help with 30 gal reef tank. please

[FLESHY]

Current is something that will always need to be tinkered with in reef settings. Or at least for a long time.

I would get centered if you were going to do only ONE overflow.

 

[scalesandfins]

Current is something that will always need to be tinkered with in reef settings. Or at least for a long time.

I would get centered if you were going to do only ONE overflow.

ha is that implying i should do 2?
i will prob only have about 2-300 gph pump so wouldnt 2 just be over kill and extra noise?
and also my fiance really wants a mandarin bad. what do i need to make sure i have enough copes?
cant i buy a bottle of them and dump them in my sump abd fuge and let them get established before i add the mandarin?

 

[FLESHY]

You can...massive amounts of aged, cured rock in your tank and your sump...and then you are going to have to dose your sump with copes.

I would also suggest he be the only fish.

I would do two overflows in either corner or one in the middle. It ensures that you have equal waste removal from all directions.

 

[scalesandfins]

the only fish? why is that? so he gets all the copes to himself?
i think on in the center is what im goin with.
we are trying to figure out fish now. but we have a while. i might steal some water from my buddies tank to help get it cycling a little faster.
that would help right? and all cured live rock.
it would basically be almost all cycled. so i would prob only have to give it like 2 weeks before i add fish.
tell me if im wrong. prob am

 

[FLESHY]

If its cycled you can add fish. I would just want the cope population to be massively established before adding a fish that...as I have said before...I have watched starve in a fully established 125g.

You cant afford to have anything else in your tank eating any food that he might want. I still dont think its going to work...but thats your best bet.

 

[Heathd]

You best bet for a manderin would be tons of copepods and an ORA Manderin (even though I am hearing they still refuse mysis, etc).

 

[scalesandfins]

ok well mandarin is out.
so if i use cured live rock and established tank water and the bagged sand it should be basically almost cycled. correct? or the cycle process should happen alot faster

 

[Heathd]

ok well mandarin is out.
so if i use cured live rock and established tank water and the bagged sand it should be basically almost cycled. correct? or the cycle process should happen alot faster

It will jump start it, but thats it. You should still have some diatom bloom, and should monitor water quality untill it shows no spikes in ammonia or nitrites.

Add fish slowly

 

[scalesandfins]

ok good to know.
i will prob put some blck mollies to start it a little faster too.
man this is what i dont like about salt is all the waiting it will be worth it tho

 

[Heathd]

ok good to know.
i will prob put some blck mollies to start it a little faster too.
man this is what i dont like about salt is all the waiting it will be worth it tho

I know mollies, if aclimated slowly, can live in salt for a little bit, but I dont think they will live for too long in it.