Help needed for new aquarium that came with fish

[Hayesmeow]

Hi there,

My boyfriend and I purchased a reef tank second hand last night which unexpectedly came with a few fish (clown fish plus some others), some little crabs and lots and lots of live rocks. As we weren't expecting it to come with the fish and rocks, we did not have all the equipment required or the expertise to be able to set up the tank properly (cycling etc).

In the last 24 hours we have read as much as we can about the basic principles of setting up the tank (and we are committed to learning more) but as we are starting back-to-front with the fish already in the tank, I was wondering if anyone could please tell us what to do as we really want to keep the fish alive and we haven't had the opportunity to follow the proper steps in order.

Last night we filled the tank with tap water, dechlorinated it and then added tank salt mix as per the last owner's instructions. We put the live rocks in, floated the fish for about 2 hours and then let them out into the water. The clown fish looks a little distressed in that it is swimming back and forth at the front of the tank but the other fish seem ok.

At the moment, the tank only has a pump which is circulating the water and a light but we need to sort out a filter system and protein skimmer ASAP. Can someone please tell us what we need to buy in terms of a filter and protein skimmer as it is quite confusing. The tank is 3ft long, 1.5ft deep and 2ft high and glass. It's currently sitting on styrofoam on the floor and we need to purchase a stand for it this weekend. The old owner told us we needed a canister filter but I keep reading about sump filters and am not sure what to do. Also other than the filter and skimmer is there anything else we need? Is there a service in Singapore whereby someone can come and look at the tank and recommend a set up?

Thanks in advance - any help would be greatly appreciated!

[kira76]

Sump filter is best if your tank is design for it. i.e. with overflow system. If the previous owner advice canister filter, then I suspect that the tank is not design for sump system.

Basic filteration system includes mechanical, chemical and biological.

Basically, you need filter wood or filter sock (mech) to remove those solid waste and a protein skimmer (mech).

The next level is to have some media where bacterias can colonise, live rocks are good. I used other biological media like biohomme for the BB to colonise on top of live rock.

As for chemical filters, I personnel don't use them unless necessary as I find them a bit troublesome. Some pple will use active carbon (charcoal) as a chemical filter to remove unwanted/harmful chemicals in the tank. Do note that active carbon needs to be change regularly (a reason why I don't use them as I'm lazy) as once they are saturated with unwanted chemical, they will release these chemical back into your tank system.

[Slimymadness]

Hi there, u mentioned the tank is sitting in the floor now. I thk when u are moving it up on a stand, you gotta drain out more than half of the water. A full 3 footer is no joke!

As for your queries, u might wanna check out members tanks and specs for comparison!

Best of luck !

[Zoa guy]

Welcome to the hobby. sumps are better, u can chunk anything u want in there. Get a skimmer that is rated for tanks bigger than yours. Yeah i reccomend biohome..works for me

cheers

[tunicate]

Do you have any budget restriction on this tank of yours?

You'll probably need a tank maker to visit your place to take measurement for cabinet, overflow, & sump construction.(provided the display tank condition is suitable for marine) Aquarium Artist is one of our forum sponsor who can do this for you. Call Vincent at 9695 9086.

New equipment are not cheap, but you can get much better deal for 2nd hand ones in our Pasar Malam forum.

[JL2309]

Hi,

I'm a newbie to this hobby. What I say might not be right.

But to save the fishes currently, why not just give/sell to someone or fish shop whose tanks are more establish and stablise. Then u can slowly drain all your water, set up ur equipment, do the rock scape design which u like, etc.. Instead of rushing into it just to keep the fishes alive.

Just my opinion.

[chiya]

Hi,

Welcome to the hobby =)

I'm new to the hobby so I'll share some of the things which I've learned along the way..

Confirm with the previous owner if the live rock are truly "live".. You could save some money on the filtration if the live rock to water volume ratio is decent (1kg/litre), I believe a canister filter is not necessary considering the low bioload of the tank (a couple of crabs + clownfish)

I'd suggest getting enough salt mix for a water changes, 5-10% twice a week to keep the pollutants in check..

If you have a habit of overfeeding your fish, start looking around for a protein skimmer.

I assume budget is a concern, please ask around the forum for a 2nd hand skimmer.

That should tide you around while you learn more about skimmers. (There are cheap MIC brands in the LFS which cost a fraction of the normal skimmers and work pretty well =D)

I am a fan of high water volume turnover, so if you can, get a koralia rated for your tank so that you can reduce the dead spots in the tank.. Better circulation = better inhabitants

Remember to plan for the area which you want the tank to be placed, then get a nice stand. Sumps are a nice thing to have, but not exactly necessary at this point in time. You can add a sump to your set up at a later date with external overflows.

Hope it helps =)

[Hayesmeow]

Thanks everyone, this has been super helpful! My boyfriend went to a pet store at Serengoon today which was recommended by the guys at the Golden Octopus and they have set him up with a canister filter, skimmer and all sorts of bits and pieces. Now we're just on the hunt for a stand.

Assuming we manage to keep the fish alive, when can we start adding a few more in?

[vinccc2009]

i strongly advise you to sell off those fishes.

you are going to stress them from the way it goes...

I dont mind to take from you as my tank has more than enough space..

Marine tank setup should not be a rush job.

You have to make sure everything properly cycled before adding livestocks.

How can you put water without stand? I can forsee the mess when the stand and the sump tank comes into picture.

Take your time and you will love this hobby in no time.

Welcome to the club!

[tunicate]

[tunicate]

BTW, how thick is your glass on the 3 footer?

[Zoa guy]

yeah better not rush it. 1 kg of live rock per litre??? Umm i think its typo error.

Some made in china brands work decently, some dont. Its always good to start off with a good skimmer.

Its always good to get the equipment working for at least a few hours, then add some rocks, moniter parameter then add some cleaning crew, coral then fish. I always prefer to add fish last seem they're the hardest of all to keep...

[vinccc2009]

Forgot to ask you, did you put any styrofoam below the tank?

Our floor may not be even and sometimes there may be vibration from nearby worksite.

This will cause crack when the water mass pressed on the tank.

[Zoa guy]

for my 2 feet yes, its on a desk, for my 24gal which is on a stand, no

[Hayesmeow]

The glass is 6mm thick and I had a look online and it seems that for the size of the tank we have, this should be ok.

The fish seem to be doing well and we have been testing the water levels daily and everything is spot on where it should be so I think we're doing ok. We're not going to worry putting sand in for the next few weeks or moving it onto a stand to allow everything time to settle properly as we don't want to disrupt the fish again.

The pet shop advised that for the size of the tank we have does not require a sump filter so we are using an Eheim Professional 3 600 which they said is quite a good model.

We have a thermometer and have been checking the temp daily but I wanted to check what it should be - currently it varies from about 28 degrees to 31 degrees.

We are only planning on keeping fish in the tank at this stage as coral seems like it could be a lot of work and we have already jumped in the deep end (so to speak)!

I've read that clownfish sometimes like a companion - is this the case? When the tank is settled, should we think about getting our clown fish a friend?

[tunicate]

Sis, no leh....according to below info, you need at least 9mm for salt water.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/planasystem/ig/Guide-Charts--Tables--Diagrams/Glass-Thickness-Calculator.htm

If you really want to do marine, maybe can consider selling it in a fresh water forum, then get a proper one with the necessary components.

[vinccc2009]

I prefer to get advise from reefer here...that's thie main purpose of this forum...

Most but not all lfs are business oriented...what can I say...I have been through that before.

You seems to do your reading...but whether it works together, whether it works in our country climate is another question.

Good Luck!

[oceania]

If the thickness is 6mm tank, it will be dangerous in the long run since the tank may not be able to withstand the density of salt water.

A useful device that you can consider getting is probably a refractormeter to measure the salinity of the water and probably a wave maker since there may be dead spots tank depending on yr scaping.

When stocking up on fish, do also note the compatibility of some breds! Happy reefing!

[cool guy]

Hi... Wher do u stay? I might be able to dropby n help u if ur stayin in e east... Jus sms me at 93228832 naz... Im stayin at tampines. Its look like u gonna need alot of help. My advise is to get someone to guide u rather then u buyin stuff n waste money wher u don really need them...

Btw ur first step of action is not recommended. U add tap water n then mix wit salt. After few hour u add e fish. I suggest u better take out e fish n let some other reefer adopt it. Once ur tank is ready, then u can take it back... But seriously, do text me n i might be able to help u...

[ReDDeviLs]

i think a reefer who can pop by to advise is a brilliant idea. but please let us know who is helping u although majority of the reefers in this community practise good husbandary, not all are like them.

[RockyBoy]

Hi there,

My boyfriend and I purchased a reef tank second hand last night which unexpectedly came with a few fish (clown fish plus some others), some little crabs and lots and lots of live rocks. As we weren't expecting it to come with the fish and rocks, we did not have all the equipment required or the expertise to be able to set up the tank properly (cycling etc).

In the last 24 hours we have read as much as we can about the basic principles of setting up the tank (and we are committed to learning more) but as we are starting back-to-front with the fish already in the tank, I was wondering if anyone could please tell us what to do as we really want to keep the fish alive and we haven't had the opportunity to follow the proper steps in order.

Last night we filled the tank with tap water, dechlorinated it and then added tank salt mix as per the last owner's instructions. We put the live rocks in, floated the fish for about 2 hours and then let them out into the water. The clown fish looks a little distressed in that it is swimming back and forth at the front of the tank but the other fish seem ok.

At the moment, the tank only has a pump which is circulating the water and a light but we need to sort out a filter system and protein skimmer ASAP. Can someone please tell us what we need to buy in terms of a filter and protein skimmer as it is quite confusing. The tank is 3ft long, 1.5ft deep and 2ft high and glass. It's currently sitting on styrofoam on the floor and we need to purchase a stand for it this weekend. The old owner told us we needed a canister filter but I keep reading about sump filters and am not sure what to do. Also other than the filter and skimmer is there anything else we need? Is there a service in Singapore whereby someone can come and look at the tank and recommend a set up?

Thanks in advance - any help would be greatly appreciated!

Wow, seems like buying on impulse to start the hobby !

I think there is a lot of work for you in terms of understanding the marine setup, water parameters and equipment.

Hope you approach some reefers here to get the right info... better talk face to face than waiting for answers to pop by here.