Black Friday Tank Build

So I took the plunge and bought some cleaner inverts per directions on the Red sea kit. I bought 1 nessarius snail, 1 green crab, 1 peppermint shrimp ( I think it's pregnant or it is just a female), three green chromic which are in my QT tank one died during transport to my house, going to see if they will refund me since it never made it to my house. All looks good so far. Peppy hung out on the top of the rock for a good minute after realizing she could let go of my hand, the crab latched onto the side of a rock at the bottom and has not moved in 40 minutes I hope it's not dead, and the snail burrowed into the sand immediately.
 
I had a decent algae bloom on week 3, so I added 10 hermits. Some people say to add a million, some say add none. So I put 10 in cuz they were on sale. They were Scarlett hermits, the best and only hermit you should have if you want corals.

Anyways, after 2 weeks, I could only count 6, and ended up finding a few bodies in the sand. They had completely removed all.the algae from my tank, and a few died of starvation I assume.

The remaining 6 have been just the right amount to keep algae present, but not a problem, just enough to feed them.

And they duck in their shells too when I first pop in, sometimes falling off the rock.

I highly recommend doing a 10% weekly wc. Once you have corals and fish, this will greatly reduce your need to dose chems, and keep your algae at bay. I was doing weekly 5% and the algae on the sand would not let up, once I started doing 10% within 2 weeks it was white again, and coraline was covering the rocks.
 
Or even 5% twice a week. That would be great. Especially if you vacuum the sand, allowing you to physically remove algae and detritus thus handling phosphate buildups.

I am about to start a 5% wc on Wednesdays, and a 10% on saturdays. From what I've studied, unless the tank is stocked to the brim, this will negate the need of dosing any nutrients. And any that you do decide to add will simply be suplemental, and not required for a healthy system.

I want to spot feed my corals, but a lot of spot feeding goes to waste, so the extra WC will help greatly in reducing nitrates and keeping the proper chemical balances.

Lol it seems this hobby is more of a science experiment that anything else. But hey, as an adult, I couldn't ask for a better time consumer. Especially once my corals are big enough to frag and sell, eventually leading to a profit on the whole ordeal. Or at least break even.
 
yeah we gotta pay for the addiction somehow right? I also have a protein skimmer so how will the many water changes affected the skimmer? It is just now breaking in.
 
Update just added my first fish to the tank. It was a Scopas tang, I paid $22 for him thought it was a good deal that I couldn't pass up, well I needed a fish and he was an impulse didn't realize he wasn't going to fit in the 16G for QT time. Risk taking not QT he's the first fish in there anyways. Probably should have waited. Live and learn. I am still having a hard time forking out $20-$40 for a clown fish so I went for something I already wanted and was at a decent price. I am too scared to spend that money and have it die. I bought some green chromis to attempt the QT in my 16G tank before the 120G was ready for fish and well one died during transport another died a day later started noticing some missing scales or weird splotches, so I'm kinda scared to add those guys to the 120G and kinda glad I didn't. We will see how they do in the next couple weeks before I add them. I want some bangaii cardinals but those guys are $20 ea!
 
Honestly, I would keep adding to your coral collection. They can be just as eye catching as fish.

I posted on your skimmer thread, so that should be handled as much as possible.

As far as fish. If you can observe it for a couple days, and notice that it seems healthy, and is taking food readily, go ahead and add it. Your tank is young, and the inhabitants are few. So water volume works in your favor.

The cheapest I can get clowns is $25 a peice, and you want to add them in pairs, so $50.

My tank has only corals and inverts right now, just because of the over simplicity of maintaining parameters, and the cheapness of $5-$25 per coral
 
I'd you want specifics, I would highly recommended adding a euphylia of some sort, or maybe a nice discosoma of some sort. I really like ricordea Florida, but there are several spotted mushrooms that are super cheap.

But again, euphylia can add the movement you want, and come in a ton of varieties. I love them.
 
Thanks about the skimmer issue. I was kinda scared to add coral right now just because I wasn't sure if the tank would be cycled enough for them since they are really sensitive to nitrates. I think I might go on a coral hunt $5 frags galore! Only problem I have is that the corals are majorly sucking around here $15 for a half dead softy, or a skeleton of a stoney coral with one dying polyp.
 
HAHA I think I got a ricordia the other day for $5. Still trying to figure out what it is. Showed it to the LFS and told him how much I paid for it and he had that look of "who sold you this great piece for super cheap." He told me what it was but now I can't remember what it is. Placed it in my 16G tank for now.
 
Dang gina! Where are you located?

Honestly, if you can hold off for a week or two, and save up the money to meet the free shipping minimum on most coral sites, I would go that route. It benefits in a couple ways, you get prime select corals, free shipping, and allows you tank to complete it's cycle.

You may have to spend $150, but you get the exact corals you want, maybe even a CUC as well. I ordered from vivid aquariums, they have a 14 day guarantee, and they have an amazing selection on pretty much anything your heart desires
 
I've had hair algae problems on me sunny d pally frag. I've had to manually scissor it off. It just so happened to be briopsis. Which my hermits will only eat as a last resort.

Algae feeds off phostphates. Your rock will leach phosphates for months, regardless of what you do. So just keep up on water changes and all should be well.

Try not to freak out about little algae blooms and whatnot. It's gonna happen. We are replicating a coral reef, algae and the like will happen. All we can do is keep it at a minimum via wc, and cuc
 
well I am just worried cause it was coming from it's mouth. I pulled on it a little bit and then black stuff started appearing so I stopped pulling.
 
"Clean up crew" this is your hermits and snails, nd the like.

There is a lot of debate on the six needed. But I personally recommend starting small.

I had a ton of algae in my 55. So I added 10 Scarlett hermits (the only hermit that is truly reef safe).

After a couple week, only 6 remain. But it's just the right amount to keep algae at bay, and also keep enough algae to feed them.
 
Ah I see, so the red leg ones not the blue leg ones? I added a nisserius snail, and emerald crab and peppermint shrimp I have not seen them since I added them. No carcasess so I am assuming they are alive.
 
Also, if it is coming from its mouth, it might be it's feeding aperatus. Don't pull on it lol.

Some corals, spew their guts to digest food in the water coloumn. It can look like a hair, or tongue that waves in the water.

My 1 inch mushroom has a 3 inch "tentacle" that it spits out when food is in the water. Even my hand in the water makes it think there is food present.

Unless it starts to take over, don't freak out. And even if it does start to take over the tank, just be comforted that there is a remedy, and we are always here to help.
 
Well I hope I didn't just kill it. I stopped once I saw the black appearing. It seems to have lost it's color. yup mouth is starting to turn black...I guess we'll see in a couple says.
 
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