30G setup. Planning to get a fuge

[TheRealFF]

I just got a new 30G tank today. I started the fishless cycle with:

_SW (of course)
_40 pounds of LS
_45 pounds of LR
_1 MaxiJet 600 powerhead
_1 raw shrimp

Also dosed:
_PH buffer
_Calcium
_Iodine
_Strondium
_Concentrated bacteria

So, is my cycle optimal? Do i need to put anything else into the tank? Enough LR, LS?

I'm planning to get a 10G fuge with some plants in it to help filter the water. Anyone knows links or articles that would help me set up one? My tank is not reef ready (no holes).

Thank you in the advance

 

[afilter]

Prep for cycle looks OK. Stop dosing any chemcals unless you are testing for them. There is currently nothing in your tank that will use them. Many do not dose at all and just rely on pwc to replace lost nutrients.

What are you plans fo stocking this tank? I only ask because a 30g is kind of small for a sw unless you are planning on a nano reef. You are probaly limited to 3-4 small fish without exceeding you io load. Also be helpful if you described the equipment you are using (ie lighting filtration etc.)

Check out the articles section on this site for some good starter points.

HTH,

 

[TheRealFF]

I had a 20G SW tank for 2 months and it started to leak. So i bought a 30G so the capacity is abit larger and i can use the equipments from the old tank. Im have:

Still in the old tank:
_65W Corallife dual light
_Lunarlight (i'll look for barnd)
_Protein skimmer (i'll look for the brand next time i go to the LFS)
_2 Maxijet 600 powerheads - 320GPH total (I put 1 in the new 30G)
_Acura 1000 (50W) heater. I think im gonna have to buy a 100W for the 30G right?
Enough equipment for 30G?

About cleaning crew, i have:
_5 blue legged hermit
_1 astrea snail
_1 cleaner shrimp
_1 emerald crap
_1 scooter blenny (not part of the crew but he does clean hehe)
Enough cleaning for 30G? Any of them are not reef safe?

I havn't have any plan on buying new fishes. I think i'll just let my old fishes get used to the new tank first then start getting new fish(maybe a fire gobi or something small). I currently have:
_ 2 percula clowns (fake i think)
_ 1 yellow tank... I know... I should have never bought him home cuz the tank is too small for him according to many peoples. I've tried so hard to talk my dad into returning it but he just won't...My sister's favorite fish blah blah blah. It's doing though, i think. We bought a baby one, about 1.5 - 2 in. I'll try to talk my dad into returning it again once it gets abit bigger.
_ 1 scooter blenny
Compatible?

I have some small frags of inverts. They were on sale so i just bought some for the heck of it:
_ Star polyp coral
_ 3 dif colors of zooanthids
_ Feather duster
Good? Compatible with other inhabitants?

Tell me what you think of what i am moving into the 30G tank.

Thank you guys a million times

 

[austinsdad]

Seen these HOB fuges? I think the biggest might be 5g.

http://www.cprusa.com/products/aquafuge.html

 

[TheRealFF]

WOW! That is an amazing product! Thank you so much Austindad. I'll try to look for one ASAP

Any opinion on my 2nd post (3rd post)?

 

[afilter]

Where are your fish and inverts right now if you are cycling the 30g? I am hoping all are still in the 20g?

Equipment all looks good (heater could be bigger).

As for the fish What do you have? You mention YT and scooter blenny (definately a fish not clean up crew) and 2 percs. Is that it? The YT and Scooter blenny both need to go back. I would not put a small YT in anything smaller than a 55G tank. The scooter blenny is basically a dragonette which requires pods to survive and rarely take prepared foods. For one to survive you would need about a 75g or bigger with 75-100#s of LR that has been running for 6-12 months to build up the pods population. They are nothing like a pleco in the fw trade. They do not feed on the waste in the tank although they are often mistaken for something that does.

Once you get ridof these I would think you could get 1-2 more small nano type fish to go with your percs. You can also plus up you clean up crew with snails and hermits. You could have as many as 1/gallon of each. 15-20 would be a good target number for a 30g.

Hopefully you are testing your water. Do not put any live stock in the tank until your readings indicate that the cycle is complete. Then you do not want to add more than 1-2 fish per week/every other week to allow the bio load to adjust.

Here is a link for some fish that are appropriate for this size tank:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=2124

If upgrading to a larger tank say a 55g is an option I would suggest that since it sounds like you want more fish and larger fish. With SW smaller does not mean easier as keeping water parameter up with a smaller volume is more difficult. That is why a low number of small fish will be absolutely critical to your success.

Talk to your dad. IMO if you do not return the YT and scooter blenny you are condeming them to an almost certain death. Like I said a 55g would be the absolute smallest tank I would put even a juvenial YT as they require a lot of horizontal swimming room.

The good news is you are in the right place to ask questions.

HTH,

 

[TheRealFF]

Wow thank you so much, no wonder my blenny hasn't been eating off the sand lately. I'll try my hardest to talk my dad into returning the blenny and YT. As for larger tank, i don't think we're gonna upgrade anytime soon cuz we just got the 30G. I might get a bigger tank in the summer tho, when i start working.

Im thinking of getting a pistol shrimp as one of the cleaning crew. i've heard these shrimps have a great relationship with some other fish right? I might as well buy that fish hehe.

I'll buy some more snails and hermit crabs later on when my 30G is ready.

About setting up a fuge, my dad and i planned to buy a 5 - 10G tank, put it under the 30G then set up our own fuge. I might buy an aquafuge if i could find one (doubt it, and my dad doesn't like ordering stuff on the internet). What do u think i would need to set up my own 5 - 10G fuge?

Thank you so much!

 

[afilter]

What do you want to do with the fuge?

Assuming you tank is not drilled you will need:

Overflow box
plumbing (hoses/conectors)
10g tank
some sort of baffle system (can just be two pieces of glass on each end of the 10g tank)
Return pump

All in all it could cost $150-200 unless you can get some of the equipment used.

 

[TheRealFF]

Ugh... I don't really know what those terms mean:

Overflow box? baffle system?

What are they and what do they do?

Where would i get these pumps from? could i use some maxijet powerhead and connect a hose to the output? A problem i have in mind of setting up my own fuge is that if just one of the pump stop working one day, either my fuge or my main tank would overflow.

I want to put my heater and filter in the fuge so the fishes get more space to swim. Plus the guy at the LFS said i should get a fuge with some plants in it so the water would be filtered better so the fishes would have a better life. I don't really care how hard it is to do, as long as my fishes are happy

Thanks

 

[afilter]

IMO, wait and learn a little more about the hobby. If you really want to make the fish happy save the money you would spend on building a 10g sump/fuge and get a larger tank down the road(55g or larger). You could then turn your 30g into a nice sump/ fuge for that.

I went almost two years before I built my sump/fuge. They are nice to have, but a larger main tank would be my first priority to better support the fish you have.

 

[TheRealFF]

Oh ok... Thanks afilter. I'll just take it easy then

I have just a few questions left to ask

Which peaceful fishes do you think should i add to the 30G when it's all done and running along with my percular clowns (if the tang and gobi are gone)?

About cleaning crew, i do you have any specific species and numbers for each species that would benefit my tank the most?

Thank you guys so much. Especially afilter, who has been helping me sooooooo much

 

[afilter]

Again check out this link:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=2124

Any of these fish would be compatible with your setup and your clowns(1-2 maybe 3 tops). This is assuming you get rid of the YT and scooter. Not to be too harsh, but frankly if you do not get rid of them I will be suprised if they are still alive 3 months from now.

As for specific selections some of my favorites in addition to the percs which you already have include:

firefish:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=168

green clown goby:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=159

yellow watchman goby:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=228

You could probaly even get away with 1 dwarf angel such as a coral beauty:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=438

If you go with an angel though no other fish beside the percs. Really it comes down to personal preference on what you like. Just do not over do it or you and your fish will pay the price. I speak from experience as somone who has sent my share of fish to the great reef in the sky.

As for other inverts to look at:

10-15 more blue or red leg hermits
10-15 snails variety is fine avoid nasarious unless you have a sand substrate.
pepermint shrimp
cleaner shrimp
emerald crab
serpeant star

Your tank would look pretty full with these. The key to this hobby is take it slow. Read and learn as much as you can before making an addition. The worst think you can do is thry to fill up your tank right away because you will be headed for a crash. A new set-up really is not considered mature until it is 6-12 months old.

Good luck,

 

[TheRealFF]

Serpeant star? Doesn't it eat fishes? Is there a specie of starfish that doesn't eat fishes and doesn't hurt corals? (a guy at LFS said starfishes would eat corals when i asked to buy one)

I'll get more hermits and snails. About the peppermint shrimp, can i buy a pistol shrimp instead?

Thanks afilter, u've been amazing

 

[afilter]

Not a problem, happy to help and hopefully save someone from my mistakes.

Guessing you were trying to buy a choc chip star or common star which are not reef safe. Many other start such as brittle (get kind of big which is why I did not recommend) and some serpeants are reef safe and will not bother corals or anenome. A red/orange linkia is anoterh goos one, but your tank really should be much older.

Never had a pisto;, but is that is what you like I am not aware of any issues, and I believe they stay small. I think they do best in a sand substrate. They may even be the ones that form a relationship with the watchman goby which is cool. Check me on that.

Loke I said before it comes down to personal preference and doing a bit of research before you buy.

 

[TheRealFF]

Wow linkias look so awesome. I've look into buying one once my tank is stable

Thank you so much for spending time helping me. I think you've out-answereded me. I don't have any more questions right now. I'll ask some more specific questions later on when i am about to buy any addition to the tank.

Once again THANK YOU SO MUCH afilter