im finally putting coral in, help me out

[simple]

Ok so i finally decided its time to put coral in my tank, but id like your expert opinion and help beforehand.
here are my tank specs.
12 gallon nano
160gph powerhead
125gph bio filter (it has a carbon filter) with a small skimmer
65 watt compact fluorescent lights.
about 3 inches of live sand
9 1/2 pounds of live rock

here are what i plan on getting (all frags will be about 1/2 to 1 inch)
1 candy cane coral
1 green and peach zoo
1 orange and green zoo
1 watermelon zoo
1 small star poly rock
1 red mushroom
1 green mushroom
1 head green hammer (i understand these have stinging tentacles, so it will be separated from the rest by about 6-8 inches)

Does anyone see any problems with this setup?
I also know i need to start adding calcium supplements and test for calcium and alkalinity. can anyone direct me to some cheap yet reliable test kits for bot calcium and alkalinity? and also a good but still cheap calcium supplement?
Thansk in advance for the help and any help or suggestions are welcome.

 

[Anonymous]

Most popular choice is Salifert test kits. They're not cheap but it can be a lot more expensive in the long run if you do get cheap test kits.

I had the cheap ones at first and it was difficult to read the readings. It basically said it's "good enough." Salifert will give you a more accurate reading.

For supplements and salt I just use Seachem products. Opinions may vary here...

 

[simple]

thanks i'll look into those, has anyone tried the api brand tests? because the reviews said theyre like salifert but cheaper and in some cases more accurate.

 

[IslandCrow]

I wouldn't start dosing calcium and alkalinity yet. That candy cane probably won't have much of a demand, and the zoas won't have any. As long as your calcium is at least around 350 ppm and doesn't drop significantly from week to week, supplementation probably isn't necessary with what you're currently planning to get. If you do decide to supplement, your best bet is a balanced 2-part calcium & alkalinity supplement. ESV is my favorite, and the Kent product is also supposed to be good. I don't know about Seachem supplements, but I've been pretty happy with other products of theirs I've used.

As for test kits, Salifert is definitely one of the better test kits out there, and I'd highly recommend them. I've used Seachem (though not their calcium test kit), and they're pretty easy to use and seem to give pretty consistent results. They just aren't as precise as Salifert. I don't have any experience with API.

edit:
Another option you have for calcium/alkalinity supplementation is kalkwasser. It's cheaper than 2-part, but has a significant effect on PH, so it has to be dripped into the tank slowly, generally over a 12-24 hour period. Given your tank size, I don't think 2-part will be significantly more expensive, and you can add it in one shot probably just a couple times a week (I add it to my tank once a week for a very similar setup).

 

[simple]

yea i decided to go with the kent two part calcium and alkalinity supplements, since i have a nano it should last me quite a while. I decided to test out these API tests because theyre considerably cheaper and had several good reviews, ill post if theyre any good or not...

 

[IslandCrow]

Yeah, definitely tell us what you think. If you have a friend nearby who uses Salifert or some other recognized quality brand, have him test your water as well and compare the results. Saving money is always a good thing, especially if you're getting the same quality.

 

[mr_X]

with that coral list, i think water changes will be enough. i don't think you ever have to dose if you keep up with the water changes. i haven['t added anything to my tanksand my corals grow just fine. i spot feed the ones that eat solid food, other than that i just sit, watch, and enjoy.
unfortunately, the smallest tank i can relate to you with is the 30 cube. we do have sps in that tank doing very well without supplimental calcium.