Another Newbie For Y'all!

[CJulsen]

I am really new to this hobby, about 3 months now. I have already had a bad outbreak of ich in my 100 gallon tank. I admit that I didn't do alot of research before starting, I am the impulse buyer type. I lost 5 of my 6 starter fish, damsels, 2 flamehawk fish, porcupine puffer, Niger trigger, 2 flame angels, 1 clown, and my emperor angel. I have bought another tank, 29 gallon, for quarentining the remaining fish and snowflake eel. I am copper treating them for the last week and have one week left until transfering them back to the main tank. I completely drained the main tank and got rid of the sand and bought the black tahitian sand and sprayed the outside of the back wall gloss black. Has anyone had bad experiances when they first started as well? I am thinking about getting rid of the 3 crabs and 4 snails, so if I have another ich outbreak, I can just copper treat the main tank instead of moving and stressing out everyone in the tank. I don't have a protein skimmer and was wondering what advice you guys/girls had on hob style skimmer? Thanks in advance.

 

[jeasko]

Ok few questions for you

Where are you thinking of putting skimmer? Main tank or quarantine?

What sort of setup have you got? FO FOWLR or Reef?

What other filtration have you got

What is in your tank you plan to put skimmer on?

 

[CJulsen]

Ok few questions for you

Where are you thinking of putting skimmer? Main tank or quarantine?

What sort of setup have you got? FO FOWLR or Reef?

What other filtration have you got

What is in your tank you plan to put skimmer on?

I am putting the skimmer on my main tank. It is a 100 gallon, fowlr. I have a rena xp3 cannister filter. I only have 3 fish left and my snowflake eel, and a few crabs and snails. I am a little gun shy after losing about 13 fish from an ich outbreak.

 

[jeasko]

Ok skimmer wont do much to stop or treat ich it only takes organic matter out of the water but will improve water quality and help to minimise algae outbreak, if your worried about ich you may want to get a uv sterilizer as it will help if you had another outbreak, the skimmer is a worth while but of kit but they are noisy and can be tempremental at first as they go a little OTT to start but they do settle after a few weeks, if you get one you may have to turn it off if you treat with copper though, as i have a reef setup I don't know the requirements for copper treatments but read the info on the treatment you have it should say if you need to turn one off

What's made you consider getting a skimmer now?

 

[CJulsen]

Ok skimmer wont do much to stop or treat ich it only takes organic matter out of the water but will improve water quality and help to minimise algae outbreak, if your worried about ich you may want to get a uv sterilizer as it will help if you had another outbreak, the skimmer is a worth while but of kit but they are noisy and can be tempremental at first as they go a little OTT to start but they do settle after a few weeks, if you get one you may have to turn it off if you treat with copper though, as i have a reef setup I don't know the requirements for copper treatments but read the info on the treatment you have it should say if you need to turn one off

What's made you consider getting a skimmer now?

I am really new to this hobby, and am holding off on the skimmer for the time being. I am going to switch from the cannister filter to a wet dry sump. I will see what skimmer is the best for the sump system, and not sure if the uv sterilizer goes into the sump or in the tank. I already copper treated my remaining fish and just moved them back to the main tank. Once I figure out how to post photos I will. right now it keeps saying they are too big.

 

[jeasko]

The uv will be in line on the return to the main tank but look at flow rates if you go for one and make sure it's right as if water passes to fast though it it has little or no effect, skimmer in the sump would be ideal as you don't loose space in main tank and will reduce the noise from it

IMO I'd go skimmer first as not that common any more to get an outbreak of ich, also add fish slowly rather than just bio load the tank with too many fish at once and not sure if you QT fish before addin to main tank? Might be worth it for peace of mind that way you can treat the water they go in to be sure they healthy before going in main display tank

 

[CJulsen]

The uv will be in line on the return to the main tank but look at flow rates if you go for one and make sure it's right as if water passes to fast though it it has little or no effect, skimmer in the sump would be ideal as you don't loose space in main tank and will reduce the noise from it

IMO I'd go skimmer first as not that common any more to get an outbreak of ich, also add fish slowly rather than just bio load the tank with too many fish at once and not sure if you QT fish before addin to main tank? Might be worth it for peace of mind that way you can treat the water they go in to be sure they healthy before going in main display tank

I still have to get the uv sterilizer for my tank. I bought 3 new fish for my tank. I get them from the same place, and he copper treats all his fish for 14 days, to try to ensure no parasites. I jus got done copper treating my remaining fish, so hopefully all is well. So, right now, I have a total of 6 fish and my snowflake eel. Do you have any recommendations on a uv sterilizer? Thanks in advance.

 

[jeasko]

If your in the uk one of the most common is the tmc vecton v2 but if your over the other side of the pond I'd be hard pushed to recommend anything

The tmc vecton is self explanatory and is what I'm using so cant really comment on anything else as have no experience with them

As before though work out what your flow rate through it will be so that you get the right uv steriliser

 

[CJulsen]

If your in the uk one of the most common is the tmc vecton v2 but if your over the other side of the pond I'd be hard pushed to recommend anything

The tmc vecton is self explanatory and is what I'm using so cant really comment on anything else as have no experience with them

As before though work out what your flow rate through it will be so that you get the right uv steriliser

Yeah, I am in the US. I will check out the vecton v2, the only problem I would have is if they don't have suppliers here. I would hate to have a problem and have to send it all the way across the ocean. I appreciate the advice.