My New Tank

[Semuvan]

1. 37 Gallon Aquarium
2. 1 MH 400W 14K bulb all new
3. Double overflow box, with Mag 7 for return
4. Temp stays at 26 Celcius with 1/8 hp Chiller(Aqua Medic)
5. 10 Gallon Sump no bio balls, only a sock I change each 3 to 4 days
6. Sea Clone 100 Gallon version Skimmer
7. Milwaukee SMS122 for pH monitoring, 8.2 mostly
8. Have Calcium Reactor, not using yet, with CO2 Tank KNOP C
9. Water Measurements : Nitrate=10, Nitrite=0, Amm=0, pH=8.2, Calcium=450, Sp Gravity=1.024, Phosphates=0, Alkalinity=2.7 Magnesium=1250ppm, Iodine=.050ppm, kH=161.1ppm
10. Split Tail Goby, Vlamingii, Coral Banded Shrimp, and misc stars and snails.
11. 55 lbs of Live Rock
12. Two Maxjet 1200's inside for water flow and circulations
See Pictures

Setup now is about 4 months. Yes its cycled, and I only run my light 7 hours a day. However, I'm getting a greenish algae growth on the glass but since I wipe that down daily, its more noticable on the sand. I also have questions whether or not my clam looks healthy(tends to stay on his side alot, and I believe I have an Oyster on my LR that is alive and eating. Please any input will help lots!!!

 

[Semuvan]

Other Pictures

 

[Semuvan]

Last set. Please take a look and tell me what you think...Thanks!

 

[mr_X]

hi. i wanted to inquire about your lighting.
you use a 400 watt 20k bulb, and you switch it to 14k every month? if that's what you meant, i think that's a bad idea. the corals will not like the spectrum shift. your going to have an unhappy tank at least, but most likely you'll lose corals.

i also think the 400 watt pendant over the 37 gallon tank is ok if you want to keep strickly sps, but i think you are going to burn anything else.

i don't know alot about clams i'm afraid, but i think it's not doing as well as it could. the large siphon in the foreground seems too open possibly...and the fact that it keeps turning on it's side can't be good. good luck with it. i hope someone else can help out with a solution

also, the 2 sand sifter stars are going to end up starving in that little tank. i don't think 1 could make it on the amount of food in that sand bed. i'd return atleast 1 of the sand sifters and if you really love starfish, get a serpent star. they are pretty easy to keep and will eat meaty foods.

i'm not sure if it's an oyster, but i have similar mollusks on my rock as well. i think it's closer to a clam than an oyster. filter feeders. i don't think they ever move besides opening and closing, due to the fact that mine are glued to my rock and covered with coralline.

the algae issue:
what are you putting in your tank? (what suppliments, how much food, what is your water source...are you using R.O.D.I.?) this algae is fueled by something you are adding to the tank, or something that's not being removed.

 

[Semuvan]

I'm not feeding but what the 2 fish can eat in 30 to 45 seconds of flake food. All water changes which are weekly 3 to 5 gallon changes, and I'm adding nothing to the tank other than fish food. I use RO / DI water that has a tds of 003 on my calibrated tds meter. I mentioned the changing of lighting, but haven't done it yet, bad idea, then I'll not do it. Clam is only a couple weeks old, maybe I should return it. I'll put the other star in my 20 Gallon Hospital tank that has macro algae and a dansel.
Thanks for the input, Anything else ?

 

[mr_X]

well, i'd like someone to second my "under the weather" diagnosis before you do anything with the clam.
i don't know, but there are nutrients that that algae is living off of. it's something. try a different food maybe. it's good to feed a variety anyway.

what kind of substrate is that?

 

[Semuvan]

Its one bag of Florida Crushed Coral on top of a suspended Eggcrate with screening between it and the 40 lbs of Live Sand on top. Giving 4" sand bed or so

 

[mr_X]

at this stage in the tanks' life, i don't think the substrate has anything to do with the algae, but just out of curiosity, why did you put the CC underneath, with screening between, instead of just laying out 4" of aragonite?

 

[Semuvan]

I have had extremely good luck on my FOWLR tanks using this method and the pH has remained constant and the Calcium levels high without having to do anything. Not exactly sure why I did it this way other than I've always done it this way. /shrug
I do appreciate all the questions and input, I need all the help I can get. I'm mainly a FO or FOWLR tank person, this is my first sps / clam attempt.