Any Advice?

[mrdarieus]

current set up:
2 mo old 75 gal saltwater tank (cycled with a shrimp)
PC smartpaq 65 watt 10,000 daylight, 460nm acitinic, 2 moonbeams(not sure if this is enough light) runs 12 on 12 off
4 powerheads: 2 900 maxijets 1 400 maxijet and an aquaclear 10
full time power monitor heater
Prizm protein skimmer(haven't turned on yet)
master test kit(test water frequently and all params great)
hydrometer
60 pouinds sand
100+lbs live rock(1 with several mushrooms on it)
3 small frags
2 chromis, 1 clown(they all are very small), few snails and crabs
red/brown algea (maybe diatoms) on rocks and substrate (how to rid?)
I would like to upgrade my lightning to light entire tank, I'd like to have more mushrooms, 1 or 2 leather corals, several polyps, and a huge colorful brain on each side and 1 in the middle.
Any suggestions to acheive success? I do not want a sump but was thinking of a HOB wet dry filter and is it possible put cheato in a regular filter with carbon?
Thanks everyone,
Darieus

 

[mrdarieus]

current set up:
2 mo old 75 gal saltwater tank (cycled with a shrimp)
PC smartpaq 65 watt 10,000 daylight, 460nm acitinic, 2 moonbeams(not sure if this is enough light) runs 12 on 12 off
4 powerheads: 2 900 maxijets 1 400 maxijet and an aquaclear 10
full time power monitor heater
Prizm protein skimmer(haven't turned on yet)
master test kit(test water frequently and all params great)
hydrometer
60 pouinds sand
100+lbs live rock(1 with several mushrooms on it)
3 small frags
2 chromis, 1 clown(they all are very small), few snails and crabs
red/brown algea (maybe diatoms) on rocks and substrate (how to rid?)
I would like to upgrade my lightning to light entire tank, I'd like to have more mushrooms, 1 or 2 leather corals, several polyps, and a huge colorful brain on each side and 1 in the middle.
Any suggestions to acheive success? I do not want a sump but was thinking of a HOB wet dry filter and is it possible put cheato in a regular filter with carbon?
Thanks everyone,
Darieus

 

[gnashty]

I would upgrade to T5HO or LED for the lights. Then you have more options for corals down the line. I don't have any experience running the filtration you are describing for a reef but I would personally want a proper sump vs a HOB situation. Is the skimmer a HOB too? What is your water change cycle going to be?

This diatom bloom you are experiencing is normal for the age of the tank. I use a squeeze bottle or turkey baster to clean it off the rocks. You could also cut back on the photoperiod to keep it at bay. 12 hours is alot. I run mine about 6-8 but I have LED.

 

[jcampbell]

I would say toss the PC light. Although corals can be grown under them, they aren't the greatest. I would go with T5, LED, or Metal Halide! If you do upgrade lighting, I would suggest an AquaticLife T5 HO fixture! Best T5 light I have ever had! LED's are nice too, but pricy and Metal halides get kind of hot and tend to heat the tank. I prefer a sump over all types of filters because it adds more water volume to your tank. Power filters are okay, and you wouldn't be able to put cheato in there unless you had a light source. When doing your weekly water change, use RO/DI water to keep the tank healthy and you can dose reef supplements every once in a while such as, Fuel by Seachem. I believe that's really all you have to do to have success with a reef. I don't know much about the protein skimmer you have, but it's crucial to have one if you have a large bio load.

 

[mrdarieus]

Thanks I'm looking at some T-5 fixtures now!!!:up:

 

[mrdarieus]

Thankyou much,, I'm looking at some T-5 fixtures now!!

 

[dawgface]

mrdarieus;689281 wrote: current set up:
2 mo old 75 gal saltwater tank (cycled with a shrimp)
PC smartpaq 65 watt 10,000 daylight, 460nm acitinic, 2 moonbeams(not sure if this is enough light) runs 12 on 12 off
4 powerheads: 2 900 maxijets 1 400 maxijet and an aquaclear 10
full time power monitor heater
Prizm protein skimmer(haven't turned on yet)
master test kit(test water frequently and all params great)
hydrometer
60 pouinds sand
100+lbs live rock(1 with several mushrooms on it)
3 small frags
2 chromis, 1 clown(they all are very small), few snails and crabs
red/brown algea (maybe diatoms) on rocks and substrate (how to rid?)
I would like to upgrade my lightning to light entire tank, I'd like to have more mushrooms, 1 or 2 leather corals, several polyps, and a huge colorful brain on each side and 1 in the middle.
Any suggestions to acheive success? I do not want a sump but was thinking of a HOB wet dry filter and is it possible put cheato in a regular filter with carbon?
Thanks everyone,
Darieus

I would suggest the following in bullet points
<ul>
<li>Better lighting</li>
<li>Turn the skimmer on</li>
<li>Get a refractometer</li>
<li>Depending on test kit, upgrade to an accurate one</li>
<li>Regular water changes</li>
</ul>