i just scraped up a bunch of stuff off craigslist and want to start a saltwater tank with it i have a 55 gallon tank with a fluval 203 and fluval 204 canister filters i bought a few new parts and all new media for all filters i have a fluval 1 plus and fluval 4 plus with venturi valve im using for circulation a aqueon 200 pro heater, a won pro heat titanium 350 watt heater, 2 regular flouresent aquarium lamps, a wisper 40 air pump, and optima 5500cc air pump this is a nice one with electronic air control, a couple air stones, a 4 way air valve, automatic fish feeder, lucky me i only paid for the tank and filter parts and media and the 8 outlet light timer by zoo med dont have all the filter parts but have whats required to operate them i keep reading up on tis stuff i want to start a sucessful saltwater reef tank mayby a fish or 2 i would like to get some urchins hermit crabs and some cleaner shrimp oh and i made a tank divider for it this divider allows uninterupted water flow while keeping the critters from getting through it i started everything up last night and it has been running for 24 hours i have not started adding anything just filled the tank and stared the filters am i missing anything im running on a budget so this find really saved me alot
First salt water build. Fluval Spec 2 gallon!
- Thread starter studd muffin
- Start date
I'm going to say a few things here... so please anybody correct me if i am erong.
First using drinking water is a possibility but depending on what you are using it may still contain trace elements. Did you test the water parameters before adding it to the tank? RODI water is processed excessively to leave pretty much just H20...
Also you are using 2 damsels to cycle the tank? From what I have read this is a very inhumane way to cycle the tank. It stresses the fish out and is not good for their overall health.
Why haven't you added any sand or LR? Live rock will cycle your tank and is the choice among most saltwater aquarists.
It just seems to me that you should have done sand and rock... then added any fish. once again those damsels really need at least 10g each if not more. The lack of a cycled tank and in a small tank will be very stressful to them. I know they are cheap but still...
First using drinking water is a possibility but depending on what you are using it may still contain trace elements. Did you test the water parameters before adding it to the tank? RODI water is processed excessively to leave pretty much just H20...
Also you are using 2 damsels to cycle the tank? From what I have read this is a very inhumane way to cycle the tank. It stresses the fish out and is not good for their overall health.
Why haven't you added any sand or LR? Live rock will cycle your tank and is the choice among most saltwater aquarists.
It just seems to me that you should have done sand and rock... then added any fish. once again those damsels really need at least 10g each if not more. The lack of a cycled tank and in a small tank will be very stressful to them. I know they are cheap but still...
Also i believe this is your striped damsel http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+28+104&pcatid=104
yellow one possibly this one http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+28+132&pcatid=132
however kinda hard to see from the pics
yellow one possibly this one http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+28+132&pcatid=132
however kinda hard to see from the pics
Reason why I did not get the live rock and sand yet because they will be getting that in tomorrow. If I wanted live rock today I would literally have to use a shovel to dig out the one I want. And for live sand, they are getting a shipment of small bags of live sand(forgot what the brand was). I dont want to spend $25 dollars on a big bag and not use it all. And like I said, I am new to salt. Almost all the people I asked they said for me to use damsels to cycle the tank. These guys are going to be in here temporary. Like I said they will be going into my uncles tank. He has a 75g reef with some damsels.TMartinez;5058603; said:
I'm actually shocked at how many aquarists use the term "cycle" yet do not understand it. The Nitrogen cycle starts with bacteria that rots organics leading to ammonia ending in Nitrate being transformed into Harmless Nitrogen gas - all along the way many types of bacterias are built to preform this process.
These bacterias need pourous surfaces to grow on - carbon, clay, rocks, sand etc...
These bacterias need pourous surfaces to grow on - carbon, clay, rocks, sand etc...
Thus my thoughts...Otherone;5059021; said:
People add damsels with LR and sand. The beneficial bacteria is alive on live rock and the bioload from the damsels help kickstart it. However just having 2 fish in a tank won't "cycle" your tank
Very cool. Post some pics...
BTW I didn't mean to attack you, hope it didn't come off that way. I was just stating that there are a certain ways things should be done.
Also did those links look like the fish you have?
BTW I didn't mean to attack you, hope it didn't come off that way. I was just stating that there are a certain ways things should be done.
Also did those links look like the fish you have?
It is I, the original 2 gallon reef pioneer. I've been gradually adding things to the tank since January and I will continue to do so until things start to die. I'm using a 7.5 watt hydor heater and Aquatic Nature LED's. They have better color but are a little weaker than the stock lights that come with the Fluval. I let the tank cycle with live rock, sand and a couple snails. Dropped a blue velvet damsel in about a week after setting it up. Added some plates, zoas, crabs, and some palythoas a week after that. Nothing has died, everything is showing growth. I just added a six-line from my friends tank just for the heck of it and will soon add another batch of corals. I will keep you posted on my mad scheme.
well here's the thing. I'm no SW expert (yet) but I know that corals will only survive in a very narrow range of temperatures, somewhere between 76-77F, so when you get even the smallest change in temperatures, that small amount of water is going to react very fast and adjust to the temperature. True, a heater will probably keep it above 76F if its a very accurate one, but on a hot summers day, my FW tanks reach 86-87F, and I know that any corals i try to keep will end up dead because they're so sensitive. temps in the coral reefs do not change more than a single degree all throughout the year because there is so much water volume that water is constantly being cooled and warmed and rotated by the currents. I really hope that your plan works out because Im faced with the space problem all the time and for the past year or so been trying to plan a fool proof way of setting up a nano-reef in my house, but i always run into roadblocks, esp temperature management. But if your house is super well insulated, and you can maintain a steady temperature all the time and don't mind having to leave the AC on in the summer, even when you're not home, then by all means, keep going! I just did a cursory glance through this thread and didn't see anything about temperature, so I just thought i'd throw this in. GL
