chillout-reefer-dave
Community Member
Hello, I rarely post on forums because I know how to use the search bar. I will try to be concise.
25 years of freshwater experience. I know water chemistry and already own a RODI system.
Recently decided to level up my hobby now that I'm a grown up. (38) FB marketplace is a gold mine of free and cheap tanks. The buy/sell/trade/rehome groups are also super cool. I started before there was any of this and only recently came out from under my Y2K rock.
Anywho, I have always wanted a saltwater setup and, put simply, could not afford it.
This brings us to my $400 setup I just scored last night.
It was only a 30 minute drive and the guy was super helpful.
He had to sell in a hurry because his landlord discovered it and no tanks allowed.
He said everything is a year old or less.
"Reef and macro algae setup, all soft corals, not drilled for sump"
55 Gallon pristine condition
2 Hydor wave makers/powerheads
Fluval FX4 w/ inline UV "full of good media"
Nicrew cheap reef light with fussy controller
Fluval "plant light for macro algae"
generic heater
established Live Rock and sand
Livestock: Juvenile Niger Trigger, Blue Hippo Tang, Blue spotted puffer, Lawnmower Blenny, Maroon clown, Chocolate chip starfish, Engineer goby, duncan coral, zoanthids,green star polyp, finger leather, sea lettuce, chaeto, red pom pom gracilaria
I know there are a lot of things wrong in this picture like the very bad hose. This was before I left for work this morning.
Questions:
1. He said the Niger trigger "wont get big, they grow slow", everything I read says otherwise.
2. I have it at 77 like he suggested
3. How do I keep sea lettuce from getting sucked into the wave maker / intake
4. Will this FX4 even be close to enough with this stocking?
5. Do I NEED a protein skimmer, when will I know? watching phosphate and nitrate levels?
6. Where do I position the wave makers and how much current?
7. How do I know if a coral is even alive?
8. He gave me frozen grocery store shrimp for the starfish and frozen mysis or brine shrimp I will check later.
9. How soon should I feed? I will message the guy to see exactly what he was doing.
10. This seems over stocked for a 55?
11. Are these lights ok for what I assume are "beginner corals?"
12. Im using his water and store bought sea water jugs until my replacement RO membrane comes, mine was worn out.
13. Should I even bother getting the new membrane for my 100GPD "express water "under sink rodi unit? it has the 3 gallon storage tank.
14. He forgot to include the refractomer and reccomended a new one anyway. Can I get by with a 10 dollar petsmart hydrometer or should I spring for the $30 petco refract?
15. Sorry for being so verbose. This is me trying
This is the picture he shared on the listing:
25 years of freshwater experience. I know water chemistry and already own a RODI system.
Recently decided to level up my hobby now that I'm a grown up. (38) FB marketplace is a gold mine of free and cheap tanks. The buy/sell/trade/rehome groups are also super cool. I started before there was any of this and only recently came out from under my Y2K rock.
Anywho, I have always wanted a saltwater setup and, put simply, could not afford it.
This brings us to my $400 setup I just scored last night.
It was only a 30 minute drive and the guy was super helpful.
He had to sell in a hurry because his landlord discovered it and no tanks allowed.
He said everything is a year old or less.
"Reef and macro algae setup, all soft corals, not drilled for sump"
55 Gallon pristine condition
2 Hydor wave makers/powerheads
Fluval FX4 w/ inline UV "full of good media"
Nicrew cheap reef light with fussy controller
Fluval "plant light for macro algae"
generic heater
established Live Rock and sand
Livestock: Juvenile Niger Trigger, Blue Hippo Tang, Blue spotted puffer, Lawnmower Blenny, Maroon clown, Chocolate chip starfish, Engineer goby, duncan coral, zoanthids,green star polyp, finger leather, sea lettuce, chaeto, red pom pom gracilaria
I know there are a lot of things wrong in this picture like the very bad hose. This was before I left for work this morning.
Questions:
1. He said the Niger trigger "wont get big, they grow slow", everything I read says otherwise.
2. I have it at 77 like he suggested
3. How do I keep sea lettuce from getting sucked into the wave maker / intake
4. Will this FX4 even be close to enough with this stocking?
5. Do I NEED a protein skimmer, when will I know? watching phosphate and nitrate levels?
6. Where do I position the wave makers and how much current?
7. How do I know if a coral is even alive?
8. He gave me frozen grocery store shrimp for the starfish and frozen mysis or brine shrimp I will check later.
9. How soon should I feed? I will message the guy to see exactly what he was doing.
10. This seems over stocked for a 55?
11. Are these lights ok for what I assume are "beginner corals?"
12. Im using his water and store bought sea water jugs until my replacement RO membrane comes, mine was worn out.
13. Should I even bother getting the new membrane for my 100GPD "express water "under sink rodi unit? it has the 3 gallon storage tank.
14. He forgot to include the refractomer and reccomended a new one anyway. Can I get by with a 10 dollar petsmart hydrometer or should I spring for the $30 petco refract?
15. Sorry for being so verbose. This is me trying
This is the picture he shared on the listing:
