a newbie: need some help and advice on my 50x13x13" tank!

[whitefang]

hi everyone,

firstly, my tank is about 1 and 1/2 feet (is that right?) and i've just started on it, i have absolutely no idea abt marine tanks as this is my first one. So i've decided on getting some advice from u guys here. sorry i've mixed up the dimensions between cm and inches. it's correctly 19x13x13 inches.



- is my tank ok with the rocks' load? there is about 8kg of live rock in there (i estimated, i might be wrong)

- there's a scooter blenny, blue legged hermit, white fish (damsel lookalike with blue fins at the bottom), also, 2 tubeworms.

- i've put a fan on it and the temperature is ranging from 26 deg, to 27 deg (with the light on)

- there is a protein skimmer, canister filter for it (dunno what brand is the skimmer cos the shop gave it to me FOC. the canister filter is a Dolphin C-500) I'm using the "output" of the 5-jet spray at a slight angle so that it is above the water and getting some air into it.

- there is a 24W Haiyang brand light hanging on it too (one tube is white, the other is blue).

- no sump.

- and finally, i just got the hermit about 2 days back. how long will it be before i need to provide it with a new shell?



so is this setup ok? i'm more interested in creatures that live on the bed, with a few corals on top and only a few fish in future (like clownfish, blue tang, dottyback) just for colour.

I also dunno how to test for anything in the water. my rocks don't seem to be growing any algae, although i do see little tuffs of fan-light creatures sticking out from the rocks sometimes.

I've also been taught by the LFS that I can dechlorinate my water by just adding salt mix into it and leaving it in a plastic container overnight. Is that advisable?

I have no idea abt the many tests that i have read abt from the posts. what can i do abt it? is it necessary and for what purpose do we need to monitor them? if there is a problem with an overdrive of one of the aspects, what can i do to rectify it? is there a one-for-all test kit which i can use?

what do you all suggest?

pls advice!!

thanks a lot bros! much appreciated!

[dnsfpl]

everything looks good

are those air bubbles or wave maker in your tank?

[whitefang]

hi dnsfpl,

thanks for your kind words. those are air bubbles, coming from my filter outlet which is tilted at a slight angle. the fan i've just put on do cause a little bit of waves on the surface though. =)

i'm concerned abt the load of rocks in there. is it too much?

[ssathesh]

hi there is no such thing as too much rocks... more is better. my 4x2x2ft uses 120 kg rock.

1. pls remove the bubbles.. the air gets trapped in the rocks and causes it to die.. saltwater cannot have air bubbles.

2. how long did u cycle your rocks?

3. does your skimmer use an air stone?

4. how thick is your sand bed.. too thick and u will poison your tank!!!!

any way been reefing for 10yrs...
i might sound rude but im direct, so pls bear with me...

[Jervis]

Hi there

Nice to see a new marine tank in AQ.

I'll just comment on your livestock... you introduced a damsel-look alike fish at this early stage to test out the water I suppose. But Damsels are extremely aggressive and territorial. You will have to take extra care when adding your next fish. Go for something aggressive to match the Damsel.

Show us more pix please.

[dnsfpl]

is better to introduce CUC to test water
turbo snails are cheap and good

[whitefang]

hi there is no such thing as too much rocks... more is better. my 4x2x2ft uses 120 kg rock.

1. pls remove the bubbles.. the air gets trapped in the rocks and causes it to die.. saltwater cannot have air bubbles.

2. how long did u cycle your rocks?

3. does your skimmer use an air stone?

4. how thick is your sand bed.. too thick and u will poison your tank!!!!

any way been reefing for 10yrs...
i might sound rude but im direct, so pls bear with me...

hi there,

i'm so happy abt ur comments! pls dun say u sound rude. i'm more than pleased and humbled to receive advice.

1. if i dun get air bubbles that way? how should i ensure that my tank is aerated enough? as i dun seem to have any other options of getting air, like an air pump with an air stone in it etc.. i don't see any bubbles when the "outlet" is completely submerged.

2. the rocks are still cycling through. this is cos i've just got new rocks, so i've had to cycle the water again.. erm, is that the right thinking?

3. i dunno what kind of skimmer it is, as i surely dun see it anywhere in the shops, its just hung on, with two suction rubbers at the side to hold it in place, with a little tube that extends out of the water, "for air intake for the skimmer to function", as the LFS told me.

4. the sand bed is abt 1" thick, though some areas are less than that.


i'm glad to hear abt my rock load not being too heavy.. as there will be less water in it now, wouldn't it?

pls advice more! i'm more than happy to learn!

[whitefang]

Hi there

Nice to see a new marine tank in AQ.

I'll just comment on your livestock... you introduced a damsel-look alike fish at this early stage to test out the water I suppose. But Damsels are extremely aggressive and territorial. You will have to take extra care when adding your next fish. Go for something aggressive to match the Damsel.

Show us more pix please.

thanks for stopping by! yes, the damsel guy is quite territorial. he's actually a survivor from my prev ich problem. everyone else got wiped out except him and the scooter blenny. he was showing signs of being territorial when there were other fish around (before they died one by one), except to the clowns, tang and blenny.

i've learnt from AquaMarin that rocks need to be cycled too, and in the process, releases nitrates/nitrites (i cant remember which is the bad one), that's why my fish died with the stress of it. i was so sad, after all, they are alive, and i felt so sad that they had to die due to my ignorance. so i've learnt my lesson, and gotten all the rocks that i'll need, and letting it cycle again. this time with a new hermit to help it along. i've heard that 3 weeks is enough?

i was worried abt the rock load cos it seems like quite a lot. but it seems that its ok.

i'd like a starfish, a crab, a shrimp, maybe 2 clowns and 1 tang, to add on to my current residents in the near future.

is this resident list feasible?

i wish to get just a few small-sized soft and hard corals too. when should i add them in? while the rocks are still cycling, or done?

[whitefang]

is better to introduce CUC to test water
turbo snails are cheap and good

hey bro,

what is CUC?

and will my hermit harm the snail?

[dnsfpl]

cuc = cleanup crew

i am not too sure about HC but most say blue legged are snail friendly

[whitefang]

cuc = cleanup crew

i am not too sure about HC but most say blue legged are snail friendly

ah ok.. i'm just worried abt the robbing of the snail's shell by the hermit.

thanks for the help on the abbreviations! haha!

[ssathesh]

hi there,

i'm so happy abt ur comments! pls dun say u sound rude. i'm more than pleased and humbled to receive advice.

1. if i dun get air bubbles that way? how should i ensure that my tank is aerated enough? as i dun seem to have any other options of getting air, like an air pump with an air stone in it etc.. i don't see any bubbles when the "outlet" is completely submerged.

2. the rocks are still cycling through. this is cos i've just got new rocks, so i've had to cycle the water again.. erm, is that the right thinking?

3. i dunno what kind of skimmer it is, as i surely dun see it anywhere in the shops, its just hung on, with two suction rubbers at the side to hold it in place, with a little tube that extends out of the water, "for air intake for the skimmer to function", as the LFS told me.

4. the sand bed is abt 1" thick, though some areas are less than that.


i'm glad to hear abt my rock load not being too heavy.. as there will be less water in it now, wouldn't it?

pls advice more! i'm more than happy to learn!

hi before i can give any advise .... i need a pic of your tank, and eqpts....

than i can guide u....

[whitefang]

hi all,

i will update with more pics when i can, but pls pardon the lack in pic quality as i'm using a camera phone.

i've just put in some corals, and they seem to be a little droopy. the water temperature is at a constant 26 to 27 deg. Not using a chiller, but a fan. Maybe the tank is small, so it cools moderately well.

Maybe its the lighting then? I'm using the Haiyang brand 24W double tube light. Is that enough? I think its abt 1 ft in length. If its not of the right requirements, what should I look at, what options do i have?

the soft corals are really pretty and i'd like to keep them alive. *worried look*

also, i'm worried abt my tank surviving without the air bubbles.. where do they get their oxygen from? *puzzled*

[whitefang]

ok here are the pics of the skimmer and the canister filter, as well as one with my newly bought corals (abt 2 days ago, and pic taken when they were still strong and sturdy looking).
pls comment and advise.

[Jervis]

You've gotten some difficult corals there... the Blue sponge, sea fan and Carnation coral are filter feeders. Are you already feeding them?

[whitefang]

oh dear i didn't know. they were going for $6 a piece at Iwarna.

Auntie gave me a bottle of 'live phytoplankton', and she said given my tank size and number of corals, just pour a capful into the tank (which i estimate to be abt 10 ml), once a week,

how should i go about caring for them?

i didnt get a sea fan. but my blue sponge seems to be collecting algae from the day it arrived. I did notice a part that was broken off, and seemed a little brown at the edges. I think this piece of beautiful coral is lost. =(

would u help me to I.D the rest of the corals so that i can google info about them?

[dnsfpl]

mushroom and zoa are pretty hardy
those common species can be very cheap too

[ssathesh]

hi have u removed the bubbles?

also how often do u clean your skimmer?

what is in your canister filter?

and your lights are definitely not enough!

my first 3 qns will determine the condition of your tank, so pls answer truthfully.

anyway where are u staying?

[whitefang]

what is a zoa??

[whitefang]

hi have u removed the bubbles?

also how often do u clean your skimmer?

what is in your canister filter?

and your lights are definitely not enough!

my first 3 qns will determine the condition of your tank, so pls answer truthfully.

anyway where are u staying?

no problem, more than happy to share with you what i do.

1. i have removed the bubbles, by simply tilting the outlet 5-jet spray of my filter straight. (so how do they get oxygen???)
2. my skimmer collects gunk every 3 days or so, so i clear it then.
3. the canister filter is just two layers -- one of filter wool, the other is a bag of charcoal.

how much light is appropriate then? my corals are already dying.

i live in marine parade.