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MY 40G TANK
- Thread starter krylon
- Start date
Welcome!
What kind of equipment do you have set up? Looks like you picked up a pair of 3 stripe damsel fish Dascyllus aruanus. They are really hardy but honestly not needed to help cycle the tank.
Definitely read up on the forums here to get as much info as you can. Might want to hold off on buying anymore fish until the set up is complete.
Congratulations - you're on your way to a fun and addictive hobby!
What kind of equipment do you have set up? Looks like you picked up a pair of 3 stripe damsel fish Dascyllus aruanus. They are really hardy but honestly not needed to help cycle the tank.
Definitely read up on the forums here to get as much info as you can. Might want to hold off on buying anymore fish until the set up is complete.
Congratulations - you're on your way to a fun and addictive hobby!
Welcome to the NJRC forums!
It looks like you're off to a good start. Give us some more info on the tank. What size is it? What kind of filtration are you using? What do you want it to look like in a year (fish only, soft corals, hard corals, etc)? As much info as you can will help us kind of get an idea of what you have and what you are looking to do.
I agree with Phil in that I wouldn't add anymore fish at this point but I would put some more rock in. The general rule of thumb (which is completely subjective) is 1.5 to 2 lbs of rock per gallon.
It looks like you're off to a good start. Give us some more info on the tank. What size is it? What kind of filtration are you using? What do you want it to look like in a year (fish only, soft corals, hard corals, etc)? As much info as you can will help us kind of get an idea of what you have and what you are looking to do.
I agree with Phil in that I wouldn't add anymore fish at this point but I would put some more rock in. The general rule of thumb (which is completely subjective) is 1.5 to 2 lbs of rock per gallon.
first ...welcome to the club and our "sickness" 
a few sugestions.....i say get rid of the damsel fish while there is nowhere for them to hide or run. and add more rock for bio filtration
don t get me wrong im not puting your fish selection down , i too started many tanks with damsels but i have found them to be trouble later onn when adding other fish to a filled tank
imo.. damsels are very aggresive and you will want them out in the future at some point. when that happens you will most likely have to empty the tank to get them out and from my experience this is a royal pain in the a**... doing it while the tank has only a few rocks is easier..
there are many other hardy ,colorful and peaceful fish out there to start with and
i also dont think you need fish to cycle the tank, but if you want a sugestion...clowns and cardinals are ok to start with(peaceful and will not attack new additions when added in the future )
good luck and happy reefing.......al
a few sugestions.....i say get rid of the damsel fish while there is nowhere for them to hide or run. and add more rock for bio filtration
don t get me wrong im not puting your fish selection down , i too started many tanks with damsels but i have found them to be trouble later onn when adding other fish to a filled tank
imo.. damsels are very aggresive and you will want them out in the future at some point. when that happens you will most likely have to empty the tank to get them out and from my experience this is a royal pain in the a**... doing it while the tank has only a few rocks is easier..
there are many other hardy ,colorful and peaceful fish out there to start with and
i also dont think you need fish to cycle the tank, but if you want a sugestion...clowns and cardinals are ok to start with(peaceful and will not attack new additions when added in the future )
good luck and happy reefing.......al
my tank is 37-40 gallons, my filter is marineland multistage canister filter c-220 for 55gallon.... i want to put multiple type of corals but i need to buy some special moon/day light lamp.... i like to have different type of fish medium n small.... thanks for helping me out, i would buy 2 more liverock n rockbranches.....
Krylon -
You will not need a "moon" light lamp for corals - perhaps for aesthetics. At this stage of the cycle, I would suggest you hold off on spending any dollars on lighting and focus more on how you plan on filtering the tank. For now - I suggest you consider adding more LR (live rock) as your budget allows.
I don't see any powerheads in the tank - you may want to consider getting one to help generate more flow in the tank.
Can you advise how many inches of sand you have at the bottom? Different people will advise you with alternative strategies - but personally I'd reduce that to an amount that "just covers" the bottom without becoming a "nutrient" sink.
Finally - with fall comes some lower temps and I'm not sure how warm you keep your apt/house, but you may want to invest in a heater.
Keep posting and do read some of the other threads on this forum for great ideas and tips.
You will not need a "moon" light lamp for corals - perhaps for aesthetics. At this stage of the cycle, I would suggest you hold off on spending any dollars on lighting and focus more on how you plan on filtering the tank. For now - I suggest you consider adding more LR (live rock) as your budget allows.
I don't see any powerheads in the tank - you may want to consider getting one to help generate more flow in the tank.
Can you advise how many inches of sand you have at the bottom? Different people will advise you with alternative strategies - but personally I'd reduce that to an amount that "just covers" the bottom without becoming a "nutrient" sink.
Finally - with fall comes some lower temps and I'm not sure how warm you keep your apt/house, but you may want to invest in a heater.
Keep posting and do read some of the other threads on this forum for great ideas and tips.
I WILL LIKE TO SAY THANKS FOR THE HELP , IMMA WAIT TO BUY THE CORALS N IT LAMPS IN JANUARY SINCE IT A LONG PROGRESS FROM THE WAY THING LOOKING HERE :-[... YEAH MY FRIEND TOLD ME TO BUY A POWERHEAD FOR MY TANK BUT FORGOT IT... MY SAND LANDSCAPE IS 2IN-4IN THICK IN CERTAIN PART OF THE TANK.... DO YOU KNOW IF BUYING EQUIPMENTS, FISHES, AND LIVEROCKS ONLINE IS WORTH IT, BECAUSE PETCO.COM IS CHEAPER THEN THE STORE I GO TO ON RT46 IN CLIFTON, NJ CALLED ABSOLUTE FISH.... BUT ABSOLUTE FISH EMPLOYEE KIND OF HELP ME OUT ON THIS PROGRESS AND TOLD ME THAT SOME THINGS ARE WORTH BUYING ONLINE BECAUSE OF LOW PRICES...... WWW.ABSOLUTELYFISH.COM FOR MORE INFOS, THEY GOT GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE...
, IMMA WAIT TO BUY THE CORALS N IT LAMPS IN JANUARY SINCE IT A LONG PROGRESS FROM THE WAY THING LOOKING HERE :-[... YEAH MY FRIEND TOLD ME TO BUY A POWERHEAD FOR MY TANK BUT FORGOT IT... MY SAND LANDSCAPE IS 2IN-4IN THICK IN CERTAIN PART OF THE TANK.... DO YOU KNOW IF BUYING EQUIPMENTS, FISHES, AND LIVEROCKS ONLINE IS WORTH IT, BECAUSE PETCO.COM IS CHEAPER THEN THE STORE I GO TO ON RT46 IN CLIFTON, NJ CALLED ABSOLUTE FISH.... BUT ABSOLUTE FISH EMPLOYEE KIND OF HELP ME OUT ON THIS PROGRESS AND TOLD ME THAT SOME THINGS ARE WORTH BUYING ONLINE BECAUSE OF LOW PRICES...... WWW.ABSOLUTELYFISH.COM FOR MORE INFOS, THEY GOT GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE...A few suggestions and comments, if I may.
You have said that you would like to have multiple types of corals. Did you mean mixing SPS, LPS and softies together? Their requirements (water, feeding lights etc) are slightly different, and when they grow and/or move they will fight each other to the death, so it is much better to focus on one type.
If you plan to keep corals of any kind, please get very well informed about type of lights and setups. Lights are of the utmost importance because they are THE primary source of food for corals. There are several types of lights and setups, and which one you will choose depends on what you plan to keep in the tank and how much money you want to spend (and there is no limit to that ). Read on the web and ask questions here to get better idea of what you should do. As previously mentioned, moon lights are not necessary.
You have not specified if you are using the skimmer. It is considered the most optimal filtration method for reef tanks after live rocks.
Buying equipment online is definitively worth it. Certainly don't buy it from Absolutely fish since their prices are 50-70% higher. Petco is certainly cheaper, but it is not specialised enough. Don't buy LR from Petco, because it is not worth it. While AbsoluteFish has a nice selection of fish, it is very pricey, and you can find better deals elsewhere if you don't mind driving a bit.
Read retail experiences forum on this site and you will get a bit of an idea what is going on and what to expect.
Finally, lots of planning, research and patience are the keys to the success in this hobby
You have said that you would like to have multiple types of corals. Did you mean mixing SPS, LPS and softies together? Their requirements (water, feeding lights etc) are slightly different, and when they grow and/or move they will fight each other to the death, so it is much better to focus on one type.
If you plan to keep corals of any kind, please get very well informed about type of lights and setups. Lights are of the utmost importance because they are THE primary source of food for corals. There are several types of lights and setups, and which one you will choose depends on what you plan to keep in the tank and how much money you want to spend (and there is no limit to that
). Read on the web and ask questions here to get better idea of what you should do. As previously mentioned, moon lights are not necessary.You have not specified if you are using the skimmer. It is considered the most optimal filtration method for reef tanks after live rocks.
Buying equipment online is definitively worth it. Certainly don't buy it from Absolutely fish since their prices are 50-70% higher. Petco is certainly cheaper, but it is not specialised enough. Don't buy LR from Petco, because it is not worth it. While AbsoluteFish has a nice selection of fish, it is very pricey, and you can find better deals elsewhere if you don't mind driving a bit.
Read retail experiences forum on this site and you will get a bit of an idea what is going on and what to expect.
Finally, lots of planning, research and patience are the keys to the success in this hobby
First thing I'd do is add more live rock (how many lb are in there?) you'll want like 1.5-2lb per gallon so around 65lb give or take a little. Next you'll want some more flow. Most corals will like the flow. Depending on what type of corals you want to keep I'd say at less 20x turn over of flow. That's about 800gph (gallons per hour)Oh next time you do a water change try to get the salt around 1.019-1.025
As for your pH there are a bunch of ways to raise it. but i wouldn't worry about that right now.
Good luck!
Nick
As for your pH there are a bunch of ways to raise it. but i wouldn't worry about that right now.
Good luck!
Nick
Figured I would warn you, you have entered a very expensive hobby. For the ph, you can by "perfect ph" solutions at your lfs that are set to raise of lower the ph until it is at the level it is labelled as.
Like this
last time i got it from here http://www.aquariumguys.com/properph821.html
Generally speaking if you have territorial fish (damsels fit) - then you'll want to consider ways to "mix up / confuse them" so that the territory as changed. If possible I'd re-aquascape so that the newcomers are more readily accepted.
good luck. With 5 damsels - it could be all out war or it could be status quo since no one can gain the upper hand. Or is it 6? I think in your first post you had a 3 stripe damsel...regardless - if you notice territorial behavior - re-aquascape. In particular watch the clowns as I am assuming you are not QT'ing any of the fish first.
good luck. With 5 damsels - it could be all out war or it could be status quo since no one can gain the upper hand. Or is it 6? I think in your first post you had a 3 stripe damsel...regardless - if you notice territorial behavior - re-aquascape. In particular watch the clowns as I am assuming you are not QT'ing any of the fish first.
Hey Krylon
First congratulations by making it here. The people are really helpful and you will learn a lot. You have a pretty small "reef tank" though there are a lot of us nano reefers. I would suggest you take a look at all the build theads of the people there. And if you go to http://www.nano-reef.com/ and read a thread by Steelhlr I think it is you will learn a ton. His thread will take you a day or more at least to read.
Second listen and reply to when people ask you what you have they will make really good suggestions and hopefully someone will sort of befriend you and really help you along. You have some good things going for you. You want your salt lower, get more live rock and please tell us more. Like your lighting to start.
First congratulations by making it here. The people are really helpful and you will learn a lot. You have a pretty small "reef tank" though there are a lot of us nano reefers. I would suggest you take a look at all the build theads of the people there. And if you go to http://www.nano-reef.com/ and read a thread by Steelhlr I think it is you will learn a ton. His thread will take you a day or more at least to read.
Second listen and reply to when people ask you what you have they will make really good suggestions and hopefully someone will sort of befriend you and really help you along. You have some good things going for you. You want your salt lower, get more live rock and please tell us more. Like your lighting to start.
