Beginner help,filtration in my new 55g

[rodman844]

Tank is up and running since tuesday. 70 lbs of live rock. I have crushed coral, do I really need live sand?
When do I remove the bio-wheel from my empereor 280 and the bio bale from my bak pak? I would like to keep some fish in my reef tank, will I need to leave some biological filters in, the wheel or the bale, or will this just cause problems in the long run? How low do I set the skimmer cup in my bak pak?, not getting any foam yet. One more question, How do I add calcium with out purchasing a reactor just yet? What is the best test kit out there?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Anonymous]

I have crushed coral, do I really need live sand?

Not live sand neccessarily, but you'll be happier in the long run with a finer grand aragonite or oolite sand. The crushed coral is too chunky and traps detritus.

When do I remove the bio-wheel from my empereor 280 and the bio bale from my bak pak?

You can remove the entire Emperor 280 now. Your live rock is more than adequate biological filtration.

How low do I set the skimmer cup in my bak pak?

That varies from system to system, each one is unique. It takes a few weeks to break in though.

How do I add calcium with out purchasing a reactor just yet? What is the best test kit out there?

There are several ways to add calcium other than a reactor. Do a search for kalkwasser. It's the cheapest, but also the most labor intensive. Several manufacturers make calcium supplements (SeaChem, Kent, ESV), that are pretty simple to use. Seachem aslo makes a decent calcium test. Hach and Lamotte are two other good ones, but they are a bit pricier.

 

[Saltykirk]

IMO, take out the crushed coral & replace w/ oolite or sugar sized aragonite sand. Ditch the bio wheels they won't help w/ good live rock in our system. There's a little black band around the skimmer cup on the Bak Pak or there should be. Roll that up or down on the cup to find the best colored skimmate. It should be really dark & stinky. Even a tea color is too light. Oh, I forgot, the crushed coral will hold alot of detritus, gray mulm looking stuff. That will fuel algal growths & in some authors speculation, even bacterial infections. With the sugar sized sand you get the benefit of alot of worms and other little critters that are not only fun to watch, they benefit your system too. Nassarius snails will be your best friend when dealing w/ scavengers for your system. I am not the world's authority on tanks so compare what I have experienced w/ others advice. I grow SPS's pretty good, pulsing xenia, and fish as well in my reef.
One big regret I have is not waiting at least 3 or 4 months to start adding fish to my system. You get alot more little creatures established if you wait.
Have a great time & read alot!