First Salt Tank!

[ckcdrummer]

Just keep in mind that some things may not be necessary now but it'll make everything much easier in the long run, for example adding supplements and having a protein skimmer will help keep things stable.


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[Amaroq]

My LFS tests water for free, they use the dip sticks though and I've hear they are relatively inaccurate. Could I save a few bucks and just use the LFS or do I need to buy the test kit?

I'll forget about the Trigger then, better safe then sorry. I'll definitely look into the fish mentioned for tank mates. Is it possible to have two SnowFlakes or would they get territorial?

Now with having an eel how will I go about having a cleaning crew if they will just eat them? Are there some that they just won't eat or is it just hit and miss really? Also is it possible to keep Starfish or Urchins with Eels? My GF loves the look of them so I figured id have one if I can.


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[Slippery K]

My LFS tests water for free, they use the dip sticks though and I've hear they are relatively inaccurate. Could I save a few bucks and just use the LFS or do I need to buy the test kit?

I'll forget about the Trigger then, better safe then sorry. I'll definitely look into the fish mentioned for tank mates. Is it possible to have two SnowFlakes or would they get territorial?

Now with having an eel how will I go about having a cleaning crew if they will just eat them? Are there some that they just won't eat or is it just hit and miss really? Also is it possible to keep Starfish or Urchins with Eels? My GF loves the look of them so I figured id have one if I can.


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Test kit is just simple compared to driving a sample up to your lfs every week, the choice is yours though. And yes you could put two Snowflake Morays in a 75, just provide them with plently of Live Rock, and at least 2 hiding spots or caves per Eel. Cleanup crew is your basic hermit crabs, blue leg, zerba, etc... Cleaner Shrimp are symbiotic to many fish and will actualy sit there cleaning your morays mouth. I wouldnt advise "soft" urchins like serpent stars and things like that, they will be eaten.

It may all come down to the individual fish you own. My Tesselata is the most peaceful moray iv owned, even lets me pet his back. While my Fimbriated (yellow devil) has killed over $120 in fish and inverts, so hes housed solo.

 

[Amaroq]

I actually work at my LFS so its not out of the way at all haha Would a cleanup crew be advisable? Are they actually useful in a FOWLR tank? On that note, would a refugium be a good idea or should I just do a fine Mech filter and live rock/small tank for something else? Basically I'm not sure what a saltwater sump is supposed to do/look like lol

Are Spiny Urchins okay with eels? The big long spined ones, I think they're usually like black or deep purple? So a cleaning shrimp wouldn't be a bad idea then? I'd love to watch things clean my eels. Are there any other small fish? Like those little blue and black striped guys you always see in the underwater documentaries, do they do alright in the home aquarium?

 

[Slippery K]

Good filtration like your Ac110 and a protein skimmer should be fine. Personaly iv never used a refugium so i have no comment there. Your cleanup crew will depend on your main stock, if your just doing 2 snowflakes for example, you wouldnt need alot of hermits and critters unless you plan on feeding them and providing them with a good home also. You can try and put some Damsels in there, they may be fast enough to escape the jaws of death, but everytime i tried Damsels they disappeard the first night.

Your filtration is fine right now (although a protein skimmer is a good investment), as long as you keep ontop of maintenance and waterchanges. Decide what you "main focus" of the tank is, then base the rest of your stock around that. So far your off to a good start.

 

[Otherone]

At the very least if using tap water I'd recommend using activated carbon and purigien or chem pure for nitrate control. fish are very tolerant of of PO4 and Alk but not so tolerant of nitrates above 20ppm

 

[Amaroq]

Alright, maybe I'll hold off on the sump then and use the money I would have saved for a skimmer. I was looking at something like this for a skimmer, I realize its a little underrated but is that alright? The next closest model is for up to 125 gallon tanks and is like $200 (http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/p...Skimmer+(Needle+wheel)+-+up+to+65+Gallon.html) Is Coralife a decent brand as far as skimmers go? I'd love to save money if possible haha Also as far as salt goes, would there be any benefit in purchasing Reef Salt or Sea Salt? I ask because I can pick up a bucket of Reef Salt for $59 but for Sea Salt I would need to buy two $29 bags that will just barely give me enough salt mix. On that note, is Instant Ocean a good quality Salt Mix in the first place? It seems to be the most common at the very least because I see it at almost every petshop.

I'll keep some carbon in the AC110 until I get a skimmer going then, thanks for the tip.

I'd like to base my tank around a SnowFlake Eel, I'm not sure if I wanna have an aggressive predator tank or just mix in some medium to larger fish. How much "room" do I have left in the 75 gallon for other fish with the Eel? I wish there was some way to keep the Eel safe and keep the Niger Trigger, for some reason I just love the look of those guys.. Do you think if I put in extra liverock and made the eel caves only accessible in certain ways the Trigger would still bother him? Or is the the fact that he would just nip him when he comes out of the rocks to eat/explore?

 

[cichlid_king]

Alright, maybe I'll hold off on the sump then and use the money I would have saved for a skimmer. I was looking at something like this for a skimmer, I realize its a little underrated but is that alright? The next closest model is for up to 125 gallon tanks and is like $200 (http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/p...Skimmer+(Needle+wheel)+-+up+to+65+Gallon.html) Is Coralife a decent brand as far as skimmers go? I'd love to save money if possible haha Also as far as salt goes, would there be any benefit in purchasing Reef Salt or Sea Salt? I ask because I can pick up a bucket of Reef Salt for $59 but for Sea Salt I would need to buy two $29 bags that will just barely give me enough salt mix. On that note, is Instant Ocean a good quality Salt Mix in the first place? It seems to be the most common at the very least because I see it at almost every petshop.

I'll keep some carbon in the AC110 until I get a skimmer going then, thanks for the tip.

I'd like to base my tank around a SnowFlake Eel, I'm not sure if I wanna have an aggressive predator tank or just mix in some medium to larger fish. How much "room" do I have left in the 75 gallon for other fish with the Eel? I wish there was some way to keep the Eel safe and keep the Niger Trigger, for some reason I just love the look of those guys.. Do you think if I put in extra liverock and made the eel caves only accessible in certain ways the Trigger would still bother him? Or is the the fact that he would just nip him when he comes out of the rocks to eat/explore?

Instant ocean is the most common and easiest salt to mix for beginners. It's what I used when I first started getting into sw. I now use red sea coral pro. If you are not doing a reef, which your are not, Instant ocean will work just fine. You will not need reef crystals because that blend contains more additives that corals thrive on. The sea salt blend will work just fine in your tank.

Coralife makes a good skimmer. I use the SS 65 on my 40 breeder. It's easy to use and pulls a lot of junk out of the water. I recommend them, while others may not. However, I suggest you buy a skimmer that is rated for more gallons than your display tank. If you are already thinking about cheaping out on things I give you a word of caution. Cheaping out only causes problems in the future.

Another tip: ALWAYS buy more salt than you need. It doesn't hurt the salt to sit around. If you put too much water in to mix, which you probably will the first time, then you run out of salt and have a low salinity. Then you have to run and get more salt quick. It's a pain. I've done it. Always plan ahead.

I have never kept triggers or eels so I can't answer your other question

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[Slippery K]

Alright, maybe I'll hold off on the sump then and use the money I would have saved for a skimmer. I was looking at something like this for a skimmer, I realize its a little underrated but is that alright? The next closest model is for up to 125 gallon tanks and is like $200 (http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/p...Skimmer+(Needle+wheel)+-+up+to+65+Gallon.html) Is Coralife a decent brand as far as skimmers go? I'd love to save money if possible haha Also as far as salt goes, would there be any benefit in purchasing Reef Salt or Sea Salt? I ask because I can pick up a bucket of Reef Salt for $59 but for Sea Salt I would need to buy two $29 bags that will just barely give me enough salt mix. On that note, is Instant Ocean a good quality Salt Mix in the first place? It seems to be the most common at the very least because I see it at almost every petshop.

I'll keep some carbon in the AC110 until I get a skimmer going then, thanks for the tip.

I'd like to base my tank around a SnowFlake Eel, I'm not sure if I wanna have an aggressive predator tank or just mix in some medium to larger fish. How much "room" do I have left in the 75 gallon for other fish with the Eel? I wish there was some way to keep the Eel safe and keep the Niger Trigger, for some reason I just love the look of those guys.. Do you think if I put in extra liverock and made the eel caves only accessible in certain ways the Trigger would still bother him? Or is the the fact that he would just nip him when he comes out of the rocks to eat/explore?

Coralife is a excellent skimmer brand, its what I use and iv never had an issue or complaint. Instant ocean is a good salt mix to use, you wont need the real "high end" stuff as your not focusing on corals. Personally I never use carbon in my tanks (it has benefits as well as downsides, do some research and find out which is best for you)

The good thing about morays is they domt require tons of room. Your snowflake will be most active during feeding, and nighttime. During the day you'll see him "observing" their suroundings, and the occasional moving to new hiding spot, leaving all the open space in your tank for other stock. You can keep a niger trigger with eels, just be cautious as there may be issues between them. Anything "too big" to eat should be safe from the double jaws of death. Small lionfish species makes great tankmates as well as being visually pleasing, plus there bad@$$ lol. Tangs, angels, hawk fish, squirrel fish, all can ne housed with a snowflake as long as they are too big to eat. Basicly anything that grows larger than 4" - 5" that is speedy enough to survive a moray attack should be ok. Look through my profile album for some ideas. Iv kept a little bit of everything.

 

[ckcdrummer]

Alright, maybe I'll hold off on the sump then and use the money I would have saved for a skimmer. I was looking at something like this for a skimmer, I realize its a little underrated but is that alright? The next closest model is for up to 125 gallon tanks and is like $200 (http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/p...Skimmer+(Needle+wheel)+-+up+to+65+Gallon.html) Is Coralife a decent brand as far as skimmers go? I'd love to save money if possible haha Also as far as salt goes, would there be any benefit in purchasing Reef Salt or Sea Salt? I ask because I can pick up a bucket of Reef Salt for $59 but for Sea Salt I would need to buy two $29 bags that will just barely give me enough salt mix. On that note, is Instant Ocean a good quality Salt Mix in the first place? It seems to be the most common at the very least because I see it at almost every petshop.

I'll keep some carbon in the AC110 until I get a skimmer going then, thanks for the tip.

I'd like to base my tank around a SnowFlake Eel, I'm not sure if I wanna have an aggressive predator tank or just mix in some medium to larger fish. How much "room" do I have left in the 75 gallon for other fish with the Eel? I wish there was some way to keep the Eel safe and keep the Niger Trigger, for some reason I just love the look of those guys.. Do you think if I put in extra liverock and made the eel caves only accessible in certain ways the Trigger would still bother him? Or is the the fact that he would just nip him when he comes out of the rocks to eat/explore?

The coralife super skimmer 65 is a good skimmer, I'm running it on my 20 gal nano, only complaint is that it's pretty loud, there are modifications you can make to make it quieter but it's only $100 so its kind of a "ya get what you pay for" deal.


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