New tank and not sure what to do next...

[DENNIS]

Well, I returned shortly ago from the aquarium store and realized I'm going to need a part time job to support my hobby :turntable

Here are my purchases:

Upgraded my light to a 4 tube lamp fixture 96 watt 50/50
SeaClone 150 Protein Skimmer
self rotating powerhead
Centrifugal pump with rotating water deflector

Hopefully this will set me for a while and in a few weeks or so I'll be ready to start introducing specimens.

Thanks again for all the input and advice.

Peace,
Dennis

 

[Woodstock]

:bigbounce Good deal Dennis!! Eventually, you will be fragging your corals and trading them into your LFS for store credits

 

[spykes]

truely wattage per gallon isnt really what matters nowadays at least, im not disagreeing with you but if you have 300 watts of PCs it still does not compare to the metal hailide 250s. I think you should look at the PPFD which is the amount of par, (Photsynthetically Available Radiation) this is what the corals thrive in, and this is what makes them grow. not all 250 bulbs output the same and the ballast matters too, http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm this should help you with Metal hailide 250s.
enjoy~

 

[Woodstock]

PC lighting will do fine for most things. I started out with PC and upgraded when i wanted to keep more light demanding corals. Wattage per gallon is a rough gauge but still a good one to point someone in the right direction. True.. the depth of the tank as well as the PPFD should be taken into consideration when calculating lighting needs; his tank will be fine with PC lighting, IMO.

 

[spykes]

dudette~ was this a 30 tall?well whatever he plans to keep depends on the light, PCs are alright but it's a nice beginner step. Just if people plan to do this hobby seriously i recommend metal hailides because it's what we all eventually all get.

 

[Woodstock]

Very true Dude But, when I first started this hobby, if someone had of told me that MH were a neccessity, I probably would have stuck with fresh water due to monetary issues. I was very happy with PC lighting for many years. When I did upgrade, I knew enough about the corals I wanted to keep to know which MH bulbs I needed. I sold my used PC lighting fixture on ebay (got almost what i paid for it) and ordered my MH

Also, there are many reefers that don't like the MH... he may be one of them.

 

[DENNIS]

All this talk about different types of lighting...I'm just going to be content that the $100 I spent on lighting today is going to suffice for now.

I've set up the protein skimmer and I'm unsure as to the adjustment of the air valve. The instructions didn't talk about this. Should I have this closed all the way or leave it open some. The only thing the directions said was to open it all the way before plugging it in. Once plugged in, close it all the way and then adjust from there. What I am looking for in my adjustment?

Aslo, I have the Emperor 280 filter system with bio-wheel. Is this still necessary with the protein skimmer or can I remove it?

 

[Woodstock]

Skimmer 'adjustment' means to look at 'foam' it produces and adjust the valve (or whatever) to create the type of foam you so desire. I like wet foam, some people like dry dark foam. Just shoot for medium foam (wetish dark) and you'll be fine. Be patient and make any adjustments everyother day if neccessary. Also, new skimmers usually take a week or so to 'break in'; so you may not see any foam at first.

Yes ,you can do away with the Empoeror 280 filter system. Your live rock will provide you with all the biological filtration needed and the skimmer coupled with water changes will provide the mechanical filtration.

 

[docklink]

Hey, Dennis. Good score!! Glad there's no aptasia. (one of the LFS near me has a tank of Liverock just rife with aptasia. I shudder everytime I look in there and think of the unsuspecting buying some for their new tank.)

 

[justaboutnanos]

Too hot in the Nano 12g with an extra pump?

We've had our nano up about 5 months. 79 degrees. Since we added a nice little Mini-Jet MN 404 pump for extra water flow, the temperature is 82 or 83 degrees. Is that OK? We have a ocel. clown, pygmy angel, trumpet coral, hammer coral, flower pot coral, orange tubastrea, and some snails. I've heard so many different ranges of temps are (OK).

Thank you for any help.
-Adam

 

[Woodstock]

83-84 would be the absolute highest. With a temp that high you don't leave much room for future possible spikes. Just be really careful. I keep mine around 79-81. Maybe you could use a clip on fan to help reduce the temp?

 

[cheeks69]

the temperature is 82 or 83 degrees. Is that OK? We have a ocel. clown, pygmy angel, trumpet coral, hammer coral, flower pot coral, orange tubastrea, and some snails. I've heard so many different ranges of temps are (OK).

Small tanks can be a problem fluctuations especially temperature, the higher the temp the less dissolved oxygen and with the bio-load you have especially with a Pygmy in there I would try to get that temp lower ASAP.