# New to saltwater red sea 34g build/learning experience!



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Hey everyone, I was getting tired of fw and wanted to get my feet wet in sw so I found an amazing deal from a buddy of mine that I honestly couldn't pass up. I don't have any pictures as of now but I will get some as soon as I get home. I picked up a practically new red sea 34g tank and stand with everything built in for *drumroll please* a cool 200 bucks! An almost 800 dollar combo. I am so happy with it so far! I also picked up a 40lbs bag of carib-sea live sand, top fin salt mix, a hydrometer, and some fossilized coral/rock. I'll update as soofowln as I can! My plans are to make it a fowlr and maybe some corals later on.


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

:thumbsup:


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Well on my lunch break I ran to pet supermarket and grabber some activated carbon and some filter cotton. Got home and went to work on the tank. Here are some pictures. 

























Blue leds for night 

























Letting the rocks soak and waiting for the water to clear up so I can start setting up the hardscape! Here's a picture of the protein skimmer 







the salinity is getting there as well think I'm going to stick to going and getting salt water instead of mixing.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

So today after work I headed over to my lfs and picked up some live rock for a really good price (considering no shipping was involved). I also picked up my test kit while I was there. Here are some pictures of the live rock already in the tank. Hardscape is subject to change and any advice is greatly appreciated!


----------



## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

i am digging the macro algae on the rocks.you certainly arent waisting any time on this tank.so far looking real good.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

badxgillen said:


> i am digging the macro algae on the rocks.you certainly arent waisting any time on this tank.so far looking real good


Thanks! Yeah the guy at my local lfs was a great help yesterday. These are the first live rocks he showed me and I was sold haha. I also bought a man made lr which is the purple one. Last night I was just watching the lr and went to move one of them and noticed the things moving on the rock. I looked closer and realized that I have 2 clams or mussels haha. It's amazing it really is and im starting to think that I should have got into sw to begin with haha.


----------



## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

well its really good to have some freshwater experience under the belt so you are more comftorable with the basic science of it all.just wait till things are established and you take a look an hour after the lights are off and the moon lights are on.there are some crazy nocturnal inverrts that usualy hitch hike onto the rock.cheap thrills.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Haha yeah I can't wait for that after hearing about worms and all that haha.. Now this cycle needs to hurry up lol


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Any idea what these are I think the first one is a curly cue anenome not sure on the second its a coral of some sort I think?


----------



## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

looks like some dying tubastrea if you ask me although it could be a dendro.and the other pic is hard to see but it is probably an aptasia or as you mentioned a curly wich is quite simiar as far as care goes.


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

1st Pic- Aiptasia
2nd Pic- Could be Tubastrea as stated above, to check that, look on it at night, as this is when it will color up, if it does color up. Dendro I think would have more polyps on each branch and not just one we are seeing. Goniopora?(Flower Pot) Can't really tell.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

I did read a few bad things about aiptasia. As for the second one its not really getting any color to it its just like an off white and greenish color on the tubes. It's definitely alive whatever it is I tapped the shell that it is on and it sucked in its little tentacles also there is another aiptasia looking baby in where the second picture was taken. Will they die off during the tank cycling? Or are they hardy/strong enough to pull through the ammonia is reading about 1.0 right now a nd the pH is 8.0 0 nitrates or nitrites


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

That coral will more than likely die off, I may be wrong, but probably not, most corals need pretty darn good water quality to survive and grow. Aiptasia on the other hand is a pretty wicked weed, and will more than likely not die during your cycle.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Ahh ok ill have to get rid of them somehow.... I heard about the lemon juice thing how does that work


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

SHoot the Aiptasia in the mouth with the lemon juice, using a syringe.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Ok now just to find a syringe


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Local drug store should have em pretty cheap too.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Just another picture to be sure 








It doesn't look or seem to have a stalker like the pictures of aiptasia I've seen


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Put more of the base rock I had in the tank because the right side was looking a bit empty









Right side









Left side


----------



## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

i like to do the kalkwasser mix or just use aptasia X as someitmes the lemon juice doesnt always work.and as a heads up it could very well be a curly cue its just hard to tell right now.i have seen many that have those little purple lines in the tenticles as not all are created equel.i have seen some pretty drab ones and some that look exactly like the pic you have put up.if you want a curly cue wait before you kille it.like i said there care is similar to aptasia as is apearance.those base rocks look pretty dense...one apears to be a galaxea skeleton.i like it


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

So kill or don't kill? I'm going to pick up some aiptasia x tonight they definitely multiplied there are about 7 of them one big and the rest small


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Multiplying tells me Aitasia. Up to you whether or not to shoot em.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

I'm going to shoot them tonight don't want them becoming more of a problem


----------



## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

yeah reefing is right. if they multiplied that fast they are most liely aptasia with real cool colors.i say nuke em too.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Yeah kill them it is


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Update: I bought some red sea aiptasia x it seemed to work really good and fast so far. The aiptasia instantly ate some then coughed and spit it out lol then I blasted them! It was pretty fun actually!


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Well that's seemingly quick here are my water parameters :
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.50ppm
Nitrite: 2.0ppm was 5.0ppm
Nitrate: looks to be 10ppm

Also the tank is at the beginning of its diatom algae bloom!


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Also would there be any benefit if i were to run a uv sterilizer? not quite sure on how I would run it with the tank setup i have but wondering if i could or should


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

No reason to run one. They kill free floating algae, bacteria and parasites.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> No reason to run one. They kill free floating algae, bacteria and parasites.


Ok good because I'm not ready to spend another $80 lol.


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

ChrisK said:


> Ok good because I'm not ready to spend another $80 lol.


 :thumbsup:


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Update: I have good news! From the looks of the test kit the tank seems to be cycled.. As of this morning here are my readings. 
pH: 8.0 
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20ppm
Salinity: right between 1.024 and 1.023 but closer to 1.023

So now what? Lol


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Clean Up Crew
FISH!!!


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Sweet! Should I do a water change? And is it ok for the nitrates to be around there?


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Yup: Yup


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

What would you guys suggest in a cuc I want to stay away from Hermits and definitely want a shrimp. Possibly a peppermint shrimp. I'll be going to my lfs after work to see what they have and probably get some snails maybe


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Shrimp is good, they aren't considered a CUC though. Turbo Snails, Astraea, Bumble Bee, Cerith, Nass Snails, all would be a good choice. Mix em match em, doesn't matter.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Ok so I went to my lfs and picked up 12 astrea snails, a Mexican turbo snail, and a small emerald crab. So far so good I'll get some pictures tomorrow when the lights are on


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

ChrisK said:


> Ok so I went to my lfs and picked up 12 astrea snails, a Mexican turbo snail, and a small emerald crab. So far so good I'll get some pictures tomorrow when the lights are on


 :greenyay::thumbsup::greenyay:


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

So like i said i'd post some pictures of what I had got yesterday. I went to my lfs again today (being that they get shipments on Wednesdays) And bought two peppermint shrimp, and a baby Percula Clownfish
Little baby clown!
































Peppermint shrimp








Emerald crab


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Ordered my refractometer only because I'm starting to not trust the hydrometer I have being that the reading I'm getting varies day to day. Since I've added the emerald crab he has done wonders let me tell you lol the clam that is attached to the lr I have was starting to get covered with algae. I saw the emerald crab on it the other day working away on the algae, I looked last night and the clam is near clean haha. The cuc is doing a kick ass job!


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Another update! I recently added 2 yellow tail damsels and 3 nassarius snails. I'm thinking the 2 power heads that are part of the tank are a bit too strong for my clown he's often confined to a corner.. 

So here is a list of what is in the tank so far. 
10 mixed snails astrea 
2 Mexican turbo snail 
2 peppermint shrimp 
3 nassarius snails 
1 emerald crab
1 percula clownfish 
2 yellow tail damsels


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

The Clown will always confine himself to a corner, they never venture far from what they call their territory. You are going to learn to hate Yellow Tail Damsels, very, very mean fishy, they will start to go after your Clown shortly.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

The damsels have been fine and keep to themselves I just added a lawnmower blenny and another emerald crab


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

I undersand. And this is what everyone says when they have had Damsels for just a short time. Just giving you some friendly advice.


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Update: its been a while since i have been on here. I have added some things since then.

I got rid of the cyanobacteria. With the trade off of all my halimeda plant dying  i had the lights off for three days and it got rid of it.

Anyway i did get a new fish
A royal gramma 









And here's a picture of the hectors goby who used to hide all the time









Everything has been good!


----------



## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

Looking good!


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

:thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## wseidl515 (Apr 12, 2012)

I had a yellow tail damsel in my 90 and I had to take it out. I harrassed my lawn mower blenny to death. By far IMO the meanest little fish.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

wseidl515 said:


> I had a yellow tail damsel in my 90 and I had to take it out. I harrassed my lawn mower blenny to death. By far IMO the meanest little fish.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Suprisingly they keep to themselves really. They'll bother any new comers for the first few hours but then they go back to keeping to themselves


----------



## ChrisK (Sep 14, 2011)

Update!

One of my rsm factory power heads kinda started to take a dump. So i looked into upgradesfor the rsm 130 and came across a forum thread about fitting a marineland maxi jet 1200 in the media slot. So i went out and bought myself a marineland maxi jet 900 it turns 230gph which i think is perfect and a decent upgrade from the factory 160gph pump.









Here it is installed next to the factory rsm pump









And actually was able to fit the outlet nipple from the rsm pump









And also started to put in cured rock to make it live rock for my next project lol


----------



## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

:thumbsup: Very nice.


----------



## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

maxi jeys are the goods.i run them on anything from a circulation pump to return pumps as well as home made filters ,reactors,and skimmers.they take a beating too wich is nice.looks like a nice upgrade if i say so myself.what does the tank think?


----------

