Skawt
Active member
I wanted to setup a small marine tank to see if we would be able to handle it before making the step to a large setup that would involve a lot of time and expense. I was able to find an Eclipse II 29 gallon setup in great condition off Craigslist and got it setup (Had to buy a new heater, picked up a 200watt from WalMart).
After getting the salt and temp set (1.026 and 78F) we added 2 fish, an ocellaris clownfish and a scooter blenny. Everything looks perfect at the moment but I have started (too late it seems) to read about the cycle the tank is going to go through over the next few months and would like to know what I can do to help the fish survive without too much discomfort.
I understand that I will need to do frequent water changes to keep the ammonia down, what about the fluctuation in temperature all the time? As far as flow in the tank I believe the pump on the Eclipse II is 200gph which seems to provide a nice current in the tank, should I add anything to the filter setup (Protein skimmer is what I am thinking but where would it go?)
The tank came with some test strips but they look like they do not show ammonia, Nitrates and nitites are zero at the moment which I assume is because the water does not have anything in it yet to convert whatever ammonia is starting to accumulate. I am going to get an ammonia test kit today. Can I use the Seachem Ammonia Alert as well?
Here's a pic of the tank and the filter:
After getting the salt and temp set (1.026 and 78F) we added 2 fish, an ocellaris clownfish and a scooter blenny. Everything looks perfect at the moment but I have started (too late it seems) to read about the cycle the tank is going to go through over the next few months and would like to know what I can do to help the fish survive without too much discomfort.
I understand that I will need to do frequent water changes to keep the ammonia down, what about the fluctuation in temperature all the time? As far as flow in the tank I believe the pump on the Eclipse II is 200gph which seems to provide a nice current in the tank, should I add anything to the filter setup (Protein skimmer is what I am thinking but where would it go?)
The tank came with some test strips but they look like they do not show ammonia, Nitrates and nitites are zero at the moment which I assume is because the water does not have anything in it yet to convert whatever ammonia is starting to accumulate. I am going to get an ammonia test kit today. Can I use the Seachem Ammonia Alert as well?
Here's a pic of the tank and the filter: