First corals...

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Also, re carbon: I have an eheim external canister filter, which has 2 media ball baskets inside. In the top basket, I've taken a few balls out and put a small bag in with some rowaphos in (I've been using the rowaphos for quite a while now).

With the carbon, is it ok to add it in a bag to the 2nd (lower) basket, taking some balls out to make room. Or, could this cause problems with my bacteria/filtration (ie. with there being less balls, and 2 bags stuck in there where the balls are meant to be)?

Do I want a particular make of carbon or anything? Or just any? It can't do anything negative to the tank or water chemistry can it? :wink: How often does it need to be replaced again?
 
In most of my FW setups, I tend to do course sponge, poly fiber, carbon, ceramic things. I regulary clean out out the poly and don't use it when cycling, so it doesn't become too active. The little ceramic things become rather active, but they clog up rather quickly without the poly fiber before it. And the poly fiber as the biomedia would turn too messy too fast. Tradeoffs :)

But thats just FW :)

Most aquarium carbon is the same. As long as its granular activated carbon, you should be fine.
 
MarkW19 said:
What problems are the butterfly and tang likely to cause in my tank?
A 40 gal tank cannot meet the needs of these two fish even as juveniles. The tang especially will grow to 2-3" in it's first year or so. They will become cramped and most likely suffer from aggression issues and hard to keep up with water quality problems. Personally I think it would be unwise and worth waiting on.


MarkW19 said:
Also, re carbon: I have an eheim external canister filter, which has 2 media ball baskets inside. In the top basket, I've taken a few balls out and put a small bag in with some rowaphos in (I've been using the rowaphos for quite a while now).

With the carbon, is it ok to add it in a bag to the 2nd (lower) basket, taking some balls out to make room. Or, could this cause problems with my bacteria/filtration (ie. with there being less balls, and 2 bags stuck in there where the balls are meant to be)?
Once the proper amount of LR is in the tank (as I said depending on what you currently have) the biomedia in the Eheim is not needed and can be removed for other types such as the carbon. External canister filters are not really beneficial for SW as a means of biofiltration and shouldn't be relied on too much in the long term. Keep in mind that even though they are not foam filter items, they still need rinsing regularly in SW to remove detritus build up.

Do I want a particular make of carbon or anything? Or just any? It can't do anything negative to the tank or water chemistry can it? :wink: How often does it need to be replaced again?
Try to get the higher grades of carbon. IMO, skimping for cost will cause you algae problems. Cheaper grades as well as coconut makes, are quite high in PO4 and will lead to nuisance algaes. Personally I use Chemi-pure by Boyd but there are many other acceptable types. Just avoid Sea gel by Seachem as it contains an aluminum based PO4 granuals as well.

Cheers
Steve
 
Cheers guys.

Steve: so putting those 2 fish in my tank could cause water quality problems? What sort of problems?

And, how often should I be rinsing the filter media balls then?

Thanks! :eek:
 
Steve: I'm going to add a coral beauty next.

But, I really want either a 2" copperband butterfly, yellow long-nosed butterfly, or regal tang as my fourth and final fish.

Will none of these be ok?
 
Will my 2 fish be ok with the huge change in my aquascape??

Also, I know dKH is important with reefs (and marine tanks in general)...but I've lost my instructions for my test kit! I just have the vial and bottle left...and there's no make on the bottle :p
 
Should've put all those questions in the same reply really :p

I have 9 hermit crabs (assortment of blue and red legged) and a fire shrimp. Will my corals be safe with them?

And...

I've upgraded my lighting - 2 36" actinic T5, 2 36" white T5 and moonlight LEDs for late at night (12am - 3am) and morning (9am - 12pm).

I'm just wondering about the order of the 4 T5 tubes in my lid - from front to back: white at front, then actinic, then white, then actinic. Is that ok?
 
I'm keeping 2 x pachyclavularia sp., 2 x zoanthus sp., 2 x discosoma sp., 1 x sarcophyton sp., and 1 x capnella sp.

Is it really neccessary to add the actinic lighting to my 2 39w white T5s to keep these corals?
 
Are these all just different shapes of the same coral (Toadstool leather coral), so therefore they all have exactly the same requirements? :-

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Sorry for all the Q's! :oops: Steve (or anyone!) when you get time could you also have a look at my.....*6* (!) questions above? :p

Is carbon really necessary do you think? What could happen to my corals if I don't use it (I'm going to be feeding them DT's Live Phytoplankton)?
 
MarkW19 said:
so putting those 2 fish in my tank could cause water quality problems? What sort of problems?

Steve: I'm going to add a coral beauty next.

But, I really want either a 2" copperband butterfly, yellow long-nosed butterfly, or regal tang as my fourth and final fish.
The coral beauty would be okay for the 40 gal but that would be about it for your bioload other than mabye one more small fish. Keep in mind though that dwarf angels can be prone to coral nipping but it's a 50/50 chance either way.

The other three you've mention would be a bad choice for you current set up even if you intend on upgrading. There simpley isn't enough space for even one of them to live adequately in a 40 gal tank. Aside from bioload and aggression, there is a large chance or stunting the fish's natural growth and developement which will have long term affects of the fish's health and typically results in a much shorter life span.

how often should I be rinsing the filter media balls then?
A few times monthly at the least but preferably weekly. Be sure to use SW though, not FW.

Will my 2 fish be ok with the huge change in my aquascape?? And, re "cured" liverock. My LFS says their cured liverock is ok to put straight into my tank, with no problems and ammonia spikes etc. Is this true?
The fish might be a little stressed with the addition of the new rock and the aquascaping but they should be fine as long as it doesn't take long. Many people aquascape over and over again but as long as the fish is healthy there should be no concerns.

As far as the LR from the LFS, unless they have had it for a minimum of 6 weeks curing in their store, it should be recured. Additions of even partially cured LR will cause enough of a water quality issue you may lose a fish. Unless you know these people very well I wouldn't take the risk. It's really your call though.

I've upgraded my lighting - 2 36" actinic T5, 2 36" white T5 and moonlight LEDs for late at night (12am - 3am) and morning (9am - 12pm).

I'm just wondering about the order of the 4 T5 tubes in my lid - from front to back: white at front, then actinic, then white, then actinic. Is that ok?
It doesn't matter much really but most of your coral will likely end up running along the middle of the tanks rockscape. Personally I would have both white in the middle and the actinics on the outside slots.

have 9 hermit crabs (assortment of blue and red legged) and a fire shrimp. Will my corals be safe with them?
Nothing to worry about...

I'm keeping 2 x pachyclavularia sp., 2 x zoanthus sp., 2 x discosoma sp., 1 x sarcophyton sp., and 1 x capnella sp.

Is it really neccessary to add the actinic lighting to my 2 39w white T5s to keep these corals?
Actinics are not a necessary item in the strictest meaning of the word but they do help the fuorescence of many corals species and greatly improves the overall visual appeal of a reef tank IMO. Zoo's, GSP and shrooms will definately show some good colors and the toadstool will possibley take on a pink, yellow or greenish hue. The capnella will have a little more defined color under the actinics but will not fluoresce.

Are these all just different shapes of the same coral (Toadstool leather coral), so therefore they all have exactly the same requirements?
All three of the images you posted will have the same basic care requirements. The last one looks more like Cladiella though, not a Sarcophyton.

Is carbon really necessary do you think? What could happen to my corals if I don't use it (I'm going to be feeding them DT's Live Phytoplankton)?
No carbon is not absolutely necessary but given you have no skimmer or refugium with macro algae to harvest, a good idea to use at least weekly. DT's is a decent product but you really don't need it for those corals although it will bolster the pod populations. The corals will only benefit from it marginally. If you do use it though do not overdo it. Over use will just cause enormous algae problems. Try to stick with once a week at most.

Cheers
Steve
 
Thanks a lot Steve, very useful as always! :p

I'll forget the DT then and not feed them (I guess they'll get leftovers etc. and of course provide most of their food themselves).

And, I really like the look of my lighting as it is (ie. 2 white T5s). Its very bright and compliments my tank perfectly. By adding the actinics, will it definitely be an improvement in the overall look of my tank? ie. even if I didn't have any corals, and added the actinics, would it make my tank look a lot better? And, will there be a visual difference between going actinic-white-actinic-white or actinic-white-white-actinic? I do want corals that fluoresce under my actinics - I'm having button polyps, capnella and a couple of toadstool leathers. Will none of these fluoresce then?

So, you'd change the carbon each week, as opposed to a lot of people that only use it for 3-4 days each month? I'm going to put 6 tablespoons of (high-grade) carbon in a filter bag in my Eheim each time, as recommend by Shelton. Will this be a good amount, with definitely no bad effects on waterchemistry etc./no other problems caused by the carbon, and no chance of overdosing?

How do I cure my own liverock when I get it from them then??

And, I haven't been rinsing my filter balls at all since I got the filter 7 months ago. What will happen if they're not rinsed at all? And, what's the best way to rinse them - just get a bowl of tankwater and poor the balls into it and stir them round a bit, and wipe the inside of the filter/baskets a bit with a papertowel to get rid of any goo (leaving the water inside the filter when I do it so that it's not dry)?

Finally, after the coral beauty, what fish do you recommend for my final fish? I haven't really seen anything that takes my fancy other than the bigger fish :/ I ideally want something that's yellow and flat (like a yellow tang or longnosed butterfly...d'oh! :p)?

Cheers,

Mark
 
Just to chime in... my dwarf angel has just started nipping at my zoos and xenia :roll: this is after many months and I'm too attached to it now to get rid of it though so it's a bit of a dilemma.. I would strongly advise against any kind of angel (like the coral beauty) if you want to keep soft corals. I knew it would happen eventually.. but you always figure you'll beat the system forever, lol.
 
MarkW19 said:
I really like the look of my lighting as it is (ie. 2 white T5s). Its very bright and compliments my tank perfectly. By adding the actinics, will it definitely be an improvement in the overall look of my tank? ie. even if I didn't have any corals, and added the actinics, would it make my tank look a lot better?
The addition of actinics is mainly a visual effect on the tank and corals depending on species. It does not really do much more than enhance the visual appeal. It does not make them grow any better than it would adding two more white lights. If you prefer the white lights only, I would still suggest the extra addition if you progress with more coral types. Personally, looking at the tank late at night with just the actinics is quite appealing and can often be a soothing end to any day. I'd recommend their use no matter what the benefits (if any really).

And, will there be a visual difference between going actinic-white-actinic-white or actinic-white-white-actinic?
Not reall.

I do want corals that fluoresce under my actinics - I'm having button polyps, capnella and a couple of toadstool leathers. Will none of these fluoresce then?
Depending on the species of buttons you have, they are the only ones that will have some virant color. The other two will only take on a bit of a hue, not really fluoresce though.

So, you'd change the carbon each week, as opposed to a lot of people that only use it for 3-4 days each month?
If you only plan on running it occassionally, I'd add an ounce or so weekly, let it run a day and then toss it. If you let it stay in 24/7, put a few ounces in (space depending) and change it monthly.

How do I cure my own liverock when I get it from them then??
Curing Live Rock? I didn't even know it was sick!!


And, I haven't been rinsing my filter balls at all since I got the filter 7 months ago. What will happen if they're not rinsed at all?
The build up of detritus will make controlling water quality quite difficult. Keeping the filter media debris free will make your own maintenance much smoother, the flow will remain optimum and the filter itself will last much longer.

And, what's the best way to rinse them - just get a bowl of tankwater and poor the balls into it and stir them round a bit, and wipe the inside of the filter/baskets a bit with a papertowel to get rid of any goo (leaving the water inside the filter when I do it so that it's not dry)?
That's the easiest way to clean the bioballs but I wouldn't wipe the inside walls of the filter. Place a small amount of water in the canister once empty and simpley "swish" the water around briskly. Any loose materials will come free and can then be disgarded. Cleaning it completely like that is not necessary.

Cheers
Steve
 
Hehe...grrr, I love the coral beauty though.

Can they kill the coral by nipping at it then?
 
Yep, my xenia is on it's way out after only a few days - it's actually being eaten not just nipped. The zoos don't fully open anymore so I dunno how long they will last.
 
Cheers Steve...

I just can't imagine how the 2 actinics with the whites will affect the look of my tank...less white I guess! And perhaps even less bright (more blue and soothing?)? Will it definitely be an improvement with the actinics and whites on at the same time though - ie. I'll think "wow that's really good"? :p The button polyps are Protopalythoa sp. by the way :p

What would you recommend then - running the carbon just one day a week or 24/7? Which is better?

And, re. filter: how long is the filter ok to be empty of water (for the bacteria/balls etc.)? There's quite a bit of detritus building up in the outside wet/dry part. But I've read in the manual that this compartment should never be opened up...what do you think? It's the part circled below.

Any suggestions for my final fish? :)
 
Atari: is it not 50/50 that the Coral Beauty will nip at my corals though? :?
 
I don't think it's 50/50.. it isn't really as simple as it will or it won't.. IMO it's inevitable. I've seen them do it from the minute they were added.. or like mine after several months.. and I've also heard the other extreme where they were fine for years before they started it.

Trust me it's not a good feeling when you see it.. not to mention they are all but impossible to catch and return.
 
About the actinics... get them!

You will never go back to plain whites afterwards.. infact you will realise just how yellow your plain whites really are. The actinics go perfectly with the whites and give a nice clean look.. and then like Steve said at the end of the day it's nice and soothing to have just the actinics alone.
 
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