# starting a marine tank



## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

hey guys usually keep dart frogs but decided to try something new :2thumb: I have got what I think is a 20 gallon(us) tank (25/12/15) I used a substrate of coral sand purchased some salt water (till I get an osmosis filter) and filled the tank.Today I added 11 kilos of live rock from an established aquarium.The tank is being lit by some very cheap submersible leds whilst it cycles

just wanted to make sure iv done everything right and wondered if any body had any tips?


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## Ste93 (Feb 13, 2011)

Do you have any experience with fish keeping, because if not a marine is a big ask for a first tank. 

If you do have experience then good luck to you


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## rexob (Sep 1, 2012)

i had salt fish a few years ago the only thing i can say is they do take a lot of looking after and the bigger the tank the easier it is to care for them, i had to clean the tank once a week and salt water is not cheep, or the fish, you will have to take a sample of you're water in to you're local salt water aquarium shop for them to test the water and tell you if its OK to introduce some fish.

good luck in youre fish keeping.


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

I have had fish in the past and i currently have a 55 gallon tropical tank as well:2thumb: as mentioned before i have also kept lots of dart frogs that are often considered hard to keep. 

I think the main reason i decided to do a marine tank was for the challenge. 

as for cost i get my student loan in 2 weeks so im going to pick up a reverse osmosis filter (already have a salt mix) some strong LED lighting and perhaps a protein skimmer. I have read allot of mixed opinions on protein skimmers from just use live rock in a nano to you will fail without one!

anyone have any suggestions for stocking ?


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## Lucky Eddie (Oct 7, 2009)

sambridge15 said:


> anyone have any suggestions for stocking ?


Yep, one peacock mantis! :mf_dribble:


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

Lucky Eddie said:


> Yep, one peacock mantis! :mf_dribble:


must say those do look awesome but id rather like to set up a reef tank already spotted a small starfish in the tank that im guessing hitched a ride on the LR


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

hey, i have a 65ltr marine tank.

YES you need a protein skimmer, They are a godsend, you must have one with fish. (avoid TMC skimmers, they are noisey and their customer service is a joke) 

Stocking: you could have pair of clowns and a goby, thats what ive got  clowns are pretty tough and make a nice beginner fish.

You need to put your proper marine lights on now - live rock is full of copods, worms, little snails, and tiny baby corals. They need this light to flourish and establish a good amount of biological filtration

Now you have your live rock in leave it for up to 2 weeks, Then add 'clean up crew' - hermit crabs and turbo snails.

Leave for another 2 weeks and add corals... then leave again untill the water perameters are spot on and add some fish.

Take your time, dont get impatient. These tanks arent like trops where you set up, put fish in and away you go.

You need to be doing a 10% water change once a week. I dont have an RO unit - i choose to buy my water pre mixed (£5.95 for 25 litres)


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

Frostpaw said:


> hey, i have a 65ltr marine tank.
> 
> YES you need a protein skimmer, They are a godsend, you must have one with fish. (avoid TMC skimmers, they are noisey and their customer service is a joke)
> 
> ...


cheers ill get some lighting Friday id heard that using lights whilst cycling would just cause algae to flourish. what lighting would you recommend i was looking at the 120watt Chinese dimable LEDs read allot of good stuff about them. 

I waited 4 months to get anything for my first dart tank so patience inst a problem going to pick up a 25 pack of water testing kits as well today im curious to see how fast the tank cycles as the live rock is very...live :lol2:


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## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Best advice i can give you is: Join Ultimate Reef forum- an excellent source of info,stock very,very slowly,and always keep up with water changes (although a skimmer is to be recommended,in a small tank with weekly water changes,its not essential).


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

Berber King said:


> Best advice i can give you is: Join Ultimate Reef forum- an excellent source of info,stock very,very slowly,and always keep up with water changes (although a skimmer is to be recommended,in a small tank with weekly water changes,its not essential).


lol only reason i didnt post in ultimate reef was apparently i don't have permission to do that :lol2:


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

im part of ultimate reef, They are very helpful, but you will get alot of conflicting information on certain topics - i find here generally everyone agrees with each other.

For the skimmer point again - i run a V120 nano skimmer, the amount of skimmate it produces leads me to belive that, although i do weekly water changes, its deffinately needed. It just gives that extra boost of filtration.

Lighting... i was on a tight budget, i use x2 11W arcpod lights - one double blue bulb, one blue and white bulb. I love the dimmable LEDs, but i just cant afford them


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## benh (Sep 12, 2011)

sambridge15 said:


> I have had fish in the past and i currently have a 55 gallon tropical tank as well:2thumb: as mentioned before i have also kept lots of dart frogs that are often considered hard to keep.
> 
> I think the main reason i decided to do a marine tank was for the challenge.
> 
> ...


Pretty sure thats not what student loans are for. 
Just saying like.


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

bought mine with my student loan... albiet AFTER i finished uni and had a load left over 

Just dont make yourself go hungry for it.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Frostpaw said:


> Now you have your live rock in leave it for up to 2 weeks, Then add 'clean up crew' - hermit crabs and turbo snails.
> 
> Leave for another 2 weeks and add corals... then leave again untill the water perameters are spot on and add some fish.


I'm sorry but what the hell is this!


What kind of advice is this? It's becoming my absolute PET hate in this section... no serious fishkeeper would ever say "it's a 3-week cycle", "it's a 4 week cycle", "leave it 2 weeks, put fish in", or any such nonsense. 

It is cyccccccccccccccled, when... guess.. wait... when... ready? When... its..... guess.... wait... CYCLED!

Which is when toxins are down. It might take 48 hours if you're basically transporting one fish tank to another. It might take 8 weeks if you're unlucky etc.


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

sorry mash, i forgot to add - 'test the water' at the end of all that 

And you know very well my history with fish mister!


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Frostpaw said:


> sorry mash, i forgot to add - 'test the water' at the end of all that
> 
> And you know very well my history with fish mister!


Must admit I completely forget who has what in the what-now in this section. 

Seriously though... it's _nothing _to do with timings. Don't wait any set amount of time. Just test daily for a bit and see.


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

ahh see i waited a week, tested... water wrong... waited another week, tested... fine.. added.

All in all only because it saved test kit usage. I was given an 'average time for a tank containing xxxxx of size yyy' for things to change and settle, so i went by the guide the LFS gave me, testing at each time juncture and... well it was absolutly spot on! all the times the gave me where pretty acurate.

I think my LFS are really magic fish tank wizards....


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

eh considering 99% of students spend it on booze :lol2: i work near enough full time as well so wont be going hungry :whistling2:

as for cycling im well aware of the process going to start testing the water tomorrow and probably grab a temporary bulb for the lighting hood.

pic of the tank so far lighting isnt great and id just changed the tank around a bit so water wasnt as clear as usual. Any tips anyone i do already have a power head on order to replace the aquarium pump for circulation 









current dartfrog vivs... land reefs?


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

got a temporary light fitting until I start keeping more advanced corals









done my first water test although the strips test for PH,KH,NO2,NO3 and CAL so far so good only problem thus far was slightly ellivated KH need to get an ammonia test kit now though....


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

AshMashMash said:


> I'm sorry but what the hell is this!
> 
> 
> What kind of advice is this? It's becoming my absolute PET hate in this section... no serious fishkeeper would ever say "it's a 3-week cycle", "it's a 4 week cycle", "leave it 2 weeks, put fish in", or any such nonsense.
> ...


I've missed seeing your opinions :whistling2:

Agree about the cycle.

There is so much to know all I can advise is do loads of research into what you want to put in there. Will it be fish only or reef?

Also you'll need non salted ro water for top ups due to condensation.

Do you have a power head ( wave maker) its very important to have flow.

Lights are very important, I got rid of the t5's that came with mine and got the expensive Arcadia spot but will be worth it in the end for me as they last years and my corals love it. But there are many great makes, you have to decide which ones you want.

The thing to do is look after your water parameters, test regular and do water changes.

Get good testing kits, you'll need to keep your phosphates down, I use rowphos but there is other things out there. 

Other thing to do is ask if in any doubt, you'll soon get the hang of it, I was a paranoid wreck in the beginning but I'm now starting to relax and enjoy my reef 

Ultimate reef and nano reef are great and have fab photos but frostpaw is right there is a lot of conflicting advice.

Good luck it's amazing having a marine :2thumb:


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

Just read above and saw you have a powerhead on order so scrap that :lol2:

I did forget to mention a refractometer for measuring salinity


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

JoPwerks said:


> I've missed seeing your opinions :whistling2:
> 
> Agree about the cycle.


Well.... it's true! :lol2:


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

AshMashMash said:


> Well.... it's true! :lol2:


I agree :lol2:


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

Well however different we cycled our tanks - mine has come out pefect


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## SkinheadOi85 (Sep 28, 2008)

awsome the light makes it look great hoew much it costing??


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

so far? somewhere close to 1k

Tank - free
Skimmer - £40
Filter - £10
Wave maker - £13
Heater - £15
Lights + bulbs - £80
Hydrometer - £8.99
Activated carbon - £10

corals - around £200
Live rock - £80
Salt Water - £5.95 per 25 ltrs... £80 (so far, i buy a 25ltr bottle every 2 weeks)
RO water - £5.95 per 25 ltrs... £40 (so far)

Clean up crew (5 snails, 3 hermits) - £62
Serpent Star - £11
Pair of clowns - £30
Blasset - £14
Cleaner Wrasse - £18
High fin goby - £22

TOTAL: £733.99 rising to £820 when adding cost of sand, antired and fish/coral foods...

I have no idea if these prices are very high or reasonable - but i wont buy from anywhere else (within the area) as these guys are the best specialists around and with exception of 2 snails and a clown Ive never lost anything else i have bought from them - Including my 200ltr malawis, crab tank and turtles!


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

Your RO is expensive frostpaw, I pay £2.50 for 25 litres.

You've forgotten the test kits too.

And you should have a refractometer


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## badwool (Aug 15, 2012)

I successfully bred sepia blandness (sp) in captivity so know a thing or two. If you have any questions feel free to pm me.

David

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2


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## rsmw3 (Feb 5, 2012)

its all about taking your time the bigger the tank the easyer it is iv had a tank as small as 12ltr's and have a 68gallon tank with a 22 gallon sump tank.
as i use a lot of water i got a RO unit i would say there is no time limit on when you can add things to your tank i would say when you get your water right give it a week or two to see if it stays right then add very slowly


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

haha ys test kit £35

ive got a hyrometer to measure my salinity


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

tests today NO3 40 (mg/l) NO2 0(mg/l) calcium (400-500 mg/l) KH (15d) ph 8.6

bit confused as I thought when nitrite was 0 the tank was cycled? the live rock seems to be very very good covered in corals and critters but surely a tank cant cycle in a week or have a mixed up trates and trites?

the bits of coral seem to be doing well although iv now read that they are likely Aiptasia Anemones and are considered to be pest (why they look nice) and some sort of red mushroom coral with blue spots


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

i have 3 aips... *blushes* people say 'omg they spread like wild fire, they'll take over your tank..

Well mine have been there for 2 months and not spread anywhere.. I keep meaning to get rid... but they just dont seem to be engaging in this bacterial like spread people seem to tell me about?


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

Frostpaw said:


> i have 3 aips... *blushes* people say 'omg they spread like wild fire, they'll take over your tank..
> 
> Well mine have been there for 2 months and not spread anywhere.. I keep meaning to get rid... but they just dont seem to be engaging in this bacterial like spread people seem to tell me about?


 iv got 20 odd already... must have 4 or 5 different variations though


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

i asked alot of people about them, and consuted alot of websites... all of them speak about Aips like they are the devil... they will spread and consume your other corals, they are ugly etc... So far none of this has proved true, so i dont know whether to get out my syringe and kill them... or just leave them be?


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

Here's mine : victory:










Have you tested ammonia? Nitrites and ammonia should be zero and nitrates should be much lower before adding fish : victory:


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## zekee (Sep 14, 2011)

Nice tank Jo, i love those bangaai fish!


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

zekee said:


> Nice tank Jo, i love those bangaai fish!


It's getting there thanks zekee 

I love Him too and of course the firefish is stunning and can't leave out my lovely clowns and chromis. Starfish is great too, I'd better not leave out my snails and peppermint shrimp and crabs who do an amazing job cleaning :lol2:

So, I should have said I love the whole tank :whistling2:

Was going to post in turtle uk but thought its not turtle related so no-one would want to see it :2thumb:


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## zekee (Sep 14, 2011)

Im sure we could all appreciate it though, great work  im not sure i could manage a saltwater set up...


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

zekee said:


> Im sure we could all appreciate it though, great work  im not sure i could manage a saltwater set up...


Once you're set up its not difficult. All I do on a weekly basis is a water change which takes a few minutes and refilling the top up reservoir with RO and alk buffer. Add food in the morning and clean algae off the glass as and when. Full range of water tests every now and then. I only keep soft corals which makes things a little easier. 

Get yourself your own RO unit, an auto top up system and automate the lighting and cooling and it all gets pretty easy. Only thing is it can be pricey to get up and running but it's well worth it.


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

zekee said:


> Im sure we could all appreciate it though, great work  im not sure i could manage a saltwater set up...


Yes you could it's all about water parameters, which you know from your turts, after all the equipment and set up its basically looking after the water 

As Simon says it can be expensive getting all the right stuff but when it's done it's so lovely to watch :2thumb:

I have a couple of hard corals as well so water has to be right. But watching it all grow is great.
I do keep it where I can see it cause it could all go wrong in an instance, but so far so good (touch wood) :2thumb:

Simon, I don't have RO cause we are on a meter and it just wastes far too much water, it was cheaper for us to buy it


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

found a small (around an inch) purple crab hiding in a cave today :2thumb: its the same colour as the purple coralline algae it also has red eyes any ideas? id take a photo but its yet to leave the cave


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

ok if it has: small claws its safe

If its got big bulky claws remove it strait away.


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

sambridge15 said:


> found a small (around an inch) purple crab hiding in a cave today :2thumb: its the same colour as the purple coralline algae it also has red eyes any ideas? id take a photo but its yet to leave the cave


Have a look on here and see if you can see him 

See next post


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## JoPwerks (Mar 15, 2012)

This is the link I wanted to post see if you can see your crab

Hitchhiker id guide


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## badwool (Aug 15, 2012)

Red eyes indicate that it is a predatory meat eater. I'd suggest you remove him.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

Seems to be a common hitchhiker amazed he is alive as he won't have been fed in over a month! Luckily the bit of live rock he is in can easily be removed I'll take him to the local marine store

Found a few snail's and other critters really fun seeing the tank come alive


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

tank is fully cycled 0 no2 and hardly detectable no3 before even doing a water change:2thumb: also starting to get the diatom bloom


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## fishboy (Aug 7, 2007)

The best advice I can give you is take everything you are told in a LFS with a pinch of salt.

They will usually rush you on stocking and try to sell u things u don't need.

I know, I used to work in one.

The people in there aren't all experts, regardless of what they will enjoy telling you.

That job was one big facepalm.


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

Tank as it stands today


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## PoddaBob (Dec 20, 2012)

Looking nice, how is the flow in that tank? Mine is pretty similar looks like diatome under the power head are you managing to control it? Mine comes and goes in small amounts.

Corals look healthy, is that a small anemone bottom right? Looks cute!


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

PoddaBob said:


> Looking nice, how is the flow in that tank? Mine is pretty similar looks like diatome under the power head are you managing to control it? Mine comes and goes in small amounts.
> 
> Corals look healthy, is that a small anemone bottom right? Looks cute!


Yea I get diatomes every now and again seem to come and go every few months.my local fish shop talked me into a few bad purchases but the anommone and mandarin goby are doing great.the poor cleaner wrasse wasn't so lucky  glad I didn't take the shops advice to buy 2


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## PoddaBob (Dec 20, 2012)

Thats a shame, luck our local is Wharf Aquatics! One of the best in the country!
My mandarin was doing great, but unfortunately got one of his fins caught in the power head... ANd I did not see until the next morning, he died shortly after bless! And my shrimp took a wrong turn into my XL anemone and got paralyzed by the looks of it. But you cant win them all


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## sambridge15 (Nov 22, 2009)

It might be costing a fortune in pod packs from ebay but rewarding seeing him grow and so far gain weight. Annoying really im really not happy with the stocking in the tank but I really dont want to take them back to the shop


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