Another new guy to the hobby. Need suggesstions.

mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
New coral photos! Come check them out!

I picked myself up some new ones this afternoon and I think I am pretty good on my stock right now for coral.
Today I got the ORA Birdsnest
Red Stag
Green Slimer
And I think the other one is a Red Milli if I remember correctly.
As you can see my Kenya came right back and already started growing the two trees I cut off last week. The leather is doing very well so I am hoping here in a couple months to get some good growth out of these corals and really make this tank "pop" when people walk in the room. Is there anything I can do to promote coral growth, any dosing of calcium I could do to help a bit? I am not growing any coraline anymore either which is weird. The skimmer I hooked up today is already starting to get a nice ice tea / greenish color skimmate too!
But on the negative side of things the only fish I have inside this tank is one orange clown and one black clown, which have been best friends ever since I picked them up and put them in together and today the bigger of the two, the black clown is bullying the hell out of the orange one... Just will not leave the other alone.. should I be worried or just let them be?
 
adonis311

adonis311

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMyuki http:///t/382927/another-new-guy-to-the-hobby-need-suggesstions#post_3345392
They are fake deco's but they are the silk ones I was told to buy for salt water. Also I don't know how much rock to buy, I know I will need 30 or more pounds but for now to start the cycle would say 8 or 10 pounds be ok?
I know this is kind of late, but beware the summer time job college student working at his uncles fish store (a generic name for many LFS employees, especially those who work on commission). I frequent 9 different LFS comparing things before I buy them, and I generally know all the regular employees. There are a VERY select few who would not sell you a decomposed minnow calling it the rare skeletonfish that lives in salt and fresh water (and they just got a shipment of them in TODAY for a special price! they're in every tank!!)
Point in case: Take advice from your LFS lightly until you can confirm it with a source that isn't going to make a buck off you.
Example: Was once told a clown goby would live peacefully along with a larger rectangular trigger and a stars and stripes puffer. This resulted in me buying my trigger and puffer a 29.99 chew toy which they fought over.
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
I am not buying things at the stores though, I am getting these corals through local reefers in my area for good prices. I am making sure I do my research before I drive over and purchase the corals as well. Either of you have any answers for the questions above? >.<
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
Alright since my two clowns were fighting really bad last night I decided to get up this morning and test everything in my tank to see if I could figure out if it was the water she didnt like, results are:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 60
pH - 8.2
Calcium - 440
KH - 179
GH - I am not sure on, my test told me to put drops in untill it went from orange to green, I put 25 drops in and it still stayed orange.. Maybe this is why I cannot grow coraline anymore... maybe my water is to hard? (Any information would be excellent)
Temp - 80.6 F
Salinity - 1.025
I will be doing a 5 gallon WC in a few hours to hopefully bring down the Nitrates, and see how it is after.
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
I have also been looking to find some aquavitro salinity salt mix here in ohio, I emailed the company and they have 2 stores within an hour or me that carries the stuff BUT I currently just bought a purple bag of instant ocean that I would like to use up before I switch... ALSO I have a half purple bag of the instant ocean that is rock solid hard and a half bag of orange instant ocean reef crystals that got hard... Can I smash this stuff up and just take extra time mixing it into the water before doing the change or is this salt now useless?
 
reeferchief

reeferchief

Member
Sorry if been answered already but how long have you had the clowns? A pair I had got along and started fighting after3-4weeks. They may be fighting for other reasons. If they keep it up tank the aggressor out bc the bahavior will likely continue when new fish are introduced.
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
I've had these clowns for roughly 7-8 months now, I am starting to think the bigger clown may be turning into the female and they might become a mated pair...?
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
I figured I could use the salt, I just wanted some input on it. What do you think about my readings chief?
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
And I am starting to think that there not fighting, the larger clown is chasing the smaller one around the tank almost non stop, but there is no damage to either fish so maybe the larger one is telling the male shes the boss
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
I just tested it again just to make sure I am not an idiot and I put 50 drops of the GH test liquid into the test tube with the water and it stayed orange, my water must be very very hard which I am assuming is NOT a good thing.
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
i would move some rocks around the tank.maybe the clown has taken a new territory he dont want to share anymore.
water seems good.a waterchange will lower the nitrates.i have never worried about a 20-40 nitrate.but 60 is starting to get to be a problem
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
I went and picked up 10 gallons of fresh RO/DI water to do my change and some for top off, figured I would test the fresh stuff for the GH and came back with 10 drops before it turned green, not sure why my tank is super high though.
 
jsehlms

jsehlms

New Member
You can test that saltwater until you use up all of your GH reagent. GH is used for freshwater. You just want to be concerned with KH. Your KH level looks to be a good level. I'd work to get the Nitrates down through some sort of export (water change or chaeto or both).
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
Ahh finally someone chimed in! I appreciate that.. and yes I mixed some salt last night and going to be doing a WC tonight.
 
mmyuki

mmyuki

Member
Pictures included!! Alright I got the teeth cut into the black acrylic overflow tonight and here are some shots of it semi put together with painters tape :p
I am using some scrap pieces to test out this weld on stuff before I jump on the black stuff.

I will check the pieces I have clamped together tomorrow and if I feel they came out alright I will clamp the black ones and be 90% to fill up.
 
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