New to reef set up

[aljndrno]

On the protein skimmer...did I make a bad choice? Should I be thinking about selling or returning the Prizm? I guess it's different depending on who you talk to about tank equipment. The Prizm seems to be doing it's job. There's a lot of gunk that has been taken out of the tank already. The guy at the LFS uses the Prizm and has had no problem. Should I be thinking about the Remora?

Help!

 

[bleedingthought]

Well, blue linkias are notorious for not doing well for more than a couple of months (and sometimes a year or two). Make sure to have your ammonia and nitrite at zero and the nitrates at least close to zero and give yourself a couple of days/week and go with a hardy fish or two. Do you have any you definitely want in there?

There's various reasons the shrimp could've died. Just make sure to take things slow and you'll be fine.

 

[bleedingthought]

AquaCs are awesome and the remora pro would suit you well. How much are you getting out of your skimmer daily? And what consistency and color is it? You might do ok with it but there is definitely better out there.

Did you end up setting up a sump or not? An in sump skimmer would run you about the same price, pull out more (since it'll probably be a bigger pump/skimmer), be safer (in my opinion), and the addition of the sump itself would open up numerous beneficial possibilities. I would then go with an ASM skimmer. But that's just me. :wink:

Maybe others will jump in and give you more opinions.

 

[aljndrno]

I decided not to go with the sump just yet. I may go buy one later down the road. The skimmer seems to be working. I'm getting about an inch of brown water sludge daily. I'm still adjusting the skimmer. Some days I get brown gunk, most days I get brown water.

As for livestock, I'm planning to get a few fish, maybe 8 to 10 total. As for inverts, I'd like an anemone or two, some mushroom coral and a few shrimps etc. I'd like a tank that's pretty easy to care for. I'd like to start slow and build up with the inverts.

Thanks.

 

[bleedingthought]

Go slow. Research and read up on everything before you get it. Go with just a couple of fish first, some hardy ones. Wait on the anemone, but definitely go with mushrooms.

And oh, go slow.

Also, research and read up on everything before you buy it.

 

[aljndrno]

Yes. I'm going to take it real sloowww. I finally have my skimmer adjusting. I'm now getting brown sludge. The snails are eating away at the brown diatoms, and the hermit crabs are trimming the algae hedges.

I recently noticed a few critters popping out of the live rocks, one in particular have what I think are feather dusters and aiptasia (sp?) Are hermit crabs suppose to eat aiptasia (sp?) :?:

Not getting anymore livestock for now.

Off the subject. Does anyone know the advantages to growing live algae to condition the tank? I know that algae is good for rotifers and other inverts and maybe growing live brine shrimp, but is there an advantage to using/placing them directly in the tank?

Thanks.