Biocube 29 questions

[AmJa1106]

I just started my first saltwater tank at the beginning of February. I bought it off eBay so I didn't get any instructions with it. I have a ton of questions. My first question is in regard to the filter. I keep seeing posts about what to put inside the filter. The guy at the LFS said to take the bio balls out and replace them with live rock but why mess with something that's working fine? Secondly, water testing? Calcium? Are the test stick enough or do I need a better test? A friend of mine said o get kalk+2, any thoughts on that? Third the lighting/temperature. Right now there's a 10k and an actinic. The water temp stays at 80. I've. Even told to get a LED but just any LED? What does the corals in my tank need? Lastly, for now, what's in my tank and what we want in the tank...right now there's a blue damsel (which I was just told to get rid of) two mocha clowns, emerald crab, coral banded shrimp (that we NEVER see apparently because of the damsel), horseshoe crab, snails, slugs, a Haitian purple tip anenome (which I was just told to get rid of because it won't host my clowns and may eat them), brittle star that we also never see, daisy coral, trumpet coral, frog spawn, some zoas, birds nest... All frags except for the zoa and daisy coral. Like I said earlier, this is our first a.tank so ANY tips will be appreciated.

 

[AmJa1106]

I'm trying to attach a picture

 

[Huro]

Hi AmJa

I am unable to answer your questions as I am unfamiliar with saltwalter. Just posting so I can follow the thread and learn

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

First off 2 months is way to early to have a nem in your tank. You don't need to dose anything if your using a good reef salt. Those test strips are worthless get a liquid kit. The horse shoe has to go, if it survives in your system (doubtful) it will end up a foot across and close to 2 feet long and your tank can't sustain enough life in the sand bed to keep him alive. Overall advice I would give you is slow down, and do your own research BEFORE adding any living creature to your tank, and do not add anything that you can't properly care for (your nem and horseshoe). You have a practically fully stocked tank after only 2 months, that's way to fast.