Newbie

[SteveB]

Hello everyone,
I am new to the hobby. I posted something under one of the other threads and got no responses(I think because I said I wanted to do a reef system, I noticed everyone else who said that got directed here). So here I am!
I bought a system off of craigslist. It was a 40 Gal breeder tank and came with a Ehiem 2236 and a fluval 404 cannister filters. It came with aqualife lighting system(not sure the technical terms but it has a white light and a blue light and moon glow LEDs). I went out and talked to the LFS and the set me up with everything else. So I currently have LR and LS and some crabs going in my tank.
I have a couple of questions if anyone can offer me some help and advice.

1.My fluval filter doesn't seem to work anymore. I turn it on and it pumps water for like a half hour and stops. I bought a new impeller and still does the same thing. Any one expiernce the same issues?

2.The reason he had 2 filters going was for water flow in the tank. I am wondering since I am only down to one filter do I need to buy a power head to make up for the difference.

3.I am hoping to do a little bit of soft coral since I don't have the lighting necessary for the hard coral. What are some good coral that would add some color to my tank? I also want fish so if anyone has certain fish that they enjoy watching and are entertaining please share! (i like watching the symbiotic relationships)

4.Any other advice people may have for a newbie please share...I have been talking with my LFS and they have been great.

Thanks looking forward to some good advice

[charlie]

Hello everyone,
I am new to the hobby. I posted something under one of the other threads and got no responses(I think because I said I wanted to do a reef system, I noticed everyone else who said that got directed here). So here I am!
I bought a system off of craigslist. It was a 40 Gal breeder tank and came with a Ehiem 2236 and a fluval 404 cannister filters. It came with aqualife lighting system(not sure the technical terms but it has a white light and a blue light and moon glow LEDs). I went out and talked to the LFS and the set me up with everything else. So I currently have LR and LS and some crabs going in my tank.
I have a couple of questions if anyone can offer me some help and advice.

I am not a big fan of either one of these, because you don't need what is usually used in them. If they were just using them for water movement that is fine, but all the little filtration garbage that they come with can be removed, your live rock is/will be enough. That and combined with a fairly decent protein skimmer, and you should be good to go.
How long has this thing been set up?

1.My fluval filter doesn't seem to work anymore. I turn it on and it pumps water for like a half hour and stops. I bought a new impeller and still does the same thing. Any one expiernce the same issues?

2.The reason he had 2 filters going was for water flow in the tank. I am wondering since I am only down to one filter do I need to buy a power head to make up for the difference.

I would look into a couple of Korallia 2 powerheads, and then you could probably get rid of both of the cannisters. Like I said before, do some research on protein skimmers, I like the Remora Pro myself, especially for a smaller system.

3.I am hoping to do a little bit of soft coral since I don't have the lighting necessary for the hard coral. What are some good coral that would add some color to my tank? I also want fish so if anyone has certain fish that they enjoy watching and are entertaining please share! (i like watching the symbiotic relationships)

Look into a variety of mushrooms and zooanthid polyps, there are many colorful varieties of each, and since that is about all your lighting will do, you should be OK with both of those.
Your size tank does not lend itself to have too many fish, I am not the fish stocking expert around here, but I would think that maybe a couple of Ocellaris clowns or Perculas would be good. Try to get a pair of one or the other, they usually stay fairly small. You do not have the lighting for an anemone, so that is out of the question. Do some research on a goby and shrimp pair also if you like the symbiotic relationships.
Good luck, sometimes we are kinda slow around here, so be patient with us, OK?

[SteveB]

My tank has been running for two and a half weeks. I put live sand in two weeks ago and live rock in 3 days ago. I bought 52 pounds of live rock.
The LFS said wait a week before adding two fish.

My lighting system is Coral life not aqua life.

So what do canister filters do if a protein skimmer and live rock will do all the work necessary? Also I have read alot about sumps and was wondering what the point of those is.

Is the Remora a hang on Back skimmer?

I will be patient..Thank you for replying though I was reading all your other posts and was hoping you saw mine so I could get some of your advice. Your tank is amazing! Hopefully I can have one that nice some day.

[charlie]

My tank has been running for two and a half weeks. I put live sand in two weeks ago and live rock in 3 days ago. I bought 52 pounds of live rock.
The LFS said wait a week before adding two fish.

Do you have any test kits? There is no way you should be adding any fish for at least 3 maybe 4 more weeks. I think we are finding again that most LFS only want to sell you something instead of caring about the critter. Your live rock, was it cured in their tanks before you bought it?

My lighting system is Coral life not aqua life.

So what do canister filters do if a protein skimmer and live rock will do all the work necessary?

Nothing, I would only run carbon in them, unless they are your only source of water movement???

Also I have read alot about sumps and was wondering what the point of those is.

Do a search on sumps, check this out, and it may answer a bunch of questions that you have:
Click here before you ask, (links to answers)

Is the Remora a hang on Back skimmer?

Yes

I will be patient..Thank you for replying though I was reading all your other posts and was hoping you saw mine so I could get some of your advice. Your tank is amazing! Hopefully I can have one that nice some day.

You are welcome

[CutthroatKid]

So what do canister filters do if a protein skimmer and live rock will do all the work necessary? Also I have read alot about sumps and was wondering what the point of those is.

Canister filters are used for biological filtration in FW aquariums. They do the same thing in SW, but make make so much NO3 that they don't really help. LR and LS out perform them naturally any day...
The only really useful purpose they can have is if you choose to run carbon since they force a larger amount of water over the carbon. Even for that purpose though, you would need to constantly make sure it is clean.
Even just be used for water circulation will be problematic since waste will get trapped in the canister and it will need to be cleaned often...

[SteveB]

I do have test kits..I tested my water yesterday
ammonia-0
nitrite-o
nitrate-10ppm
ph-8.2
salinity-1.23

[charlie]

I see this, I just want to let you know that I shall return, gotta run for dinner. I will think of an answer over an adult beverage or 8.

Seriously though, I will be back later.

[reefhead728]

or 12

[charlie]

I do have test kits..I tested my water yesterday
ammonia-0
nitrite-o
nitrate-10ppm
ph-8.2
salinity-1.23

Sounds like you are getting close to the end of a cycle!!!!! You may want to raise the specific gravity to 1.025.
What time of the day did you do the tests, because the ph will normally fluctuate anyways. Low in the AM to higher at the end of your photoperiod.

[SteveB]

haha how were those drinks? I did it mid afternoon around 3ish. I forgot to add the temp which was at 78. I have a lighting question as well, I have my lights on a timer to turn on 10am and shut off 10pm which is when the moon glow turns on until 10am. Whats a good lighting cycle?

Since I am near the end of my cycle I can add fish right?! The crabs are kida boring

[charlie]

haha how were those drinks?

UUGGHH!!!!!

I have my lights on a timer to turn on 10am and shut off 10pm which is when the moon glow turns on until 10am. Whats a good lighting cycle?

Do you have the option of turning the actinic lights on before the daylites come on. I usually have the actinics, (blue), come on an hour or so before the daylites come on and leave the actinics on for an hour or so after the main lites go off. It is called the dawn-dusk effect.

Since I am near the end of my cycle I can add fish right?! The crabs are kinda boring

You are going to be rather limited as to what you can add, a 40 gallon isn't real big!!!!

[SteveB]

Do you have the option of turning the actinic lights on before the daylites come on. I usually have the actinics, (blue), come on an hour or so before the daylites come on and leave the actinics on for an hour or so after the main lites go off. It is called the dawn-dusk effect.

Yes I do, I have no idea how to set up my timer to do that though...

also a whole bunch of brown algae pretty much covered my rocks and sand....is this good, bad...and how does one go about getting rid of it? I went to the LFS and they said that it was natural and that it is fine...I just don't like the way it looks

[charlie]

Do you only have one cord that comes from your lights?

The algae sounds like diatoms and it is very much part of the normal cycle and will go away.

About Brown or Golden Diatom Algae - What Makes Brown Algae Grow and Solutions for Eliminating This Problem in Saltwater Aquariums

[SteveB]

thanks for that info!

and yes i have three...one for the lunar one for the actinics and one for the florescent

[charlie]

Looks like you need more timers and more plug ins!!!! Just run each to a separate timer.

[SteveB]

i have this coal life timer power strip combo i just have no idea how to program it to supply power to one of the plugs individually

[charlie]

This one?

Aquarium Light Timers: Coralife Power Center

[SteveB]

Zilla Analog Timer Power Center at PETCO

that one except made by coralife

[charlie]

The link I gave you has the instructions on how to program it. At least it looked like the instructions. You could also just get in touch with the tech support and have them walk you thru it.

[SteveB]

yea i think it only will turn both yellow outlets on not individualy