new tank help

[Happy-Go-Lucky]

Hay everybody! So I need some advice / help with my tank.

So here's a quick summary / history of my tank: its a 20 gallon FOWLR system about 7 months old now, consisting of a 10 gallon display and a 10 gallon tank underneath it as a sump. Like the idot I am, I used a synthetic gravel as my substrate, about 2 inchs, I added 3-4 lbs of liverock around the 4th month. I originally started with a Penguin 100 biowheel filter, a heater, basic strip light and a powerhead.

I have upgraded to a penguin 350 about 3 weeks ago, and got and got rid of a boicube protein skimmer ( it was total crap). About 3 days ago I added a light to my sump and am growing a golf ball size of chaeto ( idk if its growing or not :/ ) and also I orded 12 cerith snails, dumped the bag into the tank after acclimation and to my amazement saw roughly 70 snails fly out. Not sure what to do with all of them, they swarmed all over my tank munching algae. ( I supose ill have to remove a bunch of em...)

I have 1 smaller perc. Clown, 2 small blue damsels, and a black and white heniouncus. ( Juvinile )

My ammonia is at 0, nitrites at 0, and my nitrates always hover right around 40 despite my best efforts...

I have a brown algae / diatom problem for the last month and a half, I assume because of the nitrates.

Ide just like some feedback / help getting this tank to were it should be. I'm on somewhat of a limited budgets, so anything real expensive is sorta out of the question. I do frequent water change weekly with RO water.

All input is appreciated

 

[fish&corals]

synthetic gravel would be the start of your problem .. your rates will be higher with that .. you need to get some dry or live sand going in it .. i know it will prob recycle but the synthetic gravel does not work in a salt water apt .. all you need with snails is 1 per gallon .. put the rest into your sump if you have to many .. they will keep that clean ..

 

[Happy-Go-Lucky]

Ok, I was kind of thinking the same thing, I have a few questions though:
And I do have a algae problem, so should I leave the mass untill the algae is under controll?
1. How do I remove a good majority of the snails? Cuz there's literally 70 or so. Most are very small.
2. how should I go about the substrate change? How should I go about removing ALL the snails?
3. What would a good choice of sand be to replace it?
4. Should I get a protein skimmer?
5. Should I get rid of the Penguin 350 biowheel filter? I still have about a week for the return policy.
6. I also have a few fake decorations (2 small plants and a little pillar. I also have a few shells and a sanddollar that I got from a trip to florida) should I remove them and get more rock instead?

 

[_Alex_]

if i were you i would maybe try and upgrade to a 20 gal. its not a lot bigger but would give you the water volume and you could still use the 10g and a sump. then you could start over easier with new sand. put new sand in the 20g with some live rock and get it runnign then move evreythin. i would use this sand its great is heavy enough to stay settled but light enough for sifting animals, Marine Aquarium Substrate: Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand.

i would get a skimer, if you move up to the 20g having the more water volume will help to. and yes more live rock would help for natural filtration.

 

[Happy-Go-Lucky]

I wish i could increase the size of the tank, but i cant because of dorm rules. I'm pushing it as is with the sump. i hope to get a larger tank once i move out in a year or two though. I do want to change my substrate though. I'm not sure what to use, how to change it in, and what effects it will have (possible cycle? I'm not sure if my CCSS and Heniochus would make it through a cycle) would the bio-wheels in the penguin help stabilize the tank and stop a cycle? or should i just return the penguin, because i'm not seeing allot of help by having it. What kind of skimmer do you recommend for me? I don't want to break-the-bank on one, but i would like one. i did try a bio-cube skimmer but it was a total piece of junk.

 

[skinz78]

I would ditch the fake decorations and get more live rock. Also the minimum size tank recommended for a Heniochus is 50 gallons, I would return it to the LFS that sold it to you, it is probably a major source of your trates. I also would remove all the gravel and put some of the sand in that was previously recommended. I don't think you will see much of a cycle if you do so. I wouldn't worry about a skimmer, and I say keep the filter you have on it now.

 

[Happy-Go-Lucky]

Well, it is verry young and small, so Ill keep an eye on it, and see how it goes from there.
You think I should toss the bio wheels or keep them? I've heard a lot of both sides on em.

 

[_Alex_]

Bio wheels wont hurt but might be better off with a small canister filter. A CPR back package Skimmer would be good for that size tank. There not the best bit there cheap and pull gunk out.

As for swapping sand, drain tank into a 5 gal bucket, catch fish and crabs/snails put all live rock and everything in the bucket. Then drain the tank down rest of the way and take sand out. Then add new sand and water. Also add more live rock, in the tank and the sump. Use the sand I linked in a previous post. One bag would be more than enough.

 

[caudill187]

Great advice.

 

[Happy-Go-Lucky]

hay, so i took your advice and i swapped my gravel for live Aragonite sand! i did the change around 8 O'clock and everything went quite well. i also added an additional 5 lbs of live rock. I removed a vast number of the snails and kept the 16 best looking ones, along with my 2 Nerite snails. The Heniochus worries me a little, but i think it will be OK. I'm looking into getting a CPR BakPak II. More details in the morning update!:bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:

 

[Happy-Go-Lucky]

update!: everything is going smoothly, i found a home for the heniochus as well as the CCSS. i have added a few more lbs of liverock, as one of my damsels has decided that the group on the side of the tank was his. my nitrates are still a bit high, still hovering around 30... i just did a 25%; water change, followed by another 50% change 2 days later. Any suggestions? the Skimmer will have to wait a bit longer for the next paycheck lol.

 

[Adamacid]

is all this live rock you keep adding cycled and cured? also it will have die off when you move it from store to container and then to tank, as the rocks touch the open air, causing it to cycle some, raising nitrates and ammonia. just a though.