So here we are, roughly 3 weeks to the day since tankageddon (for those who haven't seen my earlier posts, I live in NJ and the freak halloween snow knocked my power out for 5 days killing all the fish in my fowlr) and the tank is, if I do say so myself, looking as good if not better then it has in a long time. The dead loss has re-perked my interest and gotten me on a schedule (I'll admit the iphone aquarium app for tracking testing and whatnot helps, being a geek and all) - I've done my water changes like I'm s'pposeta, I've been diligently cleaning the tank inside and out, I've suctioned my gravel (still needs a bit of work but looking MUCH better) - coralline is coming back with a vengeance and the tank overall is looking pretty good.
Only fish is still the copper banded who seems to be slowly working his way through my aiptasia which is down to about a dozen or so blooms.
Trites, trates, phates all at 0 - calc, kh, ph all right where they're supposed to be according to the test kit and LFS (always nice when they agree) - temperature is holding at 78 at night, 81 during the day using only the heat from my lighting and the pumps in my sump.
So with some encouragement at the LFS, as well as the knowledge that if I was gonna do it now was the time...plus a good sale price...I added my first piece of coral. Nothing major - a random brownish/orange zoanthid - about 12 polyps or so on a rock frag. I have to admit, there was something very satisfying about plopping it in there all closed up and watching the blooms open up within a matter of a few seconds (I like to think its because my water quality is actually decent now)
Here's a pic of the zoans as they started to open, and opened almost fully under my night lamps.
So the question I have is this: I asked where in the tank they should go and was told to keep them towards the bottom (I have t5, not MH)...but one thing I didn't ask: do zoans typically like hi flow, or am I better off keeping the power heads pointed elsewhere? I currently have one powerhead rippling the surface of the water to keep it oxygenated, but I have 2 more 600gph PHs coming in tomorrow, and I'm not sure where I should be aiming them....do oans like flow? Are there other "hardy" corals that are going to want a powerhead pointed across them at all times?
Thanks, as always, for the advice - you folks have been great as I've been busting my hump trying to get this badboy back to a decent place. Taking it slow, but at least it will be presentable when the relatives show up for Thanksgiving.
Only fish is still the copper banded who seems to be slowly working his way through my aiptasia which is down to about a dozen or so blooms.
Trites, trates, phates all at 0 - calc, kh, ph all right where they're supposed to be according to the test kit and LFS (always nice when they agree) - temperature is holding at 78 at night, 81 during the day using only the heat from my lighting and the pumps in my sump.
So with some encouragement at the LFS, as well as the knowledge that if I was gonna do it now was the time...plus a good sale price...I added my first piece of coral. Nothing major - a random brownish/orange zoanthid - about 12 polyps or so on a rock frag. I have to admit, there was something very satisfying about plopping it in there all closed up and watching the blooms open up within a matter of a few seconds (I like to think its because my water quality is actually decent now)
Here's a pic of the zoans as they started to open, and opened almost fully under my night lamps.
So the question I have is this: I asked where in the tank they should go and was told to keep them towards the bottom (I have t5, not MH)...but one thing I didn't ask: do zoans typically like hi flow, or am I better off keeping the power heads pointed elsewhere? I currently have one powerhead rippling the surface of the water to keep it oxygenated, but I have 2 more 600gph PHs coming in tomorrow, and I'm not sure where I should be aiming them....do oans like flow? Are there other "hardy" corals that are going to want a powerhead pointed across them at all times?
Thanks, as always, for the advice - you folks have been great as I've been busting my hump trying to get this badboy back to a decent place. Taking it slow, but at least it will be presentable when the relatives show up for Thanksgiving.
