Orca Tl550 Journal

[Morri]

Hi All I have been reading the forums for a little while now and have decided to try out a marine tank.

I managed to pick up a second hand Orca TL550 with LR and water.

I have read a few posts about the filter setup on these tanks and all are slightly diffrent just wondering if there is a "best" setup for them at the moment the only media in the filter is the tublar ceramic filter media.

my thoughts are to remove the current media then add 1kg of live rock in 1 chamber and add a sponge type filter in the heater compartment to pick up debris does anyone know if this will work?

Also my protein skimmer does nt have a cap on it is this normal or missing?

Is there a easy to fit protein skimmer upgrade for TL550 as the standard one seems to get a lot of negative press?

Finaly I suspect the tank will be ready quite quickly for a CUC (as it has been running a while) what is recomended for this 30 gallon tank?

Sorry if the questions seem a bit disjointed but getting late

 

[seffieuk]

Hi All I have been reading the forums for a little while now and have decided to try out a marine tank.



I managed to pick up a second hand Orca TL550 with LR and water.

Excellent, what sort of price did you pay, going to be selling mine soon and want to have an idea of the price I should ask

I have read a few posts about the filter setup on these tanks and all are slightly diffrent just wondering if there is a "best" setup for them at the moment the only media in the filter is the tublar ceramic filter media.
my thoughts are to remove the current media then add 1kg of live rock in 1 chamber and add a sponge type filter in the heater compartment to pick up debris does anyone know if this will work?

No ceramics, no bio balls, no foam filter - they all become nitrate factories - replace with lr rubble and rowaphos in the compartments

Also my protein skimmer does nt have a cap on it is this normal or missing?

Should have a cap

Is there a easy to fit protein skimmer upgrade for TL550 as the standard one seems to get a lot of negative press?

Both Trod and I run this protein skimmer with no problems

Finaly I suspect the tank will be ready quite quickly for a CUC (as it has been running a while) what is recomended for this 30 gallon tank?

about 3 hermits - blue eat the most but can be aggressive
sand sifting - Nass - about 10
3 turbos

Don't buy too many to start with as you will not have enough food in the tank - you can always add more later

Sorry if the questions seem a bit disjointed but getting late

to the salty side, it's a great place to be - remember the only stupid question is the question not asked

now, for my questions

Tank test results?
how long have you been running the tank?
and the most important question - where are the pictures?
what are your plans?

Seffie x

 

[Morri]

Hi seffieuk

I paid about 170 for the tank with all the sand and LR

After a quick trip to my LFS I picked up some small LR bits and swapped out the hula hoops with this also picked up some rowaphos.

I will take the skimmer out to see if cap has fell off in transportation if not seen one on sale from Hong Kong about 18 including delivery.

I think my LFS retailer wass a happy bunny when i walked out as I also picked up a new set of test kits a K2 power head + lots and lots of other little bits not cheap.

My tests are

PH 8.2
nitrite 0
ammonia 0
nitrates about 75 (a little high)

The tank has been running for 6 months and was still running when I collected it

After a quick move a quick scrub down a little land scaping all orginal water re added hoping not to get too much die back.

Plans for the tank is 2 clownss + 2 Chromis
Cleaner shrimp

Then when all is happy I will start adding some corals I see a lot on mail order seems a lot cheaper than the LFS are these a good option or not?

Photos will follow when I finish tidying up

Oops forgot to ask in your post you mention "The Book" which one is it please as I could use a good book for refrence to corals

 

[seffieuk]

Ah..... the book, http/www.amazon.co.uk/Aquarium-Corals-Se...2222&sr=1-1

A great read, bottle of wine - recipe for a good afternoon

Your cycle will depend on how long the lr was out of the water?

Your stats indicate some die off but not a mega cycle, so am guessing the lr was not out of the water long?

Seffie x

 

[Morri]

Hi Seffie

Excellent thanks will add it to my shopping list for later on still missing a few little nice to haves

Nope the most of the LR was transported in water will do a 10% water change not sure how long since the water was changed then will sit and wait for everything to level off.

Missed my salinty off stats its sat at 1024

Have taken the skimmer out but no cap but have noticed a large black sponge under skimmer is it best to remove this ?

 

[seffieuk]

Hi Seffie

Excellent thanks will add it to my shopping list for later on still missing a few little nice to haves

Nope the most of the LR was transported in water will do a 10% water change not sure how long since the water was changed then will sit and wait for everything to level off.

How long was the lr transported for? Sounds like you have made a good job of transporting. Is the water your own mixed water or the original water? Are you using RO?

Missed my salinty off stats its sat at 1024

That's fine for a fowlr but if you are going to have corals, I would bring it up a bit

Have taken the skimmer out but no cap but have noticed a large black sponge under skimmer is it best to remove this ?

Yes, indeed - keep it though, it's charcol - good for emergencies - the skimmer cap could be replaced with some clingfilm for now

How old is the tank and lighting?

Seffie x

 

[Morri]

LR was transported for about 60 mins

What salinity would you recommend for corals?

Have ordered the new skimmer from Honk Kong could take some time to deliver but guessing the tank will be fine without the skimmer for a week or two? will see if I can make a temporary lid

If I take the foam out is there any benefit from but .5 Kg under the skimmer or just leave it empty?

The tank and lights are 6 months old according to the person I bought it from

Just a quick question on stocking fish looking at roughly 2 x chromis and 2 x tank breed clowns a friend has a Mandorin dragnet he has had for a while and has offered it to me would these 5 fish be the max for this tank and will they get on?

Do they bulbs need to be changed on a regular bassis?

 

[seffieuk]

LR was transported for about 60 mins

What salinity would you recommend for corals?

1.026

Have ordered the new skimmer from Honk Kong could take some time to deliver but guessing the tank will be fine without the skimmer for a week or two? will see if I can make a temporary lid

would benefit if you left the old skimmer running as would help remove any die off

If I take the foam out is there any benefit from but .5 Kg under the skimmer or just leave it empty?

I wouldn't put it in the skimmer part, but certainly put it in one of the other chambers put it in a cut off pair of tights so you can pull it out easily and clean

The tank and lights are 6 months old according to the person I bought it from

Ok, shouldn't need changing then

Just a quick question on stocking fish looking at roughly 2 x chromis and 2 x tank breed clowns a friend

I would think hard about adding the two chromis as you have such limited scope for fish

has a Mandorin dragnet he has had for a while and has offered it to me would these 5 fish be the max for this tank and will they get on?

The only way you could keep a mandy in your tank is if you start a copepod culture going (very easy to do) and feed the tank every couple of days and also hope to get the mandy feeding on frozen mysis, etc, but this can be hard if the fish is showing it's bones though, don't even try - it will just end in a broken heart - Pod culture will take about three to four weeks to get established - I would go with the pair of juvie clowns, keep a space for a Mandy and then have a look for a couple more fish

Do they bulbs need to be changed on a regular bassis?

Yes, the orca, yearly

 

[Morri]

Have spoken to my friend with the mando he has had it a while and he feeds it frozen mysis the fish looks very healthy.

Is there an issue with Blue/Green Chromis I had read they are easy to keep ?

Morri

 

[seffieuk]

Have spoken to my friend with the mando he has had it a while and he feeds it frozen mysis the fish looks very healthy.

Is there an issue with Blue/Green Chromis I had read they are easy to keep ?

Morri

No issue, just think you will be bored with them - the clowns swim about all over the place, maybe think of something for the bottom, a goby perhaps and something with a bright/strong colour, purple fire fish for example

Seffie x



best to go have a nose round a good lfs, see what you like and then go home and do some research

 

[Morri]

Thanks for all the help Seffie its very much appreciated

hopefully my nitrate levels should drop by next weekend then I will invest in some red legged hermits and snails I read somewhere in my searches that 40 was a ok level to add the CUC this seemed a little high to me is there a target I should be going for?

 

[seffieuk]

Thanks for all the help Seffie its very much appreciated

hopefully my nitrate levels should drop by next weekend then I will invest in some red legged hermits and snails I read somewhere in my searches that 40 was a ok level to add the CUC this seemed a little high to me is there a target I should be going for?

oh my word - yes too high

about 10 sand sifting Nass
three turbos
three hermits - i have the blues as they eat more but they are more aggressive!

Seffie x

 

[Morri]

Have finished tidying up here is a photo

Seem to have caught one of the crabs in the shot (this came with the tank as did the leathers and a couple of turbo snails well think they are Turbos)

Also got the hair algae this is high on my lists to resolve hence why I was asking about the CUC

 

[Morri]

After looking at the all the setups think I might have gone to high with my rocks so done a little landscaping and reduced the overall height.

Done another Nitrate test still seems high after a water change. So have removed the black carbon sponge.

Are there any good tricks for getting nitrate under control ?

Also may seem like a stupid question but how do you tell if a leather coral is dead (wondering if this is causing the Nitrate if dead)?

 

[Trod]

Hi, Tank look good, like your scaping

Your leather doesn't look dead to me just very unhappy

Are you making your own RO water or buying it from your LFS if its the latter, I would check this for nitrate, some water from LFS are high, I learnt that from experience

You could also add some Chaeto algae to one of the chambers at the rear, but this will need light I use one of these http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hagen-Marina-WHITE-m...9QQcmdZViewItem

I'd recommend a large water change too