very first marine tank (50g) gots questions lookin for tips!

Brand new to marine aquarium hobby!
30x18x30 50g tank
Tank started 5-25-2010 (50 lbs. dead liverock (fully cured right?) and 25 lbs completely live rock)
Started with tap water and reef salt plus (seachem prime)
Marineland 360 canister filter (removed carbon and bioballs and replaced with live rock)
(using 2 40 watt t12 plant and aquarium lights and 1 40 watt t12 natural sunshine and 1 t12 blue colered light?) 8-10 hrs daily.
Added (seachem matrix stones) and seachem stability.
Added 2 damsels and 5 blue leg hermits and 5 astreas 6-7-2010
First born child born! Baby girl Jasmine, healthy, beautiful!) Busy dad doesn’t have tons of search time with kid and job rite now but definitely want a healthy tank!!!
Tank cycled 6-22-2010(diatom bloom) Lfs is a reef aquarium store told me parameters were good.
Coralline covered live rock starting to die off. (Help!)
Added coralife 65g super skimmer. No foamy skimate but can see debris halfway up collection tube!
Added banded coral shrimp sand sifting star and 5 more hermits and astreas (6-25-2010) Another small diatom bloom)
Added small capful of seachem reef complete, plus, and calcium!

p.s. as of now lfs does water test! Never test my own water but want to what’s best testing kit or diff. company for diff. parameters?


This is probably alot of info. But pick and chose questions to answer or comments to make! Anything is greatly appreciated and taken into consideration!

 

pics

I will post pics tommorrow.

 

Welcome to 3reef.

 

API,Salifert,Sera,LaMotte,And Elos are just a few that you can use.

 

Thanks! you guys are quick! I am using a phosphate rermover and have carbon in a seperate (smaller hob filter) using 2 days a week!

 

I run carbon 24/7. I have a mixed reef and this helps to cut down on any chemical warfare from the softies.

I prefer the salifert test kits. They are a little pricey, but I find them much easier to read then the API's. The color change is more dramatic and readable.

Congrats on the new baby!

Good luck and welcome to 3reef.

 

i have been reading forums all day everyday but am still new to this but i am dosing seachem reef calcium, complete, and plus to promote coralline and keep inverts health does carbon filter these from the system?

 

I don't seem to notice that it affects anything in a bad way. Your tank is still very young, so more than likely water changes will help to replace any elements that are being used up. I didn't start dosing anything to my tank until I started adding corals and then it was only calcium at first. The coralline will come on its own (and you might end up wishing it didnt! LOL)

Keep reading, there is a ton of great information on this forum. One word of caution...don't always believe everything you read on the internet. Feel free to ask questions (there are no dumb questions). The experience of fellow reefers will go a long towards helping you learn all about this hobby.

 

if moneys tight, goto petmountain and get a API reef master and saltwater test kits. you'll get both kits for like $45-50 shipped. i use them and there good for the money.

 

Carbon will not affect Corralline, if it did probably 95% would use 24/7 , at some point with good parameters and lighting it will become a nuisance (pretty nuisance but....).

I agree with what others have said, you will need to replace lights, the skimmer will start working in about a week and API test kits are good. I would try and get a RO/DI as soon as you can (It will save you a lot of pain). I would highly recommend frequent water changes (10% per week) and cut back on the dosing. Use a good quality salt mix and you should be fine until you start adding corals that require a great deal of calcium.


Welcome to 3Reef