new to zoas
- Thread starter 808Rob
- Start date
D.J.'s reef
New member
most softies are pretty forgiving....but ya need to make sure all your params are in check even for just your fish....how much live rock and how many and what kinda fish do you have?
rule of thumb that i was told is 2lbs per gallon of water for live rock to make sure you have the right filtration and life support for a marine aquarium. but you can get away with less as long as you keep up with your husbandry.
need alil more info on your tank.....but zoas and softies are usually easy to keep unless you have under laying issues...
what kind of lights do you have?
what fish do you have?
how much live rock?
fill us in on your tank and your test levels and we'll help ya out to make sure your first coral experience isnt a bad one....
rule of thumb that i was told is 2lbs per gallon of water for live rock to make sure you have the right filtration and life support for a marine aquarium. but you can get away with less as long as you keep up with your husbandry.
need alil more info on your tank.....but zoas and softies are usually easy to keep unless you have under laying issues...
what kind of lights do you have?
what fish do you have?
how much live rock?
fill us in on your tank and your test levels and we'll help ya out to make sure your first coral experience isnt a bad one....
808Rob
New member
I have very little live rock for now(20#) and am in the process of getting more. Probably will have another 50# by this weekend.
I just removed my undergravel filter because of high nitrates and kept my MaxiJet 1200s circulating. 30g sump lays under with a protein skimmer in it.
My lighting consists of 6x54W HO flourescents (2 atinic, 2 full spectrum 6700K, and 2-12000K Wave Daylight). Their times are: 2 atinics 8am-9pm, 1-1 6700/12000 9am-8pm, 1-1 6700/12000 10am-7pm.
Fish: 1 yellow tang 3in, 1 Christmas wrasse 4in, 1 threadfin butterfly 2in, 1 blue damsel 1.5in, 1 bi-color anthias 3.5in, and 1 Pennant butterfly fish 3in.
Parameters:
SG 1.024
Ph 8.0-8.1
temp 77-82
calciums/phosphates not tested
nitrates last week was 100ppm (currently using Amquel and AZ NO3) currently building a coil denitrator
Hope thats enough info to start with.
Thanks
I just removed my undergravel filter because of high nitrates and kept my MaxiJet 1200s circulating. 30g sump lays under with a protein skimmer in it.
My lighting consists of 6x54W HO flourescents (2 atinic, 2 full spectrum 6700K, and 2-12000K Wave Daylight). Their times are: 2 atinics 8am-9pm, 1-1 6700/12000 9am-8pm, 1-1 6700/12000 10am-7pm.
Fish: 1 yellow tang 3in, 1 Christmas wrasse 4in, 1 threadfin butterfly 2in, 1 blue damsel 1.5in, 1 bi-color anthias 3.5in, and 1 Pennant butterfly fish 3in.
Parameters:
SG 1.024
Ph 8.0-8.1
temp 77-82
calciums/phosphates not tested
nitrates last week was 100ppm (currently using Amquel and AZ NO3) currently building a coil denitrator
Hope thats enough info to start with.
Thanks
D.J.'s reef
New member
i would deff get more rock and get your nitrates down before adding any corals to the tank.....both butterfly fish you have arent 100% reef safe....so you may see them eating at corals expecially with the little amount of LR you have....
if your wanting to keep them and have corals i would get ALOT of LR so that the butterflies have other areas to graze and forage for foods and it might help with leaving corals alone....but untill then i wouldnt recomend corals in case the butterflies get nippy.....
i have a coral beauty in my tank which isw known to eat at corals...but i have 150lbs of LR in my 90g tank so he has LOTS to forage on and i never see him nip at corals....
on you lights do you mean you have T5 lights?VHO? or just regular fluorescent(PC)? just wondering...6x54 is a 48in light wattage...72" in lights i thought where higher wattage...if it is a 4ft light whats the placement on the tank?(how high above the water or tank)
if your wanting to keep them and have corals i would get ALOT of LR so that the butterflies have other areas to graze and forage for foods and it might help with leaving corals alone....but untill then i wouldnt recomend corals in case the butterflies get nippy.....
i have a coral beauty in my tank which isw known to eat at corals...but i have 150lbs of LR in my 90g tank so he has LOTS to forage on and i never see him nip at corals....
on you lights do you mean you have T5 lights?VHO? or just regular fluorescent(PC)? just wondering...6x54 is a 48in light wattage...72" in lights i thought where higher wattage...if it is a 4ft light whats the placement on the tank?(how high above the water or tank)
ddwbeagles
New member
Some additional advice. Get a calcium and Alk test. These are two pretty important parameters to monitor and control. I would include magnessium in there as well. We all (reefers) always talk about phosphate levels but IMO if you have no alegae problems or outbreaks then you're probably OK. More live rock is always a good idea regardless of what type of corals you're putting in there and you need significantly more to (a) provide large amounts of surface area for your biological filtration and (b) help buffer the water naturally via the calcium in the LR itself.
I would significantly increase the size of your CUC with a crap load more hermits and various snails. The more light - the better color "pop" you'll get from the ZOAs, but you certainly have enough to keep them as-is.
You'll see various recommendations on water parameters and it's probably more important to try and keep them as steady as possible than trying to reach a specific number. (Assuming you're somewhat close) Zoas & Palys are a fairly hardy and great choices. Some consider them a "beginner" species and graduate up to SPS/Chalices, but I started heading that direction and quickly came back. Only because I simply love the affordability and variety of Z & Ps. That and I can't afford to spend several hundred dollars on every new/rare chalice mutant that becomes the flavor of the month.
I would significantly increase the size of your CUC with a crap load more hermits and various snails. The more light - the better color "pop" you'll get from the ZOAs, but you certainly have enough to keep them as-is.
You'll see various recommendations on water parameters and it's probably more important to try and keep them as steady as possible than trying to reach a specific number. (Assuming you're somewhat close) Zoas & Palys are a fairly hardy and great choices. Some consider them a "beginner" species and graduate up to SPS/Chalices, but I started heading that direction and quickly came back. Only because I simply love the affordability and variety of Z & Ps. That and I can't afford to spend several hundred dollars on every new/rare chalice mutant that becomes the flavor of the month.
advice on buying corals-
don't buy the "cheaper" corals/zoas just because they are cheaper.
hold out, buy less coral and save for the ones you really want. you'll be happier in the long run.
this is not to say don't buy "cheap" corals if you like the color- just don't buy the BECAUSE they are cheap, ya?
don't buy the "cheaper" corals/zoas just because they are cheaper.
hold out, buy less coral and save for the ones you really want. you'll be happier in the long run.
this is not to say don't buy "cheap" corals if you like the color- just don't buy the BECAUSE they are cheap, ya?
808Rob
New member
just to update. Got at least 80lbs of live rock since Saturday and also removed my undergravel filter. Got rid of the 2 butterflys but my son caught a morish idol to add and I think a female dragon wrasse. Just tested the nitrates today and it's down to 25mg/l (don't know the ppm conversion). Can I expect the nitrates to slowly continue to decrease?
justnmatt79
New member
Are these fish straight out of the wild? Have they been acclimated to captivity? Both fish are very tough fish to keep as far as feeding and dietary needs.
See these threads for some good info on both:
Moorish Idol: Leopard Wrasse: [url] [Edit: Appa... Good luck, they are both spectacular fish!
See these threads for some good info on both:
Moorish Idol: Leopard Wrasse: [url] [Edit: Appa... Good luck, they are both spectacular fish!
Last edited:
808Rob
New member
yes, both fish are wild caught and seems to be ok so far. The morish idol needed to go back to the wild because there is really nothing for it to feed on. Plus a mild case of ich.
I take that back about the female dragon wrasse. I don't think that is one. I really can't identify what that is. I'll try to get a picture but it is mostly burrowed in the sand 99% of the time. Once in a while it sticks it's head out and come out but my christmas wrasse chases it back into the sand.
I take that back about the female dragon wrasse. I don't think that is one. I really can't identify what that is. I'll try to get a picture but it is mostly burrowed in the sand 99% of the time. Once in a while it sticks it's head out and come out but my christmas wrasse chases it back into the sand.
