My REDSEA max /first SW tank

[Mashpotatoes74402]

I noticed if I just use that large medicine dropper ican just remove them from the surface they're on. Can I just remove them entirely and save my lemon juice? Haha.

[Dav3]

Originally Posted by Mashpotatoes74402

I noticed if I just use that large medicine dropper ican just remove them from the surface they're on. Can I just remove them entirely and save my lemon juice? Haha.

No. You are likely just ripping them off. Any piece remaining on the rock will most likely regrow into a new one. Even a little dot of flesh. This is why you must completely burn it down to nothing with lemon juice, kalk paste or other solution.

Also be careful ripping them off. They can release spores into the water column which will grow elsewhere in your tank causing a population explosion and you won't be dealing with just one or two anymore.

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Lol FML. Ok. Thank you. I'll stop being a cheapskate and burnem with le juice

[Mashpotatoes74402]

This Friday makes it officially week 5
I'm introducing my first live creatures (intentionally)
1 small emerald crab
And ~10 small hermits
I did a water parameter test prior to acclimating and introducing these guys to the system
Everything looks good NO3 looks like it's approaching 5ppm so I'll be doing a water change this Sunday most likely Any comments or suggestions welcome.

[Dav3]

Yeah. They are quite the pest and best to just eradicate them completely and correctly the first time. Once they get out of hand it is exhausting and nearly impossible to get rid of them without drastic measures.

If that happened you would pretty much need to pull out all your livestock and nuke the tank with a bottle of vinegar and start over from scratch.

Peppermint shrimp can be used to get rid of them but they are hit and miss and not worth the money IMO.

[Dav3]

I hope you have algae growing to keep those crabs fed/alive. Otherwise they will die and just add to the nitrates. You don't need a CUC btw if you keep nutrients in check with filtration and water changes.

Only CUC I would recommend are those that sift the sand bed and those you like to look at.

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Officially the first day of week 5 I notice the beginning of green algea on the corner glass.

My lighting it's two 55watt t5 50/50 bulbs. They come on at noon and off at 730.

Gotta do that water change and get rid of those nitrates!

[Mashpotatoes74402]

The diatoms/algea on the tonga? Branch are pretty dense. I do enjoy watching te emerald crab move around and eat Thanks dav

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Damsels good starter fish right? What's te max size for a damsel? My daughter loves the purple with yellow tails

[Dav3]

What size tank is this? From the pic it looks kinda small. 14 gallon biocube?

Damsels are aggressive.

Depending on tank size you may be quite limited on fish.

I would recommend looking for your favorite fish that would fit in your tank first rather than easiest because of tank size limitations.

Most smaller fish are fairly easy anyways.

[Mashpotatoes74402]

It's a 34 gallon Red Sea max 130l
We REALLY like the mandarin goby. But I've read ou need a massive pod population to sustain that fish If I can find one that's been trained to frozen food you thing it would be manageable ???

[Sniperhank]

I have a mandarin in my 55 reef. He eats frozen mysis, but you can tell when my pod population is eliminated. Just starts to wither away even though he eats mysis as well. I'm always adding more pods, and this is in a much larger tank with a sump. I wouldn't even try to keep a mandarin in such a small tank due to the requirements on a fast enough reproducing pod population. Even I regret putting one in my tank, even if I am supporting it for so long. It is costly to keep repopulating the pod population.

[nelix10]

Culturing your own pod population is not to difficult! If your up to the challenge!

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Flashback to week 2? After I added my substrate and LR I read about people using shrimp in the water for a few days to help develop some ammonia and get the BB growing. Lol so I've always felt with freshwater tanks. The protien skimmer is a new piece of equipment for me. I got it in my head to blend up some seawater and my shrimp. Lol it's worked I guess Bc the ammonia spiked and slowly went down over te last 3 wells. But the night I put the shrimp juice on my tank I came home to a massive amount of bubbles and my entire house smelled like dead fish there was so much dissolved shrimp in the water the bubbles from the skimmer pushed the lid of the cup loose and the entire good of my aquarium was covered in shrimp gunk


But my question. Now tht I've got moving living pooping creatures in my tank. How should I watch and adjust my skimmer ?
And what fun facts should I know about them.
The skimmer is the stock skimmer for a REDSEA max 130d. I'll post the specs later tonight

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Basically what should I know about skimmers in general

[Mashpotatoes74402]

What ph range should my water be at? I want just FOWLR

[Dav3]

Skimmers: don't turn them off except to clean them or to empty collection cup. There are plenty of articles online that tell you more.

Ph: 7.8-8.5

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Week 5 day 3 or 4 lol
Added these guys.
Aprx 3/4 of an inch in size
Pre fish water test
Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate <5ppm
Acclimated for 15-20 mins In store bag
Added 20ml of water ever minute or two till the bag was full.
They are eating already.
Lights went off within thirty minutes of them being in the tank so hopefully they won't stress

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Week six. Arranged the rock so I can have a "cave" area and hidig place for my clowns since I don't have an anemone.
pictures are of the front , right and left

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Also go a zoo frag