Hi everyone. I am n new to reef but not to saltwater. man, this is a whole new ball game. I want to post my tank progression and let you know Whit you are helping me with. Right now I have a 50 gallon corner tank with a 20 gallon wet/dry sump. An in sump protein skimmer Just installed on 07/15. Man I thought my tank was clean. Then I saw the stuff in the protein skimmer WOW! For fish I have 2 blue damsels 2 dominoes, 1 perk and a dog face puffer that I am ready to extract if i need to. My last purchase is the light. I plan on getting a 24 inch 150 HQI Metal Halide, 24 Watt T5 HO, 15k Metal Halide bulb, 24 watt Super Actinic T5 HO bulbs. Unit cooled by Ice cool fans. Unit comes with 2 switches so you can independently control the metal halide and T5 bulb separately for the dawn and dusk effect. Here is Day one of reef process. Any Ideas?
Tank Progression
- Thread starter EricL
- Start date
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Tank2379
Aquarium Advice Addict
Man I can't wait to mine going... I'm new to the Community and i'm just looking for Ideas on how to present my tank so far i've seen alot of good set ups your looks great. How long did you wait til you added Fish inot your Reef?
Tank2379
Aquarium Advice Addict
OOPS ...Can't wait to get mine going.....
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
How long has the tank been set up?
What are your current readings for pH, nitrate, Calc, Alk and Magnesium?
How many pounds of LR do you have in the tank?
Do you have bioballs or ceramic rings in the wet/dry?
Any other filtration?
And....
What are your current readings for pH, nitrate, Calc, Alk and Magnesium?
How many pounds of LR do you have in the tank?
Do you have bioballs or ceramic rings in the wet/dry?
Any other filtration?
And....
I have had the tank foe 1 week with no coral or fish. Then I just got inpatient and purchased 25 pounds of live rock and 3 blue damsels. After my cycle, I purchased more fish and lost 90% of them due to a bad outbreak of ick from the local aquarium store. I then waited another 6 months after loading it up with copper to get more. That is where i am now. This site has helped me out substantially. Don't be afraid to ask. Good luck! I have a bioballs in my wet/dry. I have no other filtration. Test will be completed tonight.
ccCapt
SW 20 & Over Club
Did you treat the tank with copper while the rock and substrate (sand or crushed coral) was still in the tank?
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
Eric,
Please post a linear time line of your tank.
Got is when?
Set it up originaly, when and how?
Got Ich outbreak when?
Treated with copper when?
What was in the tank when you treated with copper?
Added LiveRock when? How much?
Added more LR when? how much?
Added fish when? How many, what type? etc.
Fish died? when?
Added more fish when?
Please lay out the above with a general timeline giving month/year for each item.
If you treated this tank with copper you can pretty much forget about adding any inverts to it.
Please post a linear time line of your tank.
Got is when?
Set it up originaly, when and how?
Got Ich outbreak when?
Treated with copper when?
What was in the tank when you treated with copper?
Added LiveRock when? How much?
Added more LR when? how much?
Added fish when? How many, what type? etc.
Fish died? when?
Added more fish when?
Please lay out the above with a general timeline giving month/year for each item.
If you treated this tank with copper you can pretty much forget about adding any inverts to it.
Tank was set up December 25 2006. Ich was in May 2007 I had a powder blue tank, tomato clown, puffer and some damsels. Everything was lost but the damsels. I treated with copper, waited 1 week and did a 75% water change. The tank sat for 4 month with only damsels in it. I then felt more comfortable with getting more fish. I tested for copper and i was very low. In October of 2007 I purchased the dog face puffer and then in March 2008 I got a tomato clown and 2 domino damsels. Live rock at the time was about 20 lbs. That whole time I was running a hang on filter canister and a power head. I have only added 5 lbs of Coraline seeded live rock which was just done yesterday.
CaptainAhab
Thanx but no.....
- Joined
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Lesson #1.. Never ever treat with copper in your main tank. I'd rather rip the whole thing down, store what I could and restart from the ground up. Just too many things that can't tolerate copper. Inverts being one. Assuming you want more than a FO tank, the rock probably has to go too.. I forget if the rock absorbs the copper and absorbs it and kills everything on it.
To late now but you could have gone fallow for 6 weeks to get rid of the ich
IMO, you're looking at a complete tear down. There are chems that will help get rid of the copper to some degree but you'll forever wonder everytime you lose something if it was the copper.
You might find out that your whole filtration this whole time was from the HOB can and the rock is dead
Might be over kill or you might be happy just having fish..
To late now but you could have gone fallow for 6 weeks to get rid of the ich
IMO, you're looking at a complete tear down. There are chems that will help get rid of the copper to some degree but you'll forever wonder everytime you lose something if it was the copper.
You might find out that your whole filtration this whole time was from the HOB can and the rock is dead
Might be over kill or you might be happy just having fish..
CaptainAhab
Thanx but no.....
- Joined
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- Messages
- 2,333
My mistake, I thought you already tested and it was present..
Good luck w/ the corals
Good luck w/ the corals
July 21 tank
All I have done is add a powerhead. I think I need to up it. I plan on getting a Hydor Koralia Water Circulation pump unless anyone has any better ideas. I am still waiting on my light. In the meantime lets hope the coraline algae starts taking over. I just yesterday purchased some live rock with some on it.
All I have done is add a powerhead. I think I need to up it. I plan on getting a Hydor Koralia Water Circulation pump unless anyone has any better ideas. I am still waiting on my light. In the meantime lets hope the coraline algae starts taking over. I just yesterday purchased some live rock with some on it.
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Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
I believe you're correct from what I've read. That's the reason you don't want rock/substrate in your QT when you use copper - it'll constantly absorb the copper and you'll never get a stable therapeutic concentration.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've never used copper myself, but from what I've read most folks won't even use the tank itself - let along rock and sand - for inverts after copper has been in it. Gets into the silicone supposedly and leaches out over time.
New tank activity
I have now added my light a 400w 10k MH hung from the ceiling. I have added some new corals. I had to get rid of my puffer. I don't know what to feed these corals or what they are. Can someone take a look and let me know proper care for them. Sorry for the blurry pictures.
I have now added my light a 400w 10k MH hung from the ceiling. I have added some new corals. I had to get rid of my puffer. I don't know what to feed these corals or what they are. Can someone take a look and let me know proper care for them. Sorry for the blurry pictures.
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mrrrkva
Aquarium Advice Freak
Looks like you got the right equipment BUT... that copper has me worried! ( You might be a little light on the circulation) Once you add copper , it will absorb in your rock and substrate and be released and it will kill your corals. I would be very careful about the fish you put in there and make sure they are compatible with the corals. Great looking tank! If it were mine, I would start over with new rock an substrate. You will spend more in dying corals than you will in replacing the rock and starting over. Some even say the tanks silicone can absorb the copper and be deadly to the corals.
roka64
Aquarium Advice Addict
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I think you might see issues with your puffer as well, possibly acting adversely to the copper (not to mention, he should be in at least a 100G tank).
And...he will probably eat your corals too....
And...he will probably eat your corals too....
I had the puffer for 1 year and no side effects from any copper. I will keep an eye on things. If I start to see any signs of distress by the corals, I am going to change everything. I traded my puffer in for a store credit and really made out on a deal.
