Sump/ Fuge- there are multiple ways to build a Sump Fuge setup. You can save money by putting them in one tank and still getting the slow flow through the fuge area. If you go with a sump you will either need to get an Overflow box or have your tank drilled.
6: Water flow- You about 11.27 ties turn over in you tank now, so you can keep soft corals and such, fish, etc. For SPS you are a little on the low side but could be done if they are placed in higher flow areas of the tank.
7: Live Rock- You have enough LR for your tank.
8: Availability of equiptment- I would check out the sponsors of this page, they have some really good prices and are great with customer service.

If you decide to go with a Sump/Fuge, just give me a PM and I will show you the different ways to set them up so that they are effectively getting the flow that you need.

HTH
Also, to RS, we are glad that you are here with us.

[mgregory]

Great advise..thanks to all so far. The info I have been getting around here is "a little" different. That's probably why I have had some trouble with coral.

To answer some of your questions:

I want to have the ability to keep basically any type of coral/fish and slowly build into a nice well stocked reef tank! I have some corals now (frog spawn, colts, star polyps, mushrooms) 2 tangs, 2 small clowns, 1 blenny and snails and small hermit crabs.

I know I have a lot to learn and a long way to go but hopefully with advice, help and time I'll get there.

[tankgirl]

Hi Mark,
Welcome!
One additional benefit of a sump is you can put stuff like heaters down in it, so the display looks nicer.
A 10Gal tank would probably be big enough (as a sump) for your 55.
You might be able to find used tanks in your local paper.
All great advice from everyone! Mark, the real secret to happy corals is water flow! Even with less than optimal lights you can run your lights on a longer cycle and (to a certain degree) make up for the low wattage. In your position, my wish list would look like this (based on the info available);
1. another powerhead to up circulation
2. good test kits (Salifert are my favs)
3. a sump and overflow box (used is fine)
4. a skimmer (used is fine)

On the test kits; if your tank is reasonably mature I'd get Nitrate, Phosphate, pH, Calcium and Alk (if you're keeping hard corals).

How many fish do you have in your 55?

[Witfull]

well they covered just about everything,,,so ill just say

[mgregory]

Hello to everyone again and a continued big thank you.

Well I ordered Salifert test kits and a Maxi-Jet 900 (230gph) power head. I also have 1 10K and 2 Actinic VHO bulbs I could install. What's the best way, one at a time of just cut down the on time so I don't fry the coral I do have?

Tankgirl, I have 1-Sailfin Algae Blenny, 1-Sailfin Tang, 1-Purple Tang, 2-sm False Clowns and one very small Sunrise Dottyback along with snails, hermit crabs and an urchin.

Also the Bio=wheel.. I have had some say yes and some say no. What does everyone think?

Thanks again!!

[Tarasco]

For your lighting, either of the options that you mentioned are good. Another way that people have done is to cut peices of screening, maybe three or four, and place them between your tank top and the lighting. Each day you can remove another piece of the screen, so that it gets brughter over time. However you want to do it should be fine.

Be aware that your tangs will eventually outgrow your 55 gallon tank. Most tangs require over 90 gallons, and some people won't put them in tanks that are less than 6 feet long due to their swimming requirments.

As for the biowheel, since you are planning on keeping corals I would say no. These are places that contribute to high levels of nitrates in the tank. Although they work well for fish only and certain fresh water tanks, reef tanks are especially sensitive to nitrates. You can keep the pump in your tank for added circulation and keep activated carbon in the chamber if you'd like.

Hope this helps you.