New to saltwater. Tips to preventing nasties?

[Foxchase]

Hello, I have kept freshwater tanks for a while and decided to try my luck in salt. i have been cycling my 20g long nano tank for a few weeks now. I put a 20lb bag of Caribsea live sand with about 30 lbs of live rock. 2 480gph pumps. I have an RODI unit. My only stocking ideas right now are a pair of designer clowns. I do have an aqueon 75 sitting around I could use as some sort of mechanical filter. Any tips on what else I may need? An affordable light for softies in the future? I've read about using phosguard to avoid algae in new tanks. Any help is sincerely appreciated. I've done tons of research I would just like some input.

 

[glb]

Hello, I have kept freshwater tanks for a while and decided to try my luck in salt. i have been cycling my 20g long nano tank for a few weeks now. I put a 20lb bag of Caribsea live sand with about 30 lbs of live rock. 2 480gph pumps. I have an RODI unit. My only stocking ideas right now are a pair of designer clowns. I do have an aqueon 75 sitting around I could use as some sort of mechanical filter. Any tips on what else I may need? An affordable light for softies in the future? I've read about using phosguard to avoid algae in new tanks. Any help is sincerely appreciated. I've done tons of research I would just like some input.

Do you have a sump? Also, no matter what you do, the tank will go through an ugly stage. It’s part of the cycle. Expect algae, diatoms, and other stuff to appear until the tank is stable. What are your nitrate and phosphate numbers? You’ll want to make sure you don’t zero them out in an effort to keep the tank clean. Been there, done that, and I got cyano, dinos, and something else that looked like fur! Good luck and ask a lot of questions!

 

[windemerejack]

Hi from UK and welcome to r2r, you will enjoy your time here.

 

[Glott3133]

Welcome to R2R. You will definitely get a huge case of the uglies. Just be patient with it and know it's coming.

 

[SeaSickness]

Welcome to R2R!
What kind of filtration do you have? Also, depending upon what you want to keep, a powerhead will be useful.

 

[Foxchase]

Welcome to R2R!
What kind of filtration do you have? Also, depending upon what you want to keep, a powerhead will be useful.

At the moment just a hob aqueon 75 and powerheads. Don't know what else I could use

 

[fishguy242]

hi welcome to the reef going to love it here
open 24-7
pics are required....lol ..we all love pics

 

[fishguy242]

At the moment just a hob aqueon 75 and powerheads. Don't know what else I could use

hob skimmer if no sump

 

[inletfish]

Hola.

Yes theres an ugly stage. Expect some issues the first year, were all here for you, dont get discouraged and have fun

 

[brandon429]

If you want to avoid the uglies altogether, do so.

lift out your rocks, scrape or kill brush off anything you don’t want, work around what you do want as a nontarget. Set rocks back in

so simple, vs wrecking your tank.

Read up to date cycling threads that don’t permit the uglies phase, that way you aren’t waiting eighteen months to start enjoying the reef.
It is one option of two to purposefully do nothing as various successions invade your tank, and decide the happy date for you. The other option is to not do any of that

be Paul Jr

 

[brandon429]

Read this, a roadmap to not uglies + coral + not waiting months


he‘s already stocked a bounce mushroom check out his feed and water change willingness.

Cycling a new Biocube 32

It is looking gorgeous! So wish I had that bounce wow Yes hes very nice. Opened up right away when i introduced him. You wouldnt believe the price we got him for...

www.reef2reef.com