Lighting and LR questions etc...hope someone can help

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lisajulia

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jun 11, 2003
Messages
18
Location
VA
Hi!
I am pretty new to this forum...
I have a 72gal acrylic bowfront. It is currently fowlr but we want to convert to adding corals clams and pretty much anything we can.
The tank is 1 year old. We have about 85lbs lr and 1 domino damsel, about 10 snails and 5 little blue legged crabs. At the moment I am really confused about my live rock...I am having trouble figuring out if the 'stuff' that is growing on it is okay. I just lost a red cardinal fish I had for a year and the water is fine...so I fear bacteria got him. When I put him in qt he would not eat...thought it was popeye at first but he was just getting skinny..no ich or any weird slime...just skinny..but that's another story and the domino looks fine.
Anyway, my questions are these:

What is the best lighting to buy and the best price I can get it for going to coral etc?
Are there any types of corals I should stay away from? I don't want my crabs to do damage or the damsel.

Which fish should I stay away from? I am looking to get maybe 3 more fish and the rest corals.

Do corals need to be in quarantine for 3wks like fish do when you first get them?

How do you know the difference between good things growing on the lr and bad things like cyno that I have been reading about...wondering if that is what got my cardinal....

Sorry for all the questions but I am collecting info (and have been this past year) and when we have some great advice we will proceed.
Thanks in advance!!!
Lisa
 
What is the best lighting to buy and the best price I can get it for going to coral etc?

You made mention that you wanted to keep a clam. For that I would suggest Metal Halide lighting with VHO actinic suppliment. For your tank I would shoot for 2 X 250W MH with either VHO actinic florecents or PC actinic florecents.

Are there any types of corals I should stay away from?

Stay away from anything with the name flowerpot. These have a terrible survibility rate and way to often people get them because they look nice. With the lighting I described above you will be albe to support just about any of the common aquarium corals.

You wont have to worry about the damsel hurting the corals nor the hermits.

Corals overall dont need to be QTed like fish but should be acclomated in the same manor if not slower.

Please describe what yoru seeing on your rock. If you have the ablity to take some photos you could post them aswell of thigns you want identified.
 
Thanks! Just noticed you are in VA too....but I am closer to DC.

The stuff I am seeing on the LR is a deep purple and in some spots a bright pink. Some is green..almost flourescent..then it seems to all turn to a pretty dark purple. I did have what I know is hair algae but my tweezers and snails and crabs seem to have taken care of that...
Is there a bacteria test kit available?
I have a hood on my tank where my light sits. It only holds one tube...so I think that is my confusion too...As I say it is bowfront so I don't know where to get what I need.
Thanks again for you very helpful advice!
 
I have the same colors on my lr and so far Ive had no troubles, I have 3 Hermit Crabs, a blue damsel and a 2 striped damsel, a curly Q Anenome, Condy at the moment and a nudebranch (?on spelling) So far no troubles with anything. The only thing I can say is watch your water and test often, be sure everything is proper. Lighting is another story... ask the professionals... our buds here!
 
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