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Jessie
10-03-2013, 04:14 AM
I thought I'd stop creepin' the boards and introduce myself, I am brand new to saltwater...and to be more honest, I'm brand new to having an aquarium of any kind. I do have pond experience w/goldies but that is very limited at best.
So, I'm on day 2 of cycling my 29g tank w/live rock. I am using a Fluval 305 canister pump and have a Maxspect Razor 60W 10000k. I am still searching for a hob skimmer (really want a low profile one) and haven't installed any power heads yet. How am I doing so far? Sounds like I might know a thing or too but it's all a façade. I took a look in my tank tonight and low and behold something is growing!!! I can't tell you how excited (and frankly proud of myself) I was - I thought "look at me, day 2 and I'm already growing something!"...turns out I'm growing aiptasia...and had it not been for canreef I may have continued in blissful ignorance as my tank dandelions multiplied lol. Anyway, went to the drug store and had the awkward conversation about needing a needle to hunt anemone (just in case asking for a needle wasn't suspect enough) - I made sure to bring a picture of my nemesis just in case I needed proof (which I did). Got home, and proceeded with my hunt; took a couple full syringes of lemon juice but I think I may have gotten them. I'll find out tomorrow. So, thank you Canreef posters for helping out this newbie with a nano (though to me, my tank is a monstrosity), I'm sure I will be seeking more advice along the way.

kien
10-03-2013, 04:18 AM
Sounds like you are well on your way! And welcome to The Canreef :-)

Dearth
10-03-2013, 05:14 AM
Welcome to Canreef and good start.

Once your done cycling your tank you might want to throw a couple of peppermint shrimp in because no matter how hard you hunt out the aptasia you will never get it all it might take them awhile to do it but the shrimp will eventually eat all your aptasia up.

Keep it up off to a running start and remember ask questions if your not sure

thmh
10-03-2013, 06:09 AM
Welcome to canreef!

~Tony

typezero
10-03-2013, 06:28 AM
WELCOME!

AdamsB
10-03-2013, 02:31 PM
Welcome to the addiction. Sounds like a nice setup. I know the early stages of a new setup are my favourite. Particularly with new live rock, never know what goodies (and baddies) you may get.

As for protein skimmers, I've had the aqua c remora and enjoyed it. But if you add the surface skimmer/micro bubble trap inside the tank it turns out looking like a shaw box in your fish tank. Check J&L online. Free shipping over 100 bucks and their prices are hard to beat. Shoot them an email even an let them know what it is you want/need.

Also post a few pictures, everyone loves pics! :)

Jessie
10-04-2013, 06:55 AM
Thank you for the great welcome! Here is a couple pics of the tank, they're not the greatest since it's just from my iphone.

11978

11979

AHHH, THIS hobby is NOT for the faint at heart! I have gross, gross worms crawling out of tiny holes on one of my live rocks. Bleh. Obviously night time creatures. I don't know if it's 2 or 3 or 4 or 1 with 3 heads??? lol. What ever that is it better get the heck back in the rock cause it's ugly. Well, I think all worms are ugly so this isn't especially ugly with legs or tentacles or anything. I still don't like it though. I bought this rock "used" from someone else's aquarium they were taking down, the sand is from that aquarium too. And apparently, so are the critters :( I hope that is the end of the surprises.

Azzkr
10-04-2013, 10:34 AM
Sounds like you have a bristle worm living in the rocks.

newsaltfan
10-04-2013, 01:22 PM
Being that you are using a canister you may want to invesigate this little contraptions. now i've never used one but these allow skimming from the surface as well as intake from the bottom. maybe other can give opinions if they are worth trying. i think they are like $20 if that.
http://www.hagen.com/img/aquatic/products/a240.jpg

ponokareefer
10-04-2013, 01:42 PM
Canister filters tend to cause a lot of problems unless you clean them every other day. They aren't recommended for salt water. Your live rock will act as a filter for you, and a skimmer will do the rest.

As for the aiptasia, I'd get the rock that has it out of the tank. You might be able to get rid of it, but you might not. I wouldn't take the risk since you are just starting out. They can become a nightmare, and that's the last thing you want just starting out.

Good luck!

mike31154
10-04-2013, 02:06 PM
Looking good with the LED light fixture! Something I'd recommend is getting some additional water movement in there asap in the form of a powerhead or two. I purchased my whole system used years ago & it took many years to purge the live rock & sand of nutrients. Hair algae was a problem for quite a while in my tank. The previous owner only had a couple of tiny, inadequate power heads in the tank when I went to pick it up. There was a lot of detritus in the sand & rockwork. Even if you don't have hard corals or other livestock other than hitchhikers in your system now, the sooner you get some good flow in there, the better.

Best of luck with your start up, this forum is a great resource. I wish I had found it before making my leap into the hobby. I had 0 experience with any type of aquarium as well, but with plenty of research, I've managed to muddle my way through.

Sunee
10-04-2013, 10:08 PM
Welcome!!

Dearth
10-04-2013, 11:49 PM
All rock will have hitch hikers of some sort you will find many additions some good some not so good

If the worms are grey or grey with a red tip they are harmless bristle worms they are a good part of your CuC however once you have them almost impossible to completely remove from your system. I don't like them myself but kinda learning to live with them.

As to aiptasia you have a couple of options as I previously stated you can get peppermint shrimp which are relatively cheap, you can remove and cook the rock but not a guarantee to fully remove unless you cook it properly and it takes a lot of time, manual removal but that is hit and miss.

As others stated get some power heads in there it will help a lot and stir up the detritus

Canister filters are ok in a smaller system but they are a lot of work and honestly getting a skimmer will cut your workload so much

Most importantly don't rush take your time and ask questions if your not sure and take time to enjoy it you will get so much pleasure from it

JmeJReefer
10-05-2013, 12:47 AM
Welcome!
Don't like money do ya?! That wallet is gonna thin out quick in this hobby!

I'm a nano reefer as well with a modified biocube. Modified in the respect to better flow, (removed some stock baffles in the back) and made a custom media rack for purigen, chemipur elite and filter floss, and an open compartment for a future cheato box.
That canister filter is gonna give ya some grief later on so perhaps look into some mods.
Perhaps a little pump swap for something a bit quicker flow?
Great start! The creepy crawlies r normal....

Jessie
10-05-2013, 12:55 AM
Thanks! I originally wanted a sump however, I do not have a reef ready aquarium - just a plain tank. I was going to try and remodel my aquarium but was told by my LFS that you cannot buy a pre-made overflow to silicone into a tank...they pretty much discouraged me from doing anything other than a) buying a canister filter or b) purchasing a reef ready tank and sump. I picked the less expensive option (canister) since I had just purchased this tank and couldn't return it (had goldies for 4 days in it).

I am looking into hob skimmers and how effective they really are compared to 20% weekly water changes (which in my case equals out to just over a 5g bucket so not very complicated).

Also, I will purchase powerheads tomorrow, I'm not sure if I need 1 or 2. I'm going to do some research later tonight to try and find out exactly what I need and then what I want (and then how much I'm willing to spend lol). I think I need 2 because my tank has quite a bit of rock and it all sits in the center with very little flow around the back.

I do have 2 questions, when cycling a tank with sand and rock from a previous 3 year old aquarium, should I be doing water changes (@ 20%) and cleaning the canister filter weekly?

@JmeJReefer - the canister I have claims a 303 gph flow rate, should I have gone with a higher flow rate canister? or a hob pump? What other options do I have if not a sump? TIA.

Madreefer
10-05-2013, 01:03 AM
Welcome to canreef
I say this to all who run with a canister filter. Take out all the sponge filters and media in it and fill it with liverock rubble. It's the best thing thing filtration you can use in a canister filter. When you do clean it just use water from your water change to rinse the rubble. You can also put a nylon sack full of carbon in one if the compartments to polish your water. As for peppermint shrimps, go to a reputable LFS as quite often stores sell camelback shrimps as peppermint. You can put a chunk of prawn in a piece of pantyhose to catch bristle worms if you would like to thin them out.

Dearth
10-05-2013, 02:57 AM
Yes water changes weekly

HoB skimmers are good investments everybody has their own personal choices I ran an Aqua C remora HoB on my small tank till I upgraded tanks and I never had issues with it.

mike31154
10-05-2013, 03:27 AM
I used to run a canister filter as well, with empty baskets & a bag of carbon. If you run it in a similar fashion it's essentially a mini sump that adds a gallon or so to your total water volume, which is never a bad thing. The main reason I ceased using a canister is they all eventually developed leaks. I've always run a skimmer & seeing the goo that it collects, it's really a no brainer to have one. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or costly, I use an old wooden air diffuser counter current skimmer & it works well. Fine bubbles & maximum contact time are the key to effective skimming and a wooden air diffuser run by a good air pump will create some of the finest bubbles you'll ever see. Then all you need is a small pump to circulate the water slowly through the skimmer body for maximum contact time & you have a nice quiet unit that does the job. The thing runs 24/7 so what it misses on one pass, it will eventually capture during another. Since you don't have any livestock yet, you can take your time & do some additional research on skimmer technology. Once you get a couple of power heads into the tank, your cured live rock will be the first stage of filtration. You probably won't even see a cycle since everything is already matured.

JmeJReefer
10-05-2013, 02:00 PM
Thanks! I originally wanted a sump however, I do not have a reef ready aquarium - just a plain tank. I was going to try and remodel my aquarium but was told by my LFS that you cannot buy a pre-made overflow to silicone into a tank...they pretty much discouraged me from doing anything other than a) buying a canister filter or b) purchasing a reef ready tank and sump. I picked the less expensive option (canister) since I had just purchased this tank and couldn't return it (had goldies for 4 days in it).

I am looking into hob skimmers and how effective they really are compared to 20% weekly water changes (which in my case equals out to just over a 5g bucket so not very complicated).

Also, I will purchase powerheads tomorrow, I'm not sure if I need 1 or 2. I'm going to do some research later tonight to try and find out exactly what I need and then what I want (and then how much I'm willing to spend lol). I think I need 2 because my tank has quite a bit of rock and it all sits in the center with very little flow around the back.

I do have 2 questions, when cycling a tank with sand and rock from a previous 3 year old aquarium, should I be doing water changes (@ 20%) and cleaning the canister filter weekly?

@JmeJReefer - the canister I have claims a 303 gph flow rate, should I have gone with a higher flow rate canister? or a hob pump? What other options do I have if not a sump? TIA.

Im always astounded that an LFS promotes this canister on a saltwater tank...

Agreed to lose media in canister for plain live rock. Your Live Rock once mature and cycled will begin to act as your biological filtration.
Perhaps some sort of Chemipure Elite in there will help if cleaned regularly.

for Flow. a friend has put 2 240gph hydor K's in a 29 gallon with one aimed behind rock and low with another high and aimed toward front. Have seen no ill effects and the flow seems to be just right as he has never battled algae produced from lack of flow. (a thin film of red or green stuff with bubbles under it is an indication of poor flow)
Water changes during a cycle. I heard of doing both. Leaving until cycle completes (the water and rock and sand has "matured" in a sense) and water changing a little just to remove some nutrients and die off...since youhave no livestock or anything yet, a water changeless cycle wouldnt affect ya. the Remora Nano, and the REd sea prizm have been notably the best HoBs as far as microbubble control goes (it bugs some people, and other ppl are like,"bubbles!!!yay!" so wutever floats ur boat so to speak.
An idea for later once you've explored some options is an overflow box like Eshopps or CPR to a sump. Very simple.

Have u any test kits to monitor ur water? If not, u can take a sample to a "Top Notch" LFS like Marine Aquaria, REd Coral to test ur water for ya and offer any "real" advice in regards to ur tank. A good test kit from Salifert, REd Sea or Elos to test for nitrates, phosphates, nitrites would benefit ya.

I will say this. Things go wrong quick in nanos so once ur off to the races, weekly water changes are a must regardless of what anyone tells ya. 20% is a good start. I do almost 50% on my 14g biocube every 7 days. Have seen no ill effects from doing so, and my water parameters always stay in check.

Nice rockwork, and if ur aptasia gets going crazy, a peppermint shrimp has always worked for me but its hit or miss sometimes with the little crustaceans!!!

Nice one Bruv!!!!!!

Madreefer
10-05-2013, 05:04 PM
You should give one of those WP25 powerheads a go. You'll probably only need one. Guys are giving good reviews on them. I'm not a big fan of the Hydors, I use them to mix my salt for water changes and have got some nasty shocks from them.

Jessie
10-06-2013, 10:05 PM
Just really want to say thanks to all of you who responded to me - I appreciate it and have definitely taken every piece of info and worked with it (you don't know what you don't know) - so yeah, a huge thanks!

I have more flow now - 2x 240gph Hydor Koralias. I have one placed mid-tank side flowing behind my rocks and the other opp. side top flowing across the front. If I add everything up I have about 780gph movement in a 30g tank.

I did a 20% water change (which didn't go smoothly but will get better). Removed sponges but haven't replaced them with anything yet - this Fluval came with 2 carbon bags and media that looks like cylinders with a hole in the middle. I'm going tonight to pick up some small frags to replace the sponges and cylinders tonight.

I'm about to order a skimmer, just have to take some measurements to make sure it will fit - Hydor SlimSkim (not the nano, the larger version). My tank is in my living room so it was really important to me that things are quiet but functional; I checked out some reviews and they really sold me on this unit. Tank is getting crowded with equipment, if all goes well then I may put together a 15g sump, but considering I just poured money into the canister set up, I'll keep this setup for a bit.

I've been testing and logging my parameters daily, as well as checking temp. and salinity. I'm on Day 6 and my parameters haven't moved a point since starting, sitting at ph: 7.9, Ammonia/Nitrate/Nitrite: 0 Salinity: 1.024 & temp. 80. Getting brown algae now I think, covering sand and some rock.

I'm going to look into an RO/DI system soon, apparently we have pretty good water quality in Edmonton (so says a Chemist I know) so I'm just using tap + prime + time (letting it sit for 24 hours before use) at the moment.

Other than that, I'm over the worms thing, they're fine - it's not like I have the loch ness monster in there. Also, big surprise, a blue and black striped brittle star fish came out of hiding last night so thought that was pretty cool.

Dearth
10-06-2013, 10:34 PM
Not sure if you have heard of this site before but it is basically the almost bible for most of us in the SW hobby

Www.liveaquaria.com

It is a very useful tool and probably one of the better resources for fish/coral/critters

Jessie
10-25-2013, 03:56 AM
Hey all, just wanted to post a quick update I guess. My tank is now home to 10 snails (5 cerith & 5 margarita), 1 blue tuxedo urchin, 1 Fire shrimp, and 2 ocellaris clownfish, and about 50lbs of green hair algae :(
It's all a learning experience, I pulled out as much algae as I could, mowed the grass with scissors and caught the rest through fish nets and a filter sock. I have phos guard in my fluval canister and am dosing with API Algaefix every 72 hours - also (and probably the most rookiest of mistakes...) I finally turned the lights off completely. Was running program 2 on my Maxspect LED lights (includes moonlight) and was therefore feeding the algae 24/7. Anyway, I'm hoping the ugly stuff will be gone soon so I can add a coral (frogspawn or hammer).

Dearth
10-25-2013, 08:58 AM
A warning about urchins they love to stick anything and everything to their body and can be somewhat destructive I have a tuxedo in my tank and I love watching it but I am always rescueing snails and crabs and my smaller coral from its spines