1st Reef Tank 1st Post

[lionpaw38]

My first attempt at a Saltwater reef Tank and everything live is from Saltwaterfish.Com ( Except for the clams). Any advice is welcome from you seasoned vets. Have a Sump & UV Sterilizer and Skimmer under the cabinet but I keep the Emporer 400 just for back up and increased Water to Air mixture on the Bio Wheels. Also keep 2 Zoo Med 228 Oscillating Power heads running in each corner to keep good circulation.

 

[sweetdawn]

nice how long has it been set up

 

[lionpaw38]

About 4 months..no problems so far..keeping my fingers crossed

 

[maurice]

Are you only running PC lighting on the clam and sps corals?

 

[nomad]

Everybody in the tank looks 'happy' to me. Nice range of colors in the tank, also. Good job. :cheer:

 

[gregm779]

Tank looks nics, make sure you keep an eye on the clam, croceas usually need more intense light than PCs, you could try moving him other wise he will most ikely die.

 

[lionpaw38]

Actually I did move both of them to the top after the pictures.

 

[lionpaw38]

Do you think I should buy a halide pendant to help with the lighting? The light I have now has 2 65watt Blue and two 65 watt whites. four pin bulbs.

 

[thegrog]

Originally Posted by lionpaw38
Do you think I should buy a halide pendant to help with the lighting? The light I have now has 2 65watt Blue and two 65 watt whites. four pin bulbs.
Absolutely. The clam will be far better off with MH than PC. The other corals will benefit as well with briliant coloration and growth.

 

[jacknjill]

yes definately upgrade lighting. i dont know how much longer those clams will last with that lighting. but everything looks really good. try and get the clams as close to the lights as possible

 

[jayc]

I'd get it. :yes: Your tank looks great! How many gallons? How long have you had the foxface? I'm wanting to get one soon for my tank.

 

[reefman22]

can you put an inventory list of corals/inverts/fish? and how many gallons?

 

[lionpaw38]

Fish: Foxface, 3 stripe & Yellow tailed damsel, Phsychodelic dragon, Flame angel, 2 clowns, and a flame cardinal, snowflake eel, lawnmower blenney. 1 Powder blue tang in the sick tank (ich). Corals: Green & orange ricordia, red brain open, brown zoos, alveopora stoney coral, super green goniopora and two batches of what the local store called green tree coral. Inverts: 3 feather dusters, gorgonian, yellow and orange sponges, two clams, linkia star, brittle star,chocolate chip star, cleaner shrimp, and snails and hermits. All coarals open and seem to be doing well tank water is 0 nitrites 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates. Ph is 8.2 sal 1.025...so far

 

[pitbull01]

Schnikies!!! Only 4 months and a mandarin already? That will probably not last too much longer...even if you have it eating frozen food because then it would just die of a nutritional deficiancy. I would trade it in to your LFS and get some credit for it before it dies. I know the psychedelic mandarins are a lil rare than normal ones, so maybe your LFS will give you a little more for it, dont know though.

-Adam :happyfish

 

[pitbull01]

Oh, and one more thing. If you do decide to take your mandarin in(which you totally should,get another in another year or so), take that chocolate chip with it. A small one can wipe out a whole reef tank in a matter of months....trust me, I learned the hard way!

-Adam

 

[mpls man]

I would have to agree with pitbull, i just picked up a madrian goby today and i have about 100 lbs of rock in my 75 and it been running about 3 yrs, they need lots of rock to feed on, as far as the choc chip star , i'm not sure if there reef safe, might want to check?

 

[lionpaw38]

You know I just took notice they are not reef safe....but I have never seen him bother anything....why are they listed as no go's for reef?

 

[lionpaw38]

moved the Chocolate Chip Star over to my sick tank till I get him to my LFS. I had a cleaner clam sitting down front and he just disappeared..I can see him know where..can they move that far ? Just get up and leave?..lol

 

[lionpaw38]

I have a light question also. I have this Odyssea 4X65 (2 Blue 2 White) when I replace the bulbs could I change them to 96 to boost my light? I'm assuming the bulbs are the same size physically....

 

[pitbull01]

Lionpaw, the reason you "dont see the chocolate chip bother anything" is because most of the time they are nocturnal. As for the light question...NO!! Even though the pin configuration may be the same for the 65 and 96 watt bulbs....it WILL cause a fire. Too much energy being drawn out of a system that wasnt meant for bulbs that are 31 watts brighter.
-Adam

:yes: