My first SW Tank

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CO_Cowgirl

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
5
Hello!

Okay a little bit about myself. . . . Umm . . . I am currently pregnant and since my Dr. has pulled me off riding my horses we decided we need another hobby. My husband had a Saltwater Tank a few years ago :) but this will be my first! We had a 55 gallon tank but after shopping around a lot I decided I liked a cube 60 gallon tank much better. It just fits into the living room so nicely.

We set up the tank yesterday. We put in our live sand and salt. My husband had a bunch of live rock when he had the last saltwater tank. We held onto the rock even though it is not live anymore and we are using that for a lot of decorative pieces. We are doing a Fish Only tank at this point (or that is the plan).

We are using a canister filter that is rated for 70 gallons I think? We have started cycling the tank and we can't wait until the chemical levels are right to put the first fish in! Plans are a couple clown fish, an anemone, a butterfly and maybe an Angel? We aren't getting that far ahead! We just started thinking about long term fish. I know we have to stay small 3-5 inches.

I really wanted a crowned/valentine (auto correct will not let me spell that right! it should be an I on the end) Puffer but that is just not going to work out. It would be the right size but it would attack the invertebrates I hope to have in the tank.
 
I have a 60g cube tank, a rimless one and love it. It gives you a really good view and since its so deep back to front it's like a chunk of ocean in my living room!

How are you cycling? Did you add an ammonia source like a dead frozen shrimp?
 
If you plan on having an anemone why not make it into a full reef? You will already have all the equipment together for it.
 
I was under the impression that we would need a protein skimmer and a fairly expensive light to start that process? That might be something that we look at later once we get everything established? We have also talked about using the 55 gallon which is long to do some coral etc. but with the baby coming in just 3 months we are trying to do small projects? Does that make sense?

Our LFS said that we could put some hermit crabs in to start cycling the tank?
 
Yep, that makes perfect sense :)

I would probably go with the cube if you wanted to do a reef tank in the future. The extra depth makes things look real nice :)

I would either use a shrimp in a stocking or pure ammonia to start the cycle rather than live stock. There will also be quite a bit of die off from the rocks throwing ammonia into the water.
 
So I got home from work to talk to my husband. He did get a few crabs to put into the tank. He was told by the LFS that is we started running a ammonia remover in our Fluval canister filter that we would be fine. We had a water test kit but not one that included a ammonia test so I had him go out and buy a specific test for ammonia. We are running high!! I looked at the box for the ammonia remover packets and it says for fresh water use only???

Should I pull the ammonia remover packet back out? The LFS that I bought the tank from I think was much more knowledgeable but they were adamant that I couldn't use a canister filter. Are they right? I am screwed with the Fluval canister filter? The store that I thought knew a lot really wanted to press you into a specific brand filter. I have it written down because I took notes let me find it!
 
You can use a canister filter but there are issues that come along with their usage. It might be a good idea to fill the baskets with refugium rubble :)

There aren't any ammonia removing products out there to take ammonia out of the water for salt water tanks that I've ever heard of. But there are some products such as prime that will detoxify the ammonia for 2 days or so and make it harmless to tank inhabitants.

As for the light, they are unnecessary as far as getting the cycle started.
 
Okay so I found my notes! The LFS where we bought the tank was sure that I could run a Marineland Emperor Filter System - which is an on the back over flow system. I had that kind of system when we were doing Fresh Water fish. We had issues with pumps and it flowed water onto the wall and did damage to the drywall and I was hesitant to try another one. Also I felt like that was pretty under rated for going with a salt water tank?

We went with a Fluval canister filter which we purchased from the other LFS. The rock is giving us a spike level in ammonia we are just under 3 and we are running a chemical to detoxify that ammonia levels. I can't think of the name of the chemical but I am on my way home now and can check!

Added a power head last night to give us some more flow on the tank and Husband found a T4 (I think have to look) Light for the tank at a REALLY nice price on E-bay.
 
The canister filter will work if you clean it regularly, the reason most reefers don't use them is that they are considered nitrate factories when uncleaned.
Most of the filtering in saltwater is biological, and the live rock is most important.

Would the lighting have been a t5?
 
If you are cycling the tank you want the ammonia to rise and then go through the nitrogen cycle. You shouldn't be adding anything to prohibit that, unless you were doing a fish in cycle.
 
I agree, you don't want to be using chemicals to lower your ammonia, just leave it be and once all the bacteria is up and running you won't have any ammonia.
 
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