36 gallon bow front fowlr with dwarf lionfish

[fishroomlady]

don't wash off your live rock in tap water - you will remove the beneficial bacteria.

 

[fishroomlady]

you can try a hypersalinity dip to rid the rock of hitchhikers but not all are bad. Aiptasia is bad but you can inspect the rock for them and remove them manually.

 

[tyler1503]

don't wash off your live rock in tap water - you will remove the beneficial bacteria.

+1.
You said your keeping the rock in a 10 gallon while it cycles, so just keep an eye on the rock and inspect it daily. Not everything you find in the rocks is bad, most of it will benefit you in some way. Just keep an eye on things and you'll be ok

 

[Macenzi]

What if I had a fluval 304 canister rated for 70 gallons on my tank would I still need a protein skimmer ? Is the coral life nano one good enough?

 

[fishroomlady]

I'm not familiar with nano skimmers so I can't answer that. A canister is a very different device than a skimmer.

 

[Macenzi]

I'm just curious to what a protein skimmer does? Is it truly essential to a tank this size with only 2 fish ?

 

[fishroomlady]

I probably can't explain it well so I won't try - it is not essential to maintaining your tank with a low bioload. You need to be consistent with water changes if you opt not to get one.

 

[Macenzi]

I will be doing 20% twice a week

 

[Joeganja]

Do 20% water changes like 6 months after you set up your tank.

 

[Macenzi]

Oh really that's not good with salt water tanks ? The more the better in fresh water

 

[Joeganja]

It's good you just wanted to build up as much bacteria as you can In your water. So then if you do a water change you'll still have a lot of bacteria.

 

[Trex]

It's good you just wanted to build up as much bacteria as you can In your water. So then if you do a water change you'll still have a lot of bacteria.

Very little to no bacteria lives in the water column, they will be found on/in the rocks and sandbed.

No sure why any one would want to wait 6 months to do the first water change -- pretty much the opposite of what I would recommend.

 

[Trex]

You can't put coral because the lion fish will eat anything like invertebrates you want to get to clean your live reef. I recommend you get a skimmer. If you don't have a sump then a Hang on in the back will do. I had a 36 gallon bowfront and I put a uv sterilizer with a marineland emperor bio wheel filter and a hang on back skimmer. since your putting a dwarf lionfish you can get a smaller puffer. You can get a trigger like a niger or a clown but you want to start them off a little bigger than the lionfishes mouth so they don't get bit. Triggers go great with lions but don't get a queen or a Titan trigger and a niger are probably the most peaceful ones and bluethroats can be very shy at first. You can try to put a snowflake moray eel but eventually you'll have to move him out of that tank. Since your getting a lionfish you have to go with fish larger than his mouth and a little semi-aggressive to aggressive.

Triggers and lionfish do not mix well. The triggers will nip at the fins of the lionfish.

Plus, no trigger should be added to a 36 gallon tank.

 

[Macenzi]

Yes no trigger for me gonna do one of the smaller angels

 

[Macenzi]

 

[Macenzi]

 

[Macenzi]

So I just have it in that tub right now, I'm just gonna throw a filter and lid on and my house is around 74 is that good ?

 

[tyler1503]

The quicker you get onto your water changes the better. Don't wait 6 months. Wait until you have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and have a nitrate reading. That way enough healthy bacteria has grown to support a fish and you'll get on top of the nitrate before it becomes an issue.
While a skimmer is not a necessity on any tank, it will greatly help. It works by pumping water up the body of the skimmer and mixing it with air. The DOCs (dissolved organic compounds. Things like uneaten fish food, fish poo, free floating algae etc) stick to the outside of the air bubbles. These bubbles eventually get bigger and bigger until they spill over the sides of the collection cup and out of the water. A very good thing
It's like when you were little and you mixed dish washing liquid with water and blew bubbles. All the oily detergent was on the outside of the bubble, it was never on the inside. It work the same way

 

[Macenzi]

 

[Macenzi]

So I want light on the rock right ?