Newbie Questions!!!

[fishguy23]

Alright MR...a few stupid questions: My tanks been running for more than a year as a FOWLR & I just recently added some corals, Hear are my questions:


1) On the bottom I have from the left, a Colt Coral, than frog spawn & the one to the right, I am not sure what it is (bought as a finger leather) but doubt it is, didnt look like it was in good shape at the lfs, can someone identify & please tell me if my corals are spread far enough apart or are they too close (considering growth)?

2) My 15 cube to the left is plumbed w/ my main tank to one central sump, I have some fuge mud, macro & seahorses, but the plants/algae don't look like they are thriving, is there anything I can do to maintain health/growth? I dont not have a ton of flow other than a nano koralia which is a bit strong for the seahorses & water is perfect! Oh and if someone can identify the seahorses, dont have a pic but sold as "captive bred" small 1/2", bron colored, just curious what the most common names are on the market?

3) I can never maintain my button polyps pictured on the left, what am I doing wrong? Is something picking at them. At one point thought it may have been high phospates, but I just bought a phosbate reactor & my other zoas are comin back?


SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS!

 

[JLAudio]

Looking good! Every time I see the tank its getting bigger and better.

test water and find out the parameters, ph, temp, nitrates phos etc. If you dont got a kit, I got most of em, so just bring a sample of water when you get frags (this is probably reason zoo's arent opening)

 

[nanoreefer22]

The soft coral to the right that was sold as a finger leather looks like a capnella to me, sorta a finger leather i guess, just read up on it.

 

[clownlover]

dude i hope thats not bryopsis on the bottom left. if it is id get it out of there asap, nasty crap to get rid of.

 

[basiab]

The sea horses may be dwarfs. How long have you had them. Most are fed newly hatched brine shrimp. But if you have lots of pods in there that would also work. It is a good habit to know about the creataure you are buying before you buy it so that you can care for it properly. Here is a good site for seahorse info: http://forum.seahorse.org/

 

[meschaefer]

how big is the main display?
What type and wattage lighting is over it?, and what is the lighting cycle?
What type of filtration are you using?
What are your water parameters?
What type of water are you using? (Tap, DI, RO/DI, Distilled etc. etc.)

 

[fishguy23]

how big is the main display? 50 gallons
What type and wattage lighting is over it?, and what is the lighting cycle? T5's: 6am-7pm(blues), 8am-6pm(whites) & 8-6 (Lunars), and reverse schedule for the so called "fuge"
What type of filtration are you using? coralife 225 skimmer, phosbate reactor, wet/dry sump w/50%LR/50%Bio balls (I know I know nitrate trap)
What are your water parameters? Safe
What type of water are you using? (Tap, DI, RO/DI, Distilled etc. etc) RO/DI

Hey basiab, trust me I did hours and hours of research, before I made the purchase, but I guess you can never have enough info! lol....theres only so much info on the net that is not redundant, I learn more by experience!

 

[meschaefer]

What type and wattage lighting is over it?, and what is the lighting cycle? T5's: 6am-7pm(blues), 8am-6pm(whites) & 8-6 (Lunars), and reverse schedule for the so called "fuge"
....

What are your water parameters? Safe

How many watts of T5, and how old are the bulbs.
...


If it was "safe" you wouldn't have any problems. Not only do we need to know what your water parameters are, we need to know what test kits your are using in order to determine their accuracy.

 

[fishguy23]

36"156 watts4-39 watt.....bulbs are 3 months old

As of yesterday, 24hrs after my weekly 10% water change, Ammonia/nitrates 0, PH 8.3, temp 80f, calcium 390ppm(striving for 420), 1.025, I dont have a test kit for phosphates, but after introducing a phosbate reactor, upgrading skimmer etc, the algae has subsided significantly.

 

[meschaefer]

36"156 watts4-39 watt.....bulbs are 3 months old

As of yesterday, 24hrs after my weekly 10% water change, Ammonia/nitrates 0, PH 8.3, temp 80f, calcium 390ppm(striving for 420), 1.025, I dont have a test kit for phosphates, but after introducing a phosbate reactor, upgrading skimmer etc, the algae has subsided significantly.

Just to confirm, your "nitrates" are at zero, I just ask because you lumped it together with Ammonia, when "nitrites" are usually lumped with Ammonia.

Don't worry about a phosphate test kit, most of them are not accurate enough to warrant their use, just assume you have phosphates and go from there.

Are you using any phosphate media, aluminum based phosphate medias have been known to cause the type of reaction seen in your corals.

I would also be looking at PH and Temp swings. Do the effect of photosynthesis, your PH will lower at night and raise during the day. This one of the reasons people put their fuge on a reverse light cycle, but this does not always help. Measure your PH right before the lights come on, and right after the lights go off.

Also watch the temp swing, nicer days are creeping in, and this sometimes causes tank problems.

You also question, whether something is picking at your zoas. A complete list of your tank inhabitants would help.

 

[fishguy23]

Hey Matt, I appreciate the info. My tank inhabitants for the 50 gallon are: OVERSTOCKED: 1 Blue Hippo, 1 yellow Tang, 1 Algae Blenny, 1 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Strawberry Crab, 1 blue Damsel, 2 Strped Damsel, 1 Bicolor Pseduchromis, variet of snails, hermits, watchman gobie, pistol shrimp, & a clarki. Im in the process of atempting to capture the damsels, & Pseduchromis to lessen my bioload. And yes nitrates were a"0" as of yesterday. The kit I have been using is from API/Liquid, now I have heard the powder versions are more accurate?

 

[KathyC]

For the nitrate test, it isn't powder (??) over liquid that is important , it's that some folks don't care for the accuracy of the AP kits. I find no issue with them though I do use a Salifert kit for my nitrate testing.

You didn't mention your Alk results, do you have a kit for that? The Alk reading is a very important part of the equation in looking for balanced parameters

Not a member of the tang police...but I can't imagine that your nitrates are really at zero with a YT & Blue Hippo in there. Somebody here is going to tell you that you are trying to catch the wrong fish...

 

[fishguy23]

.....can my kit be that inaccurate, I checked the parameters about 18 hours after 10% WC? Im a huge fan of the Tangs/surgeon fish family, not the best choices..........?

 

[KathyC]

.....can my kit be that inaccurate, I checked the parameters about 18 hours after 10% WC? Im a huge fan of the Tangs/surgeon fish family, not the best choices..........?

You might want to get or borrow another kit and compare the results..just seems very odd that you would have a zero reading.

Tangs & sturgeon fish are wonderful and great choices...but best in a larger tank
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=739380

 

[fishguy23]

I think I might do that, I have a few people who have "real" kits, I'll post the results...side by side!

 

[meschaefer]

I thought I saw a Naso Tang in your first pic, was I mistaken or is he missing from your list?

 

[fishguy23]

too big......Traded away

 

[meschaefer]

too big......Traded away

So that picture is old.... do you have a recent picture of your tank?

 

[feerjoe]

maybe i'n not seeing it right, but that tank looks way to small for all the water movement it looks like you have going on in there. it would be ok if you had tank full of sps corals and tons of light. but for what i see, your corals in there don't like or want that much water movement. its like there in a storm on the reef and they contact, to waether the storm. i'd start by taking half pumps out of that tank and see how they react.