Advice for new (first) tank

[147491]

I am just starting with this hobby and am setting up a new tank (54 ltr).

I have a few questions.

Is the flow from the Fluval CP1 going to be enough?
My tunze 9001 skimmer is loud! I thought it would be silent - I read online that it should settle in a few weeks?
Atm it is off because I just dumped in a load of Fritz 9.
Will I be able to grow GSP on the back wall or will the flow be too low?
I'm worried about the water being cloudy - I have a bag for carbon but it floated to the top - I tucked it under a rock but that doesn't seem/look right. Can I chuck it (the bag) in the skimmer body?

I've also got an eheim heater in there and a ReefLED 90 on the side (should I turn the intensity down?).

Thanks in advance!
D

 

[SMSREEF]

Hi Dimitri,

Nice tank! Welcome to R2R.

Flow will probably be better if you have an additional source. I like something that skims the top of the water like a HOB filter with an added surface skimmer.
S.T. International Aquarium Surface Skimmer
The problem with cloudiness is that yes, it will go away, but anytime you or one of the fish disturb the bottom, whole tank gets cloudy again. The cloudiness can easily be taken care of with a small pump, some tubing and a small micron filter sock.
I used some fishing line to hang the sock from my light mount. I hung it with most of the sock in the tank so mount did not hold much weight if it got clogged. Powerhead in the tank and tubing up and over into the sock.

And the good thing about the extra powerhead is that you can use it when you make new saltwater.

About the skimmer, not sure... In my nano I do large water changes for nutrient control.

Fritz 900 cycled my tank fast! Thats good stuff.

 

[147491]

Hi Dimitri,

Nice tank! Welcome to R2R.

Flow will probably be better if you have an additional source. I like something that skims the top of the water like a HOB filter with an added surface skimmer.
S.T. International Aquarium Surface Skimmer
The problem with cloudiness is that yes, it will go away, but anytime you or one of the fish disturb the bottom, whole tank gets cloudy again. The cloudiness can easily be taken care of with a small pump, some tubing and a small micron filter sock.
I used some fishing line to hang the sock from my light mount. I hung it with most of the sock in the tank so mount did not hold much weight if it got clogged. Powerhead in the tank and tubing up and over into the sock.

And the good thing about the extra powerhead is that you can use it when you make new saltwater.

About the skimmer, not sure... In my nano I do large water changes for nutrient control.

Fritz 900 cycled my tank fast! Thats good stuff.

Cool thanks. It already looks a lot clearer than before (I guess I was being impatient).
I have a small eheim pump I could put in at the back under the skimmer. Then would that, the surface skimmer, and the cp1 be enough?

How long do you think I should wait to turn on the light?
Thanks for your help!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Is the flow from the Fluval CP1 going to be enough?
It might help if you tell us the rate of flow from it as many of us will be unfamiliar with it.

My tunze 9001 skimmer is loud! I thought it would be silent - I read online that it should settle in a few weeks?
My is pretty quiet except when the water level gets low on the grille around the body just below the collection cup. Try raising the water level or push the skimmer down into the water a bit.


Will I be able to grow GSP on the back wall or will the flow be too low?
Hard to say, but GSP is pretty tolerant of parameters.

I'm worried about the water being cloudy - I have a bag for carbon but it floated to the top - I tucked it under a rock but that doesn't seem/look right. Can I chuck it (the bag) in the skimmer body?
No. The bag should go in a HOB (Hang On Back) filter or somepace in the flow of water, but no in the skimmer. Your cloudy water should clear up over the period of a day. It's typically just 'silt' that comes in with your sand and will settle out eventually.

I've also got an eheim heater in there and a ReefLED 90 on the side (should I turn the intensity down?).
If we don't know what it's at currently, how can we tell if it should be turned down? The short answer is, probably not. Light isn't going to hurt anything in the tank.

Good luck and ask questions. But maybe one or two at a time and offer up more data when you do.

 

[147491]

Is the flow from the Fluval CP1 going to be enough?
It might help if you tell us the rate of flow from it as many of us will be unfamiliar with it.

My tunze 9001 skimmer is loud! I thought it would be silent - I read online that it should settle in a few weeks?
My is pretty quiet except when the water level gets low on the grille around the body just below the collection cup. Try raising the water level or push the skimmer down into the water a bit.


Will I be able to grow GSP on the back wall or will the flow be too low?
Hard to say, but GSP is pretty tolerant of parameters.

I'm worried about the water being cloudy - I have a bag for carbon but it floated to the top - I tucked it under a rock but that doesn't seem/look right. Can I chuck it (the bag) in the skimmer body?
No. The bag should go in a HOB (Hang On Back) filter or somepace in the flow of water, but no in the skimmer. Your cloudy water should clear up over the period of a day. It's typically just 'silt' that comes in with your sand and will settle out eventually.

I've also got an eheim heater in there and a ReefLED 90 on the side (should I turn the intensity down?).
If we don't know what it's at currently, how can we tell if it should be turned down? The short answer is, probably not. Light isn't going to hurt anything in the tank.

Good luck and ask questions. But maybe one or two at a time and offer up more data when you do.

Thanks! The CP1 is rated at
265 US Gal/h
(1000 L/h)
(the tank is 54 litres)

 

[Ron Reefman]

That's a good size pump to start with in a 12g tank. And that will be a good rate of flow for zoas and other soft corals, maybe even a tolerant lps coral.

 

[SMSREEF]

Cool thanks. It already looks a lot clearer than before (I guess I was being impatient).
I have a small eheim pump I could put in at the back under the skimmer. Then would that, the surface skimmer, and the cp1 be enough?

How long do you think I should wait to turn on the light?
Thanks for your help!

a powerhead alone will not skim the surface. What does is where water from surface is pulled into a filter.
A small hang on back is pretty convenient. And, like Ron said, you can put a bag of carbon in it.

as Far as lights... there are two trains of thought. Leave them off and let cycle for 2 months without light allowing bacteria to populate the rock (this should help reduce the ugly stage).
Or just turn them on and let the algae grow and deal with it as it comes.
since you used Fritz, I assume you plan on adding coral or a fish pretty quick, so turning on lights would be just fine. Or you can wait till you get your first fish or coral.

but go slow ith adding things. It gives your tank time to build up the necessary bacteria.

did you use any ammonia to start the cycle?

Do you have a Ammonia and nitrite test kit?
what kind do you have?

 

[147491]

a powerhead alone will not skim the surface. What does is where water from surface is pulled into a filter.
A small hang on back is pretty convenient. And, like Ron said, you can put a bag of carbon in it.

as Far as lights... there are two trains of thought. Leave them off and let cycle for 2 months without light allowing bacteria to populate the rock (this should help reduce the ugly stage).
Or just turn them on and let the algae grow and deal with it as it comes.
since you used Fritz, I assume you plan on adding coral or a fish pretty quick, so turning on lights would be just fine. Or you can wait till you get your first fish or coral.

but go slow ith adding things. It gives your tank time to build up the necessary bacteria.

did you use any ammonia to start the cycle?

Do you have a Ammonia and nitrite test kit?
what kind do you have?

I thought the Tunze would skim the surface? I put the surface skimming attachment on - I turned it off to use the Fritz but it was pulling water from the surface when it was on.

I have salifert kits. I need to test today.
Yesterday I had 0.5 Ammonia, 25 Nitrate, and 0.01 Nitrite.

I'm planning on adding some clean up crew (hermit crabs and snails) next week. Then maybe get a gsp and zoa to start the week after?

 

[SMSREEF]

I thought the Tunze would skim the surface? I put the surface skimming attachment on - I turned it off to use the Fritz but it was pulling water from the surface when it was on.

I have salifert kits. I need to test today.
Yesterday I had 0.5 Ammonia, 25 Nitrate, and 0.01 Nitrite.

I'm planning on adding some clean up crew (hermit crabs and snails) next week. Then maybe get a gsp and zoa to start the week after?

That's great if the tunze skims the surface.

Hermits will do good. They will eat anything you feed them, plus later will eat algae too.

I would not add any snails until you have enough algae for them to eat in the tank, otherwise they will just die and foul the water. If you want snails, I'd turn the lights on now. You may have algae by next week, but if you don't have algae on the rocks and glass, please pass on the snails.

It may be better to start with far less than what you want/need and add to them every week.

GSP are pretty indestructible so that might be a good one to start with. This can really take over a tank later though. Some people love it and other don't. I have mine on a separate rock away from everything so it doesn't spread to everything.
But I have seen tanks with the whole back of GSP and its really cool looking!

I'm not sure about zoas early on so others hopefully chime in on that. I have LPS and SPS and no zoas.

Salifert are pretty good test kits. It looks like your cycle is well underway with that Nitrate level. just need to wait for that ammonia level to go down.

Good Luck and Happy Reefing!