My 1st 55 gal reef build

[willbratz]

I have used baking soda with success. It will also raise your ph, but that will fallout within a couple of hours +/-. There's a calculator that will tell you the amount to use but the page escapes me. Might google KH calculator for baking soda. Hope this helps.

 

[daney90]

I looked it up and is it this site?

http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/C...Soda+(Teaspoons)=0.00&SKH=&EKH=&pHChange=0.00

Based on how many gals I have it says I need 15tsp of baking soda. I have to mix this in RO water, right?

 

[willbratz]

I looked it up and is it this site?

http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/CalKH.asp?Gallons=60&KH=12&measure=0&Baking+Soda+%28Teaspoons%29=0.00&SKH=&EKH=&pHChange=0.00

Based on how many gals I have it says I need 15tsp of baking soda. I have to mix this in RO water, right?

Yes that would be it!!

 

[daney90]

Thanks a bunch! And how about calcium being at 380ppm. What do I need to do to raise it up a bit?

 

[willbratz]

I think kent makes a cal additives I use that when water changes don't cut it. You might also think about changing salt mixes. I like reef crystal

 

[daney90]

My next question is over what period of time do I dose the baking soda? Days? Hours? Mins?

PH 7.8
KH 6
Calcium 380

 

[willbratz]

My next question is over what period of time do I dose the baking soda? Days? Hours? Mins?

PH 7.8
KH 6
Calcium 380

To be honest I mixed it and dumped it will no ill effects. But, that doesn't mean it's the correct way.

 

[daney90]

I'm thinking of rescaping my rocks to give my snails and conch space to roam around and my small fishes to have more hiding place. However, I'm concerned on stirring up the sand and crushing some snails... any advice?

 

[willbratz]

I'm thinking of rescaping my rocks to give my snails and conch space to roam around and my small fishes to have more hiding place. However, I'm concerned on stirring up the sand and crushing some snails... any advice?

It should be fine just don't stir up the bed. Your always gonna have a little bit of sand come up no matter what you do.

 

[daney90]

Alright, thanks a bunch.

 

[daney90]

Just an update. After breaking my rocks I moved some to the side on the glass and bought a torch and frogspawn coral

 

[marsh]

Hello all, I just added a midas blenny 4 days ago and he hasn't eaten yet. I tried feeding mysis, brine, flakes, pellets and he would just sit down on the sand n the corner. Im worried...

How is the blenny doing? My scooter blenny really loved defrosted bloodworms to the surprise of many. More than mysis shrimp which he was fed at my lfs. I'm not sure if the "garlic juice" trick is only for tropical fish because I'm a beginner to salt, but I hope he feels hungrier

Also-'love the rock layout!

 

[daney90]

How is the blenny doing? My scooter blenny really loved defrosted bloodworms to the surprise of many. More than mysis shrimp which he was fed at my lfs. I'm not sure if the "garlic juice" trick is only for tropical fish because I'm a beginner to salt, but I hope he feels hungrier

Also-'love the rock layout!

Midas blenny is doing great!! im so happy he got through the acclimating process it took a while though but he now swims a lot sits on the top of the rocks and his favourite place to sleep is behind the powerheads lol!!

 

[daney90]

Look at my frogspawn that i just added yesterday. It looks very happy and it makes me very happy too

 

[marsh]

^^ ooooh I want one

 

[daney90]

Just added a sixline and yellow wrasse in my tank. I love both of them. The yellow wrasse has a very bright yellow colour and he really stands out i feed them with flakes this morning and everyone ate. What other foods to these wrasses eat? I don't want to use frozen food as much as possible cause i feel like it messes up my water and i start to have more algae on the glass.

 

[LaWoWee]

I actually feel the opposite about frozen and dry. Frozen is not that bad if you rinse it. I take a big sheet of mysis and rinsing a bunch of times until it no longer turns the water cloudy and then drain it and toss it back into a zip lock and freeze it back as a sheet. This way you clean out most of the phosphates

 

[daney90]

Correct me if im wrong.. So dry foods will promote more algae than the frozen ones if feeding too much?

 

[daney90]

Where do i need to place my powerheads? This is why my tank looks like..

 

[LaWoWee]

Correct me if im wrong.. So dry foods will promote more algae than the frozen ones if feeding too much?

I think too much flake or freeze dried food might contain phosphate. All foods contain phosphate. A quality dry pellet may not be as bad and frozen is not as bad if rinsed. Fresh seafood is good too.

As far as powerheads. Its about preference on what kind of flow your looking for. I point mine at the surface for agitation and i can keep my high flow corals higher in the tank and lower flow ones at the bottom. Or you could strategically point them in a way then water circulates throughout every area of rock and tank.