# Cardinals,blendies what can i have?



## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Hi all,i normally post inthe freshawater part, but i migt get a thorty gallon going and i love cardinals and blendies .give me a listbof equipment and such i would need to do this,sorry for grammar and spelling,using a phone,complete ish nube to salt thanks. You dont need to list light filter etc


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Equipment needed.
50lbs Live Rock
Skimmer
powerheads- 2 would be ideal. Rated at 250gph each or above
Normal flourescent light. If thats all your doing is a FOWLR ( Fish Only With Live Rock )
Live Sand or CC. Enough to cover 2-3" of the tank bottom.
Live stock. Yes you can keep your Cardinals, and a Blennie.
Here is a list of fish you can chose from.
Nano Fish


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## Mike (Jul 16, 2006)

If you invest in all this and have cardinals and blennies, which I believe are both reef safe, it may not be long before you decide you'd like to add coral. For that reason, if the difference in price between a normal fluorescent fixture and a T5 setup isn't all that much after all is said and done, I would go with the latter so that you have the option. :thumbsup:


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Okay,but would I really need a skimmer for a thirty gallon. Would I be able to get away with a 20 gallon and I most likely would make it a reef aquarium. Thanks a lot... Don't know that much about salt water.


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

If your not going reef, then no you would not need to have a skimmer. If Reef, then yes, that a definate on the skimmer. But remember also, the organics in the water are going to build up on you without the skimmer, and one day, YIKES, they are goin to to bad things. You may get away with it in the short term.


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Okay, would you be able to recomend a good lighing siystem salt mix and would I need a chiller if I want clowns
what is atnicnic lighting. Also a good website or book to read up on salt water,I love the look of fireheads and what's all this I hear about phosphate remover and such.


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Christople said:


> Okay, would you be able to recomend a good lighing siystem salt mix and would I need a chiller if I want clowns
> what is atnicnic lighting. Also a good website or book to read up on salt water,I love the look of fireheads and what's all this I hear about phosphate remover and such.


 For a 30 gallon, I'd go with a T-5HO light, and personally I'd get it off E-bay. I have in the past, and have not had any issues.
36" Aquarium T5 HO Light 117W LED Reef Fish w/ TIMER CE | eBay
No you will not need a chiller. And this light will allow you to keep most corals. Phospahates, corals hate phostphates, and they can also get garbage to grow on your powerheads and rock. Quite nasty stuff. You can use a few things.
MEDIA REACTOR HIGH FLOW AQUARIUM CARBON/PHOSBAN REACTOR | eBay
Use GFO 
Aquarium Chemical Filtration Media: Chemi-Pure Chemical Filter Media
Actinic light is hte purple or blue light. Its just a color rendering lamp used in most Salt tanks. Its not needed though.
about saltwater aquariums - Bing


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Pmay si with live rock would I need a protein skimmer and I don't think Id be able to get a venturi, what I
am goin to dovish transform my fresh waTer to a salt and the size is a 38 gallon and for substrateaybe dolomite or arginite and most likely live sand,I have heard that live sand is tricky though..mind telling me it's properties. So mainly th protein skimmer with live rock
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Would I be able to get clowns and anemoeneos with other fish or would the anenomeos eat all of the fish besides the clowns
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Christople said:


> Pmay si with live rock would I need a protein skimmer and I don't think Id be able to get a venturi, what I
> am goin to dovish transform my fresh waTer to a salt and the size is a 38 gallon and for substrateaybe dolomite or arginite and most likely live sand,I have heard that live sand is tricky though..mind telling me it's properties. So mainly th protein skimmer with live rock
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 What Live Sand Is and How It Is Used in a Saltwater Aquarium - Page 1


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Christople said:


> Would I be able to get clowns and anemoeneos with other fish or would the anenomeos eat all of the fish besides the clowns
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Yup you sure could keep a Anemone and clowns. Other fish tend to try and stay away from anemones. You would definatley need T-5 HO lighting or better for those.


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## Mike (Jul 16, 2006)

I don't think anything has been said yet about your water source, Christople. I made the mistake of using tap water when I first started out, and I paid for it for a _long_ time. I could have saved myself a _lot_ of the money I ended up spending on nitrate reducing media, phosphate reducing media, salt for water changes, etc., if I'd spent the money on an RO/DI unit in the first place.

Even the gallons of distilled Poland Spring I bought from the store when I finally quit tap water had some amount of phosphates as per my Hanna Instruments HI 713 phosphate checker. The cost of bottled water eventually ads up anyway, and it can be a pain to get enough bottles to perform a non negligible water change, so if you're serious about starting a reef and have some money to put toward it, you might consider picking up an RO/DI unit. I understand there are some pretty good prices to be had for them over on eBay, although I got mine from bulkreefsupply.com and am more than satisfied with it.


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

I can buy RO water would that be good enough... what if my tap doesn't have phosphate in it, and it doesn't have ammonia nitrate or nitrite so I am good there,here is the list of fish i would love to have:
Nemateleotris Magnifica x6
Ocellaris Clownfish x2
Gobiodon Okinawae x3? 
My lfs sells RO and i could buy distilled water from a local nature store and use it at a price of 49 cents a gallon, ech water change would be around ten gallons with a 38 gallon tank


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

and what is this about UV sterililizers


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Christople said:


> and what is this about UV sterililizers


 Nothing. They kill water born bacteria only.
UV Information - The Truth about UV
They are not needed.


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Umm okay...so would need a protein skimmer with live rock, not sure if I'll be abl to transform my tank now but maybe around next Christmas so please keep feeding me your info


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Also the ro subject


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Christople said:


> Also the ro subject


You definatley want a RO/DI, as the combo takes your TDS to 0, which is where you want them. Usually around a 50gpd will suffice. A brute trash can from Lowes or something to hold the water. Keep the water in the container without salt in it, and use it for top offs. Mix with salt 24hrs before you actualyl are going to do a water change. That way it totally disolves, you can bring it to temperature, check salinity, CA, add calcium when needed. Depending on the salt mix you use, you will have to dose calcium to bring it to 420.


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

is tis total dissolved salt?


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## kaxt (Nov 10, 2010)

TDS is total dissolved solids- it is a measure of molecules dissolved in the water


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Christople said:


> is tis total dissolved salt?


 Total Dissolved Solids.
Total dissolved solids - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

okay, but would I need a protein skimmer with live rock,and corals


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Yes, RO/DI take out all the garbage that out water supply has in it. The salt that you add gives back the trace elements and calcium, among other things. Skimmer removes organic waste from fish and corals before it becomes a problem, it can't get it all, so the Live Rock grows living organisms that also aid in the transport of crud.


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## Mike (Jul 16, 2006)

RM, is there a significant risk to not waiting 24 hours after mixing salt to add saltwater to the tank? I fill my homer bucket with RO/DI, mix in Instant Ocean salt for a minute, and siphon it into the tank. I used to fill the bathtub with warm water and leave the homer bucket in it to warm it up before adding it to the tank, but after skipping that step once because I was in a rush and seeing the thermometer fluctuate only one degree before righting itself after a while, I don't bother with that anymore. The only coral I have in my tank at the moment is xenia, but the xenia, my shrimp, crabs, and fish seem unfazed.


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

that still didn't answer my question... If I add about 75 lbs of live rock would I need a P.S.


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Its best to have one, but no, your size tank doe snot require one. If you keep up on your water changes, you can get by without one.


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

Okay I think that makes the salt water fantasy become more of a reality, I think that I would not get one, but get lots of live rock, maybe live sand probably argonite with T5 and try to keep a anenamoe and corals as well, then the fish would be 2 clown fish,3 panama cardinal fish,and 3 yellow clown gobies, also maybe some fire fish, maybe read up and get a catalina goby


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

what would you guys add to this RO system Aquarium Water Quality: AquaticLife Reverse Osmosis and Deionization Units


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Christople said:


> what would you guys add to this RO system Aquarium Water Quality: AquaticLife Reverse Osmosis and Deionization Units


Don't know enough about those, can't say.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/REEF-5-Stag...all_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item4cec696df5
Would add nothing to this one though.


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## Christople (Sep 7, 2010)

All right, wil try o get one


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