Looking for some help in Florissant Area

[fastford]

Hello,
I am pretty new to the whole saltwater reef tank. I have a 90 gal with T5 lighting, Some turbo snals, cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp, 1 Hippo tang, 1 Blond naso, 1 powder blue tang, 3 small clown fish and a coral beauty. I am looking for some advise and input and help. Also have a 40 gal. sump underneath with 3 chambers, calupra grass and remora skimmer..

Jason Cohen
fastford@sbcglobal.net

Any help or input would be great..

 

[JxMetal]

Have a good skimmer! Those tangs put out a lot of waste and will also outgrow that tank very quickly.

Take your time also, especially if you've only been doing this for 3 months.

 

[spongebobby]

Start saving for a better skimmer....All those fish will definitely spike those nitrates. Also recommend harvesting your macro frequently will help. I used to run caulerpa but have since switched to cheato on a reverse lighting schedule and it's doing much better at removing nitrates than the caulerpa did. Plus saves on elec. due to not being lit 24/7.

And by the way

WELCOME TO RC ....

 

[fastford]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10932042#post10932042 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spongebobby
Start saving for a better skimmer....All those fish will definitely spike those nitrates. Also recommend harvesting your macro frequently will help. I used to run caulerpa but have since switched to cheato on a reverse lighting schedule and it's doing much better at removing nitrates than the caulerpa did. Plus saves on elec. due to not being lit 24/7.

And by the way

WELCOME TO RC ....

HArvesting the macro?? What is a better Skimmer? I just bought that one. I run my lighting on 90 duringthe day and the sump at night...

JAson

 

[DrBDC]

 

[stlouisguy]

Re: Looking for some help in Florissant Area

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10931852#post10931852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fastford
I am looking for some advise and input and help.

Okay, about what? It seems you have jumped off the cliff, then checked if you had a parachute.

I would say your tank is too small for the tangs you have. You really need a skimmer as others have said. If you have three clowns you might have one be harrassed if the others pair up.

You may want to post your parameters of the tank, as with 3 month with that bio load and that skimmer your nitrates could soar.

On the positive side you are at the right place for help and answers. No better group of people around for salt help

good luck

 

[fastford]

Re: Re: Looking for some help in Florissant Area

Re: Re: Looking for some help in Florissant Area

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10932126#post10932126 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stlouisguy
Okay, about what? It seems you have jumped off the cliff, then checked if you had a parachute.

I would say your tank is too small for the tangs you have. You really need a skimmer as others have said. If you have three clowns you might have one be harrassed if the others pair up.

You may want to post your parameters of the tank, as with 3 month with that bio load and that skimmer your nitrates could soar.

good luck

Ok here we go...

Parameters I guess you are reffering to water levels

Amonia .25
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Calcium 380
PH 8.2
Kh 12

Salinity 1.024 measured with refactometer

I just cant seem to get my powder blue in good shape. Seems to get ich on and off. I monitor the water every 2-3 days right everything down that I do. I use super buffer and Turbo clacium in a dripper, still working on the flow of dripper to get calcium up consistantly.

What skimmer do you recomend?

Thats about it


Jason

 

[JxMetal]

powder blue's are ridiculously hard to keep healthy.

I don't know why your calcium wouldn't stay up.

Ammonia is a poison.

what's super buffer?

What test kits are you using?

 

[stlouisguy]

Powder blues, yet while very beautiful, is one of the more difficult tangs to keep. One of the reasons the Ich may be reappearing is the stress of your amount and species of tangs in a 90 gallon tank. I have a blond naso and was told even my tank was tight (450 gallon)

How often do you do water changes? you need to get that amonia down to 0

 

[fastford]

API saltwater master kit. and the Superbuffer is Kents superbuffer -dKH

I have recieved all my information from Beldts, things seem to be going good. Just looking for another opinion Tangs seem to go up and down ich one day then goes away. everyone is harty and eating just not sure about this ich and calcium

 

[fastford]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10932445#post10932445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stlouisguy
Powder blues, yet while very beautiful, is one of the more difficult tangs to keep. One of the reasons the Ich may be reappearing is the stress of your amount and species of tangs in a 90 gallon tank. I have a blond naso and was told even my tank was tight (450 gallon)

How often do you do water changes? you need to get that amonia down to 0

Amonia is up for the first time. Tangs are all the 3" variety, not very big. I was told that they would get larger but I figure I could trade or sell at a later date.... Doing water change Weds. changing 20gals. of water.

 

[JxMetal]

If you're not keeping hard corals then don't worry about calcium. Mine's at 380 or so and everythings fine. Alkalinity of 12 is on the high end of acceptable.

Just do your water changes. Do 10% weekly for the first year and you'll be in good shape.

 

[fastford]

Lets talk about skimmers... Everyone seems to be worried about the Remora C that I have.

 

[chadfarmer]

dont worry about the powder blue mine did the same thing and another guy i know his done the same


a good skimmer is a needle wheel or a becket skimmer


remora is a skimmer that uses an injector to create bubbles (they work but not that great)


did you buy the pump at marine solutions?


i could name name brand skimmers for you
ASM, EURO-REEF, OCTOPUS, ECT (A LOT MORE MONEY IF YOU WANT ME TO NAME THEM)

with that fish load you should have some smelly skimmate

 

[pogona]

wow, here is something I can assist with.

You have 1 too many clowns or are missing one. Clowns need to be kept in pairs. I might want to get rid of one. I say this because of your fish load already.

Your tangs are what is known as surgeon fish and most require a minimum of about 120 gallons with the exception of of the Yellow Tang which will do all right in a 75.

Do you have any live rock?


You might want to visit a reef shop and pick up a few books and do alot of reading, knowledge is bliss in this hobby. There is very little room for error, especially on a 3 month old tank. I am setting up a new reef tank at the moment and am planning on a 3 month cycling period to begin with. That means, no fish in the tank while the tank builds up bacteria's which will help the tank out when you start to put fish in. It is ok, to add maybe 1 or 2 damsels in there while it is cycling, but I wouldn't recommend any more than that.

 

[fastford]

I had a 55 gal tank for about 6 months and moved into the 90. I have 80-90 lbs of live rock. Everything came out of the 55 except for the tangs. they are new. I used to have 4 clowns but 1 didnt make the transfer. Everything seems good with the exception of the powder blue. I guess I need to pay more attention on this board and not my LFS. They have helped me from the begining and helped me stock the tank but the consensus is its overloaded.

Might start thinning down the bunch

 

[DrBDC]

I would pull the clownfish that is the odd man out. Probably the naso as well since they get HUGE!! Then wait a bit on the other 2 but get a few cleaner shrimp for help with the ich. Little neon gobies are good for that too and my tangs seem to like them more than the cleaner shrimp which gets the cleaner mad! :lol:

If the ammonia test is correct, you're having a cycle and need to let it run it's course and I'd keep up good 10-15% weekly water changes.

Look for a good needlewheel skimmer, you really get what you pay for on those. If you go with a beckett, be prepared to clean the injectors a few times a week as well as a very high gph pump and more noise than a needlewheel. I believe people have been happy with some of the octopus skimmers but do some homework as I don't keep up on them. Of course if you have a very deep wallet, look at some of the deltec or bubble king skimmers.

 

[bmrescort]

I have an octopus skimmer and I think it does more than sufficient. I have the nw200 on a 125 with a 100 gallon sump and it keeps up just fine, could not imagine needing more.

 

[JxMetal]

I have the bubble master skimmer. a little pricey but its worth it if you're havin a heavy bioload and/or are keeping sps.

not nearly as expensive as bubblekings either

 

[Nanook]

A good word of advice since you are "newer" is to ask about future purchases here before dropping your coin at the LFS. They are in the business to turn a profit and are not necessarily educated regarding the conscientious keeping of marine organisms.

I would find a home for the Naso soon as it is too big for your tank. Powder Blue Tangs are synonymous with the term "Ich Magnets", they usually do not fare well in captivity unless conditions are near perfect.

I have been considered to be a "slow" reefer since I am around capncapo all the time, but I am not planning on adding fish or corals for the first 3-6 months...tanks are too unstable for the first several months...yours is overstocked at a young age and has not found an equilibrium yet...so, you are going to have some rocky times ahead most likely.

Keep asking questions and take it easy on spending for a while...IMO.