adding biodiversity to a dry rock and sand tank

L0L_Z

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Lets get straight to the point. Its a 6ft tank with heavy export (2 200g skimmers)
My stocking (fish)
Boxfish
foxface
chelmon rostratum
bannerfish trio
snake eel or barred fin moray eel (gymnothorax zonepticus?)
silver belly wrasse
cirrhilabrus naokae
cirrhirablus aquamarinus
Halichoeres Iridis
macropharyngodon meleagris
yellow tail tamarin
leopard toby
regal angelfish
Blue ribbon eel
dragonet
bellus angelfish'
Harlequin tuskfish
PBT or scopas tang.


Inverts
6 trochus snails
1 reef lobster
2 chocolate chip stars
2 urchins
2 conches
2 nassarius snails
1 banded brittle stars
6 asterina stars (to start a population)
6 micro brittle stars (to start a population)


adding-pods, sponges, bivalves, NPS gorgonians, random macroalgaes, asterina stars (mentioned above), coralline and micro brittle stars (mentioned above)

Anything i can add to increase biodiversity. My mandarin is going to be captive bred.

*note there is no fish in the tank as of now, its cycling
 

Jekyl

GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
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Some live rock might help out. Live phyto also a good choice. There's nothing out there that will prevent an ugly phase though.
 
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L0L_Z

L0L_Z

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Some live rock might help out. Live phyto also a good choice. There's nothing out there that will prevent an ugly phase though.
no no, i mean something for the fish to snack on, to sustain a small ecosystem, and i forgot to mention ill be seeding LR.
 

Jekyl

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no no, i mean something for the fish to snack on, to sustain a small ecosystem, and i forgot to mention ill be seeding LR.
Live phyto is the building blocks for all ocean life. Will help with algae during maturation and feeding your pod population.
 

Jekyl

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ok

Any invertebrates?
I always use reefcleaners.org and get the packages half a tank size at a time. Once after algae starts and again once it gets bad.
 

livinlifeinBKK

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Even though you may be looking to add biodiversity through introducing inverts, there's one product in particular I'd recommend for bacterial biodiversity which,as I'm sure you know , is also very important. AF Life Source. It's mud harvested from near the reefs in Fiji-all natural. I've used it myself and its a great product.
 
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L0L_Z

L0L_Z

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Even though you may be looking to add biodiversity through introducing inverts, there's one product in particular I'd recommend for bacterial biodiversity which,as I'm sure you know , is also very important. AF Life Source. It's mud harvested from near the reefs in Fiji-all natural. I've used it myself and its a great product.
Dont want to deal with harmful hitchhikers, ngl. Seen way too many horror stories. Might try it tho.
 

livinlifeinBKK

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Dont want to deal with harmful hitchhikers, ngl. Seen way too many horror stories. Might try it tho.
Don't think there's too much potential for hitchhikers in the mud but that's your call...just wanted to make you aware of the product since it's a good one (and a rather unique one at that since it's harvested from Fiji and can be dosed directly to the tank) but like i said, it's your call whether you want to give it a shot or not...i do think it can help mature tanks to an extent
 
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L0L_Z

L0L_Z

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Don't think there's too much potential for hitchhikers in the mud but that's your call...just wanted to make you aware of the product since it's a good one (and a rather unique one at that since it's harvested from Fiji and can be dosed directly to the tank) but like i said, it's your call whether you want to give it a shot or not...i do think it can help mature tanks to an extent
Ill give it a go.
 

High pressure shells: Do you look for signs of stress in the invertebrates in your reef tank?

  • I regularly look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 37 31.6%
  • I occasionally look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 28 23.9%
  • I rarely look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 22 18.8%
  • I never look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 30 25.6%
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