14 years ago, back in the dark ages of reef tanks, is when I became interested in the world of reef tanks. We had combinations of life in our 55 gallon tanks that would make Homer Simpson say "Doh!!".
About 9 years ago we added to our own personal family and quit torturing reef fish... Now we're back and tanks and equipment have changed drastically.
We started 2 tanks.
Tank 1:
Our basic one is a 37 gallon eclipse package, which I added a 204 fluval to for extra biological and carbon filtration. It houses a blue niger trigger (about 3 inches) and a snowflake moray eel (about 9 inches), 3 blue damsels (which being old school I used to cycle the tank... won't do that anymore... and the moray was suppose to eat them...). Crushed coral substrate, some basic rock (not live) for hiding and a few small pieces of live rock (about 5 pounds).
Questions:
1. We've introduced the Trigger and Eel at the same time about 3 weeks ago; the tank had been running for 2 months and had zero ammonia, and zero NO2. The eel hasn't eaten since we purchased him, he has exhibited as if he's willing to eat but won't take proffered food, we've tired frozen krill, squid, and live goldfish (skewered so as not to swim out of range) and he won't eat any suggestions?
2. Brown algae have started to prosper. I understand that the trigger will eat shrimp and pick at snails anything non-chemical I can do?
3. Would a live sand bed be of use in this tank, both the trigger and eel tend to organize the tank in the fashion they prefer and didn't know if it would disturb the sand bed too much.
4. Are there protein skimmers that I could add without having to cut the eclipse hood?
Tank 2:
90 gallon tank, sump (big enough not to overfill if power is cut), protein skimmer, calcium reactor, 150 pounds of live sand, 150 pounds of live rock (was uncured). 2 metal Halide, 2 VHO actinic.
Questions:
1. The tank has been up and running for about 4 weeks, the live rock has lot's of dead stuff on it still, I was told by the fish store not to clean it too much as it was good in cycling the tank... Much of the dead stuff that was on the rocks had come loose and settle on the bottom of the tank... once again the fish store said to leave it. They suggested I add some blue-legged hermits to help with the clean up (I added 20 and a sally lightfoot crab). The crabs seem to be moving over the live rock and eating/kicking off old vegetation. Should I vacuum the debris off the sand bed? Do hermits actual eat debris or just algae?
2. I have a calcium reactor with a pinpoint monitor/controller. The recommended setting for PH in a reef is 8.1-8.3 (so I think from various reef books/forums I read). What is the PH is should set my controller at to activate the calcium reactor? At what point should I turn on the calcium reactor (now or before I start adding corals)? And is it OK to place the Ph probe in the sump (I'd prefer not to have it dangling in the tank)?
3. The wife would like to have the "Nemo" look with a pair of mated clowns and anemones, some type of tang (yellow, power blue, etc.) and corals. Is it possible to keep healthy corals and anemones in the same tank?
4. Would it be a good idea to add live sand and/or rocks to the sump w/o having to add lights to the sump?
5. What is the quietest pump? I have an Iwaki one that is really too noisy for my liking.
6. Is a tunze/turbelle stream pumps w/controllers really worth the money or would 2 Rio 800 do the trick?
We're also trying to pick a good RO filter that we can attach to our garden hose any suggestions?
I'm attempting to out of the dark ages and into the light, any specific help would be welcome.
BTW - 14 years ago, in a 55 gallon tank we kept a lion fish, a marine betta, a yellow tang, a powder blue tang, a mandarin goby, a harlequin shrimp, a mandarin shrimp, a clown w/anemone, a coral banded shrimp, a snowflake eel, a couple of corals and polyps, a wrasse or 2, and various snails. Filtration was provide by 2 biowheel/carbon hanging filters, 2 magnum canisters, an under gravel w/2 power heads and 50 pounds of live rock. 1 MH pendant and 1 actinic bulbs provide the lighting. We did 25% water changes every weekend and had a UV sterilizer on the tank. Fish cost about 10x more then than they do today (the powder blue set us back over $200). Mostly everything survived for until we broke that tank down, in the end we found a 3 foot long brissle worm in our live rock.
About 9 years ago we added to our own personal family and quit torturing reef fish... Now we're back and tanks and equipment have changed drastically.
We started 2 tanks.
Tank 1:
Our basic one is a 37 gallon eclipse package, which I added a 204 fluval to for extra biological and carbon filtration. It houses a blue niger trigger (about 3 inches) and a snowflake moray eel (about 9 inches), 3 blue damsels (which being old school I used to cycle the tank... won't do that anymore... and the moray was suppose to eat them...). Crushed coral substrate, some basic rock (not live) for hiding and a few small pieces of live rock (about 5 pounds).
Questions:
1. We've introduced the Trigger and Eel at the same time about 3 weeks ago; the tank had been running for 2 months and had zero ammonia, and zero NO2. The eel hasn't eaten since we purchased him, he has exhibited as if he's willing to eat but won't take proffered food, we've tired frozen krill, squid, and live goldfish (skewered so as not to swim out of range) and he won't eat any suggestions?
2. Brown algae have started to prosper. I understand that the trigger will eat shrimp and pick at snails anything non-chemical I can do?
3. Would a live sand bed be of use in this tank, both the trigger and eel tend to organize the tank in the fashion they prefer and didn't know if it would disturb the sand bed too much.
4. Are there protein skimmers that I could add without having to cut the eclipse hood?
Tank 2:
90 gallon tank, sump (big enough not to overfill if power is cut), protein skimmer, calcium reactor, 150 pounds of live sand, 150 pounds of live rock (was uncured). 2 metal Halide, 2 VHO actinic.
Questions:
1. The tank has been up and running for about 4 weeks, the live rock has lot's of dead stuff on it still, I was told by the fish store not to clean it too much as it was good in cycling the tank... Much of the dead stuff that was on the rocks had come loose and settle on the bottom of the tank... once again the fish store said to leave it. They suggested I add some blue-legged hermits to help with the clean up (I added 20 and a sally lightfoot crab). The crabs seem to be moving over the live rock and eating/kicking off old vegetation. Should I vacuum the debris off the sand bed? Do hermits actual eat debris or just algae?
2. I have a calcium reactor with a pinpoint monitor/controller. The recommended setting for PH in a reef is 8.1-8.3 (so I think from various reef books/forums I read). What is the PH is should set my controller at to activate the calcium reactor? At what point should I turn on the calcium reactor (now or before I start adding corals)? And is it OK to place the Ph probe in the sump (I'd prefer not to have it dangling in the tank)?
3. The wife would like to have the "Nemo" look with a pair of mated clowns and anemones, some type of tang (yellow, power blue, etc.) and corals. Is it possible to keep healthy corals and anemones in the same tank?
4. Would it be a good idea to add live sand and/or rocks to the sump w/o having to add lights to the sump?
5. What is the quietest pump? I have an Iwaki one that is really too noisy for my liking.
6. Is a tunze/turbelle stream pumps w/controllers really worth the money or would 2 Rio 800 do the trick?
We're also trying to pick a good RO filter that we can attach to our garden hose any suggestions?
I'm attempting to out of the dark ages and into the light, any specific help would be welcome.
BTW - 14 years ago, in a 55 gallon tank we kept a lion fish, a marine betta, a yellow tang, a powder blue tang, a mandarin goby, a harlequin shrimp, a mandarin shrimp, a clown w/anemone, a coral banded shrimp, a snowflake eel, a couple of corals and polyps, a wrasse or 2, and various snails. Filtration was provide by 2 biowheel/carbon hanging filters, 2 magnum canisters, an under gravel w/2 power heads and 50 pounds of live rock. 1 MH pendant and 1 actinic bulbs provide the lighting. We did 25% water changes every weekend and had a UV sterilizer on the tank. Fish cost about 10x more then than they do today (the powder blue set us back over $200). Mostly everything survived for until we broke that tank down, in the end we found a 3 foot long brissle worm in our live rock.
