How is this Newcomer doing?

[Mlarson]

Brand new to the hobby and just want to make sure that my setup is looking ok.
My main tank is a 125 gallon. I didn't have a good place to put a sump so I'm going to try to manage it off just a hob filter, a good clean up crew and weekly water changes which from my research seems like it can be done. The tank was started with live sand and dry rock and was recently seeded with bottled coralline algae. The tank has been up and running for about 3 months now so it should be fully cycled.
I have set up a double quarantine tank in my garage now that we are out of the heat of summer. I just got 2 clown fish for the upper fish quarantine tank.
1st question.....is my quarantine tank too bare or is the pvc piping enough to keep the fish happy for their 6 week stay? Again I'm new to fish but they seem to be enjoying the pipes.

The lower tank is where I plan to quarantine my frags and clean up crew.
Both tanks have a hob filter and a bag of media that was in the main tank from the get go.
I recently purchased the following frags at auction and they should be arriving this week:

Purple Blasto Wellsi - WYSIWYG × 1

Red People Eaters × 1

Green Disco Mushroom × 1

Blueberry Fields and Green Palys × 1

Red Blasto Wellsi × 1

I also bought 10 dwarf blue leg hermit crabs.

The light in the quarantine tank is a 30w so I positioned the frag rack pretty high right under it. The lights on the main take are Mars aqua 300.
keeping a salinity of 1.25, temp of 79, ph of 8.1 to 8.2

Long story short....am I missing anything obvious? Looking at my setup is there anything I absolutely need or have screwed up? Any guidance is appreciated.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Did you add any bacteria? Or just the coralline? Other than that looking good! Nothing wrong with the hob filter although a canister would be better. Hey welcome to the club!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Are these tanks cycled? How long running?
Filter concerns me as you need mechanical and chemical filtration and may be inadequate in keeping up with bioloads.
I would consider a hang on skimmer such as Ice capK2 - 50 or even coralife hang on skimmer.

 

[Brandon3152134]

Brand new to the hobby and just want to make sure that my setup is looking ok.
My main tank is a 125 gallon. I didn't have a good place to put a sump so I'm going to try to manage it off just a hob filter, a good clean up crew and weekly water changes which from my research seems like it can be done. The tank was started with live sand and dry rock and was recently seeded with bottled coralline algae. The tank has been up and running for about 3 months now so it should be fully cycled.
I have set up a double quarantine tank in my garage now that we are out of the heat of summer. I just got 2 clown fish for the upper fish quarantine tank.
1st question.....is my quarantine tank too bare or is the pvc piping enough to keep the fish happy for their 6 week stay? Again I'm new to fish but they seem to be enjoying the pipes.

The lower tank is where I plan to quarantine my frags and clean up crew.
Both tanks have a hob filter and a bag of media that was in the main tank from the get go.
I recently purchased the following frags at auction and they should be arriving this week:

Purple Blasto Wellsi - WYSIWYG × 1

Red People Eaters × 1

Green Disco Mushroom × 1

Blueberry Fields and Green Palys × 1

Red Blasto Wellsi × 1

I also bought 10 dwarf blue leg hermit crabs.

The light in the quarantine tank is a 30w so I positioned the frag rack pretty high right under it. The lights on the main take are Mars aqua 300.
keeping a salinity of 1.25, temp of 79, ph of 8.1 to 8.2

Long story short....am I missing anything obvious? Looking at my setup is there anything I absolutely need or have screwed up? Any guidance is appreciated.

I tried a hob filter and theres nothing really wrong with it but your going to hate the protien film that builds up on the surface and they are pretty noisy. Looks like a really promising set up only thing I'd say is start your lights at a low percentage and build up as your tank matures. Cant wait to see what it looks like in 6 months!!

 

[Brandon3152134]

Are these tanks cycled? How long running?
Filter concerns me as you need mechanical and chemical filtration and may be inadequate in keeping up with bioloads.
I would consider a hang on skimmer such as Ice capK2 - 50 or even coralife hang on skimmer.

A skimmer would save alot of headach

 

[lba4590]

Honestly, I think you’re fine for now. But be ready to empty your wallet lol. Soon you’re going to find a way to put a sump in, and you’re gonna buy a bunch of other things.. just a hunch. Your QT set up is fine, no need to put new frags super close to the top. After receiving some corals in the mail and putting them in my makeshift QT, less is more. I have a cheapo Amazon light and a lid on my QT and I even had some mushrooms close up from being too close to the light after a long trip.

I have nothing against HOB filters, assuming it’s rated over the size of your tank, but just be sure to fill it to the brim with biomedia.

 

[Indytraveler83]

I ran my first reef tank without a sump. I likely wouldn't do it again, but it can be done. My advice from experience:

- You will not have the same nutrient export abilities as a similar system with a sump. Stay careful when stocking your tank. Go slow and don't overreach.

- Absolutely get a skimmer. I ran a 54 gallon reef with a skimmer but no HOB filter at all (again, wouldn't recommend).

- Take every opportunity to get more biological filtration in your system. I actually allowed a section of my tank to get overtaken by "display" macroalgae, which I trimmed back every few weeks to essentially have an in-tank refugium. It also provided a haven for pods.

 

[Brandon3152134]

My first tank was a 55 long with 2 hob filters and a couple pumps, a cheap light, and a bunch of rock, and sand. Pretty soon the light wasnt enough and then the filters so I used a hob overflow to a 55 below with of course a float switch. And then a return for a sump and then I got a skimmer and everything else. So as you go you learn.