saltwater newbie attempting a 55 gallon reef

[BTB0923]

I've been busy getting stuff for the tank. I think I've found some pretty good deals... I found an Octopus NW 150 Skimmer and a 20 gallon sump with baffles and refugium on Craigslist. I also met a guy that sets up and maintains reef tanks for corporate offices and doctors around here, and he hooked me up with about 30 lbs of live rock and an HOB Overflow for a really good price. I also added a damsel to aid in the cycle.

Ive only been doing salt for about a year now and im getting ready to set up my third sw tank. Anyway that being said i have learned a big lesson about HOB filters...DONT....alot of folks dont like canisters but i am a huge fan of them...i would highly suggest a sump for the reef though. but under no circumstances would i suggest a HOB filter for a sw set up...i learned this lesson personally...?

I ditched the HOB for a 20 gallon sump with a Magnum 7 pump. I'm thinking that should be enough turnover, and I'm planning on eventually adding some powerheads...maybe even a wavemachine if I have to opportunity to find a good price.

finnally...I had heard that its not always a good idea to use a skimmer in a reef bc they remove the food the coral needs to survive....also i was told not to use a skimmer in a tank that is not very well established (6 months or so) bc it will remove the food the bacteria needs to build up...anyone have any thoughts on that?

Is this true?? I have the skimmer running now, should I not be using it yet??

Any recommendations for lighting??

Any other suggestions/comments would be much appreciated....

 

[BTB0923]

more pics....

 

[Myteemouse]

nice soo far
Yes use your skimmer. Get it broke in and let it go..
As for lights
Go with T-5's at least.(with individual refectors)
This will give your the option to grow any corals you may want in the future.
There is nothing worse than trying to sell used items to buy new for your upgrades..
Good job..
Also get about 1 lbs per gallon of live rock in that baby..
Don't have to go too crazy, with new skimmer technology and regular water changes the old 1.5 lbs per gallon theory is kinda out the window..
Good luck and be patient..

 

[BTB0923]

I think I just got a REALLY good deal on an RO unit and some other stuff. All this for $30:

Aquasafe 6 stage RO filter system (used 6 months)
About 2 years (I think?) worth of filters
CD 97 Hi-Tech TDS Meter with ATC (not really sure how this works yet)
Rio 2100 pump
five gallon jug, six gallon jug, 20-30 gallon bucket

Now I just have to figure out how to hook this thing up and use it

I love craigslist.

 

[mr.reef24]

nice pic's tank is coming along nicely that is a sick RO/DI unit also.

mr.reef24

 

[BTB0923]

nice pic's tank is coming along nicely that is a sick RO/DI unit also.

mr.reef24

Thanks, it was a steal. Now if I could just figure out how to use it lol. I've got it hooked up to my cold water supply under my sink just fine, but the waste water return won't stop dripping water, even when I have the plug lever in the closed position. Isn't the water supposed to stop draining or is it supposed to be a constant drip like that?

 

[mr.reef24]

Thanks, it was a steal. Now if I could just figure out how to use it lol. I've got it hooked up to my cold water supply under my sink just fine, but the waste water return won't stop dripping water, even when I have the plug lever in the closed position. Isn't the water supposed to stop draining or is it supposed to be a constant drip like that?

my RO/DI doesn't drip constantly I would email the manufacture about it as well as ask them for direction's to set it up if your not sure.

mr.reef24

 

[BTB0923]

I think I've got this this working now. It does have a constant waste water drip, but I think it stops automatically when the storage canister fills up. Am I still supposed to use prime on this water even though it is RO or is it dechlorinated in the process??

 

[AC2020x]

wow great deal on the RO system I need to get one and I wish I could find a deal like that!!!-- anyway I have a Bak-Pak 2 HOB skimmer on my 29 gallon FOWLR and some reef tank. currently it's doing great, but I had some dead fish in the past cause I treid to rush things -- now all is good -- so be patient!!!!-- I waited like 3-4 months after 2 of my clowns died before getting anything else and the wait was well worth it!!!-- currently I'm using a T5 light set up but it doesn't have individual reflectors (it was only like $70) but it doesn't give me a good variety to choose for reef stuff. I have no sump or anything and all is going well but i'm not sure how my tank would do with more advanced corals-- All I have now is some polyps!!--- Best of luck-- I will be watching your thread!

 

[BTB0923]

Thanks for the advice. I definitely intend to take my time and do things right. Like it was said by Bromie88 in a previous post...mistakes can be expensive in this part of the hobby, so I'm going to make as few as possible.

As for the RO system, I think I've discovered why I got it for so cheap...it leaks One of the joints that holds a tube that connect two of the chambers has a small crack in it. Fortunately I was able to find a replacement part online for only 7 bucks, so as soon as the part arrives in the mail...problem solved. Even with the extra seven bucks I'm spending it was still a hell of a deal. Still wondering if I still need to treat my RO water with prime or not?

I've noticed some new activity in my tank. I have at least three mini brittle stars hiding in my live rock. I see them poking there legs out reaching for food when I feed the damsel. There are also some sponge looking things that are getting bigger, and a feathery flower like thing coming out of a tube that hides when I disturb the water in the tank. There is also a clear mushroom looking thing. Anybody have ideas what any of this stuff could be?? I'll try and get pics tomorrow but they are all very small.

Heres a couple pics of what the RO system looks like hooked up under my sink, perfect fit....