New 30 gallon, and some questions to go with it.

[WadeL]

I recently got a 30 gallon that I proceeded to set up as a saltwater aquarium. It has sand and live rock and is in the cycling process with some cleaning crew in it right now. So far everything is going ok but I had a few things I need help with.

First off I only have a filter and 3 pumps in it, not a protein skimmer. Are they absolutely necisarry? From what I've heard they seem to keep the water alot clearer, but I have a pretty low buget, so do you know of any that would work ok for not as much that don't take up like 10 cubic feet of room in the tank? I was thinking of NIB JEBO 178 Aquarium Protein Skimmer Hang on Filter - eBay (item 190298785548 end time Oct-01-09 11:36:00 PDT).

I was also wondering about lighting. At first I thought because the florescent said it was for plants it would work, but from the sounds of it I need at least a T5 with a couple fixtures, or a MH or something... Essentialy I'm wondering if theres anything I can have some corals and urchins and such with that won't cost an arm and a leg (or even a hand preferably...) Thank you for your help

[Ninong]

Hi WadeL,




No, you don't have to have a protein skimmer but they are very good to have. Maybe you can think about that later on?

I wouldn't waste my money on the protein skimmer you have linked to on eBay.

For most corals, you will need at least HO T5's or VHO fluorescents for your 30-gal aquarium. You don't really need metal halides; however, a single 150w HQI metal halide lamp would do wonders for your tank.

We can't really offer specific lighting advice without knowing the dimensions of your aquarium and what you plan on keeping in it. In particular, we need to know how tall the tank is (to estimate the height of the water column) and the dimensions of the top of the tank to know what size lighting fixtures might fit up there.

SPS corals, such as Acropora, require stronger lighting that most LPS and soft corals.



P.S. -- List of acronyms used in the hobby.

[WadeL]

Thanks for the reply, the tank is 36" long, 12 1/2" deep, and 16" tall. I don't have any real plans for the corals in regards to what I want yet. The only thing I'm fairly sure on is that we want a clown fish and an anenome it will host with.

So is it possible to get a VHO Fluorescent bulb with a high enough output to put int he hood I have and have corals? Or would I at least need 2 fixtures? Thanks for your help.

[Ninong]

You will need a new fixture.

What exactly do you have right now in your present fixture? Is it a single normal output fluorescent tube or is it a compact fluorescent tube? What size is it? In other words, if it's a normal output fluorescent lamp, is it a T12 or a T8? What is the wattage? Do you know the Kelvin rating?

You might be able to stick an actinic fluorescent lamp in that fixture and use it for actinic supplementation (to add blue color) and add a second fixture with perhaps two HO T5 tubes for the primary lighting.

Your aquarium is too small for almost all of the clownfish-hosting sea anemones except for perhaps a small BTA (bubble-tip anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor). All anemones require fairly strong lighting to thrive but they could get by without metal halides in a tank that is only 16" tall.

[WadeL]

The tube is a T12, and its 20 watts, and 750 lumens if that helps, I don't see a kelvin rating. Would it be cheaper to buy the bulb and the new t5 fixtures online or go to a pet store? And do I need a certain wattage on them or just HO? I was also wondering, do they make hoods to put multiple light things like that on, or how would I set up the top? Because right now it's just a normal hood, not an actual canopy or anything.

I didn't realize about the anenome's needed for a clownfish requiring more space, but coencidentally I had already planned on getting a bubble tip one. Any advice on which type of clownfish to get? Thanks again for your help .

[Ninong]

For a bubble-tip anemone, I would recommend a pair of Amphiprion ocellaris, sometimes called False Percula clowns. While a BTA is not a natural host to them, they usually do accept it in captivity.

Read this article by Dr. Ron Shimek on how to care for a bubble-tip anemone.

Your present fluorescent lamp is just a normal output. It's only adequate for a fish-only aquarium, not one with corals or anemones. You could purchase a 20w normal output actinic lamp to stick in it for blue supplementation and then add a second fixture with stronger primary lighting, or you could just remove your present fixture and replace it with something better.

Unfortunately, a 30" long aquarium is not one of the easiest sizes to accomodate because most light fixtures come in lengths of 24", 36", 48", etc. In fact, a 30" long tank is VERY difficult to light if you're looking for a ready-made fixture. I just checked four different online vendors and couldn't find a single ready-made 30" fixture. There used to be a few of them a few years back but I can't seem to find any right now. Maybe I can find something later on, or you can browse through the various online vendors and see what you can come across.

[WadeL]

Thanks for all your help. I'll start looking around for a 30" fixture, hopefuly I can find something.

[WadeL]

Not that it helps with lighting decisions but here is a couple pictures of it. I should mention I have about 15 LBS of rock in it, the guy I talked to at the store said I should have around 20 but this would be enough to start.

[Jayne]

Hi WadeL,




No, you don't have to have a protein skimmer but they are very good to have. Maybe you can think about that later on?

I wouldn't waste my money on the protein skimmer you have linked to on eBay.

For most corals, you will need at least HO T5's or VHO fluorescents for your 30-gal aquarium. You don't really need metal halides; however, a single 150w HQI metal halide lamp would do wonders for your tank.

We can't really offer specific lighting advice without knowing the dimensions of your aquarium and what you plan on keeping in it. In particular, we need to know how tall the tank is (to estimate the height of the water column) and the dimensions of the top of the tank to know what size lighting fixtures might fit up there.

SPS corals, such as Acropora, require stronger lighting that most LPS and soft corals.



P.S. -- List of acronyms used in the hobby.

I think if you are going to start this all consuming hobby, which is extreemly expensive, at the start and horrifing at the end, make sure you do not skip any area, as it will cost you, in the long run,its better to do everything as well as you can at the begining and you will reap the benifit later! hope this doesnt sound to heavy but trust me! jayne

[reefhead728]

I think if you are going to start this all consuming hobby, which is extreemly expensive, at the start and horrifing at the end, make sure you do not skip any area, as it will cost you, in the long run,its better to do everything as well as you can at the begining and you will reap the benifit later! hope this doesnt sound to heavy but trust me! jayne

Jayne is right.

what ever you decide about a skimmer down the road DON'T BUT A SEACLONE.

with your lighting check of bulkreefsupply.com they might be able to help you out

[reefhead728]

If your handy enough you can use your top you have now, you can gut it and try to put a 24" retro t5 x 2 should fit.

[WadeL]

Thanks for the replys. I've been reading a bit and have seen a ton of different topics on not buying seaclone so I was going to stear away from that. As for lighting I was thinking about going to loes or home depot and just exploring the fixtures they have, so it might work out well to be able to do that reefhead. Thanks for the ideas .

[asting]

also, you should definitely have more than 20lbs of lr. The common practice is 1lb/g, but getting as much as you can (that still fits) is never a bad practice.

[charlie]

The common practice is kind of outdated. JMHO If you use Florida rock, maybe that is true, but there are reasons I don't use Florida rock.

[asting]

nah I mean that it was like a rule of thumb, just about as pointless as the wpg.
If you have good flow, more is better. Although, tbh, you should really just use all that looks appropriate. Don't put 3 pieces in a tank that looks empty, but don't fill it to the top with lr.

[tommyc]

Like Jayne said, I would suggest buying the best equipment you can possibly afford. Don't skimp on quality by trying to save a few bucks. It's not worth it. I would definetly get a skimmer and powerhead. I'm learning water movement is very important.