Hello

Just droping in to say HJi, I started my reef in Aug of this year and I am losing patience but I will keep at it.

 

Welcome to 3Reef>>>>> If you need help with your reef, this is the right place to be....

 

I definitely do, I already lost a clownfish (very sad, he looked bad) and a piece of plate coral.

 

How often do you do water changes?? what size is your tank??

 

To 3Reef!!! ​

Salutations! Glad to see you found way here! ;D

Arrrg..:-[

Tell us about your tank. How long up, LR, Fish, water params...???:-/



​

The Tao of Marine Aquaria
Tips for Our Hobby and Life

© 1997 Adam H. Whitlock
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/25/00 ​

 

Greetings Tight Lipped. Keep at it....

 

welcome to 3reef!

 

I set the tank up August 1st, cycled it with biozyme , the damselfish and live rock. Cycled for 6 weeks until nitrite dropped then added the inverts. 2 weeks later I added the coral beauty

I did not until last week change the water, I have been adding about 2 Gals weekly for evap. My tap water has a GE Smart Filter inline and tests are good.

Tested the water last night
ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate < 40
Ph - 8.3
PO3 - 1
Calcium 480
water temp 78 - 82
salinity 1.024

I use a wet dry filter with bio balls and a carbon bag
red sea protein skimmer
UV sterilizer light (newly added on tank return line)
1 sweeping power head
2 bubble rails on the back bottom (fish seem to love it)
I have a Po pad in the sump
2 lamp hood
1 VHO 110W actinic
1 VHO 110W daylight
(this will be upgraded to a 4 lamp with 2 VHO 110 Actinic and 2 VHO 110w daylight)

I was feeding with granules 3x daily from 9am, 3pm & 7pm small amounts, the feeder rotated 2x with about the size of a dime on each drop. The fish gobbled it up everytime, I rarely see anything left.

I add live plankton for the coral every other day through a turkey baster and on the weekend I throw some chopped shrimp soaked in ZOE or a ground up frozen mix.

I picked up some trace called Reef Plus and added it last night with a Tsp of Strontium/MolyB and plan to add 1x weekly

55 Gallons
Live Sand
Mostly dead rock with algae on it now (previously live fiji rock)
20lb live rock
5 damselfish, 3 blue, 2 striped
1 coral beauty
1 Orangeshoulder tang
1 coral banded shrimp
2 Skunk Cleaner
2 emerald mythrix crabs
1 sally lightfoot crab
several African hermit crabs, blue leg and red leg hermit crabs
10 nassarious snails
1 bulb anemone
1 trumpet coral
1 brain (favites) Not doing so good, I moved to the very top of the tank at the recommendation of DRS fosters rep so it will be more light.
1 brain (trachyphilla)
1 plate (since has died)

I have a 10 Gal hospital tank setup with 50% water from the original tank and the rest new, some of the rock from the main tank and crushed coral on the bottom. I use a large wisper hang on power filter on the back with a heater keeping it at 80, the hood has two regular bulbs, 1 white and 1 blue.

Am I feeding to much? I was told be Drs Foster rep to feed only every other day and to add a vitamin and garlic suppliment to it and the coral should be fed only 1x weekly.

 

Looks like a sweet setup.

Give it time...don't add any new fish for a while, and cut down on amount you are feeding.

Need to get those nitrates down.

Do some frequent water changes and cut down on use of additives.

All will be well.