Hello Guys,
So I have been reading and watching a lot for the last couple months. I started my first reef project couple days ago. I would like to hear some opinions and suggestions from you experienced people.
The tank is 3 days old. I got a raw prawn from supermarket, put it into a fine purigen filter bag and released it into the tank for 2 days. After 2 days it was reading a slightly more than 1 ppm ammonia and the smell was bothering me and I heat the fishroom so I cannot aerate the room as it is cold, I removed it after two days. The tank is a bit cloudy as expected:
It is a 50x40x25cmh custom made shallow tank.
I used a heater keeping it at 25C. Wavemaker I had on hand 1000lt/h, however the front cover slows it down very much so I removed it for now. I will find a way to fix it or buy a new one. I used a small 250lt/h HOB and filled it with sponge and filter floss to help with mechanical filteration.
No live rocks as you can see. All dry rocks and wanted to use the gifted shell as a hiding point for some fish. The sand was commercially sold as “live sand” but probably just sand with enriched bacteria or stuff?
The light has the following specifications:
20000K Cool White + Royal Blue 445m + 460m Blue + 430m Violet + Pink
It has a premade schedule of a soft/LPS tank that looks like this. The lights are off during cycling but what do you think of this template when I get soft corals? Normally in freshwater I start low and increase gradually when plants settle.
I ordered AquaForest Bio S for cycling purposes and AF Protect Dip to dip future coral dipping. I dont have access to many brands recommended here for coral dips and cycling products and I read confusing stuff about RO/Hydrogen peroxide dips so I wanted to get a dip solution I can find.
Salinity part is confusing. First, for my brackish water tank, I got Tetra Hydrometer. It sits between 1.024-1.025 for the tank water after the bubbles disappear. I tested it 3 times for a long period at different times, it reads the same. However, I wanted to get a refractometer to make sure I am doing okay.
WELL, I calibrated my refractometer twice and checked the tank water 3 times. It always read 1.028! There is a big difference betwren 10.24 to 1.028…
I trust the refractometer????
And as the last part of equipments, I surely got me RODI system and a tds meter. As the seller guaranteed, it reads 0 tds.
I use Tropical reef base salt.
Questions:
1) Is there anything that you would recommend me to buy or do based on your experience??
2) Should I try to keep my tank water stable based on my refractometer readings or take the hydrometer into consideration? Im lost.
3) what would be your easy- low demand but not invasive coral suggestions? Do any of these rocks can be considered as a isolated “island” for fast growing species like GSP to not invade everywhere?
4) What would be your fish recommendation?
I currently consider one clownfish(or two babies and expect them to pair up?), firefish and yellow watchman goby. Also I love the fire shrimp/cleaner shrimp and snails. If there is any small easy to take care for species I would love to hear sea star/urchin recommendations if there is any.
Is this too crowded? Are the species compatible?
I also loved mandarin fish, but they seem to be very unlikely to except food and should be introduced to an established tank with copepod colony. We dont have them being sold as a culture here. If I dip corals, wont I fail the chance of introducing some naturally? I have copepods in my freshwater tanks and I like them. I guess sustaining a mandarin fish would be hard in a 50x40x25cm tank anyway?
5) what sort of a lighting schedule would you recommend?
Thanks for the help in advance
So I have been reading and watching a lot for the last couple months. I started my first reef project couple days ago. I would like to hear some opinions and suggestions from you experienced people.
The tank is 3 days old. I got a raw prawn from supermarket, put it into a fine purigen filter bag and released it into the tank for 2 days. After 2 days it was reading a slightly more than 1 ppm ammonia and the smell was bothering me and I heat the fishroom so I cannot aerate the room as it is cold, I removed it after two days. The tank is a bit cloudy as expected:
It is a 50x40x25cmh custom made shallow tank.
I used a heater keeping it at 25C. Wavemaker I had on hand 1000lt/h, however the front cover slows it down very much so I removed it for now. I will find a way to fix it or buy a new one. I used a small 250lt/h HOB and filled it with sponge and filter floss to help with mechanical filteration.
No live rocks as you can see. All dry rocks and wanted to use the gifted shell as a hiding point for some fish. The sand was commercially sold as “live sand” but probably just sand with enriched bacteria or stuff?
The light has the following specifications:
20000K Cool White + Royal Blue 445m + 460m Blue + 430m Violet + Pink
It has a premade schedule of a soft/LPS tank that looks like this. The lights are off during cycling but what do you think of this template when I get soft corals? Normally in freshwater I start low and increase gradually when plants settle.
I ordered AquaForest Bio S for cycling purposes and AF Protect Dip to dip future coral dipping. I dont have access to many brands recommended here for coral dips and cycling products and I read confusing stuff about RO/Hydrogen peroxide dips so I wanted to get a dip solution I can find.
Salinity part is confusing. First, for my brackish water tank, I got Tetra Hydrometer. It sits between 1.024-1.025 for the tank water after the bubbles disappear. I tested it 3 times for a long period at different times, it reads the same. However, I wanted to get a refractometer to make sure I am doing okay.
WELL, I calibrated my refractometer twice and checked the tank water 3 times. It always read 1.028! There is a big difference betwren 10.24 to 1.028…
I trust the refractometer????
And as the last part of equipments, I surely got me RODI system and a tds meter. As the seller guaranteed, it reads 0 tds.
I use Tropical reef base salt.
Questions:
1) Is there anything that you would recommend me to buy or do based on your experience??
2) Should I try to keep my tank water stable based on my refractometer readings or take the hydrometer into consideration? Im lost.
3) what would be your easy- low demand but not invasive coral suggestions? Do any of these rocks can be considered as a isolated “island” for fast growing species like GSP to not invade everywhere?
4) What would be your fish recommendation?
I currently consider one clownfish(or two babies and expect them to pair up?), firefish and yellow watchman goby. Also I love the fire shrimp/cleaner shrimp and snails. If there is any small easy to take care for species I would love to hear sea star/urchin recommendations if there is any.
Is this too crowded? Are the species compatible?
I also loved mandarin fish, but they seem to be very unlikely to except food and should be introduced to an established tank with copepod colony. We dont have them being sold as a culture here. If I dip corals, wont I fail the chance of introducing some naturally? I have copepods in my freshwater tanks and I like them. I guess sustaining a mandarin fish would be hard in a 50x40x25cm tank anyway?
5) what sort of a lighting schedule would you recommend?
Thanks for the help in advance
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