Tropical Fish Keeping banner

Complete newb 30 gallon reef

42K views 232 replies 12 participants last post by  n1zjd 
#1 ·
Well today I made the plunge into saltwater. After a couple of hours at my local Saltware Aquarium shop and several hundred dollars later Ive got a 30 gallon aquarium setup in my living room. At this point I dont know what to expect since the owner of the saltwater place didnt recommend I try ANYTHING under a 75 gallon aquarium to begin with!

My original intention today was to try starting up a 10 gallon nano reef but after talking to the owner today, and not willing to give up entirely, I bought a 30 gallon. I know I have LOTS more to invest into this project in the future but I feel its a start and I can move up from here. Heres what I got today,

30 Gallon aquarium with standard lighted hood (I know its not enough lighting and will be improving this in the near future!)
Aquarium Stand
2 HOB filters (I know, Ill get a skimmer soon!)
1 Power head
1 Heater
Red Sea Marine Lab test kit
Hydrometer
30lbs aragonite
20lbs live sand
9lbs live rock

Questions? Comments? Only thing I ask is that you dont criticize me to hard. I know Im a newbie but Im a quick learner and intend to make this work. I plan to make a DIY canopy soon and upgrade the lighting as well as making a DIY sump/refugium. Cheers
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Did you purchase the HOB filters, or did you already have them? If you purchased them, is it to late to return them? They provide no benefits to a marine tank, and actually can cause the water quality to worsen by trapping organics, resulting in rising nitrates and a depletion of carbonates.
 
#3 ·
They actual came with the used tank that I purchased. I have one hooked up right now with nothing inside of it whatsoever just to assist with mixing the water that I just mixed today. So I have them now even if I dont use them. Also, I just found out the tank is a 29G High not a 30. I was hoping you would stop by Pasfur as you always have answers for us newbs to saltwater.

Can you point me to any good resources to read up on what I should expect in the coming weeks? Right now all I know is I have a tank full of saltwater with some live sand and live rock. I know, this doesnt sound promising right? I will learn I promise. Tomorrow I will test all water parameters so I can continue to monitor them until the tank is ready for CUC.
 
#4 ·
Right now all I know is I have a tank full of saltwater with some live sand and live rock. I know, this doesnt sound promising right?
Honestly, if everybody would just start with live rock and live sand, then everything would be so much easier. I can't think of a better way for you to get started.

I would leave one of the hang on filters running empty, just for water circulation. This also gives you a place to put a bag of activated carbon if you want. I just throw a bag in my sump.

You can use the other hang on for your quarantine filter. You will need to get this quarantine tank in place within the next 2 weeks. A 10 gallon, bare bottom, with a heater and the hang on filter, will be all you need. You should be able to pull this off for about $20. You will need to slightly modify the hang on. Post a picture of the hang on so I can give you some ideas.

Over the next couple of weeks you can expect to be extremely frustrated because I will keep telling you every day that it is not time to add livestock. ;-) You will see some growth on the live rock, and hopefully will see copepod and amphipod populations begin to thrive and spread. I suggest looking at the same spot in the sand bed for about 5 minutes until your eyes adjust and you begin seeing the little things that you did not see before. After you learn to recognize them, you will see them easily. You want these populations of micofauna to really have an extended time to flourish without predators in the tank, such as hermit crabs, snails, and fish.

In about 2 weeks you will see the diatom bloom hit. It will hit almost overnight, a brown algae that covers everything. It will go away almost over night as well, usually between weeks 3 and 4. You can add a small portion of your CUC when you see the diatom hit. Keep in mind, your tank size will only support 5 or 6 hermit crabs and 3 or 4 snails. The LFS will try to sale you far more than this, but you don't need it.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thanks once again. I will post a picture of the HOB tomorrow for you. Nah, no getting frustrated here, not that kind of person. Believe it or not I would be content with a tankful of liverock and coral forever :-D But do eventually want a clownfish, but no other stocking plans other than that. Right now Ive only got a cheap hydrometer but plan to purchase a refractometer soon, as well as the rest of the testing supplies Im going to need.

Right now I only have the means to test pH, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. So Ive still got plenty of purchases to make. I dont trust the hydrometer I have now. Heres what things look like right now. Cheers



BTW, is that sand bed ok or should I get another 20lbs of live sand? Im obviously going to purchase more livee rock...

Edit: The small HOB is an Aqua-Tech 10-20
 
#6 ·
Ok so I have a couple questions that are important I get answers to, 1) Does my sand bed look ok or should I purchase another 20lb bag of live sand to make it deeper? 2) With regards to a QT tank, does it have to be cycled?

Like I said, Im very patient so no plans for adding livestock with the exception of CUC when the time is right, but I would like to get my QT setup and 'established' if thats required. Cheers
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
Awesome dude, thanks alot. Ill keep you posted on the progress. Right now Im searching online for supplies. Ive found the skimmer I plan to purchase based on one you suggested in another thread and looking at lighting options because the standard hood that comes with a tank isnt going to get me very far into the world of coral. Cheers
 
#10 · (Edited)
Super Skimmer with Needle Wheel - Up to 65 Gallon | Venturi Models | Protein Skimmers | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com

I dont have much for plans at this time. This is all new to me. All I know for sure is there will be a couple clownfish and the wife had her eye on a shrimp at the LFS. Believe me I will do my research before considering anything. Other than that, coral. Any and all I can sucessfully keep in my aquarium.

Edit: If you dont think that skimmer I listed will do a good job at what I have described Ive also got my eye on this one which you have posted in another thread before as well,
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4392+13924&pcatid=13924
 
#11 ·
You are actually a little different case than most, because your biggest concern is coral. If you are satisfied with soft corals, then the CoraLife model will be fine on a 30 gallon tank. But if you really want to expand your selection of corals you might want to consider a more efficient skimmer. Soft corals are not overly sensitive to organics in the water, but as you advance into SPS and others, the rapid removal of organics becomes important. Increased lighting is also necessary in most cases.

This being the case, lets get OF2F, Wake, or someone with more coral experience to jump in here on the lighting conversation. If we can create an acceptable stocking list of corals based on your lighting, then we can at that point make a final skimmer decision. I will reach out to those guys and watch for their response.
 
#12 ·
Cool man, thanks for all your help. As Im sure you have probably noticed, I am on a fairly tight budget. At least right at this very minute. Income tax will be in soon and then I should be able to do what I want. Based on my lighting RIGHT now, I would say coral is out of the question. BUT, I will be upgrading lighting.

I was thinking that maybe for a starter light upgrade I would go with something like this so I can get my feet wet into the world of soft corals, Coralife S/W T-5 Double Strip Light - 30" - 247PetShop.com

With plans for something like this in the future after I gain more experience, Aquaticlife T5 HO Aquarium Lighting System 4 T5 HO 2 Lunar - 30 in. | T5 Lighting | Lighting Systems | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com Mind you, these arent decision but rather examples for you, or anyone else who views the thread who can help me out with my goal. A DIY canopy with a MH could actually probably be done cheaper than the last light I listed. Once again, these are just ideas that Im throwing out there.

Also a recommendation for a protein skimmer would be great.

Cheers
 
#13 ·
Alright heres what I came up with during testing...

SG 1.022 (I will be raising this today to 1.025)
Temp 77F
PH 8.4 with liquid test kit from Red Sea Marine Lab - 8.21 from digital test pen I have....

Alkalinity - Normal 1.7-2.8
Ammonia - 0.25 ppm
Nitrite - 0.1 ppm
Nitrate - 2.5 ppm
 
#14 ·
When using the Red Sea alkalinity test, you should consider a "normal" reading as a time to add buffer. It is frustrating that this kit does not give an exact number, but if you look at the color and see a hint of green, then I personally consider this under what I'm aiming for. I aim for a light blue to solid blue color.

Keep in mind, you have to test calcium in order to understand the alkalinity result. Knowing your alkalinity alone does not give enough information to make proper adjustments. You want to keep Calcium between 400 and 460ppm.

I posted more detail on alkalinity and calcium here:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...calcium-testing-important-every-marine-33079/

For a skimmer, I think the Coralife skimmer would be acceptable if you are on a tight budget. You will probably find that you want to upgrade in the future, and I would prefer to see you start with something alone these lines:
AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer with Rio 800 Pump
You should add this prefilter box for surface skimming:
AquaC Surface Prefilter Box

The prefilter box is what makes the Remora much more efficient than the Coralife, so do not spend the money without buying the prefilter box as well. I think you will be happier with this unit, and for the extra $100 in the long run it will really pay for itself.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Very cool. Then thats what I plan to get! Yeah Im not nearly satisfied with this test kit. A link to a proper test kit available online that you would suggest using would be much appreciated. I may be wrong with my understanding of this here but it sounds like the Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate test kit that I had for my freshwater setup would have sufficed? Either way, I think we can both agree I wasted some money here on this cheap test kit. Ill work on improving this as well as picking up a calcium kit.

They have another companion kit that went with this one, for testing Calcium and some other elements that I cant quite remember right now. But yeah, what do you use for a test kit? Cheers

Oh BTW, there was a 'buffer' that came with the test kit, should I add some as per directions? This stuff is called success buff and says to use 20 drops per 15 gallons. Should I go ahead and add some 35 drops to aquarium thats 29G High (less sand and rock)?
 
#22 ·
Oh BTW, there was a 'buffer' that came with the test kit, should I add some as per directions? This stuff is called success buff and says to use 20 drops per 15 gallons. Should I go ahead and add some 35 drops to aquarium thats 29G High (less sand and rock)?
I never use the buffer that comes with the Red Sea kit. I am very picky about my buffer, and I want to know exactly how my system is going to respond. I am comfortable with the Kent Marine Super Buffer DKH product, and I stick with it.

If you want to try out the Success Buff go ahead. Give it 24 hours after a dose and then retest alkalinity, calcium, and pH. I personally recommend that someone who has no prior experience would probably be best using the BIonic product, which is a balanced 2 part additive. It is what Wake49 uses, and seems to have the dominant market share today.
 
#16 ·
I did a small but significant upgrade earlier (at least for appearance that is), I replaced the junk incadescent bulbs that come with standard cheap aquarium hoods with 13W CFLs. They arent the color spectrum I want but they will work until I get better lighting.


 
#17 ·
OMG OMG OMG! I found LIFE in my tank! I mean, I knew there was life in there, just not THIS kind of life. I can see right now that saltwater is going to become a complete obsession! I have no idea what it is, but at least there is something in there that I can keep an eye on! Ive been staring at this tank literally all day, and I just found it. My eyes are cross-eyed from trying to focus so hard. There are a few other spots in question as well, but nothing as obvious as this. What I would give to have money to go buy 21 more pounds of liverock tomorrow. Im trying to be patient as best I can! It will all come together soon I hope. Here is a picture,



Yup, Im addicted already! Cheers.
-Mike
 
#18 · (Edited)
What are the dimensions of the tank? Is it the 36" X 12" X 16"H, or is it the 24" X 12" X 24"H? This question will help determine your light source.

I run this model on my 150 gallon reef tank: Nova Extreme Pro T5HO. I have a 27" depth, so with coral selection, LPS and SPS have to have a high seat in the tank. I don't really keep any SPS at the moment; I keep mainly LPS and Softies.

If you are using the 36" X 12" X 16"H tank, then I would suggest either the Nova Extreme SLR T5HO (the four bulb model) or the aforementioned Nova Extreme Pro. The number of bulbs allow for good penetration and color variety. If you are using the 24" high tank, I personally use the Pro, but some others would lean towards Metal Halide. I am a big fan of the AquaticLife HID/T5HO w/ Lunar Lights. it supposedly runs cooler and has a nice light output, also it is a gas discharge lamp. That allows for more UV light output and better light penetration in deeper tanks. Any Metal Halide light will run hotter and more expensive than T5's or PC's, but you can keep anything alive under it, at any reasonable depth.

As far as corals go, I would probably start with softies and zoas. Leathers, toadstools, kenya trees, and also zoa polyps (you'll hear names like green giants, purple people eaters, red hornets, etc.). These types of corals rely more on particulates in the water column for food and use light as a secondary food source.

LPS corals, such as frogspawns, torches, hammer corals, brain corals, duncans, etc, will be a good step up once you feel comfortable with softies. These require more light than the softies, but also feed off particulates in the water column. Water quality is more important than softies with these corals as they do calcify to construct their skelotons. Alkalinity and Calcium must be in appropriate levels.

SPS corals, such as birdsnests, monti caps and acropora, are much harder to keep than the other two. Light is vital to the survival of these corals and water quality must be pristine. Nitrates must be undetectable and Alkalinity and Calcium must stay in levels of dKH=8-12 and Calcium=400-450ppm.
 
#19 ·
wake49 - I had originally though the tank was a 30g, Ive since found out that its a 29G Tall. Its 30 x 12 x 18. Would a 250W MH be too much for my tank? Im not really concerned with the heat as much as I am being over 8W per gallon. If its an acceptable lamp then I will make a DIY hood with great cooling. Thanks for the info on some beginner choices. If the lamp isnt too much for the aquarium its what I would prefer to do personally. Cheers.
 
#27 · (Edited)
wake49 - I had originally though the tank was a 30g, Ive since found out that its a 29G Tall. Its 30 x 12 x 18. Would a 250W MH be too much for my tank? Im not really concerned with the heat as much as I am being over 8W per gallon. If its an acceptable lamp then I will make a DIY hood with great cooling. Thanks for the info on some beginner choices. If the lamp isnt too much for the aquarium its what I would prefer to do personally. Cheers.
The watts per gallon "rule" is not so much a rule as it is a good starting point. I will use two tanks for demonstration (realize these are extremes, mainly to prove a point): A 150 extra high (48x24x30) and a 33 long (48x13x12). If we used a 492 watt metal halide fixture over both we would have 3.28 watts per gallon over the 150g and 14.91 watts per gallon over the 33g. That is a huge spectrum. At 3.28 watts per gallon, I would say that the light is more sufficient for the 150 gallon tank, as two 150w metal halide bulbs and two 96w PCs. In the 33 long, corals would be bleached from overexposure to light.

Now about using a 250w MH lamp. I would personally try to find a HQI setup, like the Aqualight Pro HQI/PC with a 150 watt MH bulb and a pair of 65w PC's for actinics. I think that this would be the best fixture for keeping any kind of coral without potential for bleaching.
 
#20 ·
I personally have used Red Sea kits for years, and not unsatisfied. I recently tried API and plan to switch when my next purchases are made. With API the results are easier to read.

As for live rock, you are right, it becomes an addiction! Now you need to go to the store and buy a magnifying glass. You will think you are looking at life on another planet.
 
#21 ·
Here is the LFS I go to, to get my saltwater supplies, http://www.aquacorals.com This test kit that I purchased she stocks, and uses herself. I mean I think the kit is alright for the most part but the Alkalinity test is definately not all its cracked up to be. BTW, should I add that success buffer? Does 35 drops sound ok for my 29g less sand and rock? It says to use 20 drops per 15 gallons. I havent stopped reading since I started this aquarium, literally, Ive been at the pc for 6-8 hours a day studying all I can.

I love it when you turn me on to a new article to read! Today I am going to look into making a DIY sump/refugium with a 10 gallon aquarium. I know, I would love bigger as well but I only have the width for a 10 in the bottom of my stand, but I could increase volume with a nice tall tank/container. I will keep my eye out for something that will fit but hold more volume.

I just tested my ammonia again and no spike yet. Bummer. Also, while I have your attention Pasfur, lets talk about a CUC for my tank. Where should I start? Astrea snails I assume, 1 per gallon? Besides that I dont know exactly what I should get.

Cheers.
-Mike
 
#23 ·
Fair enough. I will wait until I am able to get a better product then. My LFS isnt open until Wednesday. She does have the BIonic product. And I dont have any way to test calcium right now but I will pick up a test kit on Wednesday, or whenever I make it to the store. Thanks Pasfur. Should I put a bag of carbon in the HOB filter to assist with clearing up the water?
 
#24 ·
KH Aquarium Alkalinity Carbonate Hardness Test Tetra - eBay (item 230355881201 end time Feb-05-10 03:15:07 PST)

That test kit in the link tests Alkalinity in Freshwater, brackish, and Saltwater. My API test kit says freshwater on it so I assume it wont work in my saltwater tank? Its results are far better than the Red Sea kit, more accurate scale that is. Im looking at some test kits online right now and will probably order one before the day is done. The problem with my LFS is that she only carries a specific line of stuff that she uses, and the Alk test leaves alot to be desired. Also a recommendation on a good Calcium test kit would be appreciated.
 
#26 ·
Okay, Ive already got the Red Sea Marine Lab test kit, Im just not satisfied with the Alkalinity test. I will pick up an API Alk test kit and a Calcium test kit, as well as either BIonic or Kent Marine Super Buffer DKH. Thanks again. -Mike
 
#30 ·
Keep in mind, Mike, that the Kent Marine Super Buffer is the equivalent of 1/2 of the BIonic. If you use Kent Marine, you also have to purchase the Kent Marine Calcium Chloride.

LOL, no worries. I have been in saltwater for almost 8years now and there's still a lot i don't know. I'm sure Pasfur can say the same.
No doubt Kells. There is a reason I always defer to you, OF2F, and Wake on lighting issues. ;-)
 
#28 ·
Sure thing, heres a link to my thread http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/starting-saltwater-aquarium/complete-newb-30-gallon-reef-36293/ Try not to laugh to hard, Ive been keeping freshwater aquariums for years but since joining this site and seeing the SW setups I just had to try it! I dont even know for sure what I 'think' is alive actually is, lol.

Im looking forward to watching the progress with your Tuastraea sp, good luck! Cheers
-Mike
LOL, no worries. I have been in saltwater for almost 8years now and there's still a lot i don't know. I'm sure Pasfur can say the same.

As for your lighting. Depending on the corals you put into there the light might be fine or may be too much. Another example to further build on what Wake was saying

A Elkhorn montipora, a SPS coral, requires low lighting in comparison to a Montipora Capricornus. Both have similar names and both are SPS, but one requires high lights while the other requires Low. MH are great and I love them. Your corals can get used to the lighting if you know what you are doing and acclimate the corals to the new lights. (Because you will have a lot of lighting over your tank, you will have to do this every time). Some of the prefered ways to acclimate to lighting is by either:

1 - Using multiple screens and setting them on top of the tank. Use 6 or so to diffuse the light and every 3rd day take one screen off. Do this until you have run out of screens.

2 - Change your lighting cycle. If you have a 10hr MH cycle then decrease it down to 2-3hrs a day. Then, like the screens but in the reverse, add an hour every 3rd day. It takes a while and you won't be able to see them for a lot of the day, but it's worth keeping your corals alive.

I have done both of these methods with no losses to my livestock. I'm currently upgrading to 2x250w MH over my 55g + 2x40w Actinics and i will be doing the 2nd. I'm not worried at all. (I currently have 2x175w MH and 2x40w Actinics).

Do your research on your coral husbandry before you purchase them.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Thanks for the reply wake49. I guess with the information I have right now Im going to decide on a T5HO unit. My reasons for this are 1) Im a beginner so will only be trying beginner corals for now 2) I can buy a unit that will fit my 30" tank. I think I said it before in this thread somewhere that this tank is merely a starter tank for me to see how I will fare in saltwater. If it turns out to be a success than an upgrade in the future will definately happen, probably a 90G aquarium due to room. My reason for asking about the 250 was simply cost and diversity to be able to keep a wider variety of corals.

Im a DIY kind of guy and would have bought a ballast kit and bulb and made my own lamp for under a $100. So to keep things simple I will go with a T5HO unit. Would I be able to get my feet wet into the world of softies with something like this, Aquarium Lighting for Freshwater and Reef Systems: Nova Extreme Compact SLR T-5 Fixtures (30" 2 x 24W) or will this not be enough? If not then I will go with something like this, http://www.perfectpetshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=8162. Keep in mind I dont plan on this being a permanent setup so if I can save a little money now and still gain experience its going to help me out in the future with an upgrade.

Also, those arent necessarily the actual lamps being considered but an example of possible wattages. Cheers

Edit: Im really liking the looks of this for a starter lamp.... http://globalaquaria.com/currentusasatellitedualcompactfluorescent2x65watt30inch.aspx
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top