Equipment,Advice, help

[alexburkett]

Hellooo

So I’ve been cycling my aquarium since June. In my aquarium I have reef base rock and aquarium sand. The rock looks like white coral. As water evaporates I just add in some filtered freshwater.

*My goal is to get a clown fish*

my tank is heated and has a filter and a light. Recently I just got a protein skimmer. I haven’t added it in yet.

so my question is, do I need my filter of I have this protein skimmer? What is better or do I need both?

My water parameters are near perfect. When do you think I can add in a clown fish?

what are things to look for in my gosh before buying? I don’t want to buy a sick fish

 

[flyfisher2]

Hey Alex, welcome aboard. Define "near perfect" as far a s parameters go. Are you through your cycle? In salt water your rocks and substrate are your primary filters. You may not see much happen if you turn on the skimmer now. If the tank is cycled, Ammonia is ZERO you may add your clown and monitor what that does to your water chemistry before you add anything else. How big is the tank?

 

[Jekyl]

Hellooo

So I’ve been cycling my aquarium since June. In my aquarium I have reef base rock and aquarium sand. The rock looks like white coral. As water evaporates I just add in some filtered freshwater.

*My goal is to get a clown fish*

my tank is heated and has a filter and a light. Recently I just got a protein skimmer. I haven’t added it in yet.

so my question is, do I need my filter of I have this protein skimmer? What is better or do I need both?

My water parameters are near perfect. When do you think I can add in a clown fish?

what are things to look for in my gosh before buying? I don’t want to buy a sick fish

I'm guessing you're using HoB equipment? I use both a skimmer and a filter. The filter has a surface cleaner which is very helpful. I usually keep a sponge, filter floss and a bag of carbon in there.

 

[alexburkett]

Hey Alex, welcome aboard. Define "near perfect" as far a s parameters go. Are you through your cycle? In salt water your rocks and substrate are your primary filters. You may not see much happen if you turn on the skimmer now. If the tank is cycled, Ammonia is ZERO you may add your clown and monitor what that does to your water chemistry before you add anything else. How big is the tank?

So that’s a good question and something I’m not educated on. How do I know if if I’m through my cycle?
And should I be using my skimmer instead of a filter?

 

[alexburkett]

I'm guessing you're using HoB equipment? I use both a skimmer and a filter. The filter has a surface cleaner which is very helpful. I usually keep a sponge, filter floss and a bag of carbon in there.

I’m not sure what HoB equipment is. My filter is aqueon and my protein skimmer is aquatic life

 

[Jekyl]

I’m not sure what HoB equipment is. My filter is aqueon and my protein skimmer is aquatic life

Hang on back. As in you don't have a sump and the equipment hangs on the back of the tank.

 

[flyfisher2]

So that’s a good question and something I’m not educated on. How do I know if if I’m through my cycle?
And should I be using my skimmer instead of a filter?

How'd you set up? Did you use any additives, Source of ammonia, food, bacteria, live rock? You need to test ammonia. What test kits do you have? Let us know please. And what size is the tank?

 

[flyfisher2]

Keep going with the filter. If you set up in June it's gotta have some biological filtration by now.
Tank isn't ready for a skimmer yet. Nothing to skim.

 

[alexburkett]

Nitrate- 0ppm
Nitrite-0ppm
Ammonia-0ppm
HRPH-between 8.0-8.2

I used API Marine Saltwater master test kit

I have this white rock in there. I’m not sure what it’s calledZ it look like white coral. It came dry

and my tank is 20G

I just want 1 clown fish

 

[alexburkett]

Nitrate- 0ppm
Nitrite-0ppm
Ammonia-0ppm
HRPH-between 8.0-8.2

I used API Marine Saltwater master test kit

I have this white rock in there. I’m not sure what it’s calledZ it look like white coral. It came dry

and my tank is 20G

I just want 1 clown fish

 

[mike89t]

So I have a 20g quarantine tank setup with two clowns in it. Super Basic equipment (Sponge filter, heater, light) and I cycled it before adding the clowns. See my thread here:

Start up of my QT

I’ve been out of the hobby for a decade and a lot has changed. One thing that I always did back in the day was to place my fish in a QT before they were allowed into the DT. I’ll be following the latest QT advice provided by Jay...

www.reef2reef.com

I don't have a protein skimmer on it. Just a sponge filter for filtration. Water changes are how I export most of the fish waste. So you should be able to add a clownfish no problem.

There is also a link in my thread about how I'm quarantining my fish you might want to check out. Assume all fish from the store have some sort of disease.

 

[alexburkett]

So I have a 20g quarantine tank setup with two clowns in it. Super Basic equipment (Sponge filter, heater, light) and I cycled it before adding the clowns. See my thread here:

Start up of my QT

I’ve been out of the hobby for a decade and a lot has changed. One thing that I always did back in the day was to place my fish in a QT before they were allowed into the DT. I’ll be following the latest QT advice provided by Jay...

www.reef2reef.com

I don't have a protein skimmer on it. Just a sponge filter for filtration. Water changes are how I export most of the fish waste. So you should be able to add a clownfish no problem.

There is also a link in my thread about how I'm quarantining my fish you might want to check out. Assume all fish from the store have some sort of disease.

That’s a great idea! So I have the medicines/treatments. Would it be a good idea to take the water from my main tank and put it in my quarantine tank? And while my gosh are in the quarantine tank start cycling my main tank againV

 

[vetteguy53081]

Run both. You will need mechanical, biological and chemical filtration for satisfactory water quality and breakdown of wate

 

[mike89t]

That’s a great idea! So I have the medicines/treatments. Would it be a good idea to take the water from my main tank and put it in my quarantine tank? And while my gosh are in the quarantine tank start cycling my main tank againV

You need some sort of established biological filter in you QT tank. Adding the tank water from your DT won't be enough. You will need to cycle the QT and it's biological filter.

For my QT I cycled it by using Dr Tims fishless cycle to establish the bacteria in the sponge filter just like you would when cycling your DT. Another way to do it is to keep a Sponge Filter in your sump of your DT for a few weeks so that it gets established with bacteria. Then move it over to your QT.

I set up my QT 2 months before my DT is supposed to be setup. Although I'm moving kind of slow so my fish may be in there a bit longer. However when my DT is finally up and cycled my first two fish are ready to go into the DT from day 1. Plus I get to enjoy my new fish while I complete building my DT.