Seeking Guidance/Advices

[orionnebular]

Hi everyone.

I am pretty new to this hobby (3 weeks) and found this website just days ago. Just managed to find some time to read some of the threads in detail and found out that i probably had done many wrong things right from the start though mostly are from advices from LFS.

Some details of my setup are as follow:

1) Wrong tank type(fresh water tank) 63 X 37 X 45cm (L X W X H, abt 100Litres) with overflow filter system and inbuilt light system with closed lid. I was told by LFS that the close lid with light system will increase the temperature of the tank and is not advisable. Currently, I had improvised and kept the lid half closed and with fan blowing at it whenever the lights are on. Temperature are usually 29-30 degree celsius.

2) Added a wavemaker to increase flow in the tank as advised by LFS due to overflow system.

3) 5kg of live rocks (cycled in LFS) added to my newly mixed saltwater on the second day after the filter is being run for 1 full day. Live rocks came with 3 tube/pipe worms as LFS called it (I saw the pics online calling it feather duster). Some life forms noticed during the "cycling" period like a small transparent shrimp and 2 centripedes like worms (bristleworms most likely). Gf said she saw a white crab before too.

4)Added coral chips in my filter system and used a filter material supposedly reducing nitrate/nitrite level.

5)On the 10th day, spoke to another LFS and he said that I could go ahead and buy fish as there's no point cycling my tank since it is started with cycled live rock. After reading, i believe what he meant is that i got no bio load in my tank hence pointless. Anyway, added two percula clownfish of similar size on that day. Added another 2 damsels(yellow belly), 2 turbo snails, 2 gobies and 1 boxer shrimp(impulse buy with no research) along the way. Good news is that till now all fishes are looking to do well except the 2 gobies that hides in one of the rock most of the time unless during feeding. The clowns always push against them when they comes out. There are also a little chasing here and there between the 2 clowns and 2 damsels.

6) Salinity is thus far stable at 1.022-1.026, temperature 29-30 degree celcisu as previous mentioned. change 10% water once a week. Wanted to get other kits to do the PH, ammonia, etc testing but LFS said not required.

[orionnebular]

Sorry about the lengthy description. Above are the description of my tank as of now. Below are some questions and restriction i have:

1) Due to space constraint, I do not intent to have skimmer and chiller if i have the choice to. I have spoken to the LFS and he said skimmer is good to have but not a must. True or not?

2) As mentioned earlier, LFS said there's no need for me to monitor other parameters, is that true? Currently, my tank will be FOWLR though gf wanted to add coral/anemonia to it. Without chiller, i do not want to kill them, especially the corals.

3) I read that Tangs need large swimming space and obviously my tank aint big enough. Saw some real juvenile Tangs in LFS and asked LFS if it is ok to keep in my tank. LFS said that if the tank is small, it will restrict their growth and grow slower but it's ok to keep. I have intention to upgrade my tank in future when my new house comes in 4-5 yrs time which is why i am starting something small and simple now first to get a hang of it. So the question is if it is advisable to keep Tang in my relatively small tank even if it is just juvenile Tangs.

Actually there are more questions in my head but i believe i need to do more reading first rather than being spoonfed. Will appreciate if someone can advise on my questions or any other things that i need to take note.

Thanks everyone.

Zack

[orionnebular]

Left out one more item, currently only feeding pellets. Read about frozen food, nori and stuff in other threads as food source. Yet to find out where to get them or if they are suitable for my tank.

Another left out detail is that i had also add micro bacteria during the cycling period as advised by LFS. This shld pretty sum up the details of my tank.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[orsony]

Left out one more item, currently only feeding pellets. Read about frozen food, nori and stuff in other threads as food source. Yet to find out where to get them or if they are suitable for my tank.

Another left out detail is that i had also add micro bacteria during the cycling period as advised by LFS. This shld pretty sum up the details of my tank.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Bro, if you have no intend to add coral and fishes is fine then my advise as follow;

1) add an external Hangon on small skimmer. is good to have one

2) add you fishes at a slow pace and go for small fishes. tang is never easy for beginner. do more study before you go for it

3) as long the fishes are feeding well, don't worry about variety. you can get flake or brine shrimp for variety. But control your feeding since you don't have a skimmer

[Guest]

The skimmer is one of the most important piece of equipment in this hobby, unless you can have other means of reducing the nutrient / waste from your system by ;

1 ) algae scrubber / refugium

2) constant and regular water change

3) keeping your live stocks level very low.

Especially if you intent to keep tangs (Which often eat and produce alot of waste ), a good skimmer is a must. It is good to listen to some advice from the LFS at time, but it is also important to do your own research and study especially here in SRC .Maybe sooner or later, you may find yourself spending more and more on fishes to replace fish causality , and maybe eventually leading to giving up of the hobby which is not what you want. As what orsony mention patient is the key to the success in this hobby.

Happy reefing ..

[orionnebular]

Bro, if you have no intend to add coral and fishes is fine then my advise as follow;

1) add an external Hangon on small skimmer. is good to have one

2) add you fishes at a slow pace and go for small fishes. tang is never easy for beginner. do more study before you go for it

3) as long the fishes are feeding well, don't worry about variety. you can get flake or brine shrimp for variety. But control your feeding since you don't have a skimmer

Thank orsony for the advices.

Skimmer is a no no for me initially due to the sheer size i saw when i did my quick research. If there are such smaller scale hangon version, i do not mind getting one.

Just bought frozen mysis as alternate food after reading the rave about it here. Will try to feed them with it tonight with the syringe/mac balloon stick method.

Feeding wise has been good with usually not much leftover except the first day where gf overfed. Had manually removed the leftover from that session though.

[orionnebular]

The skimmer is one of the most important piece of equipment in this hobby, unless you can have other means of reducing the nutrient / waste from your system by ;

1 ) algae scrubber / refugium

2) constant and regular water change

3) keeping your live stocks level very low.

Especially if you intent to keep tangs (Which often eat and produce alot of waste ), a good skimmer is a must. It is good to listen to some advice from the LFS at time, but it is also important to do your own research and study especially here in SRC .Maybe sooner or later, you may find yourself spending more and more on fishes to replace fish causality , and maybe eventually leading to giving up of the hobby which is not what you want. As what orsony mention patient is the key to the success in this hobby.

Happy reefing ..

Thanks Harlequin Mania for your advices too.

I will explore the hangon smaller version of the skimmer, hopefully it does not cost a bomb though the utmost reason of not having one is the lack of space.

1) I'm not sure if the algae scrubber refers to those magnetic fish tank scrubber that i had bought. As of now, algae hasn't been a problem yet except initially where there is a short outburst of small patches during the initial introduction of the 2 fishes. After scrubbing off with water change, have not occur since then. Refugium unfortunately is not an option for me now.

2) I'm currently practising 10-20% water change weekly as read in here. Hopefully it does reducing the nutrient overdose issue. Though i thot the nutrient overdose affect corals more.

3) I had the compatibility chart and also read about the 1 inch per 5 gallons rule. So aint gonna add anymore, at least until everything stablise and i know more.

Spending on the fishes is fine but nope, I'm not intending to let them die an unnatural death at my hand. And thankfully, till now, still looking optimistic (too early to say for a 3 weeks old tank).

Thanks everyone for the kind advises.

P.S: Been seeing the threads LPS, SPS, etc. Any place to find out the actually term for them?

[inwear]

Bro with your tank size u can go for red sea prism skimmer I used it for my 2 feet tank. U can find easily a 2nd hand at $80 or a mce300 at $ 150+ I have a dymax xp 30. If u are interested I can sell u at $50

[orionnebular]

Bro with your tank size u can go for red sea prism skimmer I used it for my 2 feet tank. U can find easily a 2nd hand at $80 or a mce300 at $ 150+ I have a dymax xp 30. If u are interested I can sell u at $50

Thanks bro Inwear. I did a little search and it seems like dymax xp 30 is an internal sump. My tank isn't that big already so I will probably go for external ones. Thanks for the offer and advices. I will look ard.