My REDSEA max /first SW tank

[Mashpotatoes74402]

I'd like to keep my small patches of algea around for my hermits to snack on. How can I safely provide nutrients for them?!? I keep my lights on pretty long 12 hours. To help it grow but it's just not enough haha

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

better pic of my zoo frag

 

[ZHiTcH41]

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

This is hilarious made me laugh. I'm new too saltwater tanks too. You description is awesome

Sent from my SM-N900V using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Week six day 2
Flame angel likes the tank. Tons of large cracks and holes on the rock
He didn't take the mysis I trie to feed
However he pics at the algea on the back this stuff>>>
And my hermits eat the patches in the tonga branch. I keep my lights on long period to encourage its growth a little

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

flame angel and clown

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Week seven Did parameter test
Nitrates around 5-10ppm did a ten gallon WC.
Used the filtered water from walmart. Says it ro filtered water
Well see.

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Did water test yesterday
All zero nitrates near zero.
All my algea has been eaten haha
The flame angel and hermits gobble it all up
There's a small amount of red slime on my zoo frag.

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

^^^^ small amount of red slime developing. Is this the conditions In my tank or some carried from the LFS ????

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

newest inhabitant.
Feeding reef nutrition "oyster feast".
Says 100-200 microns. Is this suitable to target fees the button polyps?

I also removed the bio balls in the back of the tank underneath the skimmer. I believe they were become a nitrate trap. Lots of junk all over them. Clouded the water.
I changed all filter floss. Turned the lights off to reduce some of te stress on my guys. And added new "de-nitrate". To combat all the junk I just introduced into my water. It's super late so I'll re test parameters tommorrow after work

 

[Sniperhank]

I run my reef tank off of the RO water from walmart and have been for a year due to manure leaching into my well. All those chunks really clogged up my RO/DI quickly to the point where it wasn't cost effective. I don't have any big issues with it...I have a red turf algae 'issue', but it isn't overwhelming and I have it kept in check. So, I call it 'good enough'. Just make sure you are on top of things, as having a creature like a flame scallop that have such high mortality rates in our tanks lead to big issues with phosphates due to feeding them. It is a double edged sword that usually leads to disaster or, at minimum, death of the scallop and an algae issue that takes awhile to resolve.

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

I'm target feeding the scallop daily.
Reef nutrition oyster feast.
Do you have any links to help me care for this guy or combat the neg affects on the rest of the system. ????

 

[Sniperhank]

There really aren't any in terms of care, as even the experienced really don't keep them for more than a year...though I have heard of one being kept for 2 but nothing backing it up.

In terms of the negative effects on your system, you'll need to do alot of skimming and water changes to keep the phosphates/nitrates low before it blooms into algae issues.

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Don't have the time or money to set up a proper sump/reactor/Refugium. Setup. So for the next few months I got a bandaid solution.
Bought a magnum 350 goin to use it as my "reactor" and to increase some water flow to areas of the tank
I have phosphate/silicate. And nitrate absorbers in the rear or the RSM 130d Now. But they're just in nylon pantyhose or another makeshift bag. I think forcing more water thru them I'll get more out of my water.

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Sniper hank. I found another forum where I guy said he moved his flame scallop to a bowl and fed it there indv twice a week. Keeping the "messy" water out of the DT. Any thoughts on this process? I thought you couldn't expose them to air. Similar to clams?

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, this is a process that some do with clams to feed them...though I don't believe it to be necessary. This COULD work, but that doesn't change the flame and electric flame scallop abysmal life expectancy in aquaria. If it's working for this guy, might as well try. How long has he kept his out of curiosity? It's hard to figure out if these guys are doing ok or not since it takes so long for them to starve. This is the same reason I passed on one just this week, no matter how cool an electric flame scallop would be.

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

He claims "just over 2 years"
I don't want to be cruel. But I've got to figure a way to keep him healthy.

Will it harm the scallop if it's exposed to air. ( when I remove it from the bowl and put it back into the DT)

 

[Sniperhank]

I don't believe so. I pull my clams out for freshwater dips and moving them around. It sounds to me like that is what he is doing, so I'd give it a go. And in terms of exposing to air I've only ever heard of issues with starfish and sponges...though an air bubble trapped in a clam would be bad and this is why we 'burp' them.

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

Cutaway of filterbuilt into back of DT

Where would you guys suggest the in and outlet of the 350 magnum. I'd rather not add any more tubes in the display area

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

The empty wedge between the skimmer and the glass holding the thermometer is where I currently have my chemical filter media. Phos silicate nitrate
I have removed the ceramic media.
And carbon from beneath the return pumps.

I replaced both pumps with a single outlet It was a standard RSM 130d upgrade

 

[Mashpotatoes74402]

I added the 350 magnum.
Full of chemical media
Intake on left.
Out on right.
It's actually reverse the normal flow.
I also removed one t5
Bulb
So now I have only a single 55 watt t5 50/50 bulb.