Weekly Tank Upkeep

[ScottyMac]

Just wondering what I should be doing on a weekly basis to keep my tank in great shape and in good order...

as of right now, I have a 33 gallon tank, 40-45 lbs of live rock, ~70+ lbs of aggrogate, a small cleaning crew, 2 Aqua Clear 300's, a power head.

The tank has been cycling for 2 1/2 months, (but currently has very high Nitrate levels *See previous topic * and I just want to make sure I am doing the right amount of water changes & cleaning that is needed to keep this baby healthy.

any advice on what I should be doing is greatly appriciated.

Thanks!

 

[canyon15]

PWC's of 10%. I do 2.5g on my 20g weekly. Someone else want to chime in?

PS: NEED THE TORCH................. PUT ORDER IN! LOL.

 

[tecwzrd]

Welcome to AA

It helps if you link your previous post so we don’t have to go look for it

Do you have any fish/inverts/clean up crew yet? After 2 ½ months did you see any spike in your nh3/no2? You still haven’t listed the “high” no3 level and what you may consider to be high ie: 20-40 ppm is quite normal for a tank going through a cycle. If you are performing pwc during the cycle it could explain why it’s taking so long.

For up keep doing 10%-15% pwc weekly with well aged SW (mixed for 24 hours with a ph and brought up to temp with ph/sg matching the main) should be all that’s required as long as you stick to a moderate fish load for your tank. I would avoid adding any supplements to the tank until more experience is acquired and then only if you have the tests needed so you don’t overdose.

Research is key to successful SW fish keeping and reading all the saltwater articles on this site and the articles on liveaquaria.com is an excellent way to get acquainted with all that’s required for this expensive hobby.

Also unlike FW or Brackish the use of tap water/de-chlorinator is not recommended due to the high levels of minerals & usually no3/po4. A ro/di unit is recommended for removing all of these elements and to make the water as pure as possible.

A lot of people get them from ebay for around $100. Below are the 3 most popular sites:
Filter-Direct-store (seems to be most popular on this site)
The-Aqua-Safe-Pure-Water-Shop
ROfilterDepot

Also airwaterice.com is a good place if you don’t want to deal with ebay.