Need guides to setup my 1st (80x45x45)cm marine tank of my life

[Dirtbiker]

I have read many of the threads about marine fishes, water conditioning... etc
but i still don't have confidence in setting up the marine tank all by myself.
Hope u guys out there will be able to help me along throughout the whole process and i will keep u guys updated...

infomation of my current equitment:

1. Tank (80x45x45)cm with a sump (11x45x45) by the side of the tank
(is it useful?) Thickness: 5mm (able to withstand those heavy liverocks)
2. ViaAqua multi-skimmer II ($65) up to 80 gallons (suitable for my tank?)
3. a packet of 5kg corallife salt ($18)
(quite cheap and a bit worried abt it quality)
4. a hydrometer cum thermometer ($3) floating type (accuracy?)

i know i still need lots of stuffs like external filter, sand, water testing kits, etc... but i think with those things i will be able to start filing up the tank with water first and starts clearing chlorine and chloramine by letting the water over night (if i m not wrong) and also dissolving the salt to the required level (using the floating hydrometer).

Anything i missed at the start?
What are those important steps coming up next?

[devilfire]

I have read many of the threads about marine fishes, water conditioning... etc
but i still don't have confidence in setting up the marine tank all by myself.
Hope u guys out there will be able to help me along throughout the whole process and i will keep u guys updated...

infomation of my current equitment:

1. Tank (80x45x45)cm with a sump (11x45x45) by the side of the tank
(is it useful?) Thickness: 5mm (able to withstand those heavy liverocks)
2. ViaAqua multi-skimmer II ($65) up to 80 gallons (suitable for my tank?)
3. a packet of 5kg corallife salt ($18)
(quite cheap and a bit worried abt it quality)
4. a hydrometer cum thermometer ($3) floating type (accuracy?)

i know i still need lots of stuffs like external filter, sand, water testing kits, etc... but i think with those things i will be able to start filing up the tank with water first and starts clearing chlorine and chloramine by letting the water over night (if i m not wrong) and also dissolving the salt to the required level (using the floating hydrometer).

Anything i missed at the start?
What are those important steps coming up next?

well, here i am.
1) some reefers(thou minor) placed their sump above the main tk. as long as u hav the flow system done correctly, i dun c y not.
2)ur tk size is abt 48gal.. a bit oversize is ok but i think the 1 u using might b too big.(any reefer can help on tis?)
3) dun worry abt the quality. IMO, all r the same. some experience reefers i know use even cheaper types.
4) not sure abt the accuracy as i never use b 4 but i believe it's quite difficult 2 read off. make sure u handle wif care, u dun 1 the internal stuff 2 pollute ur tk. PS, dun always leave it in the tk
4 get abt the external filter since u already got a sump. go get a powerhead instead.
sand- up 2 ur preference. IMO, #0 n #1 look nice. u can oso do w/o it.
Test kits- thou not a must but they r something u as a beginner cant do without.
dun 4 get the supplements, calcium, strontium..............

[devilfire]

1 more thing 2 add, u r on course. nothing much 4 u 2 do at tis stage. when u intro ur LR tat's where it begins. not 4 getting ur 1st 3 important test kits 2 put on standby.

[Dirtbiker]

can i start the process now for the dissolving of salt and also for the evaporation of the chlorine and chloramine. usually how long is the process? 2 wks?

and i also don't have confidence using sump tank (mine only 11x45x45cm) so small. sure u think can go without external filter?

for sump tank
-wat are the layers? (pls state in order)
-wat do i need ?
-wat to maintain?

[devilfire]

can i start the process now for the dissolving of salt and also for the evaporation of the chlorine and chloramine. usually how long is the process? 2 wks?

yes u may. there is no hard n fast rule as in when is the proper time 2 add in the salt. some will tell u 1 2 2 days later, some will do it as soon as they add water in their tk n i am 1 of them. do it, it wont cause any harm.

[devilfire]

usually abt 3 days after the salt water is created then u can start 2 intro ur LRs.

err think ur sump is a bit narrow.. a pic of it will help more.

if ur sump can work then no need 2 go 4 another external filter.

fr ur last question, i guess u r going 2 DIY ur sump.
a sump must hav at least 2 compartments-filter media n return pump. but many will hav 3 at least(another 4 skimmer). majority will hav 4(refugium)
hard 2 advise how many u shd hav as ur sump is too narrow. not 4 getting ur newly bought skimmer. how n where u gonna place it will oso determine ur sump layout. i would rather advise 2 u 2 spend some time 2 think abt it.
4 eg, u might 1 2 hang on ur skimmer 2 ur main tk. at a later stage u might purchase another n place it in ur sump. so think abt it.
a sump is suppose 2 b so called 'user friendly'. not much of a maintenance is required.

[Dirtbiker]

What are all the things i need for the filtration?
Its the bio balls or something??? :eek:

[ReDDeviLs]

care to let us know what kind of livestock you want?
like fish only with liverock,than bioballs is good,
if you want corals.. remove the bioballs..as they might be no3 factory..
bioballs break down ammonia and no2 to no3.. and no3 is harmful to corals.
as for what you should have in your sump,like devilfire mentioned a picture of it will be good.
but i will give u an idea what you will be expecting to put in,
a ph4 removal like rowaphos,carbon e.g reeferz carbon plus.
i will stop here,if you are going to a reef tank,which is to have corals..than we will go into detail about what you need for a reef tank is that fine with you?

[ykeng]

For a start, since you are still new to marine, I would urge u to go for a FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rocks) setting.

I would try to advice you base on my own personal experience with a nano tank (2 ft).


What I did last time is to prepare the salt water first (make sure it is of the right salinity) in pails.

After that, pour the sand (grade 0) into the tank. Put a plate on top of the sand and pour the salt water u prepared earlier onto the plate. The water will than slowly flow down onto the sand and it will help in minimising 'sand storm' in your tank. After u got your tank (fill with salt water and sands) ready, On the filter and let it run. Put in your LRs within the next few days and wait for at least 30 days to finished the cycling process.

Do regular water parameters test (NH3, N02, N03) from the third week onwards to check for condition of the water before u introduce your first fish. (Pls do not use damsel fishs for cycling process as it is both cruel and not advisable anyway as they are very dominant and agressive once they establish themself in the tank).

During your 30 days 'waiting' period, You can take the time to plan what you want to introduce in your tank too. Read up more during this period to enhance your knowledge as well...esp bro deep_end sticky)

Start off with a FOWLR. I have seen fellow reefers FOWLR setup and by my words, they are absolutely 'visual pleasing' as well (It can be done).

However, if you wish to keep some corals, do it after another 2 to 3 months to let your tank further stabilise.


Anyway for your filtration query, personally, I am using both biohome and chemipure right now. I will be changing my chemipure to seachem seagel soon though.

[KaLiB]

care to let us know what kind of livestock you want?
like fish only with liverock,than bioballs is good,
if you want corals.. remove the bioballs..as they might be no3 factory..
bioballs break down ammonia and no2 to no3.. and no3 is harmful to corals.
as for what you should have in your sump,like devilfire mentioned a picture of it will be good.
but i will give u an idea what you will be expecting to put in,
a ph4 removal like rowaphos,carbon e.g reeferz carbon plus.
i will stop here,if you are going to a reef tank,which is to have corals..than we will go into detail about what you need for a reef tank is that fine with you?

Its PO4, not PH4, aka phosphates.

I think if you can give us an idea on what you want, that'll be great and we would be in a better position to help out. Like you want fish only with liverocks or a reef tank.

[Cardinal Tetra]

You can check out my Marine Tank Journal.
http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122166&page=1&pp=10

The tank is still in the midst of cycling till then. :D

[devilfire]

What are all the things i need for the filtration?
Its the bio balls or something??? :eek:

eerrr cant really tell u wat is good. some will use a combination of tis n tis. others will use tat n tat. some say bioballs will, overtime b come a nitrate factory, while some experience reefers r using tat. same goes 2 coral chips.
activated carbon is highly recommended by professionals, but many prefer not 2 use.
4 me, i'm juz using filter wool n coral chips.

[devilfire]

ammonia will b detected as soon as there r "die off" in the tk. it can happen as soon as u start the cycling process. take note u can help 2 speed up the cycling process by adding market prawn.
start testing 4 the spike so as 2 monitor its process in order 2 b sure tat the nitrogen cycle will b established.
As soon as ur nitrite is zero, u shd add 1 hardy fish in even if there is a detection of nitrate. the reason is simple, bacterias will not multiply w/o "food"(fish waste).

IMHO, keep a diary. 1 reason is 2 keep a record of ur commitment n another reason is tat it will make ur hobby more fun.

[ReDDeviLs]

if you have a large tank e.g 150gallon tank,adding 10 bioballs means nothing as your tank is too big and the nitrate trap there has no effect.
if your tank is small,1 bioball makes a difference.
yea add a hardy fish,but please dont add damsels,they will give u alot of problem in future.. IMO damsels are the alst fish you should add if you want them.

[devilfire]

u may 1 2 make use of tis time 2 propagate ur coraline algae by leaving ur blue light on n adding supplements like calcium n reef builder.

[Dirtbiker]

woow...
there are so many helpful guys out there...
thanks for the advices, i m very touched to see so many helpful guys. :p

Sorry, i m now very busy with my work and i will update u guys asap on what i have bought recently for the setup and what kind of marine life i like to keep.

Best is that some of u guys out there who can show me with pictures of your beautiful marine tank. so i may get some ideas on what type of marine setup i want for my tank. :D

[Dirtbiker]

is a chiller a must for marine tank?

[nim75sg]

Not necessary unless you're having corals or your tank is directly confronted by heat.

Fyi, I didn't have a chiller for my FOWLR tank ...

[samanosuke]

need to take more care about of the marine water first b4 your fish

[KaLiB]

I think most of us got our setup photos in our galleries.

You don't need a chiller for the marine tank, however you can install fans(usually we use PC fans) to cool the water if it gets too hot(Reef tank better to keep it at 27-29deg, FOWLR should not exceed 31degs), but evaporation rate will be high.

[ReDDeviLs]

i dont have digi cam lei.. anyone can spaare me 1?HAHA!
ok enough of craps mine is not a nice tank,but a decent simple 1..will post mine asap :)

[devilfire]

is a chiller a must for marine tank?

u need a fan at least. thou FOWLR does not really need low temperarures, having it is always a advantage. reason is simple, low temperature-higher oxygen content which is vital 4 ur fishes.

[Dirtbiker]

infomation of my current equitment:

1. Tank (80x45x45)cm with a sump (11x45x45) by the side of the tank
Thickness: 5mm
2. ViaAqua multi-skimmer II (up to 80 gallons) - $65
3. a packet of 5kg corallife salt - $18
4. a hydrometer cum thermometer (floating type) - $3

new equitment bought:
5. Grad C-5 sand (20kg) - $10
(shld i change to C-3 for easier maint? Is grad 0 looks better and more natural in tank)
6. a mechanical pump Hydor Prime 30 (Qmax: 900L/H) - $50 (2nd hand)
7. some bioballs and rings - $10
8. dead corals - i smashed into pieces for raising the ph level - $15


as for the livestocks, i have not decided yet. anyway i still cycling my tank and i have time to do more researches before i decide.
Is it possible for a newbie and with so manay experts here :p to setup a marine tank with beautiful corals and marine fishes... :D
coz i misses those days at Tioman and wish to create a mini Tioman at home...
hahaha.... :p :p :p

[Dirtbiker]

blue light???
i have 2 colours for my lighting...
total 4 tubes... 2 pink and 2 blue....
so just on the blue light... for 2 wks !?! :eek:

[Dirtbiker]

any1 tried keep this beautiful creature name Rhinomuraena quaesita "blue eel"?

i was so in love with this beautiful creature when i saw it at 1 of the local lfs....

http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/stender/diving/wakatobi/blue%20eel%20small.jpg

[KaLiB]

Get rid of the pink tubes, don't think their useful for marine, change to white tubes. Not really necessary to on the blue lights during cycling, but i guess its up to the individual, i don't on any lights during cycling.

Grade 0 is very fine and can cause a sandstorm easily, grade 1 would be good but can be stirred up easily and cause a sandstorm, grade 5 is a little coarse and can trap alot of detritous but less likely to cause any sandstorm as its corase. My current tank i think is using grade5 and i'm trapping loads of detritous inside my sandbed as time goes by. Detritous breakdown overtime and add to the nitrate level.

If you can change, i suggest that you have fine sand like grade 1 below and a thin layer of thicker snad like your grade 5 sand to prevent any sandstorms.

I'm using grade1 for my new tank and it has a very natural look IMO.

[Dirtbiker]

how about C-3 grad sand....
will it cause trap loads of detritous inside the sandbed as time goes by?

[devilfire]

blue light???
i have 2 colours for my lighting...
total 4 tubes... 2 pink and 2 blue....
so just on the blue light... for 2 wks !?! :eek:

yes, leave it on 4 abt 3 wks!
it is found tat LR at a depth where only blue spectrum can penetrate produce very nice coraline algae.
get rid of the pink, it's useless. change it to white.

[devilfire]

how about C-3 grad sand....
will it cause trap loads of detritous inside the sandbed as time goes by?

let me tell u my experience abt C-1 n C-3 sand. i'm not sure if others hav the same experience as i had.
my former tk i used C-3 sand. i found tat my gobies did not do their job! :mad:
my present tk i'm using C-1 n my 2 gobies r my loyal servants, making sure my sandbed is cleaned.

[KaLiB]

how about C-3 grad sand....
will it cause trap loads of detritous inside the sandbed as time goes by?

I think it would but would not be as bad as c-5, it appears coarse enough to cause detritous to buildup within your whole sandbed.

[Dirtbiker]

is it a good idea to mix C-1 and C-3 together?

[ReDDeviLs]

why not c1 and 2? or c0 and c1?

[Dirtbiker]

okie...
i will now going to petmart and buy...

[KaLiB]

No problem about that, but i think just have a thin layer of c-3 above the c-1 to prevent any sandstorm. My idea of mixing sand is just to prevent any sandstorm that maybe created by your powerhead/wavemaker when they are switched on to circulate the water.

Incase you don't know, if you mix the sand and pour in, overtime it will form 2 distinctive layers, with the finer sand below and the coarser particles above on the surface. Don't think it will take very long, i think it took around 3-4months for my sandbed to become 2distinctive layers.

[Dirtbiker]

instead of mixing them up... ;)
i bought a total of 30kg of C-1 grade sand for $15....
damn heavy... :mad:

now i have washed the 30kg of sand and placed into my tank evenly.... :p
wooow.... the sandbed is about 7cm thick. is it too much? :o

[KaLiB]

7cm is ok, should not be a problem.

[Dirtbiker]

okie...
now my tank is under water cycle. although there is nothing in my tank but the little sandstorms created by the water current can bring me joy... :D

for the tank size of mine, how many of liverocks is to be ideal? :confused: ?
can i add in some fishes for the conditioning of water with new liverocks?
if yes which type of fishes is suitable and which are not????

[ReDDeviLs]

hardy fishes will be damsels...
try not to add any fish yet untill everything is over(finish cycle)
but i remind you,adding damsels will give you problem later..
do a search at www.liveaquaria.com and see which fish you like than do the necessary planning while waiting for cycling to end :D

[devilfire]

okie...
now my tank is under water cycle. although there is nothing in my tank but the little sandstorms created by the water current can bring me joy... :D

for the tank size of mine, how many of liverocks is to be ideal? :confused: ?
can i add in some fishes for the conditioning of water with new liverocks?
if yes which type of fishes is suitable and which are not????

u can start adding the hardier ones once the nitrite reads 0, even if nitrate shows a reading.

LR?? depends on wat type of landscape u 1.

never add any fish with new LR.

[Dirtbiker]

u can start adding the hardier ones once the nitrite reads 0, even if nitrate shows a reading.

LR?? depends on wat type of landscape u 1.

never add any fish with new LR.

Roger that... :confused:
so how long do i have to wait after adding those new LRs?
can't wait to see a marine fish swimming in my new tank.... ;)

[devilfire]

Roger that... :confused:
so how long do i have to wait after adding those new LRs?
can't wait to see a marine fish swimming in my new tank.... ;)

tis is a tough question.
use ur test kits. no 1 except the test kits will tell u when is the best time.

[Dirtbiker]

1. Tank (80x45x45)cm with a sump (11x45x45) by the side of the tank
Thickness: 5mm
2. ViaAqua multi-skimmer II (up to 80 gallons) - $65
3. a packet of 5kg corallife salt - $18
4. a hydrometer cum thermometer (floating type) - $3
5. Grad C-1 sand (30kg) - $15
6. a mechanical pump Hydor Prime 30 (Qmax: 900L/H) - $50 (2nd hand)
7. some bioballs and rings - $10
8. dead corals (i smashed into pieces for raising the ph level) - $15

did i left out anything important?

[KaLiB]

Yup, the timing is likely to vary on a case by case basis. Safest way is to use testkits to determine ammonia and nitrite are both 0 before you can add your first fish.

[KaLiB]

1. Tank (80x45x45)cm with a sump (11x45x45) by the side of the tank
Thickness: 5mm
2. ViaAqua multi-skimmer II (up to 80 gallons) - $65
3. a packet of 5kg corallife salt - $18
4. a hydrometer cum thermometer (floating type) - $3
5. Grad C-1 sand (30kg) - $15
6. a mechanical pump Hydor Prime 30 (Qmax: 900L/H) - $50 (2nd hand)
7. some bioballs and rings - $10
8. dead corals (i smashed into pieces for raising the ph level) - $15

did i left out anything important?

What about lights and test kits?
Looks like you more or less got the basic stuff covered.

[devilfire]

1. Tank (80x45x45)cm with a sump (11x45x45) by the side of the tank
Thickness: 5mm
2. ViaAqua multi-skimmer II (up to 80 gallons) - $65
3. a packet of 5kg corallife salt - $18
4. a hydrometer cum thermometer (floating type) - $3
5. Grad C-1 sand (30kg) - $15
6. a mechanical pump Hydor Prime 30 (Qmax: 900L/H) - $50 (2nd hand)
7. some bioballs and rings - $10
8. dead corals (i smashed into pieces for raising the ph level) - $15

did i left out anything important?

r u using a chiller??
if not, stand by a fan.

[Dirtbiker]

tis is a tough question.
use ur test kits. no 1 except the test kits will tell u when is the best time.

er.... :confused:
can recommend me some good test kits to buy and can pls tell me about each individual kit's purporse... ;)

and also the prices best and the cheapest LFS to buy.... :p

[devilfire]

er.... :confused:
can recommend me some good test kits to buy and can pls tell me about each individual kit's purporse... ;)

and also the prices best and the cheapest LFS to buy.... :p

4 a start, u need at least 3, ammonia ,nitrite n nitrate.
brand wise, different ppl got different preferrence.
everybody claimed tat salifert is the best n of cos the most x.
maybe u can put up another thread 2 survey who r using which, n 2 find out where is selling cheap test kits.

[Dirtbiker]

r u using a chiller??
if not, stand by a fan.

still not quite sure which 1 will i get...
but i measured the temp of my tank is 31 degree... is it high?

about the lightings i have 4 light tubes...
2 blue and 2 pink...
i think it shld be enough lightings for my tank

[devilfire]

still not quite sure which 1 will i get...
but i measured the temp of my tank is 31 degree... is it high?

about the lightings i have 4 light tubes...
2 purple and 2 pink...
i think it shld be enough lightings for my tank

31 is too high..
using a fan might bring it down 2 28C. this kind of weather dun expect any cooler.
i tot at 1st ur lights r 2 blue n 2 pink? replace them with 2 blue n 2 white. or maybe 3 white n 1 blue will b better, IMO.

[vinceyeo]

heh pink lights is so totally uncool. imho even if you are doing a FOWLR tank it would be better with some white light than pink.

still not quite sure which 1 will i get...
but i measured the temp of my tank is 31 degree... is it high?

about the lightings i have 4 light tubes...
2 blue and 2 pink...
i think it shld be enough lightings for my tank

[ykeng]

heh pink lights is so totally uncool. imho even if you are doing a FOWLR tank it would be better with some white light than pink.

On a personal term, i would agree with you. Pink light somwhow doesnt seems to fit with marine. But to each his own! :D

[nim75sg]

Agreed .. replace the pink with daylight tube and you're ready to rock and roll after confirming your tank is "safe" with the appropriate test kits.

[Dirtbiker]

guys i can't change the pink light tube just like that...
it looks like double tube kind... sticked together :(

1 blue and 1 pink tube is combine together...
shld i change the whole tube or just leave it 1st then change later in future...

[Dirtbiker]

this coming friday and sat....
any1 of u guys free and wanna go shopping with me for liverocks... :D

[devilfire]

guys i can't change the pink light tube just like that...
it looks like double tube kind... sticked together :(

1 blue and 1 pink tube is combine together...
shld i change the whole tube or just leave it 1st then change later in future...

i think u mean PLs. u can get 1 white n 1 blue(sticked together) from certian LFS.

hey, i noticed u always come into tis forum quite late every day.

[Dirtbiker]

i think u mean PLs. u can get 1 white n 1 blue(sticked together) from certian LFS.

hey, i noticed u always come into tis forum quite late every day.

okie...
oh yeah... coz now i m at work, i m working night shift...
so i m often active in the late nights and sleep in the days... :p like a vampire... :D

[devilfire]

okie...
oh yeah... coz now i m at work, i m working night shift...
so i m often active in the late nights and sleep in the days... :p like a vampire... :D

working now??
then y r u online??? eat snake?? :p

[Dirtbiker]

working now??
then y r u online??? eat snake?? :p

hey... i m paid to eat snake... hahahha :p
kidding!!! just online whenever i m free, i m those hard working type k... :D
my boss is lucky to have me work for him :rolleyes:

[devilfire]

hey... i m paid to eat snake... hahahha :p
kidding!!! just online whenever i m free, i m those hard working type k... :D
my boss is lucky to have me work for him :rolleyes:


hahahahaha :D :D :D

[Dirtbiker]

guys...
the multi skimmer i bought... dunno how to use...
the water pump cannot pump the water in...
sian arh.... :mad:

the brand is ViaAqua multi-skimmer II ....
i think it is too high tech for me.... hehehhee :confused:

[devilfire]

did u connect properly??
check 4 airlock which i think it's unlikely.

[~MeGa~]

hey... i m paid to eat snake... hahahha :p
kidding!!! just online whenever i m free, i m those hard working type k... :D
my boss is lucky to have me work for him :rolleyes:
ha just hope boss dun see this ... lately alot of conversion here and there... :p
still have problem setting up ur skimmer???

[Dirtbiker]

ha just hope boss dun see this ... lately alot of conversion here and there... :p
still have problem setting up ur skimmer???

hahaha... cell 3 now is having a convertion.

abt that skimmer, damn... too high tech liao...
must go back to the shop and ask that auntie at pasir ris farm.... hope she can demo for me to see....

remember to call me during your leave so i dun forget...
we go shopping at pasir ris farm... :D

[Dirtbiker]

did u connect properly??
check 4 airlock which i think it's unlikely.

yeah... i checked everywhere but still can't work...
this skimmer is driving me crazy... :(

[~MeGa~]

hahaha... cell 3 now is having a convertion.

abt that skimmer, damn... too high tech liao...
must go back to the shop and ask that auntie at pasir ris farm.... hope she can demo for me to see....

remember to call me during your leave so i dun forget...
we go shopping at pasir ris farm... :D
no pro.. maybe bring back to the lfs and ask for help will be better... can do that when on the hunting trip next week rite...

[devilfire]

yeah... i checked everywhere but still can't work...
this skimmer is driving me crazy... :(\

never seen it B 4, got DC 2 post a pic of the skimmer?

[Dirtbiker]

went back to the LFS and they teach me how to set it up....
now my tank water cycle is running with 11kg of liverocks with some bonus corals on it...
happy to see those corals open up in just 1 hr later :p
poured it some Tropical Science nitromax to boost up those nitrosomonas and nitrobacter bacteria... stimulated with oxy-boost...

Have u guys have any ideas about this brand's name Tropic Marin???
Wanted to buy the test kits of this brand but a bit expansive and never came across this brand too....
considering...
pls advice.... ;)

[devilfire]

tropic marine salt is very popular among reefers.
however, the test kits r rare, u dun c them every where.
so far i oni saw it at marine life.

BTW, y 1 2 use all the 'boosters'. if u can wait, y waste money??
anyway, check 4 the 1st ammonia spike 2 ensure u r on the right track.

[Dirtbiker]

hi guys...
has been infected by virus so can't logon recently....

thses few days has been a great changes to my tank...
added 15kg of liverocks, some corals and some fishes.... :p
so happy to see those corals open up, fishes playing "hide n seek" with the caves i created...
feel so relaxing, while watching the tank full of lives....

just tested my water ...

temp: 30 degree
ph: 8.4
kh: 5 degree
no2: 0.02mg/l
no3: 5mg/l
po4: 0.3mg/l
ammonia: er.... in green colour means good :p

[devilfire]

hi guys...
has been infected by virus so can't logon recently....

thses few days has been a great changes to my tank...
added 15kg of liverocks, some corals and some fishes.... :p
so happy to see those corals open up, fishes playing "hide n seek" with the caves i created...
feel so relaxing, while watching the tank full of lives....

just tested my water ...

temp: 30 degree
ph: 8.4
kh: 5 degree
no2: 0.02mg/l
no3: 5mg/l
po4: 0.3mg/l
ammonia: er.... in green colour means good :p

so fast ur tk finished cycling???

[Dirtbiker]

so fast ur tk finished cycling???

yeah... the liverocks i bought all are seasoned and the water condition is very good. i was also surprised. so i bought some coral and fishes to test, everything seems okie!

think this wkend will recruit more fishes...
thanks for the guildlines....

[KaLiB]

Don't add too much livestock too quickly or you may cause an ammonia spike as you need to give time for the bacteria to cope with the new increased bioload.

[devilfire]

yeah... the liverocks i bought all are seasoned and the water condition is very good. i was also surprised. so i bought some coral and fishes to test, everything seems okie!

think this wkend will recruit more fishes...
thanks for the guildlines....

so wat if all LRs u bought r seasoned??? n wat makes u think tat the water condition is good??

care 2 share???

[devilfire]

i read again all the posts n damn... it was like u oni juz put in ur LRs abt 3 days ago 4 the "1st batch" n 1 day ago 4 the "2nd batch".

Bro, u gonna faced a lot of problems soon.

[ReDDeviLs]

ya that is true,i cycled my 1st tank and able to add liverock within 2weeks..later face alot of problem..do proper cycle..or u will regret.

[devilfire]

ya that is true,i cycled my 1st tank and able to add liverock within 2weeks..later face alot of problem..do proper cycle..or u will regret.

it happened 2 me oso when i was a newbie...

when i started tis hobby, i didnt know such forums exist. wat i did back then was more or less trial n error. there was no 1 i could ask.

sad 2 c when ppl hav the priviledge 2 come here n ask n they still commit the same mistake.

hope it turns out fine n well 4 his case..

[ReDDeviLs]

bro devilfire..me too..i dont visit forums.. until 1month after.. than i start to visit here.. remember there is a guy love to stock his tank till very pack..and still dont hear peoples advise.. someone from malaysia..hehe

[devilfire]

cant remember exactly who but is he stil ard??

[Dirtbiker]

hehehe....
:p

ops... i almost forgot...
i m too happy to see fish in my tank and hope to get more....

currently only have 3 small fishes....
and i think i will not recruit more untill ....... when???? :p

[Dirtbiker]

i read again all the posts n damn... it was like u oni juz put in ur LRs abt 3 days ago 4 the "1st batch" n 1 day ago 4 the "2nd batch".

Bro, u gonna faced a lot of problems soon.


:o
what type of problems...
can list them out, so i can get prepared..... :confused:

[Dirtbiker]

so wat if all LRs u bought r seasoned??? n wat makes u think tat the water condition is good??

care 2 share???

u guys said something like "u can only trust the test kits and no1 else"
just tested my water ...

temp: 30 degree
ph: 8.4
kh: 5 degree
no2: 0.02mg/l
no3: 5mg/l
po4: 0.3mg/l
ammonia: er.... in green colour means good

[ykeng]

:o
what type of problems...
can list them out, so i can get prepared..... :confused:

Bro Dirtbiker,

Firstly, no offence here, but i think u shdnt really rush into buying corals and fishes in the inital stage of your tank setup (or did i misread your thread). Not so much into endangering the life of the marine species but more in helping u save money. Cos base on my personal experience (whereby my LRs are also said to be those cured type) i happily added numerous fishes and was also delighted to see the fish doing very well initally..with no apparent problem.
However, u cannot possibly be watching and monitoring your tank 24 hrs a day right? U know the thing about marine is fishes can suddenly die of reasons unknown to u and problems will escalate when 1 fish die and it causes an ammonia spike. Your tank being unstable in the inital stage of setup will have a difficult time coping with the high bioload plus ammonia spike and it can results in more fish and corals dying off.

I mean tts what happen to me. all it takes is for my yellow peel angel to die for no apparent reason and the next thing i realise when i came back home is the rest of the fishes are already gasping for air and breathing heavily waiting for their time to die as well....damm sad tt time.

not trying to influence your choice, decision or what...just wanna share with u my own personal experience for your consideration.
Have a nice day.

[KaLiB]

:o
what type of problems...
can list them out, so i can get prepared..... :confused:

Watchout for any possible ammonia spike since you've added quite abit of LR together with fishes. Observe your fishes for any signs of heavy breathing or fin rot(usually the early signs would be mucus would be coming off and reddish areas).

Since you've added 3fishes(looks like its at 1 shot), then don't add any yet for at least 1-2weeks, then test your water and see if there's any ammonia and nitrite present before adding anymore fishes. Everytime fishes are added, the bacteria needs time to multiply and cope with the new load.

You own a 2' tank right? Better watchout, i won't recommend having more than 4small fishes in there, 1 dead fish and it can cause a spike big enough to wipeout everything if not removed on time.

Just remember, in marine, being patient is a key ingredient in success.

[ReDDeviLs]

never see him active anymore..some nick starts with Y i think.

[ReDDeviLs]

can get more hardy fishes... so more difficult to die so if something goes wrong,you still got chance to save the situation.
but dont get aggressive fishes... later all fight! haha

[Dirtbiker]

ok...thanks for those advices...
i will take note and stop buying fish....

[devilfire]

IMO, even if u stop buying fishes it would not help 2 make ur tk stable.
A would-be successful marine tk in the most basic must hav the nitrogen cycle well established. urs is not even establishing yet.

u mentioned u bought cured LRs, tat would not provide the nitrogen cycle 2 ur tk. n tat is y u hav not detect any ammonia spike at all, which lead u 2 think tat ur water condition is very good.

u will soon come 2 2 situations...
1-the nitrogen cycle will never b established n as time passes, ur LS will start dying.
2-soon ur LRs will start 2 hav die-offs n there'll b an ammonia spike n similarly all ur LS will b wiped out.

quite disappointing as i tot u r a sincere learner when u PM me.

[Dirtbiker]

but i have did what u guys said...
use those test kits to test the water condition and once the results are ok then i may able to start recruiting livestocks...
so i do as follow...
i asked the duration of the water cycle and the replies are see from the test kits result...
so i checked on the 4th and everything looks fine so i went to buy my 1st 3 cute little marine fishes.(2 black and 1 blue)
and for those corals are come with the liverocks....
i dunno what are their names but 1 look green in colour and the other look red in colour. once i on the lightings, they will start opening up....
the others looks like mushrooms, with some luminous green spots on them....

u mean i should not buy liverocks with those corals on it, purely rocks???

[devilfire]

ykeng mentioned that u hav 2 wait at least 30 days, didn't he??

i mentioned that u hav to detect an ammonia spike 2 ensure tat u r on the right track, didn't i?

hav u detect any sign of ammonia??

[ReDDeviLs]

think he dont mean to be impatient..
lets give him a break..theres some misunderstanding maybe..

anyway bro dirtbiker.try to stop all buying,or transfer your lifestock to another reefers tank or put it somewhere and house it for 1 month..do a recycling..anyway you just started..so still ok..

[Dirtbiker]

can i keep the fish in the tank for the water cycling?
they look fine to me and i dun have any spare tank to keep them... :(

[KaLiB]

Ok, it appears there's some terrible misunderstanding after readding the posts in this thread.

It seem's that dirtbiker has gotten the idea of the cycling process totally wrong. He's thinking is to run the tank and then test, so there's a mistake on both sides. Dirtbiker should have clarified what exactly is cycling or at least found out by himself what it is and we should not have made the assumption he knows how to cycle.

It appears that he has just started cycling(introduction of LR). Earlier threads indicates he mentioned he is cycling, but there is no ammonia source at all, he's just running a bare tank which is the wrong concept and i believe that bit of detail wasn't noticed by us. Well, at least i didn't notice it until i re-read the 1st few pages again. ;)

I'm in no way defending anyone, i'm just trying to clearup a misunderstanding here base solely on what i gather from the posts here.

[Dirtbiker]

hi guys i m back...
hope people willing to help me "with patient" can still continue to guide me along...

so far so good for my tank nothing much for me to do, so i keep trying to rearrange those LRs untill i feel comfortable with it... :p
so after all these misunderstandings...
what are the next step for me to do and to lookout...?

the LRs are glowing something on them, cute little plants, and they are spreading.... from 3 and now abt 8

to my surprise... :D
i found 2 bonus creatures in my tank, 2 crabs!!! 1 white and 1 pink
very seldom see the pink crab but white crab always out in the nights...

for my fishes they are very healthy, i feed them with market prawns...
i think 1 prawn can feed them for weeks... :p save a lot( scare over feed them)

water condition:
temp: 29 degree
ph: 8.4
no2: 0.02mg/l
no3: 5mg/l
po4: 0.3mg/l
kh: 6 (trying to increase it to min 8)
having a problem with this kh level, using the seachem 'reef carbonate' to increase the kh but very slow... read the instruction and follow... :confused:
(recommended by Aquastar LFS staff...)

[KaLiB]

You may want to run rowaphos, the 0.3ppm of po4 might give algae problems in future.

Rowaphos is very costly but its good though.

Hmm.. you don't have an nh3 testkit? Always never see you put nh3 values in your parameters.

[Dirtbiker]

er... i bought the seachem NH3 meter...
its only shows 3 types of colour... yellow, green and blue
yellow=good green=time to change water blue=seek help from expert
and mine show yellow all the time.

is this good enough???

[KaLiB]

I won't really trust the meter too much. Low levels of ammonia(0.4ppm in my case) it might not be able to detect and still show safe, at least thats with my case(was confirmed using testkits).

I still feel its safer to get an nh3 testkit.

[Dirtbiker]

I won't really trust the meter too much. Low levels of ammonia(0.4ppm in my case) it might not be able to detect and still show safe, at least thats with my case(was confirmed using testkits).

I still feel its safer to get an nh3 testkit.

:( ...
bought the wrong equitment again...
in this case, i will try to get a testkit for nh3 soon...

[Jeffrey74]

I won't really trust the meter too much. Low levels of ammonia(0.4ppm in my case) it might not be able to detect and still show safe, at least thats with my case(was confirmed using testkits).

I still feel its safer to get an nh3 testkit.
KaLib, what brand do you recommend for testkits?

[Dirtbiker]

KaLib, what brand do you recommend for testkits?

hi there, i m using tropic marine test kits...
some of the 'old bird' recommended me...
easy to use and can test for abt 100 times...

[Jeffrey74]

hi there, i m using tropic marine test kits...
some of the 'old bird' recommended me...
easy to use and can test for abt 100 times...
How's the cost like?:rolleyes:

[KaLiB]

:( ...
bought the wrong equitment again...
in this case, i will try to get a testkit for nh3 soon...

Don't worry, it does work, just that we should not rely 100% on it for accurate measurement since it's effectiveness wears off overtime.

Jeffrey74: I think for accuracy and value for money, Salifert is good. I'm quite pleased with the no3 testkit i got, it can measure values below 2ppm up till 1decimal point accuracy. $30 for it and it can do 60tests.

[Dirtbiker]

How's the cost like?:rolleyes:

can't remember...
i think its either $32 or $26....
around this price... :confused:

[ReDDeviLs]

the top brand is salifert..
now got new 1 call mini lab test kit..quite accurate compare to salifert too..much cheaper.

[Dirtbiker]

After 10 long months...
i fininally able to post my 10 months old marine tank.

GUYS!!! Thanks for your help... :D
Here are some of my photos taken from my tank...
"in my gallery"

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!
GONG XI FA CAI!!!

[Maculosus]

U may wish to use Rowa or Aqua Phos to remove phosphate and silicate.

[monsterz1975]

After 10 long months...
i fininally able to post my 10 months old marine tank.

GUYS!!! Thanks for your help... :D
Here are some of my photos taken from my tank...
"in my gallery"

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!
GONG XI FA CAI!!!
Looks good har.;)

[Ekia]

Where's the full tank pict?? :p

[Dirtbiker]

Oh ok...
i have attached my Full Tank picture...
Still looks rather empty but will keep on improving...

[Dirtbiker]

i would like to start keeping some corals and i know bio balls are harmful to corals...

May i know what should i do? or what should i use to replace those bio balls??? :confused:

[monsterz1975]

i would like to start keeping some corals and i know bio balls are harmful to corals...

May i know what should i do? or what should i use to replace those bio balls??? :confused:
Bio balls don think so.:p

[Ekia]

i would like to start keeping some corals and i know bio balls are harmful to corals...

May i know what should i do? or what should i use to replace those bio balls??? :confused:

whats yr nitrate level? Your tank is already 1 year old and I don't see any coralline algae. Your calcium and kH level must be very low. Boost them up before adding any hard corals.

[Maculosus]

They are not harmful to corals but does not help in denitrification.

i would like to start keeping some corals and i know bio balls are harmful to corals...

May i know what should i do? or what should i use to replace those bio balls??? :confused:

[Dirtbiker]

They are not harmful to corals but does not help in denitrification.


What shuold i do to help to denitrification?

[Ekia]

What shuold i do to help to denitrification?

search for 'nitrates', 'high nitrates' or denitrification and you will find the answers.

[Dirtbiker]

k...
thanks...