I need help!!
- Thread starter kronnk7
- Start date
kronnk7
Member
My setup is pretty simple, I have two percula's, a cleaner wrasse, two stripe damsel, and a "velvet" damsel. My water is tap water treated with Jack's pet stores water conditioner. I have 4 pieces of live rock totaling about 30 pounds. The floor of my tank has 30 pounds of live sand with a mix of 10 pounds of white gravel. Flirtation: Skilter 250, Emperor 400, and I have a small wal-mart 10 gallon filter I turn on sometimes. Lighting: 2 power glo 18,000 k bulb. Test results: ammonia 0, nitrate 20, nitrite .5, alkalinity 190, and ph 8.2. I also have 4 hermit crabs and one emrald crab. And I almost forgot my lawnmower blenny he's new ( 2 days ago ). I think that's everything.
kronnk7
Member
I forgot to say something about that, I add Kent Iodine & Cal. supplements in once a week. I have know clue about the different water types. The first 55 gallon saltwater tank I had I didn't have to do all the specail stuff I'm doing this time. Is the filteration I'm using right or should I change it?
kronnk7
Member
Sorry Thomas I also have childern so I didn't get back to you sooner. I feed twice a day, once in moring and then at about 7:00pm. I thought that about 30 lbs. more live rock would be cool but now I know that it does help your swt. Do you think my two main filters are good enough, in combo with 30 lbs. of more fiji rock? I also know I need better lighting too. I was think of getting something better other than mh, can you tell something that would be good? I was mislead about the tap water, the lfs told me it would be ok as long as I used a water conditioner. I have my eye on ro unit on pets solutions' web site. It's by coral life and it's about $100. I wish I would have found you guys here about 6 months ago.
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oreo12
Guest
Kronnk7 Hello fellow hoosier. I was woundering what part of In you are in. I live near coulmbus In.
sleasia
Active Member
Definately go with R/O water if you can...I think its a must for saltwater. Also what size is your tank. Is the emperor adequate to provide a sufficient bio filter. Probably not or you would not have a trace of nitrites. To get nitrites down to 0 you can do a water change, cut back on feeds, and perhaps throw in a bag of bio-spira marine (live beneficial bact in LFS refridgerators) You did not mention salinity. inverts require a higher salinity of 1.024-1.026. However, if your salinity is lower it must be raised very very gradually or everyone fish and inverts will shock out on you. by gradually i mean over a weeks time. Alkalinity could come up a bit as well to be sure ph stabilizes.
sleasia
Active Member
Also test the phosphate level its probably high from the tap water. this will be rectified once you start using R/O but for now you may need to drop in a bag of phos-x or use phos guard if its high. If you really don't want algae you also (when bucks are available) might want to consider getting a uv sterilizer. I have a turbo twist 36 watt which works great i bought from the big online auction site. You need to use a separate pump if possible because the water should be run through the sterilizer slowly or they will not have time to zap the algae. Works only for free flowing algae, will not clear algae which has already anchored and established itself in your tank, but you can pick your hair algae out by hand if need be.
kronnk7
Member
Cool, I was thinking about getting a uvs but I wasn't sure about it. I'm also replacing the emp. with a ful. 404 and I got 2 nice powerheads to put in the tank. I'm going to turn the skilter 250 in a refuge with some chaeto via a post by Beth. I have a 10 gal. that I'm redoing using the stuff you guys have told me and from what I've learned from the posts. I got a ful. 105 for it and I have a little 10 gal. walmart filter I'm going to use as a refuge. It's just deep enough (about 5 inches deep). I also got a small power head for it too.
