Convert.. Help!

[Hawkins]

thank you thank you..

2500 L/H seems alot!

ok well now i understand the LR, sand, powerhead, and filtration.. can you please explain protein skimmers?

 

[ben1987]

2500 does seem a lot. But it will barely reach the other side of the tank wehn all the rocks are. Guys who keep harder corals, anenomes and SPS corals sometimes have 50-60x in flow. So dont worry about adding another smaller pump. Doesnt have to be as big.

Skimmers...hmmm, basically
They bubble which forces dissolved organic compounds and proteins upwards which then collect in a cup which sits on top. Not 100% needed BUT i have ran my tank with and without and would never go back to not having one. The water looks a lot clearer, corals seem happier, The amount of gunk it chucks out is unreal and it can give you a bit of extra room for stocking too. For that tank you could look out for a 2nd hand deltec mce300 or a TMC V2 400, seen the later go for £30-£40 2nd hand. Its same skimmer as mine and i cant knock it. Paid £80 brand new for mine aswel

 

[Hawkins]

you are so helpful.

im 17 years old and dont have much money for fish ATM, so maybe after christmas i can start gathering the stuffs!

but i guess its good to start learning now. i went into tropical fish without any understanding, and lost quite a few fish i could have saved, so i can do it proper this time.

its 11:05pm now and im tired, so im off to bed!

thanks for all your help!

 

[Hawkins]

i assume i dont need a sump if im using live rock, and protein skimmer..?

 

[SkiFletch]

Sumps are never a requirement. Plenty of people keep successful tanks with them. Sumps do however have many benefits such as a good place to do water changes, good place for a skimmer and other equipment to keep them out of the way, and they increase water volume to keep the system more stable. Many other advantages too.

IMO, if you're going for a Fish only with live rock setup you don't need a sump, but if you do want a full blown reef with dificult to keep stony corals either now or down the road, then it will payoff to have a sump.

 

[ben1987]

i love the fact that they hide equipment. Last thing you want is expenive fish ann a nice rock scape being ruind by a skimmer pump or a heater being there

 

[Hawkins]

How big would a sump need to be, it would be great if i could get away with having it in the Juwel cabinet.

oh also.. the most important thing!! forgot to ask what fish i could have in this 30g tank!

 

[ben1987]

Sumps bigger the better really. Get as big as you can fit in the cabinet. Mayeb atke out the shelf or whatever then brace the cabinet up a bit.

Fish realy depends on what you like. Having a sump will help with your fish aswel. If you get a 15 gallon sump you may squeeze another fish in.

Clowns
Blennys
Gobies
Wrasse (small reef safe ones)
dwarf angels

Have a look on here.
http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquariu...pplies.cfm?c=15

 

[Hawkins]

Cheers, could you please give numbers?

I mean like
2 clown fish,
X dwarf angels..



Also, I have a 30L (9 gallons) tank which I could make into a sump.. nut sure if it would fit the equipment in though =\

 

[ben1987]

1 dwaf angel
2 clowns
1 blenny

maybe get a fith in there at a push. 9 gallons may be ok as a sump i guess

 

[Hawkins]

Are there any Butterfly fish i could have? they are really nice!

Some of them i noticed are quite big though, are there any small ones?

So far I want:
2 clownfish,
possibly 1 butterflyfish,
possibly 1 blenny

 

[Hawkins]

ooh maybe a royal gramma instead of a blenny. I havent found a blenny that i liked on that site!

 

[ben1987]

its not hpw blennys look that make them cool, its their charictor. They are so funny to watch, amazing little things. As soon as you see one doing its thing in a LFS you will see what i mean. The have a little perch they sit on watching the world go by til they pop up and go for a swim.

As for butterflys, im pretty sure all are difficult to care for and picky feeders which require fairly big tanks. Not a good idea imo

I reckon its maybe time you started to find and get to know a LFS. You will then know what they offer, what sort of corals and fish they have. Best to ghet a good relationship with a LFS as they soemtimes off discounts to their regular customers and may help you if you need it. Dont always take their advice though as some just try and sell. But it may be worth nipping in to one having a look round and a chat.

 

[Hawkins]

Yes I know of 2 very good LFS.

I really should go to them, and see how much this whole project will cost..

I think at least £120 for the live rock, as I've seen some on eBay for £6.99/KG locally.

Are Gobies similar to blennies?

 

[ben1987]

Yes I know of 2 very good LFS.

I really should go to them, and see how much this whole project will cost..

I think at least £120 for the live rock, as I've seen some on eBay for £6.99/KG locally.

Are Gobies similar to blennies?

Yeah shop around for LR, look for people that are seeling their tanks as it can be had for a fiver a kilo quite often.

Gobies and blennies are kind of similar. Gobies tend to be prettier looking but more boring. Ive had both and much prefer my blenny.