New guy with a few questions

[TheMantisShrimp]

First and foremost i would like to say hello to all the members of the R2R community. I'm new to the hobby and would like to learn as much as possible from other members of the community. To start off I have a 32 gallon aquarium that has been set up for roughly 3 months. My live stock include: 2 clowns, 2 red hermit crabs,one yellow tail damsel, and a cleaner shrimp. My equipment consists of 2 power heads both aquaeon, a over the back aqua tech filter that suits 30-60 gallons and a heater suited for 30 and up and a hydor protein skimmer nano 135 - 35 that i just purchased yesterday.My main concerns are am i providing good filtration? or should i change the route that im on? Second, i would like to start growing corals and other plant life, but my tank is a older tank with just a standard hood. I would like to do away with the old hood and replace it with something sleek and clean while also gaining the most out of my lighting.

 

[mike007]

WELCOME If you are using a hob filter with filter floss or pads most people remove them. If you don't clean them often you will have nitrate issues. You can use it to put media such as carbon ,phoshates removers etc. With good live rock and a skimmer that all you need for filteration.

 

[definitionofreal]

I just use the hang on filter for my 30 when I need to run carbon. Other wise just a eshop nano skimmer and power head and weekly wc.

 

[TheMantisShrimp]

ok that helps alot and as far as lighting i don't have the tools to suspend a light from my ceiling so what sort of lighting kit should i begin looking for if i want to grow coral?

 

[mike007]

There some nice led options that can be mounted on tank. I think kessil makes a good one.

 

[TheMantisShrimp]

ok well i'll just have to take a quick peek at their site then.:bigsmile:

 

[chefb_5]

I would go with ATI T-5 4 bulb fixture or see if u can get a canopy made or bought one then u can save some money and do retrofit, because then u can hide ur lighting and it looks clean and sleek. LED are nice but they are just the lastist thing on the market. If u have seen the difference and know what u like then that is diff.

I have a 90 gallon and my really nice SPS or branching coral do well under just 4 t-5 bulbs. I could use 2 more bulbs, but not exactly necessary! that is just the addict in me :tongue:

 

[chefb_5]

I would def get rid of the filtration u have asap!!! that will be a nightmare if u forget to clean them out. Trust me it will happin I'm sure we all have used freshwater filters when we first started, but don't make the mistake on not getting rid of them soon.

 

[TheMantisShrimp]

ya i just kept it to start out i been wanting to ditch that thing for a while lol and ya i looked at some of the kessil lights on the site im gonna see if i can't find a pretty good deal on one. also if im replacing the whole hood with a light with goose neck won't i have to get some kind of glass so my tank isn't open to evaporation?

 

[Steveowhits]

Welcome to R2R.

Evaporation is not entirely a bad thing. It cools the water on hot days. If you go open top just make sure to have plenty of fresh RO or DI water on hand to keep salinity in check. (If you don't have an RO unit you can usually buy RO water from your local fish store.)

If you go for an LED fixture you should consider one that has UV in its spectrum. The Kessil A360 has UV and is a decent option for the $$. The UV light was not a part of most early LED fixtures and some corals need UV to thrive. Other things to consider when buying an LED fixture is to make sure it is dimmable. A non dimming model can create problems by providing too much light to corals and causing a shock (photoinhibtion).

T5 lighting systems are a little more predictable because they produce a wider spectrum of light. The downside is the bulbs need to be replaced every year and they can add heat to your tank. Many people will have opinions on lighting.... If you read deeper into the forum you will discover many opinions on the matter.

Pm me if you have any specific questions, I will try my best to help you.