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Pet Forum / Aquaria / Marine Reef / May 2007New Tank Setup - comments and questions
Hi, I am in the process of setting up my first saltwater tank (55g), and have a few questions. I have included my basic plans as well, in-case anyone has any comments that could improve my first tank setup. I have read many posts on various boards that discuss new tank setups and include protein skimmers. Some say not to start the skimmer till cycling of the tank is complete, but some say go with it. I have purchased a coralife protein skimmer (needle-wheel), and a proclear 75 wet/dry filter (sump-style). I am planning on hanging the skimmer on the side of the wet/dry filter that will placed under the tank stand. The current state of the tank is that I have added saltwater to the top which I mixed in the tank itself over a period of 3 days.. The temp is set to 80degC. Wet/dry filter is running. I am planning on purchasing 45lbs of fiji premium LR online any day now. Is this too much rock to start with considering I have no experience? Once I place the semi-cured live rock in the tank, should I start the skimmer? How many powerheads do I need in a 55G tank? My guess is that the return pump from the wet/dry will produce decent water motion for the kind of animals I would like (below). But, just in-case I have also ordered a powersweep 228 powerhead. But, its not in the tank yet. My goal is a fish and invert tank. I am planning a hardy damsel to start, then an ocellis clownfish, and then a six-line wrasse. other than a snail or two to control algae, i was going to wait 6 months before any inverts. Are any anemones ok to add to this sort of tank b4 6 months? Thanks for any comments on these plans, and answers my questions. Cheers. > Is this too much rock to start with considering I have no experience? More is better, so that's fine. I've heard 1#/gallon as a general rule, which seems about right for most tanks. > Once I place the semi-cured live rock in the tank, should I start the > skimmer? I'd say yes. There are a few philosophies of rock curing which go from creating a stew to get bacteria going (no skimmer) to preserving life on the live-rock (definitely skim). I go with the latter crowd. > How many powerheads do I need in a 55G tank? 2-3 and you want somewhere between 10x to 30x flow in the tank, so the sum of the powerheads and return should be between 550 gallons per hour to 1650 gallons per hour. Hard corals like it on the high end. > Are any anemones ok to add to this sort of tank b4 6 months? Generally, no. Anemones are currently wild captured and difficult to keep, so I'd recommend getting more expertise first. Some live for centuries in the wild, but only a few short years in captivity. They also require special lighting and feeding requirements. You're clown will be fine without one and you'll have plenty of time to research how to keep one once the tank is set up. --Kurt You might see a duplicate of this post. I'm trying out TeraNews.com. So far I'm not impressed. The other post has not shown yet, so I'm sending this one through Earthlink. ** Yes, set up the protein skimmer from the beginning. The wet dry filter will be helpful in curing the live rock, but after you have established live rock, and live sand, start taking the bioballs out a little at a time so that the live rock and live sand will do a better job of denitrifying. You will need to hold off on the anemones, and you will eventualy need to get hight intensity lighing for the anemones. So right now you can window-shop for lighting. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com Aroon wrote on 5/23/2007 12:52 AM: > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Cheers. > You might see a duplicate of this post. I'm trying > out TeraNews.com. So far I'm not impressed. The [quoted text clipped - 63 lines] > > - Show quoted text - thanks for the responses, Wayne and Kurt. I will definitely start the skimmer when i get the LR. and heed your other comments. onwards and upwards! cheers, Aroon > You might see a duplicate of this post. I'm trying > out TeraNews.com. So far I'm not impressed. The [quoted text clipped - 63 lines] > > - Show quoted text - thanks for the responses, Wayne and Kurt. I will definitely start the skimmer when i get the LR. and heed your other comments. onwards and upwards! cheers, Aroon what the f.ck dumbass, you stutter as well as have fits when replying to get so may dam duplicated posts.Should have f.cking known, yet another dumbass user of Teranews...duh! That says it all along with asking for info on this useless group of whiney a.ses. ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! > You might see a duplicate of this post. I'm trying > out TeraNews.com. So far I'm not impressed. The [quoted text clipped - 63 lines] > > - Show quoted text - thanks for the responses, Wayne and Kurt. I will definitely start the skimmer when i get the LR. and heed your other comments. onwards and upwards! cheers, Aroon > You might see a duplicate of this post. I'm trying > out TeraNews.com. So far I'm not impressed. The [quoted text clipped - 63 lines] > > - Show quoted text - thanks for the responses, Wayne and Kurt. I will definitely start the skimmer when i get the LR. and heed your other comments. onwards and upwards! cheers, Aroon Your welcome. Your welcome. Your welcome. Your welcome. I could not resist :-) Also it's best to put base rock on the glass, and put the calcium based sand around the base rock, and then stack the live rock on top of the base rock. If you just pile up the live rock on top of the sand, then when things start to dig in the sand, you will have an avalanche. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com Aroon wrote on 5/23/2007 11:48 AM: >> You might see a duplicate of this post. I'm trying >> out TeraNews.com. So far I'm not impressed. The [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > onwards and upwards! > cheers, Aroon > Also it's best to put base rock on the glass, and put the calcium based > sand around the base rock, and then stack the live rock on top of the > base rock. If you just pile up the live rock on top of the sand, then > when things start to dig in the sand, you will have an avalanche. My Lawnmower Blenny is a voracious digger. He also filled up a cave with sand to build his own personal space. Everything but a mail box. He does a little dance in front of the glass every night. My kids call it his break dance because he flips around. They are working on queuing up a song on the computer, so he can do it music. Ugly thing, but they definitely grow on you. btw, welcome to the hobby. Hopefully, you've been warned that it is addicting. --Kurt (currently acclimating a purple xenia) Quit your freaking lying you moron. All but a mailbox, yea f.cking right ...so I assume he also has a micro wave oven and a TV and Washer and dryer to..your a dumbass Kurt! That dance he is doing is simply his way of shaking his dick at his moron keeper. <<>>Wayne Sallee wrote: <<>>> Also it's best to put base rock on the glass, and put the calcium based <<>>> sand around the base rock, and then stack the live rock on top of the <<>>> base rock. If you just pile up the live rock on top of the sand, then <<>>> when things start to dig in the sand, you will have an avalanche. <<>> <<>>My Lawnmower Blenny is a voracious digger. He also filled up a cave <<>>with sand to build his own personal space. Everything but a mail box. <<>> <<>>He does a little dance in front of the glass every night. My kids call <<>>it his break dance because he flips around. They are working on queuing <<>>up a song on the computer, so he can do it music. <<>> <<>>Ugly thing, but they definitely grow on you. <<>> <<>>btw, welcome to the hobby. Hopefully, you've been warned that it is <<>>addicting. <<>> <<>>--Kurt (currently acclimating a purple xenia) ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! >Quit your freaking lying you moron. All but a mailbox, yea f.cking >right ...so I assume he also has a micro wave oven and a TV and Washer >and dryer to..your a dumbass Kurt! That dance he is doing is simply >his way of shaking his dick at his moron keeper. LMFAO. I love usenet!!!!!!! Ignore the trolls or you will get plonked along with them. Put the trolls in your kill file. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com kryppy@. wrote on 5/26/2007 11:26 PM: I love usenet!!!!!!!  SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com >Ignore the trolls or you will get plonked along with >them. Put the trolls in your kill file. Sadly, I could care less. I never use filters. Even a total troll has something useful to contribute once in a blue moon, and when everyone has an idiot like this blocked, they are free to spread unchecked BS to newbies. I would probably filter me right now, because I intend to give this guy crap from one end of the usenet to the other. Perhaps if I have something to contribute I will just nymshift, like I plan to do about 3000 times in all the pond newsgroups tonight. ;) Plonk Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com kryppy@. wrote on 5/27/2007 3:35 PM: >> Ignore the trolls or you will get plonked along with >> them. Put the trolls in your kill file. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Perhaps if I have something to contribute I will just nymshift, like I > plan to do about 3000 times in all the pond newsgroups tonight. ;) SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com uh huh, Wayne Salle doing what Wayne does best! <<>>Plonk <<>> <<>>Wayne Sallee <<>>Wayne's Pets <<>>Wayne@WaynesPets.com <<>> <<>>kryppy@. wrote on 5/27/2007 3:35 PM: <<>>> On Sun, 27 May 2007 07:56:45 -0500, Wayne Sallee <<>>> <Wayne@WayneSallee.com> wrote: <<>>> <<>>>> Ignore the trolls or you will get plonked along with <<>>>> them. Put the trolls in your kill file. <<>>> <<>>> <<>>> Sadly, I could care less. <<>>> <<>>> I never use filters. Even a total troll has something useful to <<>>> contribute once in a blue moon, and when everyone has an idiot like <<>>> this blocked, they are free to spread unchecked BS to newbies. <<>>> <<>>> I would probably filter me right now, because I intend to give this <<>>> guy crap from one end of the usenet to the other. <<>>> <<>>> Perhaps if I have something to contribute I will just nymshift, like I <<>>> plan to do about 3000 times in all the pond newsgroups tonight. ;) <<>>> <<>>> ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! >uh huh, Wayne Salle doing what Wayne does best! What is that? ><<>>Plonk ><<>> [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] >------- >I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! Yes, set up the protein skimmer from the beginning. The wet dry filter will be helpful in curing the live rock, but after you have established live rock, and live sand, start taking the bioballs out a little at a time so that the live rock and live sand will do a better job of denitrifying. You will need to hold off on the anemones, and you will eventualy need to get hight intensity lighing for the anemones. So right now you can window-shop for lighting. Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com Aroon wrote on 5/23/2007 12:52 AM: > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Cheers. SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com LOL well I see that this post through TeraNews.com finally made it through. That's pathetically slow. And the pathetic path that it took is : newsspool2.news.pas.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf2!newsfeed.earthlink.net!nx02.iad01.newshosting.com!newshosting.com!83.128.0.11.MISMATCH!news-out1.kabelfoon.nl!newsfeed.kabelfoon.nl!xindi.nntp.kabelfoon.nl!213.132.189.2.MISMATCH!multikabel.net!feed20.multikabel.net!news2.euro.net!nntpserver.com!zeus.nntpserver.com!10.1.1.41.MISMATCH!pfilter-v0.1!not-for-mail Wayne Sallee Wayne's Pets Wayne@WaynesPets.com Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/23/2007 10:36 AM: > Yes, set up the protein skimmer from the beginning. The wet dry filter > will be helpful in curing the live rock, but after you have established [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] >> >> Cheers. > I am planning on > purchasing 45lbs of fiji premium LR online any day now. > Is this too much rock to start with considering I have no experience? That's not bad for a 55 gallon. A little more wouldn't hurt, but you don't want to take up all of the floor space with rock. > Once I place the semi-cured live rock in the tank, should I start the > skimmer? I would. > How many powerheads do I need in a 55G tank? You want a total flow of about 600 gph to maybe 1,000 gph for that size tank. The problem with powerheads for that is the fact that they use a lot of power for what you get, and this adds heat to the tank. There are several types of units that use small propellors with tiny motors; Tunze makes one. These are much more efficient. Tunze is pretty expensive for what you get, so you want to check out other brands. Someone will remember the name and post a reply. > Are any anemones ok to add to this sort of tank b4 6 months? Make sure your lighting is adequate for this. Wayne recommends something like 5 watts per gallon. Something like an "Orbit" brand light will do. George Patterson If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess to anything. > > I am planning on > > purchasing 45lbs of fiji premium LR online any day now. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess > to anything. thanks. a friend recommended the tunze nanostream 6025. however, its relatively expensive compared to other brands. do you have any experience with the Zoo Med POWERSWEEP 228. the rotating powerhead seems worth it if its decent. > do you have any experience with the Zoo Med POWERSWEEP 228. the > rotating powerhead seems worth it if its decent. No, I don't. I went with the Tunze because it uses very little electricity. That translates into lower water temperatures during the Summer. I've been intrigued by this unit, though. Similar to a Tunze, but a better mounting arrangement and cheaper. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15955&inm=1&N=2004 +22788+2035 George Patterson If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess to anything. > > do you have any experience with the Zoo Med POWERSWEEP 228. the > > rotating powerhead seems worth it if its decent. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess > to anything. hydor koralia was the other brand my friend with the tunze mentioned. its cheaper here. http://www.petsolutions.com/Hydor+Koralia+Pumps-I-41400498-I-C-49-C-.aspx |
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