Joester2k3
Aquarium Advice Freak
I was wondering what i should get next. A skimmer or MH lighting system? any thoughts ??
While it cycles :)
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TCTFish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Skimmers take priority over lights. So between those choices you listed...get the skimmer first.
How about a good marine book?
If you are doing a reef, Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock is a good, very indepth book.
If you are doing fish only with or without live rock, The Conscientious Marine Aquarist also by John Tullock is another good indepth book.
Books with simple outline descriptions of fish, inverts, and corals along with capatibility and reef safe charting would include The Expert Pocket Guide Marine Fish by Scott W. Michael and the same series but on Marine Invertebrates by Ronald L.Shimek. Then there's Corals: A Quick Reference Guide by Julian Sprung. There are many others that may be just as good. These are just a few I know of off the top of my head. Another good series of ID books are the Baensch Marine Atlases.
How about a good marine book?
If you are doing a reef, Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock is a good, very indepth book.
If you are doing fish only with or without live rock, The Conscientious Marine Aquarist also by John Tullock is another good indepth book.
Books with simple outline descriptions of fish, inverts, and corals along with capatibility and reef safe charting would include The Expert Pocket Guide Marine Fish by Scott W. Michael and the same series but on Marine Invertebrates by Ronald L.Shimek. Then there's Corals: A Quick Reference Guide by Julian Sprung. There are many others that may be just as good. These are just a few I know of off the top of my head. Another good series of ID books are the Baensch Marine Atlases.
I would have said the opposite.
I would venture to the lights before the skimmer.
If you have the LR and keep up with the PWC's you should be ok for a while. I assume you will still need to buy your fish after your cycle and QT them for 4-6 weeks in a seperate tank so very little waste will be removed by the skimmer (although you will get some) in the main.
The lights will also allow you to start on your coral trip (if you are planning a reef.)
I would venture to the lights before the skimmer.
If you have the LR and keep up with the PWC's you should be ok for a while. I assume you will still need to buy your fish after your cycle and QT them for 4-6 weeks in a seperate tank so very little waste will be removed by the skimmer (although you will get some) in the main.
The lights will also allow you to start on your coral trip (if you are planning a reef.)
I think it depends.
If you haven’t bought any lights then I would also go ahead and get MH/PC lights instead of wasting money on NO lights since you obviously want corals if you are considering MH lights.
If you do have regular florescent lights then I’d get the skimmer next and wait 8+ months to get the MH.
With a new tank spending $400+ on MH if you have basic lighting is a waste since you want a mature tank (8+ months) before adding corals anyways IMO. The skimmer would help maintain the water quality and get your tank ready for corals
If you haven’t bought any lights then I would also go ahead and get MH/PC lights instead of wasting money on NO lights since you obviously want corals if you are considering MH lights.
If you do have regular florescent lights then I’d get the skimmer next and wait 8+ months to get the MH.
With a new tank spending $400+ on MH if you have basic lighting is a waste since you want a mature tank (8+ months) before adding corals anyways IMO. The skimmer would help maintain the water quality and get your tank ready for corals
Joester2k3
Aquarium Advice Freak
Sounds like some great advice guys
Joester2k3
Aquarium Advice Freak
Can i use a 5gal as a QT with a bio wheel and some LR rubble from my main tank???????
Brenden
Aquarium Advice Addict
You asking me?
Fluff
Aquarium Advice Addict
Joester2k3 said:
I see no reason why that wouldn't work. Course, I'd ditch the biowheel and just use the rubble for filtration.
TCTFish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Water quality is most important when dealing with any aquatics. A skimmer tends to that quality. Lights do not. Besides, you should not have coral of any kind before having a skimmer. At least there are coral that are low light and non photosynthetic that can wait for light, but cannot for the skimmer.
The skimmer is for the overall health of the system.
The skimmer is for the overall health of the system.
Joester2k3
Aquarium Advice Freak
No Brenden I already asked you LOL hehehe
The reason im thinking of using the bio wheel is because ive used it with fresh water and it has all that bacteria on it. Is that bacteria the same as what will be in my SW tank????
The reason im thinking of using the bio wheel is because ive used it with fresh water and it has all that bacteria on it. Is that bacteria the same as what will be in my SW tank????
TCTFish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Joester...SW and FW bio are different.
Joester2k3
Aquarium Advice Freak
Thats what i was figuring but i wanted to make sure
When I converted from FW to SW I used the same H.O.T. Magnum 250 w/Bio-Wheel that I had used for 8+ years on my brackish tank. I didn’t do anything to it when I made the conversion but did cycle the tank again in SW for 6 weeks so the new bacteria could convert over. I have 90 lbs of base/lr which I got after the cycle was complete and still use a Magnum 350 on my main tank and now use the 250 on the QT tank.
Joester2k3
Aquarium Advice Freak
Ive been watchin my rock daily and ive noticed red polips starting all over the place. They stick out like 1/8 or so one some of them. Others are closer to the rock. Any idea what it is????
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