Tank and pics

[11:11]

You don't seem to have an understanding of the difference between dirty water and nutrient rich. You need to be skimming the water and feeding this coral. I can't imagine you have any way to provide what you mean by nutrient rich.

You make no sense...protein skimmers take nutrients from water? Are you saying in order to have clean water I need a skimmer? Can you back up your claims? They are bold.

If your saying that I can't keep goniopora without a skimmer that's even more bold. If your implying I can't supply the goniopora with rich nutrients that is thrice bold.

 

[11:11]

Goniopora is very difficult to care for. That particular one looks like it is hurting...

You've gotta slow down...Angel fish are grazers, they need lots of live rock with lots of life to pick at. I'm crossing my fingers for you, but honestly... those are living creatures.

Your tank is not ready to support the life you are putting in it. Plain and simple.

I've had it for 3 days and it looks better than when I bought it. I actually had no idea this thing spreads out because it was a small fuzzy ball at the lfs. Anything is difficult to care for if not cared for properly. I know someone who got goni as their first coral and without proper lighting it lived 4 years.

 

[MachMe]

Sounds and looks like you just plop in whatever you think is cool or pretty from the LFS.

 

[Angel*Fish]

You make no sense...protein skimmers take nutrients from water? Are you saying in order to have clean water I need a skimmer? Can you back up your claims? They are bold.

If your saying that I can't keep goniopora without a skimmer that's even more bold. If your implying I can't supply the goniopora with rich nutrients that is thrice bold.

Excuse me? I make no sense? You are in the predicament of not knowing what you don't know. I suggest you back up and do some reading. Not forum posts, but articles and books. I'm not being bold -- I'm here to tell you that I don't know how to keep gonioporas. But I know enough to tell you they need good water AND feeding. If you think water "that doesn't have extreme nitrate issues" is going to work for that coral...well, I don't have anything else to say.

 

[KRBNSOL]

I've had my tank running for a month and have only 3 hermit crabs in there now. While I'd like to have a full tank and the instant gratification....just can't bring myself to do that. Best of luck and hope all works out.

 

[DoubleM 10]

Hello guys this is my tank 3 months in. I have made some changes to the rock structure. I felt my rock work was not open enough...especially for a coral beauty. Coralline spots are showing up on my dead rock and I've added a few creatures.

I recently added a coral beauty, cardianl bangai, and spotted tank raised mandarin. I also purchased my second coral...recently finding out it is called a green goniopora. We shall see how that does. All seems well I have gotten rid of my chromis their swimming behaviour was too zippy. My coral beauty and others are more graceful swimmers. I want to be consistent.

My nitrates are almost at 5 but how do I make that zero...will macro algae work?

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look at this!!!! nitrate problems??? LMFAO who didnt call that one coming!!!!

you are here looking for advice. Quite a few people are taking the knowledge and experience they have and telling you what has happened for them. everyone on here is trying to help you. Some are more blunt than others

all the advice that they give you YOU IGNORE.

i dont understand why you have posted on here and continue to post if you do nothing anyone suggests.

most of the poeple on here have been in your shoes(myself included)

your excited about the hobby and went way to fast.

nothing in this hobby that is good happens fast. plain and simple.

skimmers purpose to take out nutience before it becomes amonia and trites and trates.

your corals can only consume so much.

we are all trying to help you build a successful tank thats all.

why not listen to our advice?

 

[KRBNSOL]

To the OP... Do your research and slow down! 2 months and you're practically, if not, fully stacked?! I love your enthusiasm but your fish may not! Your parameters may seem fine in tests but it doesn't mean it's perfect for the fish.

You're two months in the game... That's a pretty new and growing bioload.

Consider a new bio load like a mini Cooper... Pretty small but not clostaphobic. Well imagine the mini c the car is full with you and your friends (like the fish in your tank). The heat is high and you all pass gas at the same but no one can open a window. Oh noooooo!!! Yes, you will still live bc there's oxygen... But is it that enjoyable? NO! I think that's how fish feel in a new system.

:lmao:
So basically, he just gave all his fish the dutch oven treatment?

Now THIS, I can fully understand. No chemistry or physics lessons required.

 

[lisafoster]

If I was you I would replace some of that decorative rock for some nice live rock. You will see more coraline and make sure it is porous live rock. Good luck with the goniopora I know they have a notoriously bad track record for survival. It willnever survive if you are having nitrate issues. More people have had better luck with the red goniopora. I like your cucumber I have always been too nervous to try one myself.

 

[lisafoster]

I just saw your post about just adding the angel . I have a pygmy and a potters in my 125 they constantly pick at the rocks.Most of the rock you have is decorative you need more live rock . Angels like to have hiding places and caves I do not see taht in your tank I also cannot believe you would add a mandarin minimum 6 months before adding one.

 

[israel.kendall]

Hey, since you bought a goni and have no Skimmer yet, it might be the perfect time to maybe look into an algae turf scrubber. I think the scrubber may also help out with pod production to keep that mandarin fed. Just a thought.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[sasharotty]

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Hello guys this is my tank 3 months in. I have made some changes to the rock structure. I felt my rock work was not open enough...especially for a coral beauty. Coralline spots are showing up on my dead rock and I've added a few creatures.

I recently added a coral beauty, cardianl bangai, and spotted tank raised mandarin. I also purchased my second coral...recently finding out it is called a green goniopora. We shall see how that does. All seems well I have gotten rid of my chromis their swimming behaviour was too zippy. My coral beauty and others are more graceful swimmers. I want to be consistent.

My nitrates are almost at 5 but how do I make that zero...will macro algae work?

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:fun5: Listen to everyone here, they are trying to help you and tell you your going WAY to fast. Your lfs is trying to make a buck and it sounds like they are going to make a whole bunch off of you from dying livestock. Listen to the people here giving you advise.Good luck to you.

 

[Timmy77]

I'm not trying to come off as a jerk but my advise would be as follows. Sell or trade in all your livestock and most or all of the none reef rock. Buy 10-20 lb of live rock and another 20-30lb of dry (dead rock from a place like bulk reef supply). Next buy a hob skimmer (octopus brand is good and reasonably priced). Set all the above up and let simmer for 6-8 weeks. After week 8 add a dozen hermits or so (nothing large ever) and a dozen or more snails. At week 12 or so add a small fish or two, keep a close eye on all parameters. I would also recommend a 30% water change at weeks 4,6 and 8. Lastly ask lots and lots of questions. This hobby is not easy and we have all made mistakes in the beginning so don't be made or feel bad.:beer:

 

[GR214]

Tank looks good I like that aqua scape

 

[Timmy77]

double post

 

[lacosta28]

Wow, and I thought I was going too fast by adding some turbo snails after my diatom bloom in week 3.

 

[Virtuoso]

No one mentioned the Mandarin? Unless "Spotted Mandarin" means something other than a "Spotted Mandarin Dragonet", it is going to starve to death. It only eats pods and your tank is not mature enough to have them in the quantity that it needs. Additionally, with a tank your size you would need a refugium to keep the pod population levels high enough for it to not starve.

I don't know a lot about the hobby, but I know enough to echo some of the others' comments. I would recommend selling or trading in the fish before you kill them, then sitting down and doing some research, then buying the proper equipment and starting again SLOWER. Much SLOWER.

 

[Liquid Hobby]

You've come to show off your tank and we are compelled to give advice for your long term success and joy in reef keeping, after all, this is the place to come for reef tank advice and questions. I read and researched for over a year before I started my first tank some 5 years ago. Currently build lasted 6 months before it ever saw salt water.

I'm not going to beat the too fast drum as that seems to be clear. Yes, moving too quickly is bad - patience is your and your livestock's friend.

So, can you go as quickly as you are going, maybe, but it does require the support system to do so. That is what I think we are all really getting at.

Here's my 3 month old 120 G tank with another 70 or so gallons behind the wall. Currently stocked with the following:
5 chromis (4 juvi's 1 adult)
2 scopas tangs (1 juvi 1 adult)
koran angle - juvi
dragon goby - juvi
blue sided fairy wrasse - absolutely beautiful fish! adult
3 turbo snails, a few hermits and 2 nas snales.
Plus a moderate amount of corals including a tube anem.

Is that too much too fast for a 120? Some might say yes. Here's what it looks like today:

Now, why am I able to maintain so much livestock so quickly? Several answers:
It's a big system, almost 200G in total:
-120 DT, 30 Gs in the sump and 40 Gs in the fuge
Nothing went into the tank for 5 weeks - nothing! except the sand and rock!
Of the 250lbs of rock, 50% is live rock with a few scoops of sand from 2 established tanks.
This tank cycled relatively quickly because of the live rock. You do not have live rock... yet.
I have a dedicated over the DT fuge that is bounding with bugs for the last 2 months as is the DT:

The fuge helps a lot with bio filtration! I also, have the back up equipment to make it all happen, like a very large skimmer, GFO, carbon and Calc RXs plus a controller to keep it all in sync:

What is being said is that the pace you are working at is at odds with what the tank can handle as you don't necessarily have the appropriate set up to handle that speed. Can your tank work the way it is currently, sure, but not at the pace you're throwing bio load at it. Also, put some thought and research into what goes in the tank before it actually goes in the tank. For instance, I will never put a mushroom in my tank because I know they spread like a weed and in a few years I'd have a mushroom dominated tank...

Also, that mandarin, with out real live rock and the bugs that the it eats, it can starve - unless its been trained to take prepared foods - relatively low probably of long term success that way... Sure, I've got tons of bugs now, but a mandarin isn't going in for at least 9-12 months...

There is good advice in the thread, it's up to you to sparse it. Please realize I am NOT saying success only comes if you have a reef the scale/complexity or budget that I do (clearly proven not to be the case!!), but you also have to know your tanks limitations with the current equip/setup and the experience you have.

First we crawl - then we walk - then we run!

Best of luck.

 

[Peter T]

You make no sense...protein skimmers take nutrients from water? Are you saying in order to have clean water I need a skimmer? Can you back up your claims? They are bold.

If your saying that I can't keep goniopora without a skimmer that's even more bold. If your implying I can't supply the goniopora with rich nutrients that is thrice bold.

I do not know much about goniopora's care but they do look nice. You do not NEED to have a protein skimmer in order to have good water quality; but it definitely helps out quite a bit. Especially in tanks with a high bioload. A 40g with 6 fish is quite a bioload. Not unsustainable, but in my opinion about maxed out for your size tank. If you are concerned for price, look for a used one. I ended up buying my current protein skimmer rated at 250g for $15 (no pump included).

I have a 34g and about 65-70 lbs of well cured LR. Add a 10 gallon sump and the total water volume is about equal to yours. I feed very conservatively and only have 1 clownfish, 1 scooter blenny (which I do not feed), and a mantis shrimp. I consistently read zero nitrates on an API liquid test kit. Here is a picture of skim mate after ONE day of wet skimming. It smells pretty funky too. I can only imagine how much nastiness would be left day in and day out if I did not have my skimmer.

FWIW, my other 2 tanks do not have a skimmer and I consistently read about 10-20 on my API test kit for nitrates. I use only RO/DI water from my RO/DI unit, which is also a very good investment. I see people at the LFS all the time buying the RO/DI mixed and unmixed water for about 1 dollar a gallon. It adds up over time :hmm3:

Well keep at it and continue to update us on your progress!

 

[Peter T]

First we crawl - then we walk - then we run!

Best of luck.

Crawl, walk, run... sounds very familiar lol... "You are a no-go at this station. At this time, go to the end of the station to conduct concurrent training. You have one hour to re-test."

If it doesn't sound familiar to you, don't worry about it. It just reminded me of things

Btw, nice tank Liquid Hobby!

 

[lacosta28]

Excellent post Liquid Hobby! You have a very nice tank. I love the 120's. I have a 90 right now and I am seriously thinking of upgrading to a 120 for the extra 6 inch depth.