juwel rio 240 to reef?!

[Kress]

Hi all and thanks for comments.

I always wanted a saltwater tank/ reef tank. Reading and watching youtube made that choice harder as there is a LOT to learn before you even think about a tank. But i decided to start. I will learn on my mistakes and with your experience, i hope to settle down.

so this is what I got (everything is second hand)

tank: Juwel Rio 240 (lid removed)
stand: new Juwel Rio
Lights: 2x Kessil A80 Tuna blue with gooseneck
Filter: came with AquaOne Aquis canister filter, replaced with Aqua One Ocellaris Canister Filter 1400uvc
Skimmer: EHEIM skim350
wave makers: Tunze nanostream 6045 + Jebao MLW-5
Heater: AquaOne 200w

Set it up yesterday, substrate 1/2'' with some precycled rocks. I used Aquaforrest Probiotic reef salt.
Tank came with some corals, so I left them in as they are hardys.. Green pollyp, Kenya tree, one Zoa and some green purple mushrooms.
2 clown fishes were there too.

End of day 1!!

 

[Kress]

Hey, it’s me again… with (as my son call it) sunken valley tank…
After 24h tested parameters:
PH 8.2
Ammonia 1
Nitrite 0.5
Nitrate 0
KH 100-200

water cleared…
I’m using live bacteria

 

[Kress]

Hi,

day 2

PH - 1
Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 5
KH 100-200

Brown algae starting…

 

[Brucealmighty]

Hi mate, that's the second tank I started with as my first was a fluval 160 litre thing but it became ugly because of the salt water splashing on the outside of the tank and once it got to the bottom of pane it settled between the glass and plastic facia that surrounded the bottom of the tank so I got rid and moved all my marine stuff up into my Juwel rio 240 mines beech still have it in my garage as upgraded again since, it's my moving day tank now

Great aquarium don't rule out those t5's many people still have them so keep em handy if you still have them

 

[Kress]

Hey mate..

I bought this tank second hand so I don’t have them.. but it is a great tank.. for beginners and entry to reef hobby. Hopefully next one will be one with a sump.

thanks for support!!

 

[Brucealmighty]

Yeah is a great tank not too deep to not be able to reach the bottom easily and roomy enough for the fishes good luck in the hobby I will look forward to seeing your updates

 

[Kress]

Thanks mate again… I don’t have any friends in this hobby, what makes this forum my only place to look for understanding and help. Lol

 

[Brucealmighty]

Well welcome to R2R and I can't agree more that this place is great for any information that is ever needed

 

[Sean Clark]

Off to a good start. What are your plans for livestock?

 

[Kress]

Off to a good start. What are your plans for livestock?

Thanks! Nothing at this stage, I have a lot of time to think. But, Zoas and mushrooms, some xenia, for corals, just beginner stuff. Fishes, thinking of standard beginner fishes: clowns, foxface rabbitfish, 6 stripe wrasse, lawnmower Blenny.. any suggestions?

 

[Kress]

Hi all,
I can’t see my reef cycling… it’s been 7 weeks and my ammonia is 0.5, nitrates and nitrites 0… ph is 8.2, KH is good and Ca and Mg are great. It is like that for last 5 weeks.
What am I doing wrong? I’m adding aquaforest Bio S 3 drops a day and that is it…

 

[Brucealmighty]

Ime I didn't use the fandangle liquids to start, 1 because they didn't exist mainly and 2 because it was suggested to me by an older reefer that ammonia could be supplied for free, so I used home made ammonia if you know what I mean, at 10 or 20ml a day once all three were good NH4 NO3 & NO2 I added clowns and left them to it fed lightly,

ps. I used live rock and live sand and it was 20 odd years ago now, so it was slightly better quality live rock and sand and the spikes were consecutive day 1 oh yes ammonia day 2 less ammonia but high nitrites and day 3 high nitrates day 4 was reading around 0.5 mark in all 3 tests or lower, as its still being supplied 10/20 ml (homemade NH4) day 5 fish were in the tank and no more additional ammonia was ever added again things have moved on now and we seem to have to buy the same thing our bodies make as waste to kick-start the aquarium bio cycle, it was suggested to me my an old chap in the store I was in (when the aquarium shops were different from each other) , not like today where its just a different location with all the same stock in store as for the fluid you are using I have no idea how or what you do to use it but I guess its essentially the same, basically you are adding what the fish will constantly add by breathing and pooping, until you put the fish in that's when you stop adding fluid, if that makes sense.