What should I do next?

dbeaty78 · Jul 25, 2013

I have a little extra money this weekend. I found a used refugium and cpr for sale for a couple hundred bucks comes with pump to pump it back up too. Should I keep the canister filter or should I get the refugium? If the CPR and refugium are rated at a low gph would extra power heads cover the gph later or would I have to upgrade my refugium and and cpr and pump. Or should I just use this fluval canister filter sonce it is only going to be a fish and live rock only for now until I get up all my live rock which will be a while. If using canister filter what media should I put into it. Should I go for live rock this weekend and keep the canister or should I go for a low flow refugium and cpr? Keep in mind it is going to be a fish and live rock only for a while because i still have to get lights and enough live rock. I have also bought a coralife skimmer don't know exactly what size it is because it does not say on it. I bought it used and it is a hang on back or a in sump either one. What should I do? I have my salt water and 80 pounds of live sand already in tank. I also have a power head rated at 1500 gph. What should I do next get live rock and hold out for a few more months and get a bigger cpr and refugium or go ahead and get refugium. I plan on going to a reef but it will be a while before I get all my live rock collected.

Reefing Madness · Jul 25, 2013

Ya need Live Rock, or Dry Rock. So that would be my next purchase. Keep the Canister for now, won't hurt.

dbeaty78 · Jul 25, 2013

What media should I put into the filter? It is a Fluval 5. It has three different reings top is for carbon and blue filter pad middle? and bottom the biomax for the good bacteria to live in. Is this all I would need in the filter.

Reefing Madness · Jul 25, 2013

GFO or Chemipure Elite.
Carbon and the Pads.

ReeferBob · Jul 26, 2013

You don't need "live" rock. Just get cheaper base rock usually $1/lb. It will become live soon enough. I would not use the bio-media in the FX5. I would not use that filter at all in fact. Get the rock and let it start colonizing. Within a month you will have enough live rock filtration.

dbeaty78 · Jul 26, 2013

WEll the reason I was asking is I found a cps 90 and a refugium tank that was on sale for 150. It is really hard to pass up that price though I already have a coralife 125 skimmer that is in sump or HOB. The tank itself looked like a 30 gallon tank in its size however I know it doesn't fill all the way up and I don't think it is big enough for my tank because the guy stated it was for a 90 gallon tank and mine is a 110 gallon. I am thinking of just sticking with the canister for now and just keep the filter pads in and swap them out often. I think I am just going for the live rock for now and get it started off. Another question I was told since I have bought live sand and cured live rock my tank won't have to cycle. Is this true?

ReeferBob · Jul 27, 2013

Buying already cured live rock will shorten and possibly eliminate the initial cycle. But the cycle only takes about 3-4 weeks anyway. It really isn't a big deal. It isn't worth the extra. On a new saltwater tank, you should be waiting at least that long anyway before adding livestock. You do not need ANY seed rock for your tank. The bacteria exists everywhere and will colonized to the quantity required to handle your bio-load.

For the pet-store guy to tell you that you will have no cycle using live sand and rock is irresponsible. I would not trust most of what comes out of the mouth of anyone at your local fish store. Their goal is one thing and one thing only; sell you product.

What does the refugium look like? Is it just a tank? If so, $150 is a ripoff for that. The CS90 new is like $75 ($15 more for the aqualifter pump) and a 20 gallon tank is $30 or less.

A 30 gallon sump is fine for your 110 gallon tank. Sumps are incredibly easy to make yourself. They take all of about an hour. You need the tank, 2 pieces of glass and aquarium safe silicone.

Aquarium Overflow Filters: CPR Continuous Siphon Overflow

Good Luck!

Reefing Madness · Jul 27, 2013

Its possible to eliminate the tanks cycle by using Fully Cured Rock. That rock already has the needed bacteria to support life in the tank.
If using dry rock, it will take 4-6 weeks to cycle it, eveyones tank is different, ya can't put a time on the cycel really, just an idea of how long. Drop a shrimp from the store in a net, and lay the net into the water, this will be more than enough of an ammonia source to start your cycle. The net keeps the shrimp in one place as it falls apart.

dbeaty78 · Jul 28, 2013

Ok so I went with getting some already cured live rock. So I now have 80lbs of live sand. I bought a nine pound piece of live rock and a 11 pound piece. I also purchased two clown fish. I tested all levels and everything is ok. I put the live rock in and some kind of long eel or snake swam out of it. It is about 8 inches long and is black and white striped. anybody know what this is and what it eats? I also saw some kind of long spiked work looking creature crawl out for a minute and then he went back in one of the rock and have not seen him again since. One piece has a dark purple and is a little darker than the other piece. One piece is light colored with a couple of purple spots and some aqua green looking color on it. Is there any way I should place this in my tank or is this just preference? I have one in each back corner right now. I also put four crabs in question about them do I need to get some other shells for them or will they outgrow the ones they have? It is a 110 gallon tank so I have a long way to go with collecting up my live rock. I friend also told me to put the biomax ceramics in the bottom of my filter and they would act as live rock and build up the correct bacteria also.

Reefing Madness · Jul 28, 2013

Yea, your friend is kind right, but if you don't watch the filter and constantly keep it clean, it will cause you troubles with Nitrates.
The different kinds of coloring on the Rocks sounds like Coralline Algaa, and thats a good sign, don't worry about that stuff. But if its new in your tank, it may die out some before it takes off.
The spikey looking worm is a Bristle Worm. The other eel looking thing, I don't know, pics would help out for that one.

dbeaty78 · Jul 28, 2013

I looked it up and it looks like a snow flake eel. He is pretty cool looking. If I put dead rock in with my live rock will it turn dark and purple like the cool looking one I have and should I put my live rock in the middle of the tank next to each other or does it matter. I have a piece in each corner right now. One is darker colored with purple all over it and one is lighter colored. If I put it together will the purple coraline algae cover the other rock as well and if so how long does it take. And my power head has my tank circulating pretty good along with the input of the canister filter also. It is a 1500 GPH power head. Oh yea there is some bright green looking slime on a rock also and something else that looks like a spider egg with small hair like spikes on it any ideas on that.

kes · Jul 29, 2013

That's a good powerhead to help circulate the area well and prevent any dead spots.

Reefing Madness · Jul 29, 2013

Spider egg is a sponge
The rock will all get covered, if you keep water params in good shape for it to keep growing.
You got a SNOWFLAKE EEL as a Hitchhicker?? WOW, score.

ReeferBob · Jul 29, 2013

Sorry for the nasty comment but I predict a quick, expensive end to your SW days. It is almost as if you read about the correct way to do this and then chose the opposite.

dbeaty78 · Jul 29, 2013

Thanks reefing madness I thought it was pretty good luck also with the snow flake eel. I am checking all my levels daily and they are all staying level. I have been told to just keep getting live rock for now and a sump so those are my next moves until I can get a drilled tank one day I will be going with the CPR overflow and a sump as soon as money provides. Hopefully this weekend I can get the sump and get it set up if a guy buys my turntables from me from my djing days lol. Sorry reeferbob you think negatively about my approach I bought live rock and two clowns and a few crabs for clean up. it is a 110 gallon tank and all my levels are correct. It has been set up for almost three weeks now. I have been told by many get live rock and collect it up and a couple fish. That is what I have done. I have been told by many people to buy live rock because it is already cured and has beneficial bacteria and live sand because it has the beneficial bacteria in it also that is what I have done 20lbs of live rock. My only next plans are getting a sump and setting it up and collecting my live rock up that is all I have plans to do for the near future. The snow flake eel was unexpected and came with a live rock. Sorry you don't agree. I have a friend with about three reef tanks that have some really wicked stuff in them and he said I would be fine with the way I started it is a 110 gallon tank It is not like I fully stocked it over night. Only things in the canister filter for now are the plain blue filter pads with no media.