Idaho-Tank build... Starting over

Guess my snails are happy.. Appear to already be laying eggs... Anyone want to verify this for me? Here is great photo I found that is exactly what I have.



They are showing up on my glass and all over some of my live rock.

 

Update*

Snails are still laying eggs...

I FINALLY received my refractometer and also got my test kit for calcium, KH & Phosphate. Here are my readings...

Temp = 82 (having heater issues I have 2 heaters one heats to much and the other not enough......)

Specific gravity = 1.027 (using refractometer)

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Ph = 8.3
Phosphate = 0
Calcium = 540
KH = 125.3 (7 dKH)


So Im thinking I need to buy a new heater so I can get my high temperature down to 80. It looks like my SG is a little high. And it looks like my Calcium is high. I was surprised that my calcium was high... must be my salt? I am using Oceanic.

Thoughts?

 

Have to check the specs on that reef salt. Since your sg is high maybe the reason your calcium is high. But as I said earlier have to check the specs.

 

ya different salts have different levels

 

So this past weekend I picked up a few frags and 3 fish. Thought Id post up my new additions. I found two locals selling fish/frags so I got a great deal.

My family really wanted clowns - I got a great deal on this little pair of True Perculas. They are not very big at all yet - maybe 1.5" long - I am hoping they will eventually be a mating pair. I am still unsure about getting an anemone. They seem to be doing good so far - they ate right away and look healthy.



The other fish I bought was a Copperbanded Butterfly. He is approximately 2.5" I have never owned one before but have always wanted to have one. This one had been eating well for the previous owner which was a concern for me and was not bothering any corals. I still have a few aptasia so I am hoping between the copperbanded butterfly and the peppermint shrimp they will be history soon. After drip acclimating this guy I added him to the tank and within minutes he was feasting on some of my tiny tube worms. I have a ton of tiny tube worms and its not a big deal if he eats them, I just want him to eventually accept frozen food too which I was told he has done before. I may have to get creative with the way I present the food to him perhaps.



Besides the corals I bought, I did add a large member to my CUC. A Spider Conch. He is really cool to watch.



The soft coral frags:
Pink clove polyps
Blue palythoa
Green mushroom
Bluish riccordia
Yellow/Green star polyps
Toadstool Leather coral
pulsing xenia
Yellow Polyps

SPS coral frags:
Pink Birdsnest
Green Porcilipora
Green Montipora
Another stony I cant remember the name of.

LPS coral
Long tentacle plate coral

A few photos of the frags:





A couple tank shots - you can see the Copperband in the first one.

 

Nice pick ups and nice tank. I always wanted a copperband also but not trust worthy of me yet.

 

Testing day.

Temp = 79
Specific gravity = 1.026 Got it down over the past week

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Ph = 8.3
Phosphate = 0
Calcium = 500
KH = 143.2 (8 dKH)

Glad to see no ammonia spike or anything after adding fish.


I also tested some freshly made salt water.


Ph = 8.4
Calcium = 500
KH = 143.2 (8 dKH)

So this salt really has a lot of calcium in it. The calcium is down in my tank and the Alk is up... (I added some buffer which seems to have helped - I am going slow with changing it though). I will continue to add buffer until I can get around around 10dKH. It will be interesting to see where my calcium is at once I get there.

Not much new to report on the tank... everything is going great. Will be adding a few more zoas soon and Im thinking about a frog spawn too.

 

All my water tests are perfect still. All zeros....

Ph = 8.2
Calcium = 500
KH = 143.2 (8 dKH)

Still looking at high calcium and a KH thats a little low but not bad. Any problems with a calcium that high on a consistent basis?

3 of the species of snails have now laid egs. Ive had the larger pods (about 1/8" in dia), smaller pods (about 1/32" in dia.) and now ive had a couple stringy type eggs left on my glass... wish these guys would spend more time eating and less time.... um.. not.

Some new additions:

Frog spawn


Zoas

 

Love those zoas.

 

Whats been going on? Any updates?