UnleashedJen
New member
Hey all! I'm fairly new to the saltwater community. In September I purchased a closing pet store, which included a smallish salt/fresh aquatics section. While I'm extremely familiar with most mammals, I'd never had much experience with SW, so I figured the best way was to start one at home and read everything I could so I could be more educated for customers (luckily I have a fish guy that came with the store, haha, but he's stumped too).
So, I started a 29 Biocube in November with all R/O Salt, live rock and live sand. Lighting is stock, but I have the intank media holder with ChemiPure in the bottom, Purigen in the middle, and floss in the top. I also have the intank fuge with chaeto and stocked with copepods. I have the Biocube UV Sterilizer, and Protein Skimmer (Which I know kind of sucks, but I didn't feel like modding my tank just yet), also have the biocube circulation pump pointed almost perpendicular to the stock flow.
I've lost just about every LPS I've introduced to the tank with the exception of a Fox Coral which was the first that went in. Mushrooms and one rock of Zoa's seems to be doing well also although they don't open as fully as they do in the 300 gal display tank I have at the store. The other Zoas I have seemed to be doing fine until the last few weeks but lately have not been opening fully so I suspect it is on it's way as well. Not coral related, but I did have a flame angel that has been doing great for 4 months and just dropped dead the other day. I tested all of my water immediately and could not find a reason. I had an orange tree sponge that kicked the bucket too.
Parameters are as follows:
Temp: Steady 78F
S.G.: 1.024
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
Phosphates: 0ppm
KH: 160ppm
Calcium: 480ppm
Fish: B/W Oscellaris, Purple Pseudochromis, 2 Mandarin Gobies (one male, one female).
Clean up Crew: Several Turbo Snails, 3 nassarius snails, 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 fireshrimp, 1 Brittle Star.
Supplements include: Kent Coral-Vite, Purple Tech, Iodide, Strontium and Molybdenum, Calcium, I target feed 3-4 times a week. Using a mix of Reef Energy A/B and a Phytoplankton Mix (can't remember the brand off the top of my head).
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Go easy on me!
So, I started a 29 Biocube in November with all R/O Salt, live rock and live sand. Lighting is stock, but I have the intank media holder with ChemiPure in the bottom, Purigen in the middle, and floss in the top. I also have the intank fuge with chaeto and stocked with copepods. I have the Biocube UV Sterilizer, and Protein Skimmer (Which I know kind of sucks, but I didn't feel like modding my tank just yet), also have the biocube circulation pump pointed almost perpendicular to the stock flow.
I've lost just about every LPS I've introduced to the tank with the exception of a Fox Coral which was the first that went in. Mushrooms and one rock of Zoa's seems to be doing well also although they don't open as fully as they do in the 300 gal display tank I have at the store. The other Zoas I have seemed to be doing fine until the last few weeks but lately have not been opening fully so I suspect it is on it's way as well. Not coral related, but I did have a flame angel that has been doing great for 4 months and just dropped dead the other day. I tested all of my water immediately and could not find a reason. I had an orange tree sponge that kicked the bucket too.
Parameters are as follows:
Temp: Steady 78F
S.G.: 1.024
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
Phosphates: 0ppm
KH: 160ppm
Calcium: 480ppm
Fish: B/W Oscellaris, Purple Pseudochromis, 2 Mandarin Gobies (one male, one female).
Clean up Crew: Several Turbo Snails, 3 nassarius snails, 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 fireshrimp, 1 Brittle Star.
Supplements include: Kent Coral-Vite, Purple Tech, Iodide, Strontium and Molybdenum, Calcium, I target feed 3-4 times a week. Using a mix of Reef Energy A/B and a Phytoplankton Mix (can't remember the brand off the top of my head).
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Go easy on me!
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