Newbie

[Eric B]

Can i ask a question i tried giving the blue tang as well as the sailfin tang some green alage last night and they didnt want it. What other food sources can i give them, the guy who had the tank before me was feeding them reg saltwater fish food?? (i am guessing that is ok) Also my blue tang hides inside the live rock most of the day, is that normal or should i be worried? Thanks in advance

If the tank has just been moved then the blue tang can just be a little spooked and trying to settle into its new home.....I usually recommend some frozen food and I would only use a small amount since you are only feeding 2 fish in the tank. You can check the local salt water pet stores out and there are a few in the Woodstock & Kennesaw area and would look at either Rod's frozen for herbivores or Larry's frozen food for herbivores. Eventually both fish will probably eat a pellet or flake food and you can substitute instead of frozen food. I usually when feeding frozen food I usually place a piece in with some tank water and let it melt then pour into tank a little at a time. If you are going to feed Nori (Seaweed) I always look for the dried kind without anything added to it. I would also invest in a clip that you can put the Nori on a leave in the tank for the tangs to graze on throughout the day.

Eric

 

[Eric B]

Eric- thank you so much! Its nice to know that there is someone right down the street from me.... my mom told me yesterday to take it really slow so i am working on the patience... lol! i actually set an alarm on my phone that is reoccuring to check/change the water.

And i will take any advice that you can give me!

It is hard I know to take it slow but is probably one of the most important things in this hobby that people forget from time to time!

 

[Jenn1985]

The reef store by my house (Creations Reef) off hwy 92 carries all of that. I went in yesterday and got a clip and the seaweed, i asked the guy in the store cause i had NO idea what i was buying. I gave them some this morning..... totally off this subject but when i get to the point where i can add corals do i need to have a seperate tank for that? And i have the 3 pcs of live rock but i read that you need 1.5 pounds per gallon, do you think that i have enough or should i get more?

 

[tidus10]

If you have poor filtration you want more rock. But if you have really good filtration you don't need as much rock.. I have 55lbs of rock in a 60gallon system.

What the person was talking about is a frag tank, you do NOT NEED a frag tank this is probably them just trying to sell you stuff.

Make the tank how you want it, if you want a bigger sand bed, add sand, want more rock add rock. It's your taste of the ocean!

 

[Jenn1985]

Oh thank you very much...didnt know if there was a certain way to go about getting this tank to where i can start putting corals and such in it. I know i helped my mom pick out a new frag for her tank and she just put it in the tank and let it go. It's huge now!

 

[tidus10]

Get a test kit and make sure your tank is within the right parameters and add things slowly. Make sure that when you buy things to get accurate information of lighting needs, filtration needs, food/feeding requirements. Float it just like you would a fish then place it where it will do best and enjoy!

 

[Jenn1985]

Awesome- thank you very much for the info..... i think this whole thing is going to help teach me some patients, i just hate that my tank looks so bare

 

[Eric B]

The reef store by my house (Creations Reef) off hwy 92 carries all of that. I went in yesterday and got a clip and the seaweed, i asked the guy in the store cause i had NO idea what i was buying. I gave them some this morning..... totally off this subject but when i get to the point where i can add corals do i need to have a seperate tank for that? And i have the 3 pcs of live rock but i read that you need 1.5 pounds per gallon, do you think that i have enough or should i get more?

Creations is a good store also there is Optimum in Kennesaw off Barrett for local/quick buys. I have other places that I buy from where I can get larger amounts of certain items that local stores don't have or keep in stock.
You do not need a separate tank for corals but depending on your set up filtration, live rock & lighting will depend on type and what you can have in your system. You will probably also want to start somewhere in the mushroom or zoa corals and maybe some LPS (Leather, torch, hammer corals) and maybe 6 months or so down the road maybe a hardy sps species. The 1.5 pounds per gallon for live rock has always just been a number thrown out there as nothing is really set in stone and it really ends up depending on your total bio load(amount of living things) of your tank. Hope that helps clarify a little bit!

 

[Jenn1985]

It does actually! Thanks! And i havent gone to Optimum yet, i figured i would check it out this weekend. I need to get new lighting and my boyfriend is wanting to do a sump filtration system...i said go for it. my stepdad built his and my moms so he is going to help my boyfriend build it. Once i get all that settled i will work on getting corals and such. Looking at the picture that i have i was thinking about getting another live rock to go on top so that when i go get corals that like to be up high i have the rock to go ahead and do so. Speaking of lighting...i am so overwhelmed by the amount of lighting there is out there. I am wanting to buy a light that i can use when i get corals, do you suggest a certain brand, website or company that are reasonably priced?

 

[Eric B]

DIY sump is my personal preference as I have built just about every sump I have ever used on my tanks. Yes another piece of live rock on top would probably work out great just make sure to leave some swimming room for fish and also you want to vision the future grow out of the tank. Most don't take that into consideration and put rock too close to the glass and end up having to redo the aqua-scape down the road. Lighting is a touchy subject! What do you have in your hex tank now? What size tank as that will limit you also but maybe a led pendant hanging over the tank?? Maybe look at the Kessil [FONT=Didact Gothic, sans-serif]pendants as there are a lot of people using those with great results......That is all that comes to my mind quickly with out seeing the tank and amount of space to work with as there might be other options. [/FONT]

 

[Jenn1985]

Right now i think that its just a regular florecent (sorry for the spelling) blub, and a night mood light, its a 50 gallon tank and i would like to have the lighting that has the natural dimmers on it.....so throughout the day they get lighter and lighter. I figure if i am going to have corals and such down the road i might as well get one that is going to benefit me in the long run. I know that the live rock cant be too close cause as the tank grows i need to make sure that i have room. Do you suggest any website that has DIY sump projects?

 

[Eric B]

Sorry working in between post! For fish only at the start that light will be fine and probably ok for most low light LPS corals as long as the bulbs are new/good. I will have to ask my friend who has Kessil LED's over his tank if they are dimmable as I really have not looked at the very close. There are a few other rectangular led fixtures out on the market that will do what you want and will dim like a sunrise and sunset. I will get you some names of those later! I don't know of any DIY sump plans but I will be happy to help you and your boyfriend to design one as I am about to build a sump out of a 125 gallon tank for another friend of mine in Woodstock for his 220 gallon tank. If you went to Creation and saw the 2 square tanks in the main aisle when walking towards the back you could also do your rock work like theirs where the rock was like a column in the center (Just a thought because I think that's neat looking on a round/square tank! LOL). It would also give you room to place stuff all over the column and let it grow towards the glass from the center. Oh well back to work for a bit!!

 

[Jenn1985]

Eric- no problem! Again I thank you for taking time out to help me with my questions. Let me talk to my boyfriend and see when we would be able to get all the supplies for a sump tank and maybe we can meet up at my house or somewhere so you can walk us through building one. I did see the one in the front of Creation with the rock ina column it does look really cool. This is my moms tank...I LOVE IT!!! I cant wait to get mine looking like hers.

 

[Eric B]

Yes she has a nice tank that has been probably set up for a while!

Just let me know when you guys are ready to start on a sump and I will also pm you my cell number as that will be the easiest way to reach me either call or text and I have a few tricks that I have learned over the years in building sumps that might make it easier.

 

[Jdodson11]

Jenn1985
You'll love this hobby , so much to learn and it's so rewarding once you learn how to keep a thriving reef ecosystem in your living room.
Watch lots of YouTube videos I like mr saltwater tv, and there is a book by Michael palletta called a beginners guide to marine aquariums that is very helpful.
If you don't have a protein skimmer yet I would say that's the most important piece of equipment you'll need. You can research all the different options on YouTube as well. Bulkreefsupply.com also has a YouTube channel called BRSTV
They have tons of great how to videos and equipment reviews.
Marine depot also has some great videos good luck to you!

 

[Jdodson11]

Oh and check out reef dynamics for skimmer. They have some videos on YouTube as well. I've had two different skimmers from them and they are truly the best and they have great customer service. The owner of company will actually answer you email and any questions you may have !

 

[Jenn1985]

Thank you Jdodson11...i actually orer that book yesterday I am kind of at a loss because right now i cant afford a really expensive light, i have started saving for one but i want to get one that is better than the one that i have right now. I went to my fish store yesterday and the ammonia and nitrate levels were a tad high so i got the chemicals to counter act those. After a week i will add one more big pc of rock and start adding items slowly. Any advice you can give about getting a decent light for not to to expensive. The one that my mom has that i REALLY REALLY want i will have to save up for cause its $1,000 buck! YIKES!

 

[Jdodson11]

Led is the best option but very expensive. I am also on a budget for my aquarium. And it can be very expensive . I would suggest you buy a used light.try to find a good led used, the bulbs can last years and there is no heat transfer

 

[Jdodson11]

I had to save up a little at a time and buy my equipment a piece at a time. Do you have coral right now? I picked up a $400 t5 fluorescent fixture for $100 used and it worked great
But you have to buy new bulbs once a year and I had to buy eight bulbs at $20 ea. got great coral growth but also lots of heat from lights.
Everyone now wants LEDs so you can pick up t5 or power compact
Fluorescents for cheap. Your tank is a hex right? I think you could get one of those pendant type led lights like the kessil check those out on marine depot.com or bulk reef supply.com

 

[Jenn1985]

I only have live rock and the two tangs because i want to make sure that the water is right before i start adding things! I will check those out!