What do you think of my setup? What next?

[Trucker84]

Hello, I've been working on my first salt water tank recently and i wanted to let you know where i am at, what i have done, and get some advice on what to do next, or what to change.

The tank is 40 gal. and i plan to go reef with it. I have a Fluval 304 filtering with 2 slots with activated carbon and one with bio-media. I have a CPR bak-pak protein skimmer (it does not have the bio-balls, should i add them? or is it not needed for reef only?) I have a maxijet 600 powerhead (160gph) in one corner, and a powersweep rotating powerhead (270gph) in other corner. How is my water circulation? i put in 25lbs of crushed coral and 20lbs of live sand. there is 24lbs of live rock and 8 damsels.

it's been cycling for about a week, what should i do next and what should i change? i am anxious to add a green bubble tip and let him find his home.

what do you think of my live rock formation? do i need more?

any help is greatly appreciated.

[BobbyG123]

looks good if your going reef id deff put more lr in there just my opinion tho

[coreyweinkoetz]

You left out the biggest piece of info whats the light what spec. and watt and photo p.

[coreyweinkoetz]

also how may if any of those damsels are you keeping or what other large life forms are you putting in there ??

[Trucker84]

OOPS i got 4 39W T5HO 2 blue 2 white 10,000k i also want to get those lunar cycle led lights.

I found out after i got the damsels that most of them would be aggressive to other fish. i was told they would be like living with yellow jackets for my other fish. so i'm not sure what to do with them (would be funny to watch my 7 piranha eat them but kinda cruel to put salt water fish in freshwater tank huh?) i'm not sure what other fish im going to keep, i'm still reserching what all is reef safe. I def want to get a pair of clown fish to live in the bubble tip.
how much more live rock should i buy?

[Trucker84]

i think after my brown algea bloom i will order the monty's helper pack http://www.reefermadness.us/Helpers-For-A-Small-Reef-System.321.1538.3.htm from reefermadness is this a good deal or should i buy them individually from LFS?

[Trucker84]

was thinking about a powder blue tang/purple tang/blue hippo tang as they are smaller. i think gobies are cool too. dwarf lionfish a bad idea?

[BobbyG123]

yeah thats deff another thing is a cleaner package or even a skunk shrimp or something..blue hippo would probably out grow a 40 gal im not sure tho someone else can help you with that the only thing i would say about a blue hippo that is a pain is there REALLY sensitive when i first got mine he had ick then the skunk shrimp ate it then it came back like 2 more times then he got pop eye but now ive had him for about 2 months and hes alright so i guess its just the begining...me personally would put aother 20 25 lbs of lr in there thats up to you tho

[jcardona1]

sorry for the random question, but what brand of light is that??

[BIGgourami]

was thinking about a powder blue tang/purple tang/blue hippo tang as they are smaller. i think gobies are cool too. dwarf lionfish a bad idea?


that is BASS-ACKWARDS!!!
purples get to about 10''
hippos to about 16
and PBT usually need large tanks from agression issues and disease..

[Trucker84]

The light is a Katana i believe. I have never seen them on the internet. I met a local guy who is a distributer for them. They are an excellent value. I got a 4ft one with 4 bulbs for $150 and a 3ft on with 4 bulbs for $130 By far the best value i have been able to find. i can provide you with his info if you woud like. next month they are upgrading them to come with led lights as well, and he said the price wouldnt be going up much, if at all.

[Trucker84]

no tangs... ok how about a watchman goby a mated pair of clown fish and a wrase? I really like box fish but i heard they can be problematic with the coral. anyone had experience with this?

[coreyweinkoetz]

Youd need like a 75. min for smaller tangs sorry the dwarf lions are alright but they eat your 21/2in watchmen unless you get the tiger "cryptocentrus pavoninoides" blackfinned shrimp goby. They all would eat fancey shrimps. A sixline wrasse would work but get an adult, so the lion dont eat him!

[coreyweinkoetz]

Box fish would give you many differant problems you dont need

[Trucker84]

dwarf lion wont mess with my snails? what about the sixline wrasse?

[BIGgourami]

^ 6 line with the snails?
shouldn't.. at least i've never heard about it

[Butter73]

I just bought the 3 ft version of that light off of ebay it is a good light at a great value.