The next step

[beginnermatt]

I have had a saltwater tank for six or seven months now and want to proceed w/ inverts and filter feeders. The ph,ammonia,nitite and nitrates seem fine. I have 3 fish and a small crab from a near by beach. Are there any additional tests or suppliments that I should be doing or adding. Also, what are some good filter feeders. Thanks for everything.

 

[jtoliver]

The small crab "from a nearby beach" scares me, do you have any clue what kind it is or how big it might get? Most crabs are predatory, and will eat anything from fish to coral. The ones that we use in the hobby are ones that have proven themselves to be algae eaters and such. as far as inverst and filterfeeders to get, Red leg and blue leg, and scarlet reef hermets are nice. and I think it's hard to beat feather duster worms. (I would think about getting rid of that crab if I were you.)

 

[fshhub]

second motion on ditching the crab And featherdusters, not only are they cool, but they are also a good way to test the waters, they are probably the easiest invert to keep, give them a whirl first
also do have any lr?
this could be a real good thing in a reef tank
[ December 16, 2001: Message edited by: fshhub ]

 

[y2says]

Make sure you have enough current and I would make sure you test for copper. This could kill almost all inverts.

 

[beginnermatt]

How is it that featherdusters "test the water." What can you tell me about feeding them and light requirments. If copper has never been added to the tank are there reasons for testing copper. Thank you and the crab is history.
[ December 16, 2001: Message edited by: beginnerMatt ]

 

[fshhub]

lighting generally isn't a real big issue for feather dusters
feeding them is easy, they eat plankton, i believe, which can be done from critters in your lr and sand bed reproducin, and or buying a plankton type food,
they test teh waters(so to speak) by surviving, in other words, what i meant is being inexpensive and hearty(easier to keep) thsi could be a way to see if your system is ready for inverts, if they don't survive, it is a pretty sure bet that anemones or corals won't
also, copper can get in your tank in numerous ways, through additives or through your water supply are the most common

 

[beginnermatt]

Thanks for your help.

 

[josh]

Hi,
The first thing to consider with corals, and some inverts, is lighting. What type do you have? I would recommend atleast 5 watts/gal. Also, you will need to change the salinity of your tank. You will need around 35ppt or around 1.024 - 1.026 S.G. Next, you will need to be checking calcium, should be around 450 and the alkalinity / Ph as well. I didn't see what temp you have the tank, most corals need to be 80 at the minimum. Having corals adds a whole new deminsion to the tank and will require "some" work. But I will say that it is very worthwhile, as the corals are the best part of the reef tank. There is some info to get you started, get a good book on reef, coral, tanks and keep asking questions! good luck

 

[beginnermatt]

Thanks everyone, I think I may skip the corals and just do the feather dusters, flame scallops and shrimp. Does the salinity, calcium, temp and lighting need to be altered like corals.

 

[josh]

No, you should have good luck with the inverts with the setup you have running. You might check into more light, however it's not a must for FO but it does simulate the natural habitat better, thus fatter fish

 

[josh]

I didn't mean to scare you off the coral issue, it is really worthwhile if you can afford the lights. You can always ease into it over a long period of time. Either way I am glad to see people asking questions before diving in. Good luck