Help!!!!! 150 gallon tank saltwater

[Cluvjeck]

hi im new to saltwater stuff i've had freshwater for 5 years now and i just love watching the fish but we just bought an 150 gallon tank that was fresh water and we turned it into saltwater we went out and bought salt and sand and 4lbs live rock to start with. we reused 3 power hearders and the filter that hangs over the ledge which is the only one with carbon in it and the heater. it has the regular lighting hood. I need help to know what to get next. i put in a domino damsel and a yellowtail blue damsel and 2 snails and a feather duster to start with and just bought 5 more lbs of live rock. we want it to be colorful. i dont know where to go from here i guess we want some reef and we most definatly want fish. any help would be apreciated. i would like to know specific and links to things to look into for options vs cost. thanks

 

[Fromthelbc]

well... i think you need a lot more live rock for a 150g... second off...protein skimmer? some sort of fancy vibrant backround? theres tanks out there that are smaller than 20 gallons that have more than 30lbs of live rock... i'd say invest in more live rock... maybe some proper lighting for brightly colored fish..? just suggestions, im sure theres others here that will chime in that know a lot more than i do...

 

[Cluvjeck]

i have been trying to look at lighting but i have no idea what im looking at from what i gathered i need like 500 watts of some sort of bulb. ok lets put it this way im a blonde when it comes to this i enjoy watching the tank more then tv im just trying to figure out what i need to do. and we plan on getting more live rock just piece at a time. i figured i need about 250 lbs but thats for a reef and not sure we want to go that far but somewhere inbetween a reef and a fish only. but see you say proper lighting but i cant find a place to see what its going to cost me for the size of a tank.

 

[thincat]

First off, Welcome. I think you should try and return your fish and featherduster. You have to cycle your tank first. Your tank needs about 1-1.5 lbs of live rock per gallon of tank water. You should cycle your tank with two or three cocktail shrimp from the Deli. Be sure it's raw and unseasoned. Check this sites "sticky's" for more information on a new tank setup. The amount of light for a saltwater tank is almost triple that needed for a planted tank and by far the most expensive, followed closely by the price of live rock. You will also need a protein skimmer if you are going to grow corals.
TC

 

[Justin1989]

The lbs or rock isnt due to reef, its due to the amount of bacteria it will house. The bigger the tank, usually the more fish you will have and the bigger fish a 150 will house. I would agree with thincat, taking those fish back may be your best bet at the moment. Your next step would be by far a protein skimmer, and with that big of a tank I wouldn't cheap out on it.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Let's take a step back. Live Rock is NOT required for a saltwater tank. It greatly enhances the look of the tank , adds biological filtration and is required for some livestock (or something similar) feeding patterns. You can run a pure sand bottom or a bare bottom for that matter. If you choose to use rock, you can use it a pure decoration or add it in quantities that will allow you to use it for filtration. If you choose not to use live rock then you need a canister or HOB filter (with the size of your tank probably multiples of those). You also don't need any specific lighting if all you plan on having is fish. A protein skimmer is a great tool as well but not required. Plenty of successful tanks have neither.

As far as the fish are concerned, they should be taken back if possible. Cycle your tank fishless. Get the right water testing chemicals, do it right, then add fish.

You don't need to spend an arm and leg to get into saltwater. If the passion takes then in the long run you'll start looking at other species (coral, inverts,etc) that require specific lighting (read that $$$$), and other semi-required equipment to make their survival more likely.

Yo do not need to make that leap now if you choose not to.

 

[melosu58]

Read this

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/stock-list-and-tips-for-maintaining-your-sw-tank-73477.html

 

[Harry Gross]

if you have another (smaller) tank...I'd simply set it up as a QT tank to house your critters while the tank cycles.(done correctly the cycling process should only take a coupla weeks)instead of taking your fish BACK to the LFS.
A 10 gallon would likely be perfect. W/proper lighting and PWC's that are very easy w/ such a small tank...you should have no problems.
As far as the liverock input..."I" agree w/ all thats been said thus far.Its basically a 6-of one...1/2 dozen of another situation - according to your particular tastes. Welcome to A/A....listen closely to the old timers around here...and gaurenteed they'll take care of you like you're one of their own.

 

[CaptainAhab]

I would disagree. In the end your now cycling with fish in a small container. If the choice is made to cycle with the fish, the larger tank is preferable as the toxins are more diluted to the fish while still being present for the S L O W build up of bacteria. Unless you can get yourself a nice hunk of cured LR to drop in there.

'done correctly the cycling process should only take a coupla weeks' ... hmmmm might be a tad optimistic

 

[Cluvjeck]

ok as i said before it was a freshwater tank that had undergravel filteration along with one that hangs over the back. I took the trays out for the sand the power heads are auquaclear power head 400 and theres 3 of them and the one that hangs over the back is a aquamaster 400. with the power heads i stuck a sponge on the bottoms to make those a filter. not sure if that is enough filteration. its going on three days with the fish and we will continue to add live rock each week when the hubby gets paid and dont think we are adding more fish just yet. and i keep testing the water every day to see how its doing. so i guess im missing this protein skimmer and better lighting for a nice tank. from what i seen these protein skimmers are bulky and ugly. i dont have a cabinet around my tank so wouldnt even know what to look for to buy.

 

[CaptainAhab]

You're missing more than that, no offense. Google or search here for how to cycle a tank. Your water parameters are going to take a while to show any change with 2 fish in there (that's kind of a good thing). The HOB's are fine. Each time you add new LR , if it's not 100% cured, you're going to run the risk of some degree of a cycle or adding to the one that you are trying to complete now. Just because they all test 0 now (and in the near future) does not mean everything is ok, it will mean that the cycle hasn't even started yet. No different than cycling a FW tank.

The fact that is was a FW tank before has no bearing on the setup process other than doing the right thing by getting rid of the UGF. You've got water, sand, LR, a filter(s); that's plenty to get the tank cycled. Then move on to equipment. Just watch out for adding that rock incrementally and test/test/test/test/test/test

 

[thincat]

Let's take a step back. Live Rock is NOT required for a saltwater tank. It greatly enhances the look of the tank , adds biological filtration and is required for some livestock (or something similar) feeding patterns. You can run a pure sand bottom or a bare bottom for that matter. If you choose to use rock, you can use it a pure decoration or add it in quantities that will allow you to use it for filtration. If you choose not to use live rock then you need a canister or HOB filter (with the size of your tank probably multiples of those). You also don't need any specific lighting if all you plan on having is fish. A protein skimmer is a great tool as well but not required. Plenty of successful tanks have neither.

As far as the fish are concerned, they should be taken back if possible. Cycle your tank fishless. Get the right water testing chemicals, do it right, then add fish.

You don't need to spend an arm and leg to get into saltwater. If the passion takes then in the long run you'll start looking at other species (coral, inverts,etc) that require specific lighting (read that $$$$), and other semi-required equipment to make their survival more likely.

Yo do not need to make that leap now if you choose not to.

Correct!

 

[Harry Gross]

I would disagree. In the end your now cycling with fish in a small container. If the choice is made to cycle with the fish, the larger tank is preferable as the toxins are more diluted to the fish while still being present for the S L O W build up of bacteria. Unless you can get yourself a nice hunk of cured LR to drop in there.

'done correctly the cycling process should only take a coupla weeks' ... hmmmm might be a tad optimistic

I agree w/Ahab about "bacteria-build up" and his suggestion about LR.My suggestion about re housing was mostly for the benifit of having everybody out of the way while you're doing your thing with set-up and teardown experiments.I've recently learned-.....(anything "I" know about SW= = makes me still a "newbie" by all rights)....-that it is pretty-vital to have SOME SORT of source of bio stuff in order to kickoff or initiate the cycling process.
I was my experience that while (re)building my display-once cycling was complete I was able to simply move the fish to their nice/new/home...and they were able to settle right down and establish their prospective little areas w/ no chance of stressing due to a flurry of activity constantly uprooting things...fogging the place up...etc.
You 'SHOULD" however pay MUCH more attention to suggestions made on this site by folks who have terms like "moderator" and multiple years-in-this-field..etc behind their profile name.Personally "I" only occassionally speak up cuz sometimes..."outta-the-mouths-of-babes"....dig?

 

[thincat]

HG..You have alot to learn....There are many here with lots more experience then post will ever show...
TC

 

[Kar_Wash]

wont those damsels eventually bully and harrass most fish added?

 

[Cluvjeck]

who says im keeping them ill trade them in i dont really want aggressive fish

 

[Kar_Wash]

was just asking, love damsels, but have heard they would bully clowns and tangs, even in a 98 gallon.

 

[Cluvjeck]

i like the colors of the yellowtail blue damsel that we have and doesnt seem as aggresive as the domino in there with him but we are going to try to go towards some sort of schooling fish

 

[Ziggy953]

FOWLR you are headed in the right direction. Reef, you are going to need to make some changes but those can come after you have cycled the tank.

The article section of the site (linked previously) is a great place to learn some basics of getting started.

 

[ChrisAre]

You should switch filtration to a wet/dry filter. Power filters (or hang on the back) are not suited for salt water. What's also great about Wet/dry is you can put other equipment in there so it doesn't have to be in your show tank- heaters and protein skimmers can be hidden under your tank. But the protein skimmer should probably be the first purchase. Also take it slow. Maybe hold off on coral since the lighting necessary will be the most expensive purchase. Take a look at some easy to maintain fish. Focus on that and some cool rock croppings w/ live rock. Good luck!