Help a noob out

[Evil1]

Oh, I had a few frags. Spoiler alert they didn’t make it. I don’t intend on buying more coral until I got this all figured out a little more. I will take a few pictures when I get home. It’s not pretty yet

We will get you straightened out! Or at least try!

 

[Evil1]

Are these tests all that I would need?

Yes the 6 pack combo is what you will need. If you plan to get corals but do as fishface nj advised for now.

 

[kevgib67]

Welcome, glad you are here!

 

[noobwithreef1]

I would get the NO3 and the PO4. I don't think you need the Ammonia (since your tank has fish in it). When you get corals you will need KH, and Ca tests. But wait on those until you get the corals.

Thank you!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Warning- this is a long read!

Soooooo, I really wanted to start a saltwater tank and do it the right way. I researched, watched a few dozen videos, researched some more, saved a few dollars, watched more videos on how to get started and then made the mistake of going into a business and letting them talk me into “getting started right away” and not understanding what they had me starting.
I had originally planned a nano set up with an all in one system ( I think I said that right) but decided I didn’t want to spend that much up front just in case this wasn’t for me ( it still might not be for me, but I don’t give up easy!) so I got a 20 gallon long aquarium, a 30 gallon HOB filter with skimmer combo (I forgot the brand- it was horrible) some live sand (carribsea Fiji pink because well, I didn’t know any better) some Instant Ocean in the purple bag and a mini wave maker.
When I went into the not so local store to just look around, the owner convinced me that an under gravel filter with crushed coral was a better choice and he would even give me some “good bacteria” to add so I could add my fish and my anemone right away. So, He sold me the stuff and a light (Phlizon PH-A40 discussed here on R2R “Budget Lighting”) and then the disappointment began. The anemone died because the foot was cut when he removed it from the rock it was on, then I realized I needed a bigger tank! So I upgraded and used the 20 long for a sand sifter he sold me with the crushed coral (that was honestly my bad- it’s a sand sifter for crying out loud) and a few other sand happy individual creatures I acquired. Then I learned about the importance of water flow, not over feeding, not running bright lights all day etc. The amount of mistakes I have made would take an eternity to read. I come to you all for help before I continue to make unnecessary mistakes moving forward.
I currently have a 40 gallon (breeder I believe) with an under gravel filter and a Fluval ac 110 with an over population of amphipods. 2 clownfish, 2 firefish,a bartlett’s anthias (I think), a yellow watchman goby, a lawnmower blenny, a ruby dragonet, a skunk cleaner shrimp, Mexican turbo, a few blue leg hermits and 3 bubble tip anemone are all of the inhabitants of the 40 gal.
I have reduced feeding and lighting. I also try to remove as many of the large ones as I can using a long pipette (they really creep me out so it’s not a fun thing to do) I see all of the fish eating them when the lights are off.
Here is where the questions start.

I want to add a possum wrasse, but am concerned it may harass or hurt my skunk cleaner shrimp. Could this work out?

The under gravel filter seemed to be ok in the beginning, but now I wonder is there a way to clean under the filter without ruining the tank? I feel like lifting that plate with be worse than just leaving it be.

Is the crushed coral a horrible idea?

Which test kit/instrument is best for monitoring nutrient levels?

Exactly which nutrients am I testing to keep my current inhabitants healthy?

If I add coral what will I be testing for then?

Which wave maker with multi directional flow do you recommend?

Which brand of reef salt do you recommend?

I have googled all of my questions, but I feel like here I can get more because everyone reefs differently and I can get more in depth answers and help. The owner of both of the lfs here where I live come across like they are irritated if you ask to many questions or just too busy. I went there for help with the amphipods and they sold me a Red Sea cucumber (a hotdog or something) it didn’t like the crushed coral so now I have 5 running aquariums at the moment, (that’s a whole other topic ) and am making this harder than it needs to be I believe. I just want to get the abundance of creepy things out and go back to enjoying my tank(s).
Thank you for reading.
All answers and advice are appreciated.

I already know I am doing this thread wrong, so please be nice lol, I torture myself enough

Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.8
According to 7 in 1 test strip results.
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
PH 7.6
KH 40
GH 100

Separate Ammonia test 0

Crushed coral is 1 year old
40 Gallon has been running 7 months
I have no recent pictures due to an extended ugly phase shame.

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no where near simple. This task is going to take patience, a ton of...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!

 

[edsbeaker]

Hello and welcome! You can make this work with some time, patience and never going back to that store!!! Sorry for the rough beginning!

 

[Addicted2Acro]

This is a really hard hobby to begin with. Trying to pull it off when equipment is either wrong or cheap is going to drive you clinically insane......eventually. Its a slow death.

Here is the thing.....if you can, what I would do is scrap your entire system and get a nice Red Sea or Innovative Marine All-in-one system. That way you are at least starting out on the right foot with good equipment. Get rid of your crushed coral and just start with some Caribe Sea live sand.

If its not in the budget then it is what it is. But I promise your life will be easier if you start off with a good system with components that work well together,. Also, get the Hanna Professional Reef test kit. Its like $300 and the best there is.

Ideal for you is the following:

Get a Red Sea Max Nano G2 system. It will have flow, lights, heat, filter, everything you need and it will all work well. Build a scape out of Caribe Sea nano arches. Sand bed is Caribe Sea Pink Fiji or Argonite sand. Your salt will be Tropic Marin Pro. You will dose BRS two part soda ash and calcium. You will add tropic marin A and K elements to the two part eventually if your corals start to do really well. There is always more you can do, but that is a good start.

What I just said is not cheap, but if you really want a reef tank, do it right from the beginning. If you have a budget for this stuff feel free to PM me and I can dial in the broad strokes I just laid out for you.

Good luck!

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!!

 

[Reef Jedi]

Welcome to Reef2Reef, the greatest community out of water!

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Warning- this is a long read!

Soooooo, I really wanted to start a saltwater tank and do it the right way. I researched, watched a few dozen videos, researched some more, saved a few dollars, watched more videos on how to get started and then made the mistake of going into a business and letting them talk me into “getting started right away” and not understanding what they had me starting.
I had originally planned a nano set up with an all in one system ( I think I said that right) but decided I didn’t want to spend that much up front just in case this wasn’t for me ( it still might not be for me, but I don’t give up easy!) so I got a 20 gallon long aquarium, a 30 gallon HOB filter with skimmer combo (I forgot the brand- it was horrible) some live sand (carribsea Fiji pink because well, I didn’t know any better) some Instant Ocean in the purple bag and a mini wave maker.
When I went into the not so local store to just look around, the owner convinced me that an under gravel filter with crushed coral was a better choice and he would even give me some “good bacteria” to add so I could add my fish and my anemone right away. So, He sold me the stuff and a light (Phlizon PH-A40 discussed here on R2R “Budget Lighting”) and then the disappointment began. The anemone died because the foot was cut when he removed it from the rock it was on, then I realized I needed a bigger tank! So I upgraded and used the 20 long for a sand sifter he sold me with the crushed coral (that was honestly my bad- it’s a sand sifter for crying out loud) and a few other sand happy individual creatures I acquired. Then I learned about the importance of water flow, not over feeding, not running bright lights all day etc. The amount of mistakes I have made would take an eternity to read. I come to you all for help before I continue to make unnecessary mistakes moving forward.
I currently have a 40 gallon (breeder I believe) with an under gravel filter and a Fluval ac 110 with an over population of amphipods. 2 clownfish, 2 firefish,a bartlett’s anthias (I think), a yellow watchman goby, a lawnmower blenny, a ruby dragonet, a skunk cleaner shrimp, Mexican turbo, a few blue leg hermits and 3 bubble tip anemone are all of the inhabitants of the 40 gal.
I have reduced feeding and lighting. I also try to remove as many of the large ones as I can using a long pipette (they really creep me out so it’s not a fun thing to do) I see all of the fish eating them when the lights are off.
Here is where the questions start.

I want to add a possum wrasse, but am concerned it may harass or hurt my skunk cleaner shrimp. Could this work out?

The under gravel filter seemed to be ok in the beginning, but now I wonder is there a way to clean under the filter without ruining the tank? I feel like lifting that plate with be worse than just leaving it be.

Is the crushed coral a horrible idea?

Which test kit/instrument is best for monitoring nutrient levels?

Exactly which nutrients am I testing to keep my current inhabitants healthy?

If I add coral what will I be testing for then?

Which wave maker with multi directional flow do you recommend?

Which brand of reef salt do you recommend?

I have googled all of my questions, but I feel like here I can get more because everyone reefs differently and I can get more in depth answers and help. The owner of both of the lfs here where I live come across like they are irritated if you ask to many questions or just too busy. I went there for help with the amphipods and they sold me a Red Sea cucumber (a hotdog or something) it didn’t like the crushed coral so now I have 5 running aquariums at the moment, (that’s a whole other topic ) and am making this harder than it needs to be I believe. I just want to get the abundance of creepy things out and go back to enjoying my tank(s).
Thank you for reading.
All answers and advice are appreciated.

I already know I am doing this thread wrong, so please be nice lol, I torture myself enough

Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.8
According to 7 in 1 test strip results.
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
PH 7.6
KH 40
GH 100

Separate Ammonia test 0

Crushed coral is 1 year old
40 Gallon has been running 7 months
I have no recent pictures due to an extended ugly phase shame.

You need nitrate and soon. KH of 40 is wrong. should be in range of 7-12. What are your phosphates and what are you using to test.

Highly suggest you invest in a Hanna ULR for phosphate and a Hanna HR Nitrate. Without good readings of nutrients, it is like walking around in the pitch black looking for an object.
Salifert for KH. Very easy.

 

[jsmkmavity]

Before you buy ANY red sea tank, new or used do a search for seam failures. You have had enough of a rough start already without adding that problem showing up just as you are getting everything else figured out and working well. The problems arent limited to g1 and g2 tanks and happen to all sizes. Is the 70 gallon you have drilled for an overflow? Did the other tanks come with any equipment? If so you might already have a lot of what you need to set up the 70 when you are ready. If not you might want to buy a newer used complete system from an experienced reef aquarist that already has everything you need and can tell you how to run it. You could probably make what you already have work with some friendly advise and maybe some newer equipment. I would see if the lfs will buy back the critters you dont want or give store credit if nobody local wants them. Then only buy what you already know is right from your own research and answers here with that credit.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

This is a really hard hobby to begin with. Trying to pull it off when equipment is either wrong or cheap is going to drive you clinically insane......eventually. Its a slow death.

Here is the thing.....if you can, what I would do is scrap your entire system and get a nice Red Sea or Innovative Marine All-in-one system. That way you are at least starting out on the right foot with good equipment. Get rid of your crushed coral and just start with some Caribe Sea live sand.

If its not in the budget then it is what it is. But I promise your life will be easier if you start off with a good system with components that work well together,. Also, get the Hanna Professional Reef test kit. Its like $300 and the best there is.

Ideal for you is the following:

Get a Red Sea Max Nano G2 system. It will have flow, lights, heat, filter, everything you need and it will all work well. Build a scape out of Caribe Sea nano arches. Sand bed is Caribe Sea Pink Fiji or Argonite sand. Your salt will be Tropic Marin Pro. You will dose BRS two part soda ash and calcium. You will add tropic marin A and K elements to the two part eventually if your corals start to do really well. There is always more you can do, but that is a good start.

What I just said is not cheap, but if you really want a reef tank, do it right from the beginning. If you have a budget for this stuff feel free to PM me and I can dial in the broad strokes I just laid out for you.

Good luck!

I don’t mean any disrespect, but suggesting a red sea tank is a straight up negligent. That company has burned many owners with seam failures. OP- do not patronize Rea Sea please.

Innovative Marine is very nice as I have a few friends with them and have seen their setups.

If you want bulletproof, Eshopps Mariner is excellent and they overbuild their tanks with bracing and thick glass, among woh seam protection.

 

[261988]

This is a really hard hobby to begin with. Trying to pull it off when equipment is either wrong or cheap is going to drive you clinically insane......eventually. Its a slow death.

Here is the thing.....if you can, what I would do is scrap your entire system and get a nice Red Sea or Innovative Marine All-in-one system. That way you are at least starting out on the right foot with good equipment. Get rid of your crushed coral and just start with some Caribe Sea live sand.

If its not in the budget then it is what it is. But I promise your life will be easier if you start off with a good system with components that work well together,. Also, get the Hanna Professional Reef test kit. Its like $300 and the best there is.

Ideal for you is the following:

Get a Red Sea Max Nano G2 system. It will have flow, lights, heat, filter, everything you need and it will all work well. Build a scape out of Caribe Sea nano arches. Sand bed is Caribe Sea Pink Fiji or Argonite sand. Your salt will be Tropic Marin Pro. You will dose BRS two part soda ash and calcium. You will add tropic marin A and K elements to the two part eventually if your corals start to do really well. There is always more you can do, but that is a good start.

What I just said is not cheap, but if you really want a reef tank, do it right from the beginning. If you have a budget for this stuff feel free to PM me and I can dial in the broad strokes I just laid out for you.

Good luck!

I don’t mean any disrespect, but suggesting a red sea tank is a straight up negligent. That company has burned many owners with seam failures. OP- do not patronize Rea Sea please.

Innovative Marine is very nice as I have a few friends with them and have seen their setups.

If you want bulletproof, Eshopps Mariner is excellent and they overbuild their tanks with bracing and thick glass, among woh seam protection.

I second the down vote for Red Sea. Many seam failures and no responsibility taken or response by the company.

I just bought an IM Tank so I’ll upvote the IM recommendation.