CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

With a salt tank what all do you have to monitor as far as water parameters, and how often?

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Aquatics Unlimited

Depends on how advanced you get. With reefs you get to monitor all sort of stuff But you can do the fish only by just monitoring ammonia nitrites ph nitrates. Once the tank has been set up for 6 months or so....nitrates and ph is all you really need to worry about. Calcium is another good one to monitor.

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Clint
CDevoe1111@aol.com

I'm still looking into salt, but I've decided I will do a fish only tank if I do one. Maybe add a rock with some mushrooms on it if possible. Someone told me today that for fish only I can use an emperor filter with a bio wheel and no protein skimmer is needed, and no live rock or sand is neccessary...this true?

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Aquatics Unlimited

While that is possible I would never recommend it... of all the people that have tried that setup fish never last more then 3-4 months at which time they have a major tank crash and lose everything. If you dont want to go with live rock and live sand and opt to not have a protein skimmer then I would(this is just me) would not try it at all the fish are just to expensive to screw around with. For a fish only tank you could go with probably 1/2 a lbs of live rock per gallon with no problems so in a 30 gallon tank that is only 15 lbs of rock. Doing it that way you should be able to set up the 30 gallon tank for around $150-200 after rock and skimmer. Also if you dont go with rock/skimmer then I would limit yourself to a maximum of 1" of fish per 6-8 gallons to prevent over stocking the tank, with rock and skimmer you can do 1" per 3-5 gallons without worrying.

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Adam

Come see my website!
Adam@cichlidfish.com
Got ?'s about HITH? Read this to learn more!

So I WILL need a protein skimmer I suppose. You don't reccomend using an emp filter with bio wheels? What size and brand skimmer would be needed for a 30 gal?

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Aquatics Unlimited

What method of setup are you looking at doing? Tank only? Tank with Sump? What you do will depend alot on what I think you should do, and what I would recommend you buy... so I cant really give you any advice until I know what you have planed for you backbone.

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Adam

Come see my website!
Adam@cichlidfish.com
Got ?'s about HITH? Read this to learn more!

Well, if I get this 30 gal it won't be with a sump. This tank isn't drilled or anything. All I want in the tank as far as looks go is crushed coral for substrate, some live rock, and as far as fish goes I like blennies, clowns, and dominoe damsels just to name a few.

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Aquatics Unlimited

Well the clowns and blennys will be fine together (I think I already told you more than one clown per tank could be a pain.)


Also I keep domino damsels in with my triggers and lion and bad guys I've heard people say they are jerks. Mine seem to be pretty friendly, but they are in the tank where anybody in there could put a whipping on them if they had to.

Also stay away from fish that will eat hermit crabs and snails...just as a warning. it is a pain in the ___ (personal expierience) you sound fine so far it is just one of those characteristics at the top of my list now

I think I got all your questions answered as far as skimmers and such on AIM.

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Clint
CDevoe1111@aol.com

Can't have a lion fish in a 30 gal can I? I was reading up on dominoe damsels, and it said they are good to cycle the tank with. I hear eels are pretty fun too.

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Aquatics Unlimited

I wouldn't reccomend a lion in a 30 unless you planeed to update in the future.

I believe I discussed the fish cycle with you. I prefer the fishless cycle with live rock.

Never kept an eel although at one time I seriously considered one....don't have much info on them as to what kinds could fit comfortably in a 30 gal.

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Clint
CDevoe1111@aol.com