I'm diving in (finally!)

[Burrower]

Greetings one and all,

I'm rather new to these boards, but have been a long time lurker. It's odd, really..I feel like I know many of you so well since I've been reading the boards in preparation for my own tank. These forums have been instrumental in helping me to get my system components purchased and set up...Thanks!

Well, the time has finally come for me to come out of the woodwork so to speak, and introduce myself (and of course begin to post!). I've been enamored (addicted?) to marine tanks since I first set up a fish only tank about 17 years ago. Over the years I've had a few tanks, gradually increasing in size, and with each tank came new knowledge, better technology, and more patience. The last tank I had (about four years ago) was a fish only tank that was just wholly unsatisfying. I broke it down and decided that I wasn't going to put another up until I did it right..until I did it the way I wanted. Well, over the years I've been purchasing items off and on (do you know how hard it is to buy a MH/PC light fixture and not even turn it on for a year!?), and my dream is becoming a reality this year. Last week my live rock arrived and the tank is up and running! I'm sure i'll have more questions regarding set-up and advice, but before I throw those out, I'd like for this message to serve as an introduction to my tank set-up. I'll post questions in other separate posts..I feel like the posts with specific questions rather than a general rambling are easier to sift through (and they help when doing forum searches).

Here's my current set-up, etc.

-Oceanic 65g (or close to it) tank (36L X 15.5W X 29H)
-AquaC Remora Pro skimmer with Mag 3 pump and prefilter skimmer/bubble trap box
-36" Hamilton deluxe hood fixture with 2X250W 14K MH bulbs and 2X96W 2 in 1 Actinic PC bulbs powered by magnetic ballasts (wow do they get hot)
-2 Seio 620 pumps
-2 100W Ebo-Jager heaters (only one in service now)
-Whisper 30-60 gallon hang-on power filter (to help with mechanical filtration and a good place to put GAC)
-Water source is from an Aquasafe RO/DI unit rated at 100 GPD
-Instant Ocean salt mix
-33 Gallon rubbermaid trash can with a store of pre mixed saltwater ready for use
-premixed saltwater heated and mixed with an old powerhead (forget brand)
-water pumped from storage vat to tank by a mag2 pump (best decision I've made yet! no more hauling buckets around and making messes)
-Aquarium Pharm. test kits for pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates
-Salifert test kits for calcium, alkalinity, and phosphate
-ESV B-ionic calcium supplement (to be used in future when needed)
-Light fixture hanging from cieling, suspended about 6.5" above tank
-Lights are on for 12 hours/off for 12 hours. Actinics run from 10am-10pm and halides run from noon until 8pm
-Light cycle controlled by Aqualight power center
-The tank is located in the basement, so it's nice and cool and not in direct sunlight
-Tank covered with eggcrate, cute to size
-Currently I have 70lbs Marshall Island live rock ("fully cured") from Premium Aquatics with approx. 1" sand bed (40 lbs. of CaribSea Aragalive reef sand)
-I installed a GFCI outlet for all electronics
-5 gallon acrilyc tank with internal whisper power filter and heater for QT. I've got an extra mag prefilter sponge seeded from my main tank for use in the QT for biological filtration. Still need to get pot/PVC pipe for a place for livestock to hide


Hmm...that about covers it. At least it's all I can think of for now! Does anyone have a similar set-up? Any potential issues? Overkill, underkill?

 

[ronj]

Welcome to Reeffrontiers!!!you have definately done your homework!!!!....everything seems in order..the only thing that might be a concern is the size of your qt tank ..5g will get polluted really, really fast..you will have to do doing daily water changes and will only be able to keep 1? fish in it at a time....the water changes will get old fast..maybe you could get a 15-20g qt tank...they don't cost much and the equipment that you already have will work in it!!! i hope all goes well...if you have any questions, you are on the right forum...(really educated and funny characters)

 

[Burrower]

Thanks for the advice! I am in 100% agreement with you. This morning, I was looking at the QT thinking "no way man..too small." I'll definitely get a larger tank

 

[ronj]

try a 20g long...they are like $30-40

 

[NaH2O]

Sounds like you've done your homework! I will agree on the size of the QT.

Any insight to what you are thinking of keeping?

 

[Curtswearing]

Great setup. Welcome to RF!!!

(I'm in St. Louis....what part of Missouri are you from?)

Whisper 30-60 gallon hang-on power filter (to help with mechanical filtration and a good place to put GAC)
-33 Gallon rubbermaid trash can with a store of pre mixed saltwater ready for use

I would actually remove the media from the Whisper unless you're willing to wash it off each and every day. A weekly turkey basting of your rock to get the detritus picked up by your skimmer is more efficient.

Is the Rubbermaid trash can a Brute trash can? If not, run a phosphate test on the water in the can before using it. Plasticizers used to make some of their trash cans leach phosphates into RO/DI water.

 

[Burrower]

Nikki,

I had planned on initially keeping some hardy fish until the tank stabilizes, and then slowly introducing soft/mushroom corals. Right now we're toying with the idea of keeping either a Caribbean or Pacific Reef system, but some of the fish we want (and corals) might muddle that up and be a mix. My wife and I are in the processs of making our "wanted" lists, and we'll compare and see where we go. Fish on my current list (though not complete) include species like the neon goby, Bangai cardinal, Occellaris or Percula clown, Royal Gramma, firefish, Flame Hawkfish, and Teardop Butterfly. Please be aware that this does not represent all of the species I will actually put in the tank! Rather it is a list of candidate species. I'm reading, doing research, and determining what the best mix will be with respect to diet, tank conditions, aggressiveness, etc. Once my wife and I compile our list, I'm sure I'll come to the boards for recommendations, etc.

Ultimately, we'd really like to keep some stony corals and anemones. I'm in it for the long haul, so no rush. I purchased the lighting system and arranged the rock work to be able to keep a wide array of Cnidarians, from those that require intense lighting to those that perefer more sheltered, shadier, locations.

Curtswearing, I posted on one of my other threads...we live in Kirksville, about three and a half hours NW of you. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about reef tanks in the midwest!

 

[Burrower]

Ack! I rememebr reading about rubber containers possibly giving off Phosphate, but completely spaced it when I went and purchased the trash can. It's a rubbermaid roughneck. I'll be sure to test the phosphate. Thanks for the reminder.

 

["Umm fish?"]

Congratulations on the new tank and on doing all the research. I started my first tank about a year ago and am very happy with it. I did about a year of research before I started the tank and I've been very happy I did.

You might want to read up on anemones at wetwebmedia, though. They are very positive about keeping anemones in species tanks and away from other stinging animals because of their tendency to wander all over the place (stinging and getting stung the whole way). I just purchased a 40gal. cube to make up an anemone biotope myself.

Good luck with your tank and with the hobby!

 

[Burrower]

Thanks for your comments Andy! Aenomones have always fascinated me for multiple reasons. I do hope one day to be able to keep one in the tank, but I will be sure to read up and not introduce one that could jeopardize exisitng inhabitants. Sessile just doesn't describe them accurately given their tendency to wander..we should come up with our own term to describe them..maybe pseudosessile!