New- bought complete setup with eel- now help!

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Foster901

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 23, 2006
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cincinnati
I am learning how to use the equipment that came with my 220 complete setup I just bought yesterday. I have a couple of questions...


1 . I have a large wet-dry filter with a protein skimmer in it. The water level is too high and is submerging about an inch of the bioballs- why is this? I do have a reduced flow rate from the returns as well, but everything seems to be running fine.

2. I have a protein skimmer as mentioned above, but the guy i bought it from gave me a jerry rigged collection cup system and I want to put get a replacement cup, but I don't know what size or kind of skimmer it is.

3. Do i need to test for calcium? I am only keeping a yellow head (fimbriated i believe) eel for now.

4. I am a regular (weekly) water changer, but the guy I purchased the tank from cautioned me not to change the water for a few months since I filled it with mostly freshly mixed water. He said he only did water changes about 3 times a year. Is this right? or should I go ahead with small water changes weekly even as it is getting re-established?


that's good enough for now I guess....any help appreciated.
 
I don't envy your position.... that being said... is there ample live sand / rock? You added conditioned tap??? Hmm. I do 10% weekly water changes... I cannot fathom 3 times a year. If it were that easy everyone would have a marine set up. I would cycle, cycle, cycle. Keep an eye on that eel. Make sure he / she is feeding, and test your water regularly. Your next water change should be with ro salt water. Good luck!!! Please post pics if you can. PM Mr. Reef for skimmer help. He knows about everything.
 
thanks- I brought about 100lbs of live sand and the holey rock from his tank. I did add all conditioned, premixed saltwater. I also trucked over about 50gallons of water straight from the old tank. the eel is eating silversides today and seems hardy and relaxed. Should I clean out the old floss and carbon from the wet dry or leave it all alone for awhile?
 
Foster901;3370887; said:
I am learning how to use the equipment that came with my 220 complete setup I just bought yesterday. I have a couple of questions...


1 . I have a large wet-dry filter with a protein skimmer in it. The water level is too high and is submerging about an inch of the bioballs- why is this? I do have a reduced flow rate from the returns as well, but everything seems to be running fine. Most likely it's due to water pump running to slow or too much water added when setting up.

2. I have a protein skimmer as mentioned above, but the guy i bought it from gave me a jerry rigged collection cup system and I want to put get a replacement cup, but I don't know what size or kind of skimmer it is.
Post a pic of skimmer

3. Do i need to test for calcium? I am only keeping a yellow head (fimbriated i believe) eel for now.
not unless your keeping hard coral's or clam's

4. I am a regular (weekly) water changer, but the guy I purchased the tank from cautioned me not to change the water for a few months since I filled it with mostly freshly mixed water. He said he only did water changes about 3 times a year. Is this right? or should I go ahead with small water changes weekly even as it is getting re-established?
No weekly water changes are encourage to replenish lost major and minor trace elements plus to lower level's of nitrate and ammonia as well as replenish the system with fresh saltwater. And, make sure you regularly test your water parameter's especially salinity, Ph. ammonia etc...

that's good enough for now I guess....any help appreciated.
Click to expand...


If you need anything else Private message me

mr.reef24
 
thanks alot- i was able to determine that it is a proclear wet dry filter with their motorized 250 skimmer and I contacted them to purchase a replacement cup. Right now Nitrates are reading around 50ppm and a very small amt. ammonia. Salinity is 1.021. I want to change out the floss and pads in the wet dry and rinse the bioballs because i know that may be where my nitrates are coming from, but I don't want to lose the cycle. Should I wait to do a water change and clean up the filter, or should I do it today like i wanna do? Thanks alot again guys! The eel is eating silversides and hiding in his cave. I think he is probably used to the nitrate level, but I would love to improve this for him asap.
 
I did a 50 gal water change, and cleaned up that filter (changed the floss, added carbon and nitrate absorber and rinsed half the bioballs. The balls were really scummy. I also added a small amount of new bioball I had in an unopened package.) Nitrates were about 40 ppm immediately after. I don't have access to RO water, but i am using amquel plus and premixin.the salt before siphoning into the tank. Eel looks happy, but I wanna get the nitrates as low as possible and probably switch out the balls and do live rock instead. Any one used chemipure of any of those products to get nitrates down faster?
 
Try to mix the Eels diet as much as possible offer him Krill, Squid, Raw uncooked shrimp from the super market crustacean flesh any question send me a Private Message.

mr.reef24
 
make sure you let that salt mix good with the water before adding to tank. I usually let mine mix for about 24 hrs b4 adding. Theres products that say they decrease nitrates but the only real way is water change.
 
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