Hi guys i just started salt water tank last week, 20 g acrylic 24 length x 16 height x 15 width. bak pak hob filter with protein skimmer and about 15 g of live rocks and 20 lbs of live sands. here are my questions.
1) Should i be using mud for my bak pak refugium hob filter?
2) what are some hardy fish i can put in without kiling them?
3) should i mix my own salt water or better of buying them? and yes i have RO water system.
4) I am cycling my tank right now with a raw dead cocktail shrimp ( was adviced from fish guy) am i doing it right?
5) when should i start putting fish in? and wats the point of the bakpak filter? it doesn't look like its doing anything but bubbling.
6) My lighting is 18" fixture with 50/50 power compact at 36 watts. Is this enough? or should i get an addittional t5 14/24watts?
ps. the store salesman recommended the build for the acrylic tank and the bak pak refugium filter.
Thanks in advance for the reply.
1) Sorry, not familiar with the product so can't comment on it
2) NO fish are hardy enough to withstand the initial cycling of a new fish tank. The lone frozen shrimp is not necessary however is a much better choice than sacrificing a live fish.
3) Mixing your own saltwater generally requires you to use either Reverse Osmosis (RO) or Deionized water (DI). RO can be purchased from various vending machines around town for this purpose however that means lugging around 5-gallon containers, buying salt, and mixing in a bucket or barrel with a power head. Or, you can buy direct from the local fish store; the end result is the same....only a matter of preference. I higly recommend you purchase a good RO/DI water unit (~$200) that you can use for both this purpose AND for drinking water.
Here is a good thread I created a few years back on this issue:
"RO/DI for Dummies"
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=619925
4) There is no right or wrong here. There are literally THOUSANDS of ways to cycle in a new aquarium. TIME is the most important thing here. Let your equipment run, be patient, and let nature do its thing. A bio additive of some type "may" help speed the cycle a bit, but again, not necessary.
5) Give it at LEAST a month before putting fish in (just a suggestion) so that your tank has time to fully cycle before putting in a live animal. The bakpak is a Foam Franctionating Protein Skimmer, duhhhhh! LOL, (just kidding)
A protein skimmer is probably one of the most crucial components of a healthy aquarium. Its job is to remove disolved liquid proteins from the water column (pollutants, for lack of a better term) via the foaming action of the skimmer; not unlike what the ocean does when waves deposit brownish-looking foam onto a sandy beach. The bi-product produced is called "skimmate" and is meant to be swiftly drank down with a beer chaser if you are truly a committed hobbyist! :top:
(I am absolutely kidding there....DO NOT drink skimmate, LOL) Your BakPak may not be adjusted correcty if you are not producing anything. There should be a tea-colored liquid developing slowly in the collection cup. (perhaps only a few tablespoons per day sometimes) Read the instructions carefully to see how best to adjust it. The fact that you are still cycling is likely why you are not producing anything at the moment, though, so this may be normal.
6) Fish do not require any specific intensity of lighting, so you are good to go. If/when you ever decide to switch to a Reef or combination/hybrid, then that is another story.
MOST IMPORTANT: Read and research as much as you possibly can through the various forums and internet sites. There is a wealth of knowledge out there just waiting for you to discover. Coming here for questions was a great start! :top:
Good luck!
I hope this helps
Good luck
