I need a general tank assessment.

[Drue]

So I'm pretty new at all this. Here's my tank setup:
72g bowfront, 20g sump
Tunze Turbelle 6000 for flow (Thinking about getting another +controller)
Tunze 9010 skimmer.
Aquactinics T5 setup for lights.


Livestock:
-fish
2 firefish gobies
2 tomato clowns
1 lemon peel angel
1 lawnmower blenny
-inverts
1 dead cleaner shrimp (RIP, little buddy)
1 tigerstriped serpent star
2 sand sifting starfish
Countless hermits and snails
2 fire scallops
-corals
some yellow polyps
some button polyps
galaxia (Got it from a friend, no idea if that's its real name.)



Some problems with the tank:
Tiny particles are practically everywhere in the water column. The water itself is pretty clear, but the damn particles just won't go away. I have a 100 micron filter sock on the overflow pipe and I'm doing hardcore water changes every week. I don't know how to get rid of them.
There's a little aiptasia punk growing on one of my rocks. Haven't gotten around to killing it yet.


So how's the tank? What I really need help with is a good feeding method. Right now all I'm putting in is a pinch of flakes and the occasional raw shrimp for the serpent star. Also, I'm in the market for an anemone. Any suggestions?

Do you think my flow's adequate? Any tips on removing suspended particles? How many more fish can get until it's overcrowded? Does anything I have conflict with anything else?

Thanks.

 

[Shagsbeard]

The particles tend to diminish over time... how long has your tank been set up? I'd get rid of the stars... they're going to starve to death. See if your LFS will take them in trade for a new cleaner shrimp.

You've really not told us enough about your tank for us to make wise decissions. Let us know about the age of your tank and the water parameters. Pictures help too.

 

[jon99]

Shagsbeard, did you mean to rid of all the stars or just the sand sifting stars? The serpent star should be fine as long as fed, right? The flame scallops will last a few more months and then goners. Return them too if you can. They almost always (90% or more) starve to death. Especialy in a new system with no fuge. I made the same mistake (several times) a few years back. They'd do ok for 4-5 months. One of those critters best left in the ocean

 

[Drue]

Forgot about the age thing. It's been running for about 5 months.

So let's say I'm in love with my sifting stars and flame scallops... how long do I have until I need to return them? I got the scallops today and the stars about 4 months ago.

 

[SeanySean]

I had one sand sifting star in my 200G and the sand looked great, now I consider the sand looked sterile compared to other setups withought a sss, as far as how you will know when they are starving... they will not move one day! Flame scallops will be ok but imo need a more established setup but you can feed them with plankton type foods live and frozen, ime they hide quite a lot

 

[Grins]

Watch out for that galaxea. Its sweeper tentacles get long and will sting stuff in your tank. I had one for a short while and all my fish huddled on the opposite side of the tank.

 

[Dubbin1]

You may want to kiss those button polyps bye bye with that angel in there.

 

[Drue]

Here's the tank. (bump in disguise)

 

[jon99]

Well I guess considering that they will probably just be sold to someone else and die anyway you might as well keep em. Just get em outa there before they foul your tank after they die.

 

[scarter]

nice start, the two firefish may not get along. 1 ss star may be ok, but ditch the second if you can. your equipment looks great, you should be able to hold off on the 2nd tunze for a while
HTH

 

[chris31]

hey quick ? what is that coral tords the top right coral and does it close when you light go off and then open back up when the come back on because it was a hitch hicker and i ask my lfs and he said he thinks its a hammer coral and to move it tord the top of the tank and thats what was done. if it is that what else do i do for it?

 

[scarter]

looks like brown buttons to me

 

[Drue]

That's what I've been calling 'em. They're kinda ugly but they were my first coral and I can't bear to kill them. Sometimes I put food flakes on them and they close up for a while. I'm not sure if they're eating it or not.

 

[jon99]

Definetly not a hammer coral!! Look like button polyps. Wow, what fish store was this!?!? Any way, they don't need much lighting so you can move them lower if you want to. Whether or not they need to be fed is sorta debatable. I don't think they are eating your fish food that falls on them, just responding to it landing on them. They will probably filter out things from your water as food, and simply keeping some fish and fedding them regulary will provide food for this coral. I wouldn't bother specifically feedinng it anything, it should do fine. Check out this link

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/growingcorals.htm