Coral Vs Rock

[KarenM]

I'm new to SW and new to ARC. I'mi n the process of setting up a 40g (tall) SW tank. I cycled it with bio-spira a couple of weeks ago. I now have about 10lbs of Live Rock, 2 percula clowns, 1 unknown but pretty fish, 1 scooter blenny, 6 snails, 3 hermit crabs.

I was going to set up just your avg SW tank with fish & inverts , however now I'm thinking of making it a reef tank. I have a few VERY basic questions:

(1) What kind of light would I need (I now just have the generic light that came with the lid)

(2) Can you mix rock and coral in a reef tank, or would I need to take the LR out?

(3) Does a reef tank limit the size/number of fish/inverts you can have?

(4) Does coral perform as a filter the same as LR?

(5) Other than the coral or rock, what are the basic differences in the tanks' environments?

Thanks for your help!

[GKarshens]

Welcome to the club and the addiction!

1) It would depend on what type of coral you want to keep. If you just want softies PC or Power Compact lights will work. If you want Stoney corals you will need either T5s or Metal Halides. You will also need to take into consideration the added heat of the lights and look into fans or a chiller to make sure your tank doesn't overheat.

2) Actually you should probably consider more rock no matter what you decide to do. I would recommend at least 1lb per gallon if not more. Your live rock is your best means of natural filtration.

3) Having corals doesn't affect the number of fish or inverts but it does affect the types. Some fish and inverts will decide your corals are tasty. Do A LOT of research on any critter you decide to put in your tank.

4) No. In fact see question 2.

5) The main difference you will need to be aware of in keeping corals is that they are more affected by changes in your water chemistry than most fish. So you will need to keep your tank stable. That means keeping it clean, top-off regularly (preferably an auto top-off), and supplying the need calcium and alkalinity either through dosing or a calcium reactor.

I hope that helps and keep asking questions and read as much as you can. It is better to do it right from the start than to have to redo things later.

[Headless_donkey]

Well I guess I am second with the same advice. I will leave it since I already typed to out.

Welcome to the hobby and the club.

1)Light depends on the type of coral you would like to keep in the tank. If you want to keep stony coral then you will need much more light. If you wanted to keep some less light intensive soft coral then you will not need as much light. From your description it sounds like you have a normal output florescent on the tank right now. I would recommend getting a high output T5 fixture.

2)Definitely keep the live rock. It acts as your filter and the corals grow on it. I would even suggest getting more LR. The general rule of thumb is 1 lbs/gallon.

3)Your filtration and tank size limit the number and size of animals you can have. I do not see a protein skimmer in your list of equipment. If I were you I would incorporate one into your system fairly quickly.

4)No. In fact they do exactly opposite and add to the bio load of the system

5)I would say the amount light and flow would be the big two differences. Your method of filtration may change if you go full reef. They target water parameters are also less forgiving with corals then just fish.

To really help you out, it would be helpful to know some other things:

Do you have a sump?

Do you have any kind of mechanical filtration?

What type of coral do you want?

LOL you got there first

[KarenM]

Thanks so much for the advice! I stopped by Aquatek yesterday and found some problems with my tank - the size of my tank (12"x30"x24") is an odd size and it'll be hard to find the lights. He suggested the halide light (I think it was a clip on?). Another problem is that the tank is tall and not wide and the light will difuse toward the bottom. And last but not least, it has a support bar across the top, which will block some of the light.

So I bought a little bit more rock and some snails. I got home to find one of my clowns dead and my nitrites & nitrates a little high. My ammonia had increased slightly, but I'm contributing that to the dead clown. I did a 25% water change. I haven't tested the water in the last week or so because it was perfectly clear and my 4 little fish seemed fine. Should I test it again today or will that do any good?

Equipment - I have an emperor power filter with a bio-wheel on one side (I believe it's rated for 75 gal tank) and a smaller power filter w/no bio wheel on the other. There seems to be a decent amount of water movement, and the remaining 3 fish are all swimming and eating fine. Could it be a coincidence that the clown died and not because of the increase in nitrites/nitrates?

[GKarshens]

The dead clown probably didn't help, but I would guess the problem was you added too many fish at once and didn't have enough live rock to handle the spike in the bio-load. I would seriously look into a protein skimmer. The filter doesn't remove the bad nutrients that a skimmer will. Don't add any more critters until the new mini cycle has completed. I wouldn't add anymore until you get more live rock and make sure it is cured. I know the rock can be expensive so shop around a little bit. I know some of our sponsors have been having sales on it lately. Also, don't rely on how the water looks. It can look perfectly clear and still have bad levels. When a tank is just starting out I would test it every 3 days or so. And since you have had some elevated levels I would check it daily until they are gone. HTH

PS. I would do some more searching on the lights too. There maybe a company that makes one to fit your size tank. How wide is it?

[KarenM]

Thanks for your help. The reason I added all the fish/critters at once is someone at a local store told me that since I'd used the Bio-Spira the day before I needed to put fish in there or I'd have to do the Bio-Spira again when I did at fish. According to her, I barely even put enough fish in there and probably should have put 1 or 2 more! The owner of that store had told me when I purchased the tank to get the Bio-spira and the fish the same day and put them it. anytime soon.

Anyway, no more fish or critters until the levels come back down.

I know very little about protein skimmers - only what I've seen on a couple of forums. The one thing I'm sure of is I can't afford one right now.

Something that keeps weighing on my mind is this tank is in my living room, and I'm not real crazy about having a bunch of equipment attached to it. It's sitting on a cabinet, though. Is a skimmer something you could hide in there, like a cannister filter?

[Enigma13]

I do not want to inpugn anybody, but the advice you received from the "local store" above seems a little off. You can keep your tank cycled by feeding it even if you have no fish and, in fact, completing your cycle without fish is the method often recommended by conscientious aquarists. Adding two fish at the age your tank is, with the amount of rock and equipment you have, probably would have tested the limits.

Understand your concerns about the equipment. As asked above, does your tank have a sump in the cabinet? If so, most skimmers for a tank your size can simply be put in the sump and therefore be hidden in the cabinet. As for the cost: A decent skimmer will definitely be expensive, but is probably one of the most important pieces of equipment for your tank. I would not attempt corals until you have one given their sensativity to changes in the water chemistry.

For what its worth, I also concur with the advice above delivered by two very well respected members of our community. Best of luck and welcome.

[GKarshens]

There are also a couple decent hang-on-back skimmers. I have heard great things about the Deltec one. They are not cheap though. As Enigma said I would wait to try any corals until you have a skimmer. I also think the store advice was off. One thing I have learned in this hobby is nothing good comes quickly.