My new plan for the tank. Will it work?

[zacdl]

#1. Drain all water and replace with city water (made for you to drink) that has been dechlored.

#2, I had a previous issue before about too much silty stuff in the sand so I am going to wash it THOUROHLY this time.

#3, eventually replace my current protien skimmer with a pump-drivin one (No airpump noise) is Visi-Jet good?

#4, next week my LR should be coming, so I will just drop that in when I get it and then get a shrimp again after that.

#5, when the cycle is done I will add a fish and hope for the best.

#6, eventually add a canopy with shorter lights.

Does this sound like it will work? Any problems?

 

[AR15 guy]

I would keep it simple. You technically don't even need a skimmer for what your doing.

What are you testing for? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph or what?

I say keep it simple. Set your fill it with tap, set salinity to 1.024, add a few lbs of LR, and make sure it is cycled right.

I have had very good luck with my two tanks. I used tap, and have never ran a skimmer. I current have 2 O. clowns and a firefish in there.

K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid ) j/k but seriously...keep it simple.

 

[zacdl]

Amm Nitrite Nitrate PH, and Alklinity (Im stoping Alk EX since I dont need it. Im not planning on coarls)


I DO Want a better skimmer, one that runs on a pump instead of an airpump that way it wont be loud.

VisiJet is what I am thinking. But this can wait til later.

I have 30# live base rock coming sometime next week.

 

[AR15 guy]

Did you get base rock from hirocks.com? do you have AIM? if so IM me at camarosportcoupe

I will show you some pics of my tank

 

[mjvincent]

I wouldn't get the Visijet... They don't work very well and take up too much room. Not much of a difference then your berlin airlift. Get a seaclone or prizm on ebay if you are looking at saving $$. I got my prizm on ebay for $41.00.

 

[zacdl]

AR15,
Added you to AIM. Yeah the LR came from hirocks.com

I bought it from Joshua, sent his MO yesterday. He says its live (not dead like they sell it) and has corrline (Spelling?) algae on it too.


Are the seaclones and prizms pump-drivin? I dont want an air driven one.

 

[RocketSeason]

I would go ahead and spend the 20 bucks to fill your tank with RO/DI water bought from the store.

City water is loaded with junk that will cause you many headaches in the form of hair algea and cynobacteria. And trying to get rid of it is much harder than preventing it in the first place.

also, if you want a good skimmer (and I am sure you do. ) Check out either the Bak Pak 2R (my skimmer of choice) or the Aqua C Remora. Both are really not all that loud and both are VERY good skimmers. The noise level is about the same as any HOB filtration unit, or air pump.

Along with your skimmer, you will need lots of great water movement. I would suggest getting a Maxi-jet 900 and a Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerhead. this will keep the Live Rock alive and keep dead spots in your tank to a minimum.

 

[zacdl]

Im going with the Visi-Jet.
I asked Drsfostersmith what is a good pump drivin skimmer for a 30 gallon and that is what they reccomended (They didnt try to sell me something expensive, they never have, they sell me what works).
Its pump driven so it wont make near as much noise as a airpump.
Skimmers are optional, I am not planning on corals, so its even more optional. I dont want to spend a lot of money on a skimmer when all I will really have is fish and a few inverts.

I thought citywater from the faucet was purified and most of the junk taken out, no?
They use the chlorine to kill off all the other junk in there, and they filter out the metals and stuff. So all thats really in there is chlorine, which is why I was planning on just getting some AmQuel.

I do see they have a smaller size of light fixture, 16" which fits 15" bulbs. I am thinking I may get this one, as it would fit in the canopy just right.

In the future I may look into a RO/DI unit, but right now Ill just spend my few dollars on some AmQuel that will last me thousands of gallons worth of dechlor.

Ill just re-do my cycle and give it more time this time.

 

[RocketSeason]

city water has alot of PO4s which hair algea and Cynaobacteria love. You will be fighting tons of the stuff if you go with city water. I did. I hate it, I am still trying to get rid of it to this day.

water by the jug at Walmart is 58 cents a gallon, and culligan water at walmart is 33 cents a gallon.

well worth it.

 

[Phyl]

Sounds like you've got your mind made up. Good luck. Hopefully you will soon be enjoying a beautiful saltwater tank! Keep us posted!

 

[zacdl]

I have it made up with the skimmer yes.

I may still do the RO water just to be safe.

 

[AR15 guy]

I would use RO or distilled water if all possible. I filled my tanks up then thought ahhh I wish I would have used RO water.

I have had 0 problems with algea. So maybe I got lucky. Or maybe my city water is better than most places.

I got lucky....but I would definetly use RO is possible. Then you won't have to worry about it.