Reef Set Up

[Kaush]

Well I have made a few changes to my reef, I have some new inhabitants. I recently got a pair of green chromis, kole tang and a regal blue tang. I also splashed £60 on a tunze pump. I think the regal blue tang has whitespot but I am not sure. There are tiny bubble type white things on it. I freshwater dipped it like the LFS dude told me to do but they are still there.

Also, I have a marine white bright light with a reflector, now that I have the powerhead, what corals could I keep, any hard corals? I currently have a leather and a frag of zoas.

 

[BigC]

What size is that tank Kaush.
Looks pretty small for that amount of fish, such little rock for filtration purposes as well.
Lighting is poor to go down the SPS route.
Ok thats the negativity out of the way.

Please allow me to make some suggestions, you can either take these onboard or tell me to bog off.
I never intend to be disrespectful toward other folks aquariums.
So with that said.
And If it was my tank
I would firstly, Clean your rear glass pane.
Tidy up the pipework, cut and re-locate so as you can atleast view the middle area of your tank
IMHO the new Tunze would be better located on the end wall of your tank.
OK start with the background, rip that wallpaper background you have off and paint either to the glass or a piece of material that you can replace it with, go for the traditional blue, This will make your tank much more bright and interesting.
Secondly you need to get a lot more rock in there if you want to go down the reef type route. (how much have you already)
Lastly SPS will need a lot of light and flow. Upgrade your lighting to maybe a MH/T5 combo luminaire. The New Tunze pump looks fine alongside your other return pump. Angle these accordinly so as to get a good flow all around the tank.
SPS are much more intolerant of swinging water conditions therefore you will need to ensure that your tank is both mature and stable.
If you eventually wish to run SPS alongside Sofies then you'll need to employ Carbon in your sump or somewhere within the system. As large softies such as leathers place chemicals into the water column which have adverse effects on SPS. Carbon will extract those chemicals.

Just a few pointers there, please excuse me if they seem a little on the harsh side, but I do feel that with a few improvements your tank will have the potential of being a stunner. The background and plumbing suggestions alone will approve the overall appearance.

To re-itterate I dont want to come across as being overly judgemental of you aquarium as it sits (you may be totally happy with it as is)
I just feel with a few adjustments here and there it has a lot more potential to offer, and could visually become a stunning Aquarium.

I have no knowledge of Marine fish disease unless I'm dealing with it personally, then I will read and use the internet to look up, pictures and remedies. I dont use forum based replies for disease diagnosis or cures as you get too many conflicts of opinion.

Regards
BigC

 

[Truck]

judging purely by photos your tank is no way big enough for the regal tang when it gets bigger.

 

[Kaush]

Thanks for the replies, I dont find them offensive, but informative. I know of the potential size of the tang and I am going to upgrade my six foot coldwater tank which is housing my pond fish at the moment into a saltwater in march, so I will move the regal into there. The tank is about 70 litres. There is about 8kg of LR in there at the moment, and I have carbon in my filter, and i have a polyfilter pad in there as well. When I convert my big tank I will have some more powerfull lighting definaltey. Any ideas on the white spot? I did have the tunze on the side walls, but it kept blowing the leather of the top of the rock, or messing up the sand, guess I will have to keep experimenting with the position. I was going to clean the back wall, but I think there is a nice bit of coralline growing on it, and my pyramid snail just loves to eat the algea there so that is why I left it.

 

[seffieuk]

Hi Kaush

Ok, have looked up the size of your tank and it seems to be a 20 gallon, (is that right?). As BigC says with a few improvements your tank could look amazing but I realise that you may be relying upon the bank of mum and dad? You also mention in another post that you have a six footer that you will be turning into a marine reef tank - so, what are your long term plans Kaush, and how long is long term?

My suggestions would be:

- Rip off the backing paper you have on the tank and either paint it blue or get a blue or black background
- organise the electrical kit so that you can view the tank in all its glory
- tell well meaning relations to give you dosh or gift tokens instead of live stock
- return some of your fish, in particular the two tangs and the blue damsel (the blue damsel will eventually cause big trouble with the two clowns who are also from the damsel family and the tangs are too big for your tank - you are also over stocked imho). I must admit I would also return the two chromas to allow for buying a dream nano fish. Don't you also have a goby?
- as a priority get some more live rock
- make a long term plan (which of course will change)
- is that a chocolate chip star fish I can see in one of the pictures, if it is rehome it
- plan to improve the lighting to at least T5s (whilst you're saving towards the lighting you can start planning for your corals, which is part of the fun )

really looking forward to watching your progress

We are trying to help and hope you take this in the manner it is intended, which is suggestions to help you on your way to a fab tank I myself am just a beginner such as you and the help and suggestions I am still receiving from the good folk on TFF have helped me enormously

Seffie x

 

[Kaush]

Thanks for the ideas. I am changing the background as I write this, and yes it is a 20 gallon. Yes I am relying on mum and dad, and I may need to cool the spending for a few weeks, after they splashed for the tunze. As for my six footer, I hope to clean the pond and release the fish into there at the beginning or middle of march, and that is when I will start converting it to a reef, so I think I will have live rock in there, and it will have been cycled by about mid april, but I may not be able to do exessive work on it from about march until the end of may because I have my GCSE's and if I dont do well in those I can kiss any further projects good bye. When you talk about the electrical equiptment, where do you think i sould move the various pieces? The damsel is gone because it was harrasing the regal tang. I have a yellow watchman goby who you can just about see at the bottom of the third picture, in the whole in the rock. What is a dream nano fish? I will try to get more of the LR, but it is £12.99 a kilo, so I can only get a bout a kilo or two at a time. I am aware of the stars potential size and eating habits and I will be exchanging it. The bulb I currently have is this http/www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid...d=11&lan=en, and my LFS dealer said that because I have a reflector with it, it should be good for softies.

Thanks for the help

 

[ben1987]

sorry but i dont think all those fish will make it til march in a healthy condition, If i were you i would sell them back to te fish shop ASAP and then use the money towards equipment for the new tank. Tangs can grow quite quickly. SMall tanks will strass them out and send them really skittish

I wouldnt keep hard corals either, that leather looks a tad unhappy to me and they are 100X easier than hard corals. They need to go into a mature tank with tons of light.

 

[BigC]

If your on a tight budget Kaush, think seriously about second hand equipment (especially your lighting) and rock etc. You can pick up many a bagain on the internet, I wouldn't go looking at new Tunze equipment unless someone was buying it for me. There are loads of folks either upgrading or breaking up systems in the UK.
Just a thought.

For the pipework. If it were me.
I would forshorten (cut the intake tube) then re insert the strainer basket and place that upright in the LH corner.
Straighten up the heater and place the outlet tube alongside it in the RH corner. Move the Tunze to the RH pane and angle it slightly upward toward the surface (to disturb surface water) and direct toward the front corner on the left. Dont have water sloshing out over the floor mind, just direct the flow toward the LH corner just under the surface. The flow will disturb the surface and bounce of the two panes and around the tank.
Then post some pics with the new background and plumbing, I think you'll see a major difference.
BigC

 

[seffieuk]

Take a look at the classified section on ultimate reef for live rock, i'm sure you will get better rock that way and at a better price (probably meet some interesting salties as well) - don't forget good old flea bay as well

Dream nano fish = the fish you wish you could have but need to either save up for or wait ages to source because they are rare or get your tank stats right before getting ie mature (waiting and planning is part of the fun)

My dream nano fish are:

Manderin and Dracula Goby

You can also think along the lines of dream corals - planning, getting everything right in the tank and then buying

What GCSEs you studying? You in year 10 or 11?

I will leave the electrical stuff to the boys (sorry I know it is sexist) but I am a total idiot around electrics - just want it to look tidy and to work

Seffie x

 

[BigC]

Free GCSE tutoring there maybe..(Sef=Teacher).Take it
But just watch out when she starts recommending PINK coral for your tank

will leave the electrical stuff to the boys (sorry I know it is sexist) but I am a total idiot around electrics - just want it to look tidy and to work

Ah! you see we're good for something then
Regards
BigC

 

[Kaush]

I'm in year 11 at the moment. I have been trying to source equiptment of the net, but my mum has an account with amazon, and does not trust ebay due to the various scams. Does anyone know any reputable sites that are cheap? lol the way i'm spending I may have to teach myself

 

[seffieuk]

I'm in year 11 at the moment. I have been trying to source equiptment of the net, but my mum has an account with amazon, and does not trust ebay due to the various scams. Does anyone know any reputable sites that are cheap? lol the way i'm spending I may have to teach myself

Year 11, not long to go then

Look at ultimatereef.com there are a number of people selling lr at the moment - if your mum doesn't trust the system then say you will pay cash on delivery they might want a good will gesture of a small deposit. I have never had problems with ebay (bought my lr from off there) - just ensure you always check the seller feedback and as in all things on the internet never answer emails by clicking on links and putting in your details (phising). There are bargains to be had.........

Might be a good idea to say where you are from in your profile, helps others help you

Seffie x

 

[Kaush]

Got some bad news, woke up this moring and the sand had been moved by the powerhead so i stuck my hand in to move it back, and found the little sea star's legs a bit worn, i kept my eye on it, and at about 3 in the evening i took, it out. It started to decompose and i kow this can be bad for the tank. It's a good thing i found it.

 

[seffieuk]

Sorry for your loss


How is the tank looking now after your alterations?


Seffie x

 

[Kaush]

I've moved the rocks around a bit, and have got rid of the background. I moved the corals around a bit, and the leather is looking better, but some of the small zoa heads on the frag are still closed. I'm going to my LFS tommorw to buy food for my lizard, and due to the lighting not being the best I am going to try and buy an orange sponge, or a sea fan and maybe a green star coral because the first two dont need the light, and I have heard that the green stars are very easy to care for and spread over the substrate quickley. Would it be on to put it on the substratge of my tank, with the lighting I have? and any information/advise on the sponge and the sea fan?