CORALS, ETC... ETC....ETC

[prpltang]

HI,
I'M REAL NEW TO THIS, BUT LOVE IT ALREADY & CAN'T WAIT TO FILL UP MY TANK, (I'M TRYING TO BE PATIENT THOUGH). I HAVE A 150 GALLON TANK W/ 4 96 WATT COMPACT FLORESCENTS (2 DAYLITE & 2 ACTINIC). A BIO FILTER W/ SAND, A 150 WET DRY W/ A SKIMMER, TWO POWER HEADS & ANOTHER FILTER JUST TO MOVE WATER AROUND. I HAVE CYCLED W/ ABOUT 8 DAMSELS & 50 LBS LIVE FIJI ROCK & HAVE SINCE GOTTEN A YELLOW TANG, 2 PURPLE TANGS (BECAUSE 1 DISSAPEARED FOR 2 DAYS & I THOUGHT IT WAS DEAD & OF COURSE WHEN I BROUGHT HOME HIS REPLACEMENT HE WAS THERE), A CORAL BEAUTY ANGEL, 3 PERCULA CLOWNS, A LAWNMOWER BLEANIE & A PREMATURELY BOUGHTEN MANDAREN GOBY WHO IS GETTING SKINNY (WHAT TO DO W/ HIM?). I HAVE JUST NOW RECEIVED 100LBS MORE LIVE ROCK & THE BIG 100+ GAL REEF PACKAGE FROM SWF, I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF ALGAE SINCE I'VE ADDED MY FEW CORALS.. A CLOSED BRAIN & SMALL NEON BRAIN, 2 ENENOMIES, XENIA (THAT DIED), A TUBE ANENOMIE, A CPL OF FEATHER DUSTERS & AN ORANGE SPONGE.
AFTER I ORDERED THE 100 MORE PDS OF LIVE ROCK, I READ THAT YOU SHOULDN'T ADD MORE LIVE ROCK ONCE YOU'VE CYCLED YOUR TANK.
IS THERE ANYTING SPECIAL I SHOULD DO, CARE WISE? I WAS THINKING OF LETTING ALL THIS STUFF CYCLE FOR 6-8 WKS & THEN MAYBE GETTING RID OF SOME DAMSELS (OR NOT, THEY ARE DOING GREAT) & GETTING JUST A FEW MORE FISH & A LOT MORE CORALS ETC. I NOW HAVE TONS OF INVERTS & WILL NEED NO MORE OF THOSE.
PLEASE GIVE ME SOME SUGGESTIONS ON EASY, HARDY CORALS ETC. & HOW TO MAINTAIN A WELL BALLANCED REEF TANK. I WANT TO MAKE AS FEW MISTAKES AS POSSIBLE, I HAVE ALREADY BOUGHTEN & RETURNED A RACOON BUTTERFLY THAT QUICKLY ATE MY FAVORITE OPEN BRAIN CORAL. A PET STORE PERSON WHO SAYS SHE HAS YEARS OF SALT WATR EXPERIENCE SAID THAT YOU CAN ADD PIGMY ANGELS THAT HAVE A DIFFERENT BODY TYPE TO THE SAME TANK, SUCH AS A FLAME & BEAUTY CORAL. BUT I HAVE READ MANY TIMES NOT TO COMBINE ANY PIGMY ANGELS, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE FLAME W/ MY BEAUTY (DOWN THE ROAD WHEN EVERTHING IS WELL ESTABLISHED,) BUT I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO FIGHT OR DIE. I ALREADY HAVE TRIED TO PUT IN TWO LAWNMOWER BLEANIES & THEY WERE FIGHTING REGULARLY, GOOD THING THE LFS WORKS W/ ME. I ALSO HAD A CLEANER WRASS DIE THE DAY AFTER HE CAME HOME. SHOULD I WAIT A WHILE & THEN ADD 2-3 INSTEAD OF 1? A LFS SAID THAT MAYBE IT ATE TOO MUCH PARASITES & KILLED ITSELF, I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY JUST NEWLY RECD @ THE LFS & WAS WEEK TO BEGIN W/. I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF I REALLY NEED 50 TURBO SNAILS WHEN I WILL HAVE SO MANY OTHER CLEANER THINGS (INCLUDING 8 TURBOS ALREADY..& 2 WENT INFO MY WET DRY & BLOCKED THE TUBE, OVERFLOWING MY TANK!!) & IF HORSESHOE CRABS WILL LIVE IN A CORAL BOTTOM INSTEAD OF SAND? I COULD PROBABLY TAKE SOME SNAILS & THE CRABS TO A LFS FOR 1/2 CREDIT OR SOMETYPE OF EXCHANGE. I WAS ALSO THINKING OF ADDING A ROW OF AIR BUBBLE STICKS ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE BACK OF THE TANK (IS THIS AN OVER KILL?)
I AM HOPING TO GET THE MOST MOVEMENT COLOR & DIVERSITY POSSIBLE IN A 150 GAL REEF SETTING WITH THE HARDIEST OF THINGS.
ANY INFO ON A REGULAR MAINTANCE ROUTINE WOULD BE GREAT.
THANKS FOR ANY INFO YOU EXPERIENCED REEF GUYS CAN PROVIDE.
<img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[fishfreek]

First, i'd like to say welcome to the BB.
How long has this system been set up? You have three tangs of the same species in there? You really need to slow down, at least by reading your post it seems like you added all of your inhabitents at once. Did you? If you did, that is not such a good idea. This should've been done over at least a few months. You are correct in not adding the 100 lbs of new live rock to your main tank all at once. I would add it slowly after it cures. In that tank size maybe add 15 lbs a week or so, or you will expreience an ammonia spike and you may loose alot of your inhabients.
About the damsles, i would definatly ditch them...if you can catch them. They are bad news.
I think you ask alot of very good questions and we will try to answer them all, but we also need to know your test readings, ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,pH,calcium,alkinity? We can give you better advice after you provide us some of this additional info.

 

[option720]

IS THAT YOU LORD OF THE REEF
Hey prpl tang, i gotta say what you have sounds very impressive, the thing that does worry me is how fast your going. What is the date you set your tank up on? How long did you let it cycle for? What are your test kit reading? This is all crutial information for allowing us to help you. By the way, you shouldn't add 100 pounds of rock to a cycled tank all at once. you can slowly add 10-20 pound here and there, but not all at once. And who ever says you can't add live rock after you have cycled your tank needs to do some serious research.

 

[prpltang]

I CYCLED W/ JUST DAMSELS, THEN ADDED 1 OR 2 OTHR FISH AT A TIME. I'VE ONLY BEEN GOING A COUPLE OF MONTHS & HAVE PROBABLY BEEN ADDING THINGS TOO FAST FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN READING. MY WATER READINGS HAVE BEEN CHECKED WEEKLY & HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PERFECT IN ALL CATAGORIES & MY SALINITY HAS BEEN CONSISTENT AT THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL TOO & HAS NOT VARIED. WHEN I FIRST PUT IN MY LIVE ROCK IT WAS SKIMMING TO BEAT THE BAND, IT SKIMMED OFF SOMETIMES UP TO 10 GALS/DAY, SO IT WAS GETTING NEW WATER DAILY FOR A WHILE. NOW I'M DOING ABOUT 20% WATER CHANGE EVERY 3 WKS.
SO WHAT DO I DO W/ ALL MY LIVE ROCK IF I DON'T ADD IT ALL TONITE? KEEP IT IN IT'S PACKAGE W/ WATER?
THANKS FOR ANY REPLYS.

 

[cyn]

I too agree your moving a bit fast, but that is history. To answer your question about the LR, put it into a huge plastic container with a heater and some powerheads and saltwater of course. Keep the water moving and change some out weekly. Add 15 or 20lbs each week to the main tank untill it is all in. Best of luck to you!
cyn

 

[julie]

I thought pygmy angels(or just angels) were bad for reef tanks? yes or no?

 

[ren]

yes and no, lol. They can develope a taste for corals - not that they will - but they can.

 

[fishfreek]

Do what cyn recomended with the L/R ,so you won't loose too much of the life on it. You should NOT be getting 10g of gunk out of your skimmer each day!!! Adjust it so it only produces "dry" foam. You will know what i mean when you see it. Right now your skimmer is producing way too much wet foam and is pulling too much water. By the way, what type of skimmer are you running?