gjustinj
In Memoriam
That's not fair - I don't know everything, but I did a lot of research before purchasing this 125G tank, and I purchased because it was the smallest I could get away with successfully having a blue tang.
125G Cycle:0 Ammonia/0 Nitrite/10 Nitrate
- Thread starter gjustinj
- Start date
That's not fair - I don't know everything, but I did a lot of research before purchasing this 125G tank, and I purchased because it was the smallest I could get away with successfully having a blue tang.
Stolireef
Active member
See my comments in red.
You are looking for a sand sifting gobie. Very cool fish to watch with a couple of caveats. First, it really needs a mature sandbed with lots of life or it can starve. Second, it can make a real mess. Picks up a mouthful of sand and drops it in the last place you want it. You also need pretty fine sand.
Finally, I'd be very careful about taking advice from a single source, particularly if its an LFS that wants to sell you things. Just because a store has a beautiful display, it does not necessarily mean they know what they're doing. Of course, the same is true on the forums. If you see a really high post count under a user's name, it at least means that they have experience. If you see the name Sk8tr, Mcgyver, or ca1ore, listen and learn. They're great teachers for newbies.
I didn't plan on adding a lot of fish quickly and I've been moving pretty damn slow lol. But thank you for your post I did not know that PH levels will be good if my cycle is already good - so it's a wasted test at this time? What about Alkalinity? Also, I'm new to this so I didn't expect to add a blue tang for another month or two This is really fast. Most experienced reef keepers wouldn't add a tang for several months. They are big eaters and thus big excreters (poopers). Your bio filter isn't sufficiently mature to keep up with that kind of fish yet. - I want to first get a feel for the tank and the first fish I add.
Alk has nothing to do with cycle. Rather it is the ability of water to buffer against an acid. Virtually all good marine aquarium salts have a kH between about 8 and 11. You won't consume much buffer until you have corals and/or coraline algae. Until then, your water changes will more than keep up with demand.
I was considering one panel of LED lighting for where I would put the anemone- I assume clowns are less stressed with one available to them.
Clowns don't really care one way or another if they have an anemone. That said, anemone's are a challenging organism. They often don't stay where you put them, will kill just about any other coral they touch, require excellent stable water quality, and benefit from some target feeding of meaty foods. The tank won't look right with just one LED panel and the anemone won't necessarily park under the single panel. You can get two Chinese black box LED's for a pretty reasonable price. Lots of threads on this here in Lighting and Filtration.
I really appreciate it.
Do you happen to know what fish it is that sucks up sand and spits it out often? I thought that fish was kind of cool
You are looking for a sand sifting gobie. Very cool fish to watch with a couple of caveats. First, it really needs a mature sandbed with lots of life or it can starve. Second, it can make a real mess. Picks up a mouthful of sand and drops it in the last place you want it. You also need pretty fine sand.
Finally, I'd be very careful about taking advice from a single source, particularly if its an LFS that wants to sell you things. Just because a store has a beautiful display, it does not necessarily mean they know what they're doing. Of course, the same is true on the forums. If you see a really high post count under a user's name, it at least means that they have experience. If you see the name Sk8tr, Mcgyver, or ca1ore, listen and learn. They're great teachers for newbies.
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Yeah I did not expect to add the tang for another month or two. I just got back from the store and my salt was a little low they asked me to fix it before adding fish and cuc. I bought a refratometer there that's nicer and will give me more accurate reading. So I'm fixing that it was 4 points too low.
First I'll pr0b add a pair of clowns and some inverts.
Here is my setup.
125 gallon tank
2 24inch hl lights
Fluval fx4 filter *no room for a sump*
Octo classic 2000 protein filter
2 power heads
2 heaters
3 inch live sand bed
120lb live rock
First I'll pr0b add a pair of clowns and some inverts.
Here is my setup.
125 gallon tank
2 24inch hl lights
Fluval fx4 filter *no room for a sump*
Octo classic 2000 protein filter
2 power heads
2 heaters
3 inch live sand bed
120lb live rock
nereefpat
New member
Glad you found a refractometer. Getting your hands on a 35ppt standard for it will be critical. you use this to calibrate and as a check standard. Check the LFS and foster and smith / bulk reef supply. It should be about 7$.
There is a clown and anemone forum here. Spend some time reading the stickies and other threads there if you are thinking of getting an anemone. Like stated, they need a mature, stable tank with strong lighting.
There is a clown and anemone forum here. Spend some time reading the stickies and other threads there if you are thinking of getting an anemone. Like stated, they need a mature, stable tank with strong lighting.
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Hey nereefpat,
Thanks so much for all your help and advice! I'm always excited to hear from you! I did pick up the calibrator solution($10) when purchasing the refractometer ($80) and I first cleaned off the glass with distilled water, and let it dry. I then added 3-4 drops of the calibration fluid on the refractometer lens making sure it was fully covered without any bubbles and pointed it toward a light and used the screw driver to bright the right side up to 35. I then cleaned it off again with distilled water, and let it dry and put a few drops of salt water on it and seen I am at 020 line for salt, and I think I need to get it to 024. I am going to add another cup or two at lunch directly to the aquarium at the powerheads (since there are no fish in there yet) and wait til around 6pm tonight and check again and if all is well maybe go pickup a pair of clowns and a group of maybe 10 cuc critters.
nereefpat
New member
glad to help. 1.020 specific gravity is fine for the clowns, but you will need to bring it up for the cuc to the range of 1.024-1.027. Just a reminder; the temp of the refractometer needs to be somewhat close to tank temp. Room temperature is fine, as it will only throw off the measurement by 0.001 or so.
It will take more salt than you might think. If my quick math is right, probably 4-5 cups.
It will take more salt than you might think. If my quick math is right, probably 4-5 cups.
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Hi Nereefpat,
My aquarium setup is in my 2nd living room with my fresh water cichlids and it's pretty warm in there, definitely room temp. I will keep that in mind though when I am cleaning it will distilled water (not to use one from the fridge).
I am going to check the salinity in about 20 minutes to see where I was - I added 3 cups today. How long does it take for the salt to give a good reading when I'm pouring it into the tank? Does it spread into the water quickly?
My aquarium setup is in my 2nd living room with my fresh water cichlids and it's pretty warm in there, definitely room temp. I will keep that in mind though when I am cleaning it will distilled water (not to use one from the fridge).
I am going to check the salinity in about 20 minutes to see where I was - I added 3 cups today. How long does it take for the salt to give a good reading when I'm pouring it into the tank? Does it spread into the water quickly?
Stolireef
Active member
Be careful with your canister filter. They are usually not recommended on a reef tank since they tend to build up detritus that then turns into excess nutrients in the tank. You'll probably want to clean it weekly, especially as your bioload increases. My bet is that ultimately, you will get rid of it.
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Nereefpat,
Yes, the stand is open shelves on the left and right side and in the center is a very small door. The Fluval FX4 fits right in there. I will never say 'never', but at the same time at this point this is what I am stuck with so I need to make it work.
Here is the canister, right now it has everything it came with it in it, nothing added (should I add something?). I also recently purchased on BRS a octo classic 2k protein skimmer that came here broken, then sent me a UPS label and I just shipped it back two days ago. I am waiting on them to resend me a new one. Once I get it I'll be adding that to the tank again as well which I think serves a slight filtering device too.
I figure if things get bad enough I could always add another hang on the back filter and try that. But I am also only planning to use beginner coral, anemone and of course add some fish/cuc.
http://www.fluvalaquatics.com/uk/product/A214-fx4-high-performance-canister-filter/#.WPeMWtLyuUk
The anemone is going to be a challenge for a new reefer. Definitely wait a while before adding one to your tank. You will need to learn how your tank reacts to the changes you make to it, be it adding bioload, dosing, water changes ECT.
You will want to have a quality light source for the anemone and stabile water conditions. While your tank has cycled it will still be going through many changes in the next few months.
Also a tip I would not recommend the "white bta" or what ever wet pets is calling it that is in the display tank over by the freezer above where they have the shark, it looks like it is just a severely bleached bta. The lights it is under are not suitable and it shows as the anemone is attached to the glass an inch or two below the waterline trying to get light.
Wet pets fish are also not unseceptable to carrying parasites, when I had my big reef tank my blue hippo had ich that ingot from them.
Take it slowly and always take what they say with a grain of salt as with all lfs. Check out some of there competition as well. Elmer's aquarium is a wealth of information, talk to doc. He will help you and bounce ideas back and forth with you. Not hand you a product and say this is the miracle cure all.
Aquaworld PSC has some nice corals but I never got into technical questions with them other than my radion set up.
You will want to have a quality light source for the anemone and stabile water conditions. While your tank has cycled it will still be going through many changes in the next few months.
Also a tip I would not recommend the "white bta" or what ever wet pets is calling it that is in the display tank over by the freezer above where they have the shark, it looks like it is just a severely bleached bta. The lights it is under are not suitable and it shows as the anemone is attached to the glass an inch or two below the waterline trying to get light.
Wet pets fish are also not unseceptable to carrying parasites, when I had my big reef tank my blue hippo had ich that ingot from them.
Take it slowly and always take what they say with a grain of salt as with all lfs. Check out some of there competition as well. Elmer's aquarium is a wealth of information, talk to doc. He will help you and bounce ideas back and forth with you. Not hand you a product and say this is the miracle cure all.
Aquaworld PSC has some nice corals but I never got into technical questions with them other than my radion set up.
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Sounds like you are from around here. I decided to not do coral because of more fish choices and I just purchased a photon 50 v2 led today from reef breeders.
As of today I have a pair of clowns and 20 hermit crabs in there testing the waters after acclimating them for 45m. They all seemed to be doing very good when I shut off the light for the night =)
As for an anemone I'm Def interested in this because of the clowns but I will also wait. I plan to wait 2 months before I add my blue and yellow tangs to make sure the cycle is more matured and I have a better understanding. But I am learning a lot and I'm excited for this! =)
