Need advice on current equipment please

[ahiggins]

Hey! I LOVE this forum, everyone has so many helpful tips.
Im very new to this so any advice is welcome!
The tank will be set up this weekend, live (cured) rock/sand to be purchased then-I know that I am quite a while away from adding fish/coral but I want to be ready. I dont want to overcrowd with coral/fish.

What I want:
1x clownfish (possibly 2 or 3 other kinds of fish)
some cleaner crew (dont know what kind)
soft corals/SPS

I bought:
1x 25 gallon tank with a built in sump in the back of the tank (no secondary sump)
1x ESHOPPS nano skimmer
1x neo-therm 50 watt heater
1x reef LED Power 3 (18 inch) light
salt
reef crystals (didnt know if those are needed-if they are, dont know what ratio?)
kit to test for ammonia, nitrate, nitrites
thermometer, buckets, siphon

Questions:
1) do I have the right equipment to grow soft coral, or even some SPS?
2) what fish are compatable with a clown and SPS?
3) what test kits do i need for coral AND any additional equipment (filter socks/carbon?)?
4) I want to get 2 powerheads (or 3) but how many GPH do I need?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[sbash]

What are the dimensions of the display portion of the tank?
What is moving the water around (from the sump to the display)?
I am interested in more details about this tank, is it a store bought all-in-one or is it diy?

For question 1:
The lighting may or may not work for some corals. I have run a 1 watt LED 'reef' fixture on a system before and it was fine for softies, but not great for LPS, certainly no good for SPS. That said, that tank was 24" high. If your system is only, say, 12" high, then you might have some reasonable success. However, it is certainly enough light to get you started, and you can easily upgrade that if and when the time comes :)

For question 2:
I have no idea on tanks this size. However, a cleaner goby (neon goby) would likely be compatible. Perhaps other Gobies as well (firefish, clown goby, etc)

For question 3:
First, do not dose anything you cannot test. Second, you may want to get a Calcium, Magnesium, and Carbonate Hardness kit when you start adding stony corals.

For question 4:
Some people run up to 90x the water volume in flow rate. I run about 30x and my SPS are super happy. It is probably not a good idea to start with 90x, maybe just get a 300gph (or a couple) to start and see how things go. I am curious to see what other posters think about flow rates on small tanks.

I love the thought of tanks this size (one day I will do it), so I am along for the ride to see what others think!

 

[Brandon42]

by reef crystals do you mean reef crystal salt?

 

[CodyRVA]

1) I have no knowledge of this light. I would start with softies, move into LPS, and gauge success with those before determining if you can get into SPS. If you truly love the hobby, you'll likely upgrade your light, its a matter of time :eek:

2) Clown fish get along with anything honestly. You have a small system so look here for nano fish, you'll need to research each one to see if it's reef compatible.

3) I would steer clear of API, they're good to start out, but when you get to coral i would upgrade to Red Sea, Salifert, etc. I suggest dropping a bag of carbon into your sump space if possible. You could incorporate GFO in a small reactor, but with the small body of water you're working with, frequent water changes would suffice. This would also help replace CA, MG, and ALK which are needed for coral health. If you change from reef crystals to a higher grade salt like Red Sea Pro, you can replace these elements faster as they are more concentrated, but only necessary once you start adding a plethora of corals.

4) I think a single power head would be fine. Hydor Koralia are inexpensive and a great place to start. Flow really comes down to what you want. SPS requiring more flow, softies and LPS require much less.

 

[ahiggins]

What are the dimensions of the display portion of the tank?
What is moving the water around (from the sump to the display)?
I am interested in more details about this tank, is it a store bought all-in-one or is it diy?

For question 1:
The lighting may or may not work for some corals. I have run a 1 watt LED 'reef' fixture on a system before and it was fine for softies, but not great for LPS, certainly no good for SPS. That said, that tank was 24" high. If your system is only, say, 12" high, then you might have some reasonable success. However, it is certainly enough light to get you started, and you can easily upgrade that if and when the time comes :)

For question 2:
I have no idea on tanks this size. However, a cleaner goby (neon goby) would likely be compatible. Perhaps other Gobies as well (firefish, clown goby, etc)

For question 3:
First, do not dose anything you cannot test. Second, you may want to get a Calcium, Magnesium, and Carbonate Hardness kit when you start adding stony corals.

For question 4:
Some people run up to 90x the water volume in flow rate. I run about 30x and my SPS are super happy. It is probably not a good idea to start with 90x, maybe just get a 300gph (or a couple) to start and see how things go. I am curious to see what other posters think about flow rates on small tanks.

I love the thought of tanks this size (one day I will do it), so I am along for the ride to see what others think!

Alrighty....
Dimentions-its a cube-25 gallon-roughly 30x30x(around)25 high...the sump in the back was created by placing some black glass/fiberglass(?) about 4 inches from the back of tank itself and sealed. The tank was made by the LFS.
Moving water-the water enters the sump through channels cut in the top left of the black glass part and it re-enters via pump/bulkhead on the right side. There are four chambers. First (left) is just the entry to sump/heater goes there. Second is where i put the skimmer. Third is empty. Fourth is return pump.
It is a DIY from the LFS. wondering if I need additional filtration in there.
Question 1- This was the "second best" light at the store. its got blue and white, which is what i like. its got 14000K if that helps?
Question 2-I think gobies are super cute :D
Question 3- If I only have soft corals...do I still need calcium and all the rest you mentioned?
Question 4-Ive heard 10x as a rule of thumb but then the more i looked into it, some people run 90x! Do you think its better to have multiple low GPH?
Thanks for the reply!

 

[ahiggins]

by reef crystals do you mean reef crystal salt?

Yes, reef crystal salt. Does it act like normal salt?

 

[Brandon42]

Yes, reef crystal salt. Does it act like normal salt?

yes its normal salt that is just the brand name. its pretty much the cheapest option but does alright. the more expensive brands just have more nutrients in it and seem to mix a little better in my opinion.

 

[ahiggins]

1) I have no knowledge of this light. I would start with softies, move into LPS, and gauge success with those before determining if you can get into SPS. If you truly love the hobby, you'll likely upgrade your light, its a matter of time :eek:

2) Clown fish get along with anything honestly. You have a small system so look here for nano fish, you'll need to research each one to see if it's reef compatible.

3) I would steer clear of API, they're good to start out, but when you get to coral i would upgrade to Red Sea, Salifert, etc. I suggest dropping a bag of carbon into your sump space if possible. You could incorporate GFO in a small reactor, but with the small body of water you're working with, frequent water changes would suffice. This would also help replace CA, MG, and ALK which are needed for coral health. If you change from reef crystals to a higher grade salt like Red Sea Pro, you can replace these elements faster as they are more concentrated, but only necessary once you start adding a plethora of corals.

4) I think a single power head would be fine. Hydor Koralia are inexpensive and a great place to start. Flow really comes down to what you want. SPS requiring more flow, softies and LPS require much less.

1)-I will probably end up upgrading at some point but I just thought I would stick with the LED for now.
2)- Thanks for the link, I will check it out!
3)-I currently have the API water conditioner and the ammonia, trite, trate tests. Are those ok? or should I return and upgrade? I definitely have space in the sump. What is a GFO? I have instant ocean salt to start with and I picked up 10 gal worth of the reef crystal salt to see what it was. Would the red sea pro replace the instant ocean regular salt?
4) I did check out the hydor-maybe I will only get one for now. Do you have a good starting point for GPH?
Thanks for your help!

 

[ahiggins]

yes its normal salt that is just the brand name. its pretty much the cheapest option but does alright. the more expensive brands just have more nutrients in it and seem to mix a little better in my opinion.

ohhhh ok, I think I will return that then if it wont help. Plus Im like a month out at least from adding anything.

Does anyone have any preference on fish then coral OR coral then fish?

 

[Brandon42]

also all corals require some sort of calcium they just use it differently. if you keep up with water changes a tank that size should have no problem keeping the calcium levels up. stay away from instant ocean though as it does not have as many of the nutrients you are going to need. thats more for fish only systems

 

[Brandon42]

ohhhh ok, I think I will return that then if it wont help. Plus Im like a month out at least from adding anything.

Does anyone have any preference on fish then coral OR coral then fish?

i would return the instant ocean and get the reef crystals. they are the same price.

 

[ahiggins]

also all corals require some sort of calcium they just use it differently. if you keep up with water changes a tank that size should have no problem keeping the calcium levels up. stay away from instant ocean though as it does not have as many of the nutrients you are going to need. thats more for fish only systems

Thats good to know....considering i just bought a freakin 5 gallon bucket worth HAHAHA

 

[ahiggins]

i would return the instant ocean and get the reef crystals. they are the same price.

I believe instant ocean makes the reef crystals as well.
Thanks, Ill be taking those back :)

 

[Brandon42]

Thats good to know....considering i just bought a freakin 5 gallon bucket worth HAHAHA

welcome to reefing lol it should be fine for now but when you get some corals in there i would do a water change with the reef crystals or better but they should return them no problem. you are right same manufacturer. also in my opinion you should get a fish first. if youre truly using cured sand and live rock your tank may skip a cycle all together but you will still need to boost and build the bacteria colony's in your tank before corals will really start to thrive. a fish giving off waste will help fuel the bacteria growth.

 

[CodyRVA]

1)-I will probably end up upgrading at some point but I just thought I would stick with the LED for now.
2)- Thanks for the link, I will check it out!
3)-I currently have the API water conditioner and the ammonia, trite, trate tests. Are those ok? or should I return and upgrade? I definitely have space in the sump. What is a GFO? I have instant ocean salt to start with and I picked up 10 gal worth of the reef crystal salt to see what it was. Would the red sea pro replace the instant ocean regular salt?
4) I did check out the hydor-maybe I will only get one for now. Do you have a good starting point for GPH?
Thanks for your help!

3. Switch conditioners, use Prime. Honestly anything API is just cheap, just my opinion. You shouldn't need GFO unless you have algae issues. It comes later, don't worry about it for now. GFO absorbs silicates that algae and other issues use to thrive, silicates come from excess nutrients. Yes, red sea would replace, but for the time being i would stick with instant ocean Brand, only upgrade once you start adding more and more corals.

4. A single 600 GPH for a 25G tank should be fine. I have a 4 foot tank, 80G and i have two Koralias rated at 800GPH

 

[Brandon42]

and a little tip dont follow the salt recipe on the bag. add the salt slowly and test the salinity often. a 55 gallon bag of reef crystals usually makes 75 gallons or so of salt water at 1.25

 

[ahiggins]

welcome to reefing lol it should be fine for now but when you get some corals in there i would do a water change with the reef crystals or better but they should return them no problem. you are right same manufacturer. also in my opinion you should get a fish first. if youre truly using cured sand and live rock your tank may skip a cycle all together but you will still need to boost and build the bacteria colony's in your tank before corals will really start to thrive. a fish giving off waste will help fuel the bacteria growth.

hahaha Im sure Ill be returning/buying a lot

 

[ahiggins]

3. Switch conditioners, use Prime. Honestly anything API is just cheap, just my opinion. You shouldn't need GFO unless you have algae issues. It comes later, don't worry about it for now. GFO absorbs silicates that algae and other issues use to thrive, silicates come from excess nutrients. Yes, red sea would replace, but for the time being i would stick with instant ocean Brand, only upgrade once you start adding more and more corals.

4. A single 600 GPH for a 25G tank should be fine. I have a 4 foot tank, 80G and i have two Koralias rated at 800GPH

Thanks! Ill get the 600GPH
I will get prime too

 

[ahiggins]

and a little tip dont follow the salt recipe on the bag. add the salt slowly and test the salinity often. a 55 gallon bag of reef crystals usually makes 75 gallons or so of salt water at 1.25

That helps :)

 

[michellejy]

Just to let you know, your heater is underpowered for your tank size. The 50W Neo Therm is only rated for up to 12 gallons. Your lights will help keep the temperature up during the day, but at night, you could have a pretty big swing, depending on how cool you keep your house.