Need opinion on reef setup

[Jenny_rs]

Yes I'm looking to you beautiful people for help! Okay so here's the low down. I've got a 5g tall marineland glass aquarium that I started last September. When I first went looking for live rock, the reason why I picked this big piece of rock was because it was full of coralline. So, that being said, I've managed to find some frags that fit decently in some of the crevices of the rock other than my mushrooms. But I've been debating either breaking this bad boy into some smaller pieces or getting new piece all together. Also, I was wondering if anyone had opinions on the filter media use in the tank? I have those inserts that have Floss and carbon and then a " biological" sponge that I don't know if I should keep in the tank because my nitrates are too high (40-80 ppm- yikes!). Any help is much appreciated

 

[twilliard]

In a small volume to bring that no3 down is water changes

 

[cameronh]

Haha! I'm replacing my 3 gallon with the same tank!

see! As stated above, water changes will help. Start a build thread and keep us posted and welcome to R2R!

 

[Jenny_rs]

In a small volume to bring that no3 down is water changes

I do weekly small water changes but I'm wondering if the sponge could be preventing me from being able to keep them below 40 ppm.

 

[Jenny_rs]

Haha! I'm replacing my 3 gallon with the same tank!

see! As stated above, water changes will help. Start a build thread and keep us posted and welcome to R2R!

Thanks I will for sure

 

[cameronh]

I do weekly small water changes but I'm wondering if the sponge could be preventing me from being able to keep them below 40 ppm.

Take the sponge out every once in awhile and give it a squeeze to get the trapped food and what not out of it.

 

[twilliard]

Depends on many factors.
If food gets caught in the sponge then it will break down into your no3 and po4 source.
If there is enough flow through it then the foods won't get bound.
25% water changes

 

[Jenny_rs]

Depends on many factors.
If food gets caught in the sponge then it will break down into your no3 and po4 source.
If there is enough flow through it then the foods won't get bound.
25% water changes

The last time I took it out to give it a rinse I woke up the next morning to cloudy water and a spike in my nitrites and dead cleanup crew. Sooo I'm a little bit hesitant to do that again.

 

[cameronh]

I do happen to like coralline as well! It should spread pretty quickly throughout your tank

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

rember to keep the back chambers clean and rise the sponges and floss from time to time.
As far as scape. My shrooms prefer the bottom. Id keep the rock and add corals onto it. its got a good shape and the composition is good in the tank. just decorate it.

 

[cameronh]

rember to keep the back chambers clean and rise the sponges and floss from time to time.
As far as scape. My shrooms prefer the bottom. Id keep the rock and add corals onto it. its got a good shape and the composition is good in the tank. just decorate it.

Well said!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The last time I took it out to give it a rinse I woke up the next morning to cloudy water and a spike in my nitrites and dead cleanup crew. Sooo I'm a little bit hesitant to do that again.

the more you do it the less that will happen.
if you dont have too many crabs some macros would look cool in there. and help the nutrients.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Well said!

thx.

 

[Jenny_rs]

rember to keep the back chambers clean and rise the sponges and floss from time to time.
As far as scape. My shrooms prefer the bottom. Id keep the rock and add corals onto it. its got a good shape and the composition is good in the tank. just decorate it.

I should probably siphon out the back chambers..... never thought of that!

 

[twilliard]

The last time I took it out to give it a rinse I woke up the next morning to cloudy water and a spike in my nitrites and dead cleanup crew. Sooo I'm a little bit hesitant to do that again.

The balance of the water change is key in small volumes

 

[Sabellafella]

Yes I'm looking to you beautiful people for help! Okay so here's the low down. I've got a 5g tall marineland glass aquarium that I started last September. When I first went looking for live rock, the reason why I picked this big piece of rock was because it was full of coralline. So, that being said, I've managed to find some frags that fit decently in some of the crevices of the rock other than my mushrooms. But I've been debating either breaking this bad boy into some smaller pieces or getting new piece all together. Also, I was wondering if anyone had opinions on the filter media use in the tank? I have those inserts that have Floss and carbon and then a " biological" sponge that I don't know if I should keep in the tank because my nitrates are too high (40-80 ppm- yikes!). Any help is much appreciated

Welcome to the community!!!!!! Id keep the sponge, if you want to save money you could buy your own floss and carbon instead of spending big big bucks on cartridges. Its such a small tank, you can most Deffinitly get away with a gallon waterchange every 2 weeks

 

[Jenny_rs]

The balance of the water change is key in small volumes

Teach me oh wise one I've been pretty good as of late but I can't afford more loss

 

[twilliard]

Teach me oh wise one I've been pretty good as of late but I can't afford more loss

No3 is not a killer within itself
Chemistry is
In small volume tanks there has to be care taken to ensure that the water introduced is the same as the water removed in all aspects of the chemistry.
Temp, alk and salinity are the 3 key elements

 

[Jenny_rs]

No3 is not a killer within itself
Chemistry is
In small volume tanks there has to be care taken to ensure that the water introduced is the same as the water removed in all aspects of the chemistry.
Temp, alk and salinity are the 3 key elements

Sometimes when I change the water and the salinity is the same, after I test it again the salinity has spiked. Why?

 

[twilliard]

Temperature differential