give me some ideas?

[aliask8]

ok this tank is now 1 1/2 week old now. 29 gal and this is my first salt water tank. skimmer is on the way.2 danseles and getting more tonight, horseshoe crab is on the way to, real jamaican coral that is in tank but is dead ); plants fake and i want to replace!! give me ideas and suggestions hear are some pics!!

[Pineapple House]

The first thing that you could do is not buy anymore damsels. They can be extremely aggressive towards eachother, esspecially in a 29 gallon with very limited rockwork. They would end killing eachother within a couple of months. Once you add them, you could say good-by to adding any other fish. Damsels will harass them to death once they enter the tank. From my experience, Green Chromis are generally not aggressive and do well in a community tank. Your tank is still quite young. You should go much slower instead of buying fish like it's a race. Slow down, wait for your tank to cycle :)

Next, I would get rid of the fake plants and the "amazon rocks," unless you're looking for an amazon reef. The plants and the freshwater rocks make the tank look artificial and freshwater. You may also want to add a black background to the tank to hide the cords. The black will also bring out the fish.

I would recommend getting some liverock in there, such as Tonga or Fiji rock. This would make the tank look much more natural. What's your lighting?

Take Care,
Graham

[aliask8]

i put in some lava rock and planning on getting more of it. i put in a hawaiian feather duster yesterday and i was wondring if it was a good place for it or should i move it?

[steve1s]

Don't move the duster. It could be easily become damaged and not recover. If it's attached leave it be and just place any additional LR on top of the lava rock after it's properly cured.

Cheers
Steve

[RazerCorals]

I would seriously question that lava rock if it is the man made stuff. Lava rock breaks down over time and will leave a icky look to your tank. The reason I state man made is because the natural stuff is what we use aka Live rock.

[aliask8]

is this what i shoud get?

[steve1s]

No, this is ....

http://tbsaltwater.com/

Cheers
Steve

[GrendelPrime76]

i would suggest getting your self a good book on salt water before u buy anything else

[MaxReef]

The feather duster is a filter feeding worm and ina tank less than 2 weeks old will not be able to find food probably.... it will need phyctoplancton without it the worm will slowly die. Not to speak about the water quality....

Sorry to inform you too late, but feather duster are difficult to keep and should not be attempted before the tank has reached full maturity :cry:

Max

[aliask8]

thanks but i do have invertebrate food thanks for the concern thoe, i was smart and planned that out.
but i did order a skimmer and im thinking about this light (1) 10,000K Premium-Daylight & (1) Ultra-Actinic w 2 moon lights. or i could go cheap and get.All units come with the SmartLamp. The SmartLamp is a 50/50 power compact bulb that combines a 10,000K Ultra-Daylight and Ultra-Actinic in one lamp.
and i was thinking if i could get fake rock good rock and buy coral to grow on it, and get some live sand. to put on top of the chrushed coral.

[GrendelPrime76]

good live rock acts as the anchor as far as bio filtration goes, i just cant see spending all kinds of money for lights and neglect 1 of the most important things in the tank, your bio filtration

[aliask8]

. The SmartLamp is a 50/50 power compact bulb that combines a 10,000K Ultra-Daylight and Ultra-Actinic in one lamp. would this be adquit for the fiji rock?
i am planning on ordering the lights but it is on back order so i haft to wate till that comes back in stock. and some fiji rock but for a 29 gal tank im thinking i would need about 25lb? or more?
thank you for all your help!!

[steve1s]

. The SmartLamp is a 50/50 power compact bulb that combines a 10,000K Ultra-Daylight and Ultra-Actinic in one lamp. would this be adquit for the fiji rock?
If it is a 2x55w Power Compact set up, then yes that will do fine for a FOWLR set up and possibley a few less light demanding corals..

i am planning on ordering the lights but it is on back order so i haft to wate till that comes back in stock. and some fiji rock but for a 29 gal tank im thinking i would need about 25lb? or more?
Anywhere from 25-40 lbs would be good depending on what type of tank this is to be. If FOWLR the the 25 lbs would be fine. If a reef, then you would be better with closer to 40 lbs.

Since you have animals is the tank already, you should also be sure to cure the LR seperately in a plastic bin until the readings of ammonia and nitrite are zero and the nitrates are lowering. You will need a plastic bin large enough to hold all the rock, filled with saltwater and a powerhead. If you cannot attach a skimmer be prepared to do a few water changes weekly to bring down the DOC. The more cured the rock is when you get it the less you will need to do. The more "raw" or uncured, the longer it will take.

Cheers
Steve

[aliask8]

ok guys tell me if this sounds good to you??
55 Gallon Hexagon 25x24

Euro-fil 60 60g capacity (20x8.5x16) without holder and venturi skimmer-sump. i need to find a pump for the sump but not sure what to get i found this at http://www.fishtankstore.com/options/filtration.php.

i have not picked out lighting for this yet?

would this be addquit for a start on a better aquirum? sugestions

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[steve1s]

You can still have a successful reef tank with the 29 gal, it just needs a few modifications :wink:

If you wish to upgrade size before you get too far into things, that fine but I would not suggest a hex tank for a SW set up. If you can find one look for a longer and shorter tank. They are easier to light and will leave you with more fish and coral options preferabley 48" long.

I'm not sure about the sump $$ but anything you use to increase the total water volume will always benefit the tank health. Others may have a few alternate suggestions.

Cheers
Steve

[Phish]

O.K. aliask8 Get rid of that 'fake' rock, go and pick up around 25lbs of Live Rock and 20lbs of Live Sand, take out the gravel, dont worry about it just lose it, take out the plastic plants. see if you can take the fish back, and the feather duster for store credit, and that light would be ok if you dont want any coral (exept shrooms) For a reef you would need at least 200watts for that size tank, DO NOT GO BIGGER, you have no idea how much a 60g tank will cost you to set up, try $1,000-$1,700... or more.

Get the skimmer later, you dont need it wile your tank is cycling and listen to what we say, it is very important that you dont mess up too much because if you do you will waste all kinds of money and not like this wonderful hobby, plus the worst thing is you will probably kill lots of animals...

So pay attention to what we say, and you'll be o.k. :D

[Fiji Live Rock]

aliask8,

I have two words for you... Slow Down! :shock:

There is NO rush! Take your time or you WILL loose fish, inverts, corals, ect. :(

Saltwater ecosystems are VERY fragile! This is not fresh water you are dealing with where you can just go from new tank to full tank in a relatively short time span.

You seriously need to relax...take a deep breath and do some reading.

Yes...we all want our tank to have lots of fancy fish and corals as fast as we can get them in the tank. However, that method of "want" will only lead to disaster.

Take your time...do as Pish said. Take the fish and Duster back to your LFS and see if they will give you store credit for them.

Then start off with a good deep sand bed and some live rock. Cycle them in your tank with your filtration system and protein skimmer functional for at least a couple of weeks before even thinking about adding anything!

The BEST and SAFEST way to establish a biosystem w/o endangering or stressing any wildlife is to use something that is already dead. Example: A shrimp like you would eat...except...don't eat it...just toss it in the cycling tank and let it "rot"...the bacteria will form breaking down the shrimp...hence starting your bio-load.

PLEASE...PLEASE...SLOW DOWN...you will have the tank of your dreams if you take it SLOW and learn to use patience. Trust me....trust US...we wouldn't spend the time telling you these things if they weren't for your benefit. :)

So...what you do...is up to you...I just hope for your sake...and most of all the sake of all the lives of the aquatic animals you place in your tank that you go slow and do things correctly. 8)

[aliask8]

ok im not going to get rid of this tank i was going to start the cycling of another tank also. and lets get one thing straight thats not gravel! its chrushed coral!!they wont take back any salt fish or inv... but they are dowing fine!!.. if i get sand and i vacuum every 2 weeks (water change) then do i just keep buying new sand or is there somtihign different whith live sand? my FAKE plants are out! lol thaks for input!

[GrendelPrime76]

u dont vacume the sand just leave it alone and the worms and pods will keep it clean

[Fiji Live Rock]

ok im not going to get rid of this tank i was going to start the cycling of another tank also. and lets get one thing straight thats not gravel! its chrushed coral!!they wont take back any salt fish or inv... but they are dowing fine!!.. if i get sand and i vacuum every 2 weeks (water change) then do i just keep buying new sand or is there somtihign different whith live sand? my FAKE plants are out! lol thaks for input!

Ok...you don't need to get all negitivly sarcastic towards us. :shock:

We are here to help lead you down the correct path. So please remember that. :)

As for the part:
ok im not going to get rid of this tank i was going to start the cycling of another tank also.

...no one said you should get rid of your tank. We were just suggesting that you do it right from the get-go so you don't have to eat the losses that some of us elder Reefers have taken. :|

I hope you will learn from OUR mistakes and not have to learn from your own. It is sad...but sometimes learning from your own mistakes is the only way some people grasp concepts of what people were trying to tell them. :(

Just do yourself a favor. Take it SLOW and do it RIGHT the first time...and trust me...you will look back on this as the information that got you to your dream tank. :wink: :)

Best of luck always! :mrgreen: :D

[Phish]

O.K. here are some additional tid bits.

*Take out the plastic plants right now, not after you read this post NOW
*Crushed Coral still sucks!! get rid of it, through it out.
*Take out the 'fake' rock NOW
*Go buy at least 20lbs of live sand (they have 20lbs bags for like $25)
*Go buy at least 20lbs of live rock (you can get all 20lbs live or you can use dead rock and put some live on top)
*Put the Live Rock and Live Sand in your tank to start the cycle.
*It dosent matter if your fish are doing 'fine' they have a 90% death rate once you get your Live Rock and Live Sand (cycling causes an ammonia spike (very deadly) and then other spikes you can see in the 'learn' section at the top)

edited for unneccessary comments and language by steve1s

[Fiji Live Rock]

:shock:

Chill Pish....chill.

We (as the entire Reef Forum) can ONLY LEAD him/her down the right path...THEY must choose which door's to open and which to not open. Also which paths to stay off of and which to follow.

I have learned overtime...you can help people till you turn blue in the face...but if they don't want it or aren't willing to take your advice...it isn't worth the aggravation. Just let it be.

If this person wants to not loose wildlife...and wants to save money...then he/she will do the right things. If not...and he/she wants to do it their way (despite being new to Saltwater) then that is fine also. However...a total system failure can and probably will occur. (I know...I had a TSF on my first saltwater system because no one ever told me how to do it correct from the get-go.)

So...take a step back away from your keyboard Phish...and breath. 8)

[Lahatiel]

I agree with Fiji's last statement, but also think this entire post should be deleted. It is going nowhere, and is leading us all down the path to the darkside (wish I had a Vader emoticon).

Anyway, it is obvious this person is NOT going to listen to the advice given. They are rather just going to ask questions and answer them themselves. It is pointless...and futile (now I need a Borg emoticon).

[GrendelPrime76]

i must agree with the above, but it is our job as expierenced marine keepers to try no matter how hard or frustrating to steer people in the right direction, i wasn't much different when i got into marine keeping some 15 yrs ago and if it wasn't for an extremley patient lfs employee who over time imparted his knowledge onto me i would have killed alot of fish then probably would have given up, so lets just step back and realize that this person is looking to us for guidance, and aliask8 u really need to start over and take the advice were are trying to impart to you, first advice is get a good salt water book i recommend the NEW MARINE AQUARIUM after u get a good book alot will start to make sense, in marine keeping u should have the frame of mind to keep the fish for there life spand and not a few months, sorry to keep this long but alittle work and understanding now will save alot of critters that never asked to be put in to our homes :D

[aliask8]

holy @$#! pp take a chill pill. i did listen to you pp and you don't read very well!~? i did take the feather duster and the 2 damsels to a friend. store wouldn't take them back? rock and chrushed coral out. live sand and lighting is on the way. and yes i did get rent some books on saltwater tanks @ coral. mabe this form should be shut down for pp own good?(pish) and i think i did not have an attude. Ok...you don't need to get all negitivly sarcastic towards us.how did i sound negutuvly towards you?

im out peace. dont expect me to wright back to your responses

[Phish]

Good, at least you are trying. I'am glad that you took the time out to get books, and the time out to post your question, has anyone every told you
"I am being picky, because I want you to succeed" I just didnt want you to kill all kinds of animals, and I wanted you to go by what we said because we speak the truth.

and I am sorry about loosing my cool, I dont usually do that, but it sounded like you werent listening, and it was getting to me.

[aliask8]

im sorry if we got on to the wrong turn. but i am listning to everything you say. i took most of the chrushed coral out but the live sand i ordered 25 pounds of it. and my 55 gal is just sitting there empty waiting for sump and pump to arrive.

again i am sorry if we came to a wrong turn or misunderstood each other.

[Phish]

Well, if you are planning to turn your 55g into a reef, that will cost a lot of money, at LEAST $1,000 and up to $2,500 :shock: , that isnt cheap, I if you have the money I would just turn the 55 into a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) Than it would be way, way cheaper, and a 100x easier to maintain, because in smaller tanks, little mistakes could destroy everything, Just yesterday my 10g nano just finished cycling (a nano is just a small reef 29g and under (some are less than 1g) and I added 6 little hermits BOOM they made a HUGE Ammonia Spike (actually of the charts) and if I had any corals or fish in the tank right now, they would be dead in 5 hours, I will have to be even more carful with my reef now that I know how fragle it is compaired to others (every reef is different)

So if you want to go FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) tell us and we will help you out with that.

[Fiji Live Rock]

aliask8,

That is better. :wink:

Good decision to follow our advice. :D

You will have a MUCH MUCH healthier tank with MANY MANY less losses than you were on the path to have.

I think you will do just great with your tank. Just remember, we tell you these things cause we want you to share in the successes that we have had w/o having to face the bitter failures that we have. :wink:

Best of luck! :mrgreen:

[Phish]

Yeah, Every one had mistakes, You know how many people here have had a total 'meltdown' so to speak, damn, my friend got a hitchhiker nudi that he didnt even know was there, and than boom, He woke up to a dead tank with a nudi to blame... and he was a smart guy, he know his stuff. Most people here could tell you tank horror stories.

[steve1s]

This thread will not be deleted but it will be edited for improper content. If any more inflamitory remarks are posted, the thread wil be locked.

Please keep your posts ON TOPIC and without expletives or insulting remarks.

Regards
Steve

[Phish]

Sorry Steve1, I thought I was PG-13 there...

I'll be better about outbursts. 8)

[Fiji Live Rock]

Pish,

Are you positive that it was a Naudi that killed the tank?

They aren't poisonous.

I am wondering if he thought it was a Naudi when it was actually a cuke and it dropped the "nuke". :|

[Phish]

Opps, did I put nidi, I meant cuke, sorry for the confusion.

[nanoman123]

srry bout my posts too :roll: . i just get so frusturated some times :? .

[aliask8]

ok had my ph spike whith my live rock in my 55gal and im looking for some 4x55w compacts would this be ok for some hard and soft?

[steve1s]

4x55w on a 55 gal would suffice for most type of soft and LPS corals.

Cheers
Steve

[Gujustud]

I have to say this is a good post. Don't delete it. I'm also in the newbie stage, and looking at starting up a salt water. Most likey just fish with live rock. 29g too.