Month 5 And Counting - Random Thoughts

QuiGonJay

New member
For no apparent reason, I wanted to post some random observations from 5 months after starting two small tanks (our LFS was moving and had a great 45% off sale). I'm a long time freshwater tank owner, but new to saltwater. As an avid diver, I did not want to have any fish/coral taken off the reef, but there are now finally reliable providers of captive bred fish and aquacultured live rock (and lots of places to get coral frags from) so I took the plunge.

Tank 1: Main Reef Tank - 45gallon 'all in one' - live rock/hitchhiker coral (a caribbean rose and gorgonian), some soft corals, small duncan frag, small candy cane frag, 2 ocellaris clowns, 3 pajama cardinals, CUC

Tank 2: 'I Didn't Plan It But Man It Was Too Good A Deal To Pass Up' Tank - 29 gallon 'all in one' - live rock/hitchhiker coral (caribbean rose), striped blenny, watchman goby, CUC, decorator crab (yeah - I know, a risk, that's why no corals in this tank - long story, I blame my son).

Random Thoughts
* Prior Research Is Key. I probably spent a month pouring through these forums, reading the stickies, trying to learn what I could to start off on the best footing I could. I greatly appreciate all the time and effort the contributors to these forums have put in. I credit it with allowing me what success I've had (and quick answers to problems that have cropped up.

* Live rock has risks, but can be endlessly fascinating. All the stuff you read on the forums is true - live rock has crazy stuff in it. And not always good. I've got a gorilla crab in Tank 2 that is determined to take out anything else with a shell (a hermit is a casualty); I had a type of whelk snail that was donated to the LFS; I swear I have a mantis in Tank 1 (can hear him and find hermit pieces outside his suspected home) and even worse (see below). But I wouldn't trade it - I get more enjoyment from watching the life on those rocks than anything else in the tanks. And it made the weeks of cycling a process of discovery instead of a painful wait. OK, still kind of painful, but better. :) I completely get why folks might not want live rock, but for me, the rewards outweigh the risks.

* Rock Urchins grow ridiculously fast. Love these guys, but they go from smaller than a dime to bigger than a 50 cent piece in three months! They do a good number on algae (mine even tackle hair algae!), but seem to like munching on coralline even more and can really chew up a nice colorful rock.

* Isopods are damn hard to kill. Worst hitchhiker were two parasitic isopods. Found them one day attached to my clownfish (one each). They popped off once I captured the fish and got them out of the water. Out of curiosity, I kept the pods in about 2 oz of water on my desk. Where they lived for 3 months. No oxygen, no food, no water changes. When you read that it takes months to rid a tank of these pests with no hosts - believe it!

* Heaters Suck - and you get what you pay for. Invest as much as you can here - I went mid-range and had two die on me. I quickly upgraded and had no issues.

* Digital Thermometers Suck Too - you'd think they'd be better, but I've tried 3 different kinds and none were accurate - always were about two degrees off. Back the basic standard.

* Beware the windows - I placed Tank 1 in an area that gets no direct sun at all, faces south and the tank is 7 feet from the nearest window and thought I was good. But with the blinds open, after 2 months I noticed red cyano (I think) growing in the sand on the side facing the window. Closing the blinds helped. That stuff loves the sunlight!

*Nerite Snails - *** With All the Eggs? Seriously, I really wish I had read about that before buying them. They are pretty little snails and do a great job, but those white eggs are EVERYWHERE!! Plus, I hate it when the invertebrates get more action in my house than I do.

*I Wish Saltwater 'Dinos' Were Extinct. Had a bad dinoflaggelate outbreak in tank 2 (likely do to some overfeeding trying to sort out the dietary needs of the decorator crab). Water changes didn't help - after research, I'm using doses of Dr. Tim's Refresh combined with water changes, manual extraction, nearly no lights (only on about an hour or less a day for fish to feed) and feeding every other day. So far so good, but I don't think the inverts are getting enough to eat. I've now noticed a small patch in tank 1. Dinos are just pure evil.

*Nitrates are tricky. Mine raised to 20ppm in month 4 and I can't seem get them lower than that (I use RO water only for those curious). I've gone to feeding every other day and only what I see them eat in less than a minute. No tank issues per se - fish, corals all happy, no algae outbreaks but I'm trying to stay on top of it as I wonder if it has enabled the dinos to grow. Did I mention I hate them?

*Digital Refractometers Rock. I invested in one of these and do not regret it. Monitoring salinity is the one test I can do quickly and easily.

* PH Stresses Me Out. Honestly, I just don't understand it that well. I've read all about it - the various things that impact it and even got a digital PH reader - and my tank stays rigid at 7.9/8.0. Prevailing wisdom seems to suggest higher would be better, but my tanks don't seem to want to move so I figure consistent with happy reef is better than my messing with it to achieve a magical number.

*Color Tests Also Stress Me Out. I monitor the calcium, KH and magnesium for the two LPS frags (I really love the duncan and he's already grown two more heads) but man I hate those tests. Is it the color now? Too soon? Too late? One more drop? Crap, now it's too dark. Or is it? I never feel like I'm accurate.

*I Hate Skimmers. I know they are essential and reap huge benefits. I even bought one and have tried to install it twice. Still not in the tank. Trying to get it sorted with position, fill line, microbubbles, etc is the most frustrating part of my tank - partly because I feel like I'm committing a sin by not having it. I've watched videos, read posts, made sacrificial offerings to the Gods of Skimmate . . . . Out of all the things I've gone through with the tanks, this is the one area I'd pay someone to come over and set it up correctly for me. I'll get there eventually, but, man, those things frustrate me!

Time to end this long, rambling post! Sadly, there's no prize at the end, but thanks to everyone who posts on these boards for all the knowledge you've given me. Though stressful at times, I'm enjoying my tanks and a large part of that is due to the resources provided at reef central.
 
For no apparent reason, I wanted to post some random observations from 5 months after starting two small tanks (our LFS was moving and had a great 45% off sale). I'm a long time freshwater tank owner, but new to saltwater. As an avid diver, I did not want to have any fish/coral taken off the reef, but there are now finally reliable providers of captive bred fish and aquacultured live rock (and lots of places to get coral frags from) so I took the plunge.

Tank 1: Main Reef Tank - 45gallon 'all in one' - live rock/hitchhiker coral (a caribbean rose and gorgonian), some soft corals, small duncan frag, small candy cane frag, 2 ocellaris clowns, 3 pajama cardinals, CUC

Tank 2: 'I Didn't Plan It But Man It Was Too Good A Deal To Pass Up' Tank - 29 gallon 'all in one' - live rock/hitchhiker coral (caribbean rose), striped blenny, watchman goby, CUC, decorator crab (yeah - I know, a risk, that's why no corals in this tank - long story, I blame my son).

Random Thoughts
* Prior Research Is Key. I probably spent a month pouring through these forums, reading the stickies, trying to learn what I could to start off on the best footing I could. I greatly appreciate all the time and effort the contributors to these forums have put in. I credit it with allowing me what success I've had (and quick answers to problems that have cropped up.

* Live rock has risks, but can be endlessly fascinating. All the stuff you read on the forums is true - live rock has crazy stuff in it. And not always good. I've got a gorilla crab in Tank 2 that is determined to take out anything else with a shell (a hermit is a casualty); I had a type of whelk snail that was donated to the LFS; I swear I have a mantis in Tank 1 (can hear him and find hermit pieces outside his suspected home) and even worse (see below). But I wouldn't trade it - I get more enjoyment from watching the life on those rocks than anything else in the tanks. And it made the weeks of cycling a process of discovery instead of a painful wait. OK, still kind of painful, but better. :) I completely get why folks might not want live rock, but for me, the rewards outweigh the risks.

* Rock Urchins grow ridiculously fast. Love these guys, but they go from smaller than a dime to bigger than a 50 cent piece in three months! They do a good number on algae (mine even tackle hair algae!), but seem to like munching on coralline even more and can really chew up a nice colorful rock.

* Isopods are damn hard to kill. Worst hitchhiker were two parasitic isopods. Found them one day attached to my clownfish (one each). They popped off once I captured the fish and got them out of the water. Out of curiosity, I kept the pods in about 2 oz of water on my desk. Where they lived for 3 months. No oxygen, no food, no water changes. When you read that it takes months to rid a tank of these pests with no hosts - believe it!

* Heaters Suck - and you get what you pay for. Invest as much as you can here - I went mid-range and had two die on me. I quickly upgraded and had no issues.

* Digital Thermometers Suck Too - you'd think they'd be better, but I've tried 3 different kinds and none were accurate - always were about two degrees off. Back the basic standard.

* Beware the windows - I placed Tank 1 in an area that gets no direct sun at all, faces south and the tank is 7 feet from the nearest window and thought I was good. But with the blinds open, after 2 months I noticed red cyano (I think) growing in the sand on the side facing the window. Closing the blinds helped. That stuff loves the sunlight!

*Nerite Snails - *** With All the Eggs? Seriously, I really wish I had read about that before buying them. They are pretty little snails and do a great job, but those white eggs are EVERYWHERE!! Plus, I hate it when the invertebrates get more action in my house than I do.

*I Wish Saltwater 'Dinos' Were Extinct. Had a bad dinoflaggelate outbreak in tank 2 (likely do to some overfeeding trying to sort out the dietary needs of the decorator crab). Water changes didn't help - after research, I'm using doses of Dr. Tim's Refresh combined with water changes, manual extraction, nearly no lights (only on about an hour or less a day for fish to feed) and feeding every other day. So far so good, but I don't think the inverts are getting enough to eat. I've now noticed a small patch in tank 1. Dinos are just pure evil.

*Nitrates are tricky. Mine raised to 20ppm in month 4 and I can't seem get them lower than that (I use RO water only for those curious). I've gone to feeding every other day and only what I see them eat in less than a minute. No tank issues per se - fish, corals all happy, no algae outbreaks but I'm trying to stay on top of it as I wonder if it has enabled the dinos to grow. Did I mention I hate them?

*Digital Refractometers Rock. I invested in one of these and do not regret it. Monitoring salinity is the one test I can do quickly and easily.

* PH Stresses Me Out. Honestly, I just don't understand it that well. I've read all about it - the various things that impact it and even got a digital PH reader - and my tank stays rigid at 7.9/8.0. Prevailing wisdom seems to suggest higher would be better, but my tanks don't seem to want to move so I figure consistent with happy reef is better than my messing with it to achieve a magical number.

*Color Tests Also Stress Me Out. I monitor the calcium, KH and magnesium for the two LPS frags (I really love the duncan and he's already grown two more heads) but man I hate those tests. Is it the color now? Too soon? Too late? One more drop? Crap, now it's too dark. Or is it? I never feel like I'm accurate.

*I Hate Skimmers. I know they are essential and reap huge benefits. I even bought one and have tried to install it twice. Still not in the tank. Trying to get it sorted with position, fill line, microbubbles, etc is the most frustrating part of my tank - partly because I feel like I'm committing a sin by not having it. I've watched videos, read posts, made sacrificial offerings to the Gods of Skimmate . . . . Out of all the things I've gone through with the tanks, this is the one area I'd pay someone to come over and set it up correctly for me. I'll get there eventually, but, man, those things frustrate me!

Time to end this long, rambling post! Sadly, there's no prize at the end, but thanks to everyone who posts on these boards for all the knowledge you've given me. Though stressful at times, I'm enjoying my tanks and a large part of that is due to the resources provided at reef central.

Haha I am with you mate. Well except for pH. I just don't measure it. Will help sleep better. I am thinking about getting a digital refractometer as well. What brand did you get? I hate using refractometers and hydrometers. In the end none just seems to be accurate. And by that I mean comparing measurements between refractometers too.

Working at a LFS, we throw out refractometers every two weeks or so. With care, they can last for ages, but at a LFS it's hard to take time out and care for the refractometers. We're looking to change over to digital ones, but not sure of which brands (mind you, it's because we're in Australia and the range is limited).

Also I basically refuse to get a skimmer. XD Because it's so painful.

I completely agree on the live rock stuff. Live rock is so fascinating. I can spend hours just watching all the critters crawling all over the glass. @_@ And all over the rocks. And corals. And algae.

Basically I watch them constantly. I think I also spent an hour sometime during my life a few weeks ago watching a sponge.
 
Glad to hear skimmers drive someone else insane and you don't stress about ph, I feel slightly less guilty now! I use a Milwaukee Seawater digital refractomer. Simple and easy to use and available through marine depot and other online retailers. It's around $115 usd but very worth it in my opinion.
 
Glad to hear skimmers drive someone else insane and you don't stress about ph, I feel slightly less guilty now! I use a Milwaukee Seawater digital refractomer. Simple and easy to use and available through marine depot and other online retailers. It's around $115 usd but very worth it in my opinion.

Haha just avoid skimmers like the plague, just set up a fuge instead. :p

Though tbh I only have nanos so no idea how importany skimmers really are.

I'll look into those salinity probes, thanks. :)

Btw zooxanthellaes are also dinos. xD
 
What kind of skimmers are you guys using? I can't say I've ever run into a difficult skimmer as long as I meet the water depth requirements.
 
Enjoyed the post. I don't sweat the pH, I have not checked mine in a couple years. My alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are where I want them so the pH is going to be where it is.

skimmers can be a PITA but they do provide a good function. I ran a 29g without a skimmer or sump for a few years with no issues. Keep your sense of humor and you will have a tank that will mature into a real beauty.
 
+1 one on Isopods. I do a lot of fishing and wading on saltwater flats in the Caribbean, and those SOB's take chunks out of my legs. It's even worse when I wade deep enough and they take a bite out of my junk.
 
MorelyZ: it is just a small JBJ skimmer that goes with the tank. I know it's not top end (which could be part of the problem) but getting the right mix of depth, no bubbles, etc had been hard for me (of course, I may just need to be more patient!)

Gone fishin: Thanks. Yes, I really do want to get the skimmer working as I know they can provide benefits. Maybe I just need to pick a free weekend and keep at it. And maybe have a cocktail to alleviate the frustration. :)

Davidfrances: I'm cringing just thinking about that!
 
Great post!

I also have the Milwaukee Seawater digital refractomer. I also feel it is one of the best investments I made in the hobby.

I also hated the color test kits. I recently ended up switching to the Red Sea test kits. The way they have designed their test kits makes it much easier to compare the colors...definitely more user friendly then other color test kits that are out there.

And I also love live rock. I got mine from Tampa Bay Saltwater, and it has given me endless hours of fascination. I got mostly good hitchhikers but got several bad also...mostly gorilla crabs and whelks. I ended capturing them and didn't want to just kill them outright. They are just reef predators, after all...not evil. So I ended up giving them to friend whose mantis shrimp enjoyed a nice snack. At least that way, their deaths served a purpose.
 
Yeah, I've got one gorilla crab in each tank. The one in the reef tank has, thus far, been very well behaved (to my surprise) though I plan on catching him eventually. The one in the second tank is quite the predator and has started to go after the hermits and snails. Trying to catch him as I type this with shrimp in a whiskey tasting glass (flared bottom, narrow top). We'll see if I get a gorilla in my glass. Don't want to kill him either, so he'll stay in the empty QT tank (hadn't taken it down) until I sort out where he can go.

On the plus side, I also got three porcelain crabs and I LOVE those guys - so beautiful.
 
What kind of skimmers are you guys using? I can't say I've ever run into a difficult skimmer as long as I meet the water depth requirements.

Various ones. But that's the problem, my nanos have a lot of evap so water levels keep on fluctuating greatly (in the sump).

Did away with them, one less thing to worry about and in my case no difference.
 
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