Newbie 24 gallon all-in-one reefer.

[3xplorer19]

Ok I’ll stick to what I’m doing now ... btw what’s this brown stuff??i just started noticing it now...btw another water change is helping to lower my parameters and in addition to lessening the fishes.... i do like the banggai cardinalfish ... shrimp goby almost look like my firefish

 

[3xplorer19]

Also can you help me name the corals I got below:? I know one is mushroom and the other is zoanthian.. how about the rest? More brown colors

 

[3xplorer19]

i figured out the brown color is an algae from googling and youtubing ... thanks ...can anyone help me with the above inquiries please and thanks

 

[lmforbis]

The brown is diatoms. Common in a new tank

Zoanthids
Duncan
Hammer
Mushrooms
The other is similar to hammer but can’t see good enough.

 

[3xplorer19]

Awesome. Thanks Imforbis. I’ll try to get a clearer photo next time. In the meantime I’ll do water changes every 3 days and get everything up to par.

 

[3xplorer19]

Imforbis...before I get myself deep... what is needed when I go on vacation for 3 weeks? Having what I got now .... just wondering ... I ain’t going for another year but I’d like to prep and I ain’t got no one to assist me.

 

[lmforbis]

I use an auto feeder. I set it to add a minimal Amy of pellets every day.

 

[3xplorer19]

How about when the pH lowers and the water evaporates?

 

[lmforbis]

You can set up an auto top off system. Mine is a cheap gravity float valve and a Rubbermaid tub. It works a lot like a toilet float. I probably paid less then $30 for everything. The reservoir just needs to be higher than the water level.

pH should never be an issue. The salt mix is buffered and that is all you should need.

 

[3xplorer19]

What’s it called and you got a pic?

 

[lmforbis]

This is the auto feeder i use

 

[lmforbis]

This is the auto top off

 

[3xplorer19]

awesome! I was able to get an ATO no problems. thanks! few questions i really need help. i have diligently changing my water every 4 days to which i feed my fishes and corals, however my ammonia and my nitrate isn't drastically going down and i'm afraid that my 2 spotcinctus clownfish, firefish, neon dolly back and corals will all die. i really need your help of what to do. i live in nyc apt building so 1. space is very limited 2. i have to buy nutri seawater and ro di water from the local pet store that delivers into my door lobby in which i am not sure why my pH level keeps going down? is it because i have my fans on. since i have an ato reservoir can i mixed my pH buffer there so i don't need to tap it off daily 3. i'm using an API saltwater kit to measure all 4 parameters, ive seen on youtube that they are not reliable ...waaaahhh i am going nuts please assist...i now i ain't like others to spend thousands cause i'm on minimu wage but please assist ...also i have added banggai cardinal and algae blenny and 1 more ocelaris clownfish (got a good deal from another pet store)

 

[3xplorer19]

0-60 real quick update ... after a water change...i must have put more RO water and my salinity went low low low...and now my algae blenny died....oh no.... so i'm left with 3 clowns 1 fire 1 neon dollyback .....my 4 hermits still alive ... i'm waiting on amazon to deliver my nutri water today to make another water change and up the salinity ... i do hope that the rest of my marine life survives...my corals are still aight....anyways that's that...i guess like you said everyone falls and trips and gotta get back up and learn...i really can't wait and get out of work to make the water changes and really hope amazon delivers on time today ...oh man... what a bummer

 

[lmforbis]

The main problem

0-60 real quick update ... after a water change...i must have put more RO water and my salinity went low low low...and now my algae blenny died....oh no.... so i'm left with 3 clowns 1 fire 1 neon dollyback .....my 4 hermits still alive ... i'm waiting on amazon to deliver my nutri water today to make another water change and up the salinity ... i do hope that the rest of my marine life survives...my corals are still aight....anyways that's that...i guess like you said everyone falls and trips and gotta get back up and learn...i really can't wait and get out of work to make the water changes and really hope amazon delivers on time today ...oh man... what a bummer

what ever you do don’t raise the salinity very fast. The fish can handle low salinity, I’d guess the blennie’s death was a coincidence. They are hard to keep in small tanks. A decrease in salinity can happen pretty fast and the fish will be fine. A sudden increase will cause osmotic shock and kill them. I’d bring it up on the order of 0.001 - 0.002 per day, no more. When I increase salinity I just do my top offs with salt water instead of RODI.

 

[3xplorer19]

So excited someone just moved out and put the either 55 or 65 gallon tank for donation with the pumps and the lights included all free

 

[lmforbis]

Nice.

 

[3xplorer19]

Actually not really. The superintendent and I tested for leak and it does. Oh well. And the tank came from a freshwater. I’ll stick to what I have and learn how to stabilize my 24g aquatop recife. I just performed another water change and filters media cleaning. I’m getting the hang on it. ATM,I got 3 clown fishes (1 ocellaris & 2 spotcinctus), 1 neon dotty back fish, 1 fire fish & banggai cardinal. 3 hermits 4 snails & 1 cleaner shrimp. 5 corals left. I will wait end of October hope to add more corals. Any other tips and advises?

 

[3xplorer19]

Anyone wants a live rock? I’m in nyc. I’m remodeling my tank.

 

[lmforbis]

Actually not really. The superintendent and I tested for leak and it does. Oh well. And the tank came from a freshwater. I’ll stick to what I have and learn how to stabilize my 24g aquatop recife. I just performed another water change and filters media cleaning. I’m getting the hang on it. ATM,I got 3 clown fishes (1 ocellaris & 2 spotcinctus), 1 neon dotty back fish, 1 fire fish & banggai cardinal. 3 hermits 4 snails & 1 cleaner shrimp. 5 corals left. I will wait end of October hope to add more corals. Any other tips and advises?

You will have issues with having more than one species of clown. General rule is no more than a pair of one species. Never two different species. I’d recomend the oscelaris the other two will eventually kill it.