20 gallon long reef

[Kylecva]

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/20-gallon-long.203360/

Do yall mind taking a look and giving me y'all's opinions!!

 

[Kylecva]

So just tested my water Ammonia is 0.5, Nitrate is 20 and Nitrite is 0 Salinity is still 1.026 and temp is still 78 degrees. Going to test again this evening and see what it says! Any feedback on my readings? Normal? Need to do a water change?

 

[pristineaqua]

How long has your tank been set up ? Your nitrate is a little high you want to try and keep it as close to 0 as possible. And ammonia should be 0 . I would suggest a water change. I also have a 20 gallon as well.

 

[Kylecva]

It's only been setup since Tuesday. So I know it's still cycling.

 

[Kylecva]

Would you still suggest a water change?

 

[pristineaqua]

No. Let it fully cycle . Have you seen brown algae growth yet ? Or any algae growth ?

 

[Kylecva]

No not yet I keep waiting I was told by my LFS that I may not since I'm using Purigen and chemi pure as well as dosing with stability. Don't know if that's True or not though.

 

[pristineaqua]

Yeah I m not for sure either but generally its best to just let it cycle with nothing added until after you see the first signs of algae. Not saying he is wrong just never heard that before. Be patient and you will be thankful. Nothing worst then trying to rush it. Speaking only from experience lol..

 

[Kylecva]

Alright so water levels are still good. Ammonia is 0.25, nitrate 10, and nitrite 0, salinity 1.026, and temp 78. Haven't done a water change yet. Do I need to right now? I also picked up a few corals this weekend at a sale couldn't pass up the prices along with a CUC. I got 3 zoa frags and a orange wall hammer and 15 hermits and a green emerald crab for $85 so far everything's been open and looking great they've been in the tank since Saturday. Here's a few pics! Hoping to add a shrimp goby pair this Saturday or sunday if everything goes as planned. Any thoughts? Also in my HOB refugium I have a diatom outbreak on the rocks and red bubble algae on my chaeto. Is that normal?

 

[Kylecva]

And sorry for the crappy iPhone pics.

 

[Tahoe61]

Looking good. :D

What LED fixture it that?

Cyano and diatoms are normal in new tanks, but keep an eye on it.

 

[Kylecva]

Well I had 2 t5's but they both decided to go out at the same time. I had just bought new bulbs for them :/. So it's a whole bunch of different things. There's a finnex Fuge Ray on the HOB refugium and a marineland LED on the tank (not sure what kind it was on a planted tank we had) and a finnex Ray on the tank as well. Waiting for my new t5's to be in.

 

[Tahoe61]

Ahhh ok, yeah the T5 will be mucho better for the corals.

 

[Kylecva]

I'm kinda more excited about coral than fish! So what other corals does everyone suggest I would prefer LPS maybe some softies. No Kenya trees, Xenia, or anything that's going to just take over lol.

 

[Tahoe61]

Dunans, Favia, and Acans are pretty hardy as long as you have the lighting and keep chemistry in line.

 

[miller175]

Stay up on the water changes

 

[Kylecva]

So all the corals are still doing great!!! Water params are all normal! I do have a small outbreak of green hair algae on the glass but the hermits have kept it off everything else! I'm thinking of adding 2 black ice clowns this week! Also thinking of adding some nassarius snails, an emerald crab, a red banded pistol shrimp, a peppermint shrimp, and a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp. Any thoughts?

 

[Kylecva]

Everything is doing great just added a bonded pair of black ice clowns and a RBTA. Never had one before but my LFS said it had to go with the clowns? Don't know if that's true or not but we got it acclimated and it's in the tank now I covered my power heads with a seachem media bag. And the anem has attatched to a rock. Can I turn the light back on or do they need to stay off?

 

[g6gang]

Watch out for going to fast too soon. Maintaining balance, stability and patience are keys to success in this hobby

 

[Kylecva]

I am tank has been set up for about 6 weeks. Here's the RBTA 30 minutes after I put him in I put him by a rock and he attatched instantly.