Restarting my tank

[Spooky_Whizz]

i had a freshwater tank for few years. i started saltwater tank about 2 months ago but last week i woke up to a full dead tank. Long story short, i made a lot of mistakes and trying to learn and ask the questions before i do anything on my own.
So i just ordered a 6 stage Deluxe PLus RO/DI unit from BRS.com which i got suggestions from here. i have a 30 Gal tank and about 12-15 lb of live rock and substrate is white live sand. 2 HOB Aqueon filters but i guess i dont even need that filtration if i add more live rock? please advise. i am going to run a full cycle before i put any fish so i'll take my time.my ultimate goal is to keep minimal fish but mainly reef aquarium. how should i go about it. i know tank is not too big but with the space i have, thats the best i can do right now.
1) Do i need separate HOB filters if i keep alot of live rock. can i keep carbon in mesh bags in those filters instead?
2) what additives or liquid "medications" etc do i need to add even if i use 6 stage RO/DI water? (thats how i killed my fish i think i used to add 5-6 different additives after each water change).
3) what fish and reef should i keep, considering being a beginner and all.
4) only thing i am missing is reef lighting. what do you recommend for a 30 Gal tank ? please feel free to provide links and brand names as i have no idea. (Budget is $100-$200)
5) do I need a skimmer to be successful?
6) is refractometer a must-have or hydrometer works just fine ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[James M]

Welcome to reef2reef!!
Yes you still need a source of mechanical filteration and you can used a mush bag of carbon.
Go on LiveAquaria.com and look through the selection of fish. Stay away form fish that require special feedings like mandarins and scooter blennys
No you don’t need a skimmer and there are tanks that are successfully kept without them.
Check out AI primes. They’re really good lights for reef tanks.
A hydrometer works but a refractometer would be a lot better

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

i had a freshwater tank for few years. i started saltwater tank about 2 months ago but last week i woke up to a full dead tank. Long story short, i made a lot of mistakes and trying to learn and ask the questions before i do anything on my own.
So i just ordered a 6 stage Deluxe PLus RO/DI unit from BRS.com which i got suggestions from here. i have a 30 Gal tank and about 12-15 lb of live rock and substrate is white live sand. 2 HOB Aqueon filters but i guess i dont even need that filtration if i add more live rock? please advise. i am going to run a full cycle before i put any fish so i'll take my time.my ultimate goal is to keep minimal fish but mainly reef aquarium. how should i go about it. i know tank is not too big but with the space i have, thats the best i can do right now.
1) Do i need separate HOB filters if i keep alot of live rock. can i keep carbon in mesh bags in those filters instead?
2) what additives or liquid "medications" etc do i need to add even if i use 6 stage RO/DI water? (thats how i killed my fish i think i used to add 5-6 different additives after each water change).
3) what fish and reef should i keep, considering being a beginner and all.
4) only thing i am missing is reef lighting. what do you recommend for a 30 Gal tank ? please feel free to provide links and brand names as i have no idea. (Budget is $100-$200)
5) do I need a skimmer to be successful?
6) is refractometer a must-have or hydrometer works just fine ?

Thanks in advance.

save yourself the headache and get a refractometer. you don’t need additives for your water as long as you are producing 0 tds water. i would keep one hob filter and use carbon or chemi pure blue. no skimmer is necessary. with that budget for the light id hit up the equipment selling forum for something used.

what are the dimensions of your tank and what coral do you want to keep?

 

[kintle]

i had a freshwater tank for few years. i started saltwater tank about 2 months ago but last week i woke up to a full dead tank. Long story short, i made a lot of mistakes and trying to learn and ask the questions before i do anything on my own.
So i just ordered a 6 stage Deluxe PLus RO/DI unit from BRS.com which i got suggestions from here. i have a 30 Gal tank and about 12-15 lb of live rock and substrate is white live sand. 2 HOB Aqueon filters but i guess i dont even need that filtration if i add more live rock? please advise. i am going to run a full cycle before i put any fish so i'll take my time.my ultimate goal is to keep minimal fish but mainly reef aquarium. how should i go about it. i know tank is not too big but with the space i have, thats the best i can do right now.
1) Do i need separate HOB filters if i keep alot of live rock. can i keep carbon in mesh bags in those filters instead?
2) what additives or liquid "medications" etc do i need to add even if i use 6 stage RO/DI water? (thats how i killed my fish i think i used to add 5-6 different additives after each water change).
3) what fish and reef should i keep, considering being a beginner and all.
4) only thing i am missing is reef lighting. what do you recommend for a 30 Gal tank ? please feel free to provide links and brand names as i have no idea. (Budget is $100-$200)
5) do I need a skimmer to be successful?
6) is refractometer a must-have or hydrometer works just fine ?

Thanks in advance.

I'm also new to the hobby but would like to share what I've learned. No a skimmer is not necessary. I would like one but am limited by my 28g jbj nano and still looking. An Ai prime has been way better for my coral than the stock jbj hood my tank came with. I'm useing 20lbs of sand and 25 lbs of rock for my bio filter. The first upgrade I made to mechanical filtration was a larger media basket that has the stock ceramic filters. The problem I was seeing before was that a lot of water splashed out of the stock basket and wasnt forced through the media basket. I run carbon off and on and water polish filter in it changed ever 3 to 4 days to keep the water clean and free of my bad over feeding habit. My clowns are pigs and I like to see them happy. I did throw a phosgarde in the basket initially and should have replaced it weeks ago but not sure I need to and have considered purigan but so far haven't gotten. I do a 10-20 percent water change weekly though I did a 50 percent this week trying to get calcium up and nitrates down. Nitrates had tested as high at 80 (did an extra water change that week) but I'm trying to get below 20 to 5 (20 is what they tested this week but calcium was low so I did the 50 percent change). For corals find what you enjoy looking at. Tidal gardens does some great videos on YouTube for beginner corals and care guides. I love mushrooms and acans personally. I have gsp on my back glass, a lepto, favia, blasto and favities currently but am struggling with issues on my paly(or zoa not sure) and candy cane (trumpet) coral. The light change to an ai prime has made a world of differance on the candy cane but the zoa I've been doing additional dips on I'm not sure if it's a pest or the nitrates makeing it angry. I do dip all new corals in revive but until this weekend haven't had a quarintine for fish or coral and I think that was a huge mistake me being cheap. I have a birds nest doing great but ita still new so who knows. Today I learned the value of quarinting as I think my clowns have the beginning of brook (thank you r2r for helping diagnose this morning). I've had them 6 weeks and they just showed symptoms this morning. I've had hitchickers make it through dips already. My biggest piece of advice is make a stock list for fish and coral and try to stick through it. I never wanted clowns but my wife wanted phantoms. When I picked them up I really liked the wrase (Lubbock fairy wrase) but would rather have not caused the mini cycle it caused adding the three fish at once. I never intended on haveing a wrase in my tank could have avoided that headache if I hadn't impulse bought. Corals are worse as I'm quickly running out of space. I bought ten this weekend during a live sale and am happy with my purchase but trying to figure out where I will put them though I think I used up what's left of my space for corals thank you whiskey.. also take everything you find online with a grain of salt I've just accepted that what I read is one persons opion/expiernce a d it may be differant from my own. Hopefully my newb rambling can help you out.

 

[SPR1968]

Hi and welcome to R2R!

You will need to get a RODI system (or buy RODI water) to avoid basic issues and also a good quality salt (I use Red Sea).

Forget additives to start out as a good salt with take care of all that (especially Red Sea Coral Pro with higher foundation element levels) with basic water changes, so don’t go adding anything until you can test for it, and know for sure it’s needed and why.

A refractometer is a basic piece of kit for saltwater so yes you need one. Yes you can use hydrometer but they just are not ideal or accurate.

These days again protein skimmers are a basic piece of equipment, yes some people get away without one, and of course it depends on tank size, bioload etc., but most people use them

 

[Spooky_Whizz]

save yourself the headache and get a refractometer. you don’t need additives for your water as long as you are producing 0 tds water. i would keep one hob filter and use carbon or chemi pure blue. no skimmer is necessary. with that budget for the light id hit up the equipment selling forum for something used.

what are the dimensions of your tank and what coral do you want to keep?

It’s a 30G tank and I would like to keep Anemones or something similar with/for clowns.

 

[Spooky_Whizz]

I'm also new to the hobby but would like to share what I've learned. No a skimmer is not necessary. I would like one but am limited by my 28g jbj nano and still looking. An Ai prime has been way better for my coral than the stock jbj hood my tank came with. I'm useing 20lbs of sand and 25 lbs of rock for my bio filter. The first upgrade I made to mechanical filtration was a larger media basket that has the stock ceramic filters. The problem I was seeing before was that a lot of water splashed out of the stock basket and wasnt forced through the media basket. I run carbon off and on and water polish filter in it changed ever 3 to 4 days to keep the water clean and free of my bad over feeding habit. My clowns are pigs and I like to see them happy. I did throw a phosgarde in the basket initially and should have replaced it weeks ago but not sure I need to and have considered purigan but so far haven't gotten. I do a 10-20 percent water change weekly though I did a 50 percent this week trying to get calcium up and nitrates down. Nitrates had tested as high at 80 (did an extra water change that week) but I'm trying to get below 20 to 5 (20 is what they tested this week but calcium was low so I did the 50 percent change). For corals find what you enjoy looking at. Tidal gardens does some great videos on YouTube for beginner corals and care guides. I love mushrooms and acans personally. I have gsp on my back glass, a lepto, favia, blasto and favities currently but am struggling with issues on my paly(or zoa not sure) and candy cane (trumpet) coral. The light change to an ai prime has made a world of differance on the candy cane but the zoa I've been doing additional dips on I'm not sure if it's a pest or the nitrates makeing it angry. I do dip all new corals in revive but until this weekend haven't had a quarintine for fish or coral and I think that was a huge mistake me being cheap. I have a birds nest doing great but ita still new so who knows. Today I learned the value of quarinting as I think my clowns have the beginning of brook (thank you r2r for helping diagnose this morning). I've had them 6 weeks and they just showed symptoms this morning. I've had hitchickers make it through dips already. My biggest piece of advice is make a stock list for fish and coral and try to stick through it. I never wanted clowns but my wife wanted phantoms. When I picked them up I really liked the wrase (Lubbock fairy wrase) but would rather have not caused the mini cycle it caused adding the three fish at once. I never intended on haveing a wrase in my tank could have avoided that headache if I hadn't impulse bought. Corals are worse as I'm quickly running out of space. I bought ten this weekend during a live sale and am happy with my purchase but trying to figure out where I will put them though I think I used up what's left of my space for corals thank you whiskey.. also take everything you find online with a grain of salt I've just accepted that what I read is one persons opion/expiernce a d it may be differant from my own. Hopefully my newb rambling can help you out.

So we have about same size tank. What corals exactly would you recommend to begin with? And I didn’t understand the lighting part. Can you point out the brand and difference. What worked best ? My main goal is corals with couple of fish only. And no I do not have a separate quarantine tank.