40 gal breeder first salt water setup

[dnyce]

After reading other post for so long, I finally get to post. The tank has been up for about 2 weeks, the rock was cured already when I bought it but I had it in a rubber maid with a skimmer for about 6 weeks until I setup the tank. I have seen some feather dusters start to sprout from the rock and also some things that looks like worms extend from the rock at night but if you shine a light on them they retract back into the rock. I put in 3 green chromis damsels this past Monday and other than them being a little shy they are living and eating well. I am dying to add another fish or something else (mushrooms, zoos,etc.), do you think it is too soon? I was planning on attending the Frag Swap today, I know everyone says go slow..... but I'm about to bust. I welcome all friendly constructive feedback

Equipment:
40 gal AGA breeder tank
60 - 70 pounds live rock (pre - owned some Kaelini purchased for NYCITALIANO9)
Emperor 400 HOB filter ( I know I'll get a few comments on this one)
40 pounds of live sand
1 - maxjet 1200 powerhead
192 watt Currunt Orbit pc fixture (will be here on Tuesday)
Skimmer - none yet will probably use a Aqua C HOB or red Sea Prizm

Water: RO/DI coralife 50gpd filter
Salinity 1.022 -1.024 Instant Ocean salt
Temp - 78 degees
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - less than 20
PH - 8.4
Alkalinity - somewhere between 180 - 240 (test strips)
Calcium - not checked yet

 

[meech]

sup D,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,lookin' good man.

 

[Zuska]

i got a 400 on my 65 gallon also its hot!

 

[House of Laughter]

Constructive feedback:

Good:

Nice start - clean and nice scape with sand

Bad:

1- 2 weeks and fish - bad idea - wait at least 4-6 to cycle before adding fish
2- Biowheel - I started my 30g saltie with one - not the best choice, but a workable temperary filtration system
3- No Skimmer - better be prepared for water changes every few days or expect serious protein and algae problems
4- Get Test Kits that are better rated - while salifert aren't as bullet proof as Hanna Meters, they are affordable enough to justify the cost.

Hope that helps,

House

 

[dnyce]

What cycle would occur if the rock was already cured, aged saltwater, and live sand? Unless I add fish to start the cycle. The tank ran one week without fish and the water parameters never changed. BTW I brought some liquid test kits.
Also is it true that you should run the tank without a skimmer for the first couple of months or do you need a skimmer right away? I 've heard both sides

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

What cycle would occur if the rock was already cured, aged saltwater, and live sand? Unless I add fish to start the cycle. The tank ran one week without fish and the water parameters never changed. BTW I brought some liquid test kits.
Also is it true that you should run the tank without a skimmer for the first couple of months or do you need a skimmer right away? I 've heard both sides

Good luck with your tank.

 

[tripstank]

Oh House aren't you being a little too aggressive? Sure, it is his first tank.

The cycle time to me sounds fine, I have done less and FULLY stocked tanks with NO die off and we are talking SPS and Clams. Just watch you params closely and do not make any drastic changes like water changes every few days.

I do side with house on the skimmer though.. Surely a good idea.

 

[dnyce]

Tank update

On Wedbesday the 18th. I tested the water again everything pretty much the same. So I added two Ocellaris Clownfish and they are happy and doing well. Today (3 days later) I checked the water and here are the parameters using the liquid test kits;

Salinity 1.023, PH - 8.2, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate 5-10ppm, Amonia -0, Calcium 410 -420ppm

Fish are all eating and doing well except, I have a damsel who is MIA. I have not seen him since last Sunday, don't know if he is dead inside a rock or what. I don't know if I should move any rock around to look for it or just wait and see. I figured if it was dead I would get some kind of amonia spike. Whats the consenseus out there is he dead or what?????

Also no lights yet since someone at FEDEX jacked my package (they say it is missing). So Dr.Fosters agreed to send out a new set next day air on Monday. I guess I'll be ordering the Aqua C Remora any day now, unless someone out there has a good deal on one.
Thanks for the feedback so far.

 

[Will]

You say Damsel Is dead..hmm not good!!!!... Hard to kill em' ...That's the hardiest fish I know of....

 

[ellebelle]

Might not be dead - could be just hiding.

 

[dnyce]

He was a punk from day one, always hiding, wouldn't eat with the other two damsels (the other two came from the same LFS he was bought at another LFS). I think something in the rock got to him. The other four fish are doing great. So should I move rock and look for him or wait and see?

 

[dnyce]

What is the optimal Temerature for FOWLR and reef tanks?

I recently bought a Current light fixture with 1-150WMH and 2-96W actinics (342W total). I ran the light from 7pm last night until 10:30pm and the temp went from 78 to 81 degrees. The top is open and the fans in the fixture were running. The fish were ok, but I know the temp was too high and if I didn't turn them off it probably would have gone higher. My question is:
1. What is the best way to cool the water without purchasing a chiller?
2. Is 81 degrees too high if it were a reef tank?
3. Is this fixture too much for a 40 gal br? The fixture is about 3 inches above the water surface and I cant raise it any higher.
4. Should I not run the MH and the actinics at the same time? I am going to try this tonight to see if just the MH has the same result.
I really would like some feed back on this one, thanks.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

welcome to the 40br club!

 

[meech]

I ran the light from 7pm last night until 10:30pm and the temp went from 78 to 81 degrees. The top is open and the fans in the fixture were running. The fish were ok, but I know the temp was too high and if I didn't turn them off it probably would have gone higher.

eh hem ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,can you spell C. H. I. L. L. E. R. !!!

 

[House of Laughter]

Oh House aren't you being a little too aggressive? Sure, it is his first tank.

The cycle time to me sounds fine, I have done less and FULLY stocked tanks with NO die off and we are talking SPS and Clams. Just watch you params closely and do not make any drastic changes like water changes every few days.

I do side with house on the skimmer though.. Surely a good idea.

Perhaps, but there isn't enough bacterial colonization in that tank (judgeing from the rock and sand) to denitrify the poop load that is now in there -

Dead fish, not surprised, I would still have waited.

Good to see you got better test kits - that's a world apart, test wize from where you were.

Still a clean set up, nice, keep up on it til the sand starts to rutn colors, then you know you're moving along nicely.

Best of luck with it.

House

 

[PalmTree]

Nice job!

 

[dnyce]

Ok so I've been running 192watt pc's for about 5 hours a day since Wednesday then on Saturday and Sunday I ran them for about 10 hours each day, now I am starting to see the brown algae on the rocks and sand, and a little more coraline purple also. So what's up with the brown algae is this the infamous algae" bloom"? does it clear up on it's own, do I start adding tank cleaners?
Also on Thursday I saw a nice Orange Sea Mat zoanthid at NY Aquarium in Manhattan and it's doing well in my tank now and it opens up nice when the lights are on. The pic's don't do justice.Somebody holla at me about the algae bloom and what to do.

P.S. the Aqua C from Wolverine is running on the back since Sunday, we have a little foam, not much.

 

[dnyce]

It's been about 2 weeks since my last post, so I figured it's time for some updates. So far everythings running ok and the water conditions are fine. Last week I added a 1 - 1/2 inch Hippo Tang to the familiy and as you can see by the pictures Dori (that's what my 2 boys named her fits in nicely). Now before some of the die hard reefers go crazy, I do plan to move her when she gets too big to a bigger tank. In the meantime, I'm just having fun, enjoying and learning the hobby.

 

[yiliyang]

Those hippo are so cute at 1.5". I saw one and got it for my 55 gal. That was about 7 month ago. now he is at about 4.5". Eats way too much.

Very pretty tank.

 

[marki24]

Is the Emperor the only filtration that you are running? Do you have any media in it? I have a recommendation for you. If i would be you i would hit the heater somewhere behind the LR. Its just tacky in my opinion where you have it. Otherwise, the tank looks great and nice krystal clean water Keep up the good work