Advice on New Reef Tank

[cwatt79]

Hello fellow reefers. This is a second introduction for me.. my first being my post about my fish dying
I've learned a few hard lessons about quarantining and having a reliable source of info for this hobby. See my original thread for the background and my process of setting up a QT, which I am currently working on.

Here's my (basic) setup for my DT, which has been running for 2 months:

• 36 gallon bowfront
• Aquaclear 70 HOB filter
• 1 Heater
• 1 Powerhead
• 2 Kessil A80 Tuna Blue lights
• ~30lb live rock
• Aragonite sand substrate (2-3in)

The clown and lawnmower blenny (my only two surviving fish) will move to QT tonight. I will have a 72 day fallow period in my DT to rid it of disease. Here's what will be left in the DT during that time:

• 4 turbo snails
• 10 hermit crabs
• 1 tuxedo urchin
• 1 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
• 1 colony of orange and green Polyps
• 1 Pineapple tree coral
• 1 small bubble tip Anemone

I've been feeding them a mixture of flake food and pellets with an occasional block of frozen brine shrimp. I will continue feeding regularly. Is there anything else I need to feed the CuC and coral since there will be no fish?

As I mentioned in my other threat, my LFS told me not to do any water changes yet, so I haven't. My nitrates are up to around 40 PPM. Several in the other thread have informed me that this was terrible advice. My plan now is to do weekly 20% water changes in the DT, at least until the nitrates come down. Is this the right course of action?

My other issue algae - I've got a lot of green algae on the live rock and glass (see the attached pictures). The urchin is eating it up, but he can only do so much. Any advice on how to deal with this is greatly appreciated.

Also, I'd love to improve my aquascape during this fallow period. Any suggestions on this topic are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Jekyl]

That LFS is giving bad information. A weekly 10% water change is usually the recommended amount. I usually try to keep my parameters as follows.

Alk 8.5
Mag 1350
Cal 420
Phosphate .05
Nitrate 10-15 ( others like even less)

 

[cwatt79]

I have never even tested for Alkalinity, Magnesium, Calcium, or Phosphate. Do I need to be testing these things at this stage of my tank? Or wait until I have some more sensitive fish/coral?

 

[Jivatma]

I have never even tested for Alkalinity, Magnesium, Calcium, or Phosphate. Do I need to be testing these things at this stage of my tank? Or wait until I have some more sensitive fish/coral?

If you have corals, you need to test for them. Corals use these elements to grow and survive.

Water changes are the primary way to a)restock these elements (without dosing) and b)to lower nitrates. Algae grows with excess nutrients in the water (such as nitrates) the trick is finding an equilibrium where your corals use the nutrients before the nuisance algae. Regular water changes will keep nitrates in check.

If your fish are healthy, don't change feeding keep doing what youre doing. If you want your cuc and corals to survive, you will have to feed them too, most likely by ghost feeding the tank small amounts.

 

[cwatt79]

Do you guys think I should do a larger water change initially, since this is the first one since the tank started 2 months ago, then proceed with weekly 10% water changes thereafter?

I'm guessing I need to maintain my lighting schedule during the fallow period for the corals. So hopefully the water changes will help rid the tank of the algae?

 

[Jekyl]

Do you guys think I should do a larger water change initially, since this is the first one since the tank started 2 months ago, then proceed with weekly 10% water changes thereafter?

I'm guessing I need to maintain my lighting schedule during the fallow period for the corals. So hopefully the water changes will help rid the tank of the algae?

I'd probably say a couple 30% water changes would be better. Large changes cause large swings. Maybe 1 30% tomorrow and another in 3 or 4 days. The day after the second water change test your levels and go from there. If you intend on keeping coral get yourself some salifert, red sea or hanna tests. Alkalinity, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, nitrate and Ph are the necessary ones.

 

[Jekyl]

Long term I'd recommend a skimmer also. They aren't "needed" per say, however I won't ever go without one. My system doesn't have a sump either so I use HoB equipment. I use a HoB filter that I keep a sponge, filter floss and a bag of carbon in. Swapping the floss every 3 or 4 days and carbon once a month. Between that and my skimmer I only have to change water every couple months. Even then it's because I feel like it. I do have to dose though, just nitrate and phosphate are never an issue for me.