Couple Questions- Newbie!

Hi! I am new to the saltwater hobby! We had a SW tank when I was growing up, but a lot has changed. I have a coworker who convinced me to try saltwater…we have had cichlids for years now. I have a couple of questions. All the pertinent tank info I can think of is below.

Questions:
1) 1- I have little plants/polyps popping up all over…almost make a carpet…on a few rocks now. I think they are star polyps. I will include a picture.
Can anyone confirm what they are? Are they good/bad?
2) 2- Have a green leather coral…been in a few days. Last night his little branches never came out when the light was on? Could something be wrong?
3) 3- Should I add most of the corals I want now or add them slowly? And how do you build the rock up without stacking? I don’t have much height…would like one section to be a little higher? Anything for variety and color that you could recommend?
4) 4- Fish- I am thinking of adding a blenny- barnacle or midas….would these two get along, or should I don one or the other? Wrasse- fairy or 6 line…anyone think one would do better than the other? Any other fish that would be peaceful and fun to watch? My clowns pretty much patrol the top…are best friends with the heater and filter tubes….
5) 5- One rock seems to be getting a lot of a White dust substance…what could this be ?
6) 6- Anemone- should I skip this…would it be too difficult in this size tank? Don’t want it to kill any fish…and my clowns may not care?
7) 7- Remora is making a lot of noise, but I read that it could take a while to get the bubbles out. I really don’t understand how the water gets in the top tank? After a few days a am starting to get a little slime and small amount of water….hope I am running it right?

Man- I am already ready to upgrade! But I know I have to be patient. I have been really impressed with my LFS so far. Never new staring at rocks could be so fun!

29 gal high glass tank
2 T5 HO lights 1 wh, 1 actinic
32.5 lbs of live rock (so far)
1 lrg bag of live sand- 1 or so inches deep
Marineland 280 filter
Remora Nano skimmer- just installed
Marineland Heater

Temp is around 76-78
pH is around 8.0
haven’t checked for calcium yet
Salinity-1.023
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 0

Inhabitants:
2 Tank Raised Ocellaris clowns 1” and 1.5”
1 Cleaner Shrimp- hangs out in the back all the time
4 reef crabs- never stop cleaning

 

How long has your tank been up and running?

 

Almost a month!

 

Ill try to answer some of your questions.
2) Don't worry about your leather, they will close up for a few days or even longer some times, then will reopen. It could still be adjusting to your tank.
6) Don't get an anemone unless your tank is mature and been up for at least 6 months. Also, you probably don't have enough light for one.
7) Remoras do kinda make a lot of noise, I got used to it. It should quite down in a week or two. The nozzle creates lots of tiny bubbles which organic material attach to. This foam then rises up the inside and into the collection cup. You may not have much skimmate yet because you don't have a large bio load. Just let it do its thing.

 

The leather could be going to a cycle ours sometimes closes for days.
I can't see the pic well enought to id. You could add a few easy corals such as zoas, palys or leathers. I would wait on the Anemone

 

Thanks! That is great to know! Lana

 

a month is not that long of a time (just to put it in perspective). I would hold off on all corals for a little bit b/c it's possible that your tank may not have fully cycled yet. Especially if you've been running your skimmer the whole time (this just makes the cycle longer). Add your corals slowly just like you would any animal, so that the tank has time to adjust to the bioload.

Also, anenome. Wait until the tank is a year, then maybe revisit this idea.

Good Luck, its looking good!

 

Check your nitrite levels too. Your tank is pretty stocked for a month old tank, corals are very sensitive creatures. I would highly suggest against an anemone at this point, as it will most likely die with a young tank. They are extremely hard to keep happy as it is. General rule is to wait at least a year before attempting anemones. That being said, hold off on anything anymore right now for at least another 5-6 months and let your tank "catch up" to where it needs to be, as far as your biological system goes. Keep an eye on the mystery plants and make sure they are not aipstatia. The white dust on the rock could be sand being kicked up from the fish, or it could be coralline bleaching from shifts in the water chemistry. The Remora will make noise, it's normal since most of the noise comes from the pump and the air being injected into the reaction chamber. It should quiet down after it breaks in.
I would slowly raise your pH to 8.3-8.4. 8.0 is a bit low and is more susceptible to nuisance algae as compared to higher pH tanks.
Now to be bluntly honest, you say you are impressed with your LFS, but shame on them for selling you so many creatures knowing your tank is not ready for them. Ultimately, what they did was sell you $$$ of animals that they knew would probably die in a month due to new tank cycle, only to have you come back to restock them and give them more $$$.

 

Thanks for all the info.
I will keep an eye on my plants. Wait to add fish. So I guess when the fish store says that with the live sand and live rock...the cycle goes much faster and is a lot less of a cycle/spike....that must not be true? The only coral I bought was the leather...the rest all came on the rock and have taken off. I will check the nitrites too.
....and will work on upping my pH.

Do the corals and shrimp and crabs contribute to the bioload?
thanks!!!!
Thanks for all the good info!