Too much???

Dancingmad · Mar 12, 2019

Welcome!

Ooooh a canister - cool choice for a softie tank and should be effective! If I had a canister w/ that kind of setup I would only run it with ceramic bio filters + a couple of filter pads. Then, every two or three water changes (or at least once a quarter) take the return hose and blast your rocks to open up the pores (just for smiles n' grins - allows new bac growth and helps water penetrate into your rock - some people use turkey basters to open the pores of their rocks, but thats for wusses

. A pump+hose or canister filter is significantly more effective for this task!), then shake out the ceramic pellets/balls + rinse/clean the filter pads. Back in business!

Softies will appreciate all that detritus to om nom, it will make your WC more effective, and may mitigate the possible nitrate spikes. I believe your HOB (especially if you 'fuge it) will supplement just fine while your ceramic pellets/balls grow new bacteria, as @cracker stated above!

sfin52 · Mar 12, 2019

cracker said:
I don't see why not. I'm sure others will chime in on this. I personally would run both. While one is rebuilding beneficial bacteria after cleaning the other can carry the load.
Either way , Please consider going real slow on adding any livestock
Do You have your test kits yet? If so which ones do you have ?

I would run both and I do have a hob with lr rubble.

Rick.45cal · Mar 12, 2019

Welcome to Reef2Reef! Take things slow and learn as much as you can, you’re in the right place!

I like fishes · Mar 12, 2019

sfin52 said:
I would run both and I do have a hob with lr rubble.

What other test kits do I need? I also have the refractometer

sfin52 · Mar 12, 2019

I use what you do but Hanna seems to be the preferred with another I can' t remember the name

ccombs · Mar 12, 2019

Red Sea and Salifert seem to be the other popular test kits. My 'full' tests comprise of the following, keep in mind this includes stuff for corals:

Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
pH
Carbonate Hardness
Phosphate
Calcium
Temp.
Salinity

Welcome to R2R! I started reefing about 7 months ago and have certainly learned a lot on my first tank. This community here has helped me so much and I know they will do the same for you! Your first tank will be a huge learning experience and you are off to a great start! Don't get too worried if your numbers are a little weird at first. Chasing test numbers has its own set of problems.

sfin52 · Mar 12, 2019

@ccombs thanks I couldn't remember the second one.

Tautog · Mar 12, 2019

Welcome to Reef 2 Reef
Run both filters, it’s overkill now, but will be very beneficial later as your tank matures

Hemmdog · Mar 12, 2019

Welcome to reef2reef!

Hermie · Mar 13, 2019

I would suggest to wait to run the refugium until your tank has some algae growing, for example several weeks. That was one of the take aways I believe the BRS TV crew decided on, at least Ryan did, IIRC. I have to admit it's also what I did, my tank had been running for a while before I really started the refugium and now I have Nitrates at <10ppm and a heavily fed tank (puffer), of course I also have to admit I do have algae in the display but it's because I should have started the refugium a few weeks earlier, either way, if you have copepods or rotifers eating your algae in the display, the refugium will catch up. Sorry I am really talking too in depth maybe for a new tank, basically wait a bit to start the refugium, at least 3 weeks to a month IMO.