Are my clowns+schedule okay?!!

[ngbski_]

Tune in lol bc this is a little bit of a long one & I feel the details really matter. But fr the start I cycled my 40 gallon breeder for 6 weeks (40lbs of Carib sea live sand so ab a 1.5in sandbed and maybe 20lbs DRY rock I know it should have more it just is hard to figure how I’d keep my scape looking as good as I planned now adding more). But okay I cycled with fish pellets and honestly it was about 5-10 a day or every other day for those 6 weeks. Ammonia went to 0 but when I added my 2 ocellaris clowns I had to obviously feed more than 10 pellets a day total, or so I thought, and my ammonia would show at 0.2 my next test (ab a week after getting my fish). I would feed them 3x a day kind of light meals from what I’ve heard to do, but yk they seemed hungry so I’d let them eat (NOT CRAZY AMOUNTS like I dropped the whole brine shrimp cube in, more like it thaws in rodi water and I get a piepette or 2 for them) I’d estimate around 15-20 brines would go in, mostly eaten, maybe a few left out bc the filter/wavemaker being on but it wasn’t a crazy amounts. For pellets probably around 15-20 would go in as well (in my mind I want them to at least eat ~7 each but some steal pellets at times so a bit more gets added). Okay now that has gotten reduced to 2 small feedings (about a week ago) trying to put a littleeee less of each but now it’s about 2 months with my clowns and I feel so bad that I test an ammonia is at 0.2. After my last water change that I do every week 25% temp and salinity matched from my storage container I feel like my male clown has just been breathing a little harder, maybe staying in the corner they would chill and sleep but now a bit now than usual to me. Could it be from the ammonia? Too frequent water changes ? Uneaten food in my hob? Not enough aeration?? (I have a ac70 and wavemaker) and MOST IMPORTANTLY, how should I go about it?? Thank u guys for hearing me out it’s just been eating at me as a fish dad. (Videos are also muted cuz my daughter was crying taking a bath)

KEY NOTES**

-Really it’s only 1/2 fish that are acting like this

-Testings as of RN : Ammonia≈0.1 Nitrite-0 Nitrate≈17 Ph-8.0 Salinity-1.023 Temp 78

-Still very food motivated

 

[Baldyreef]

do you have any CUC uneaten pellets can sour the water pretty fast
do your clowns stick to the top of the water like that most of the time?
also worth noting that your heater is a partially submersible model and should has a maximum water line marker, it can turn into a shocking hazard and potentially malfunction if left fully submerged
if you plan on getting anymore fish I highly recommend getting more powerful filtration like a sump

 

[Tahoe61]

The ammonia value is subjective, based on the image that result wouldn't concern me. At over 6 weeks the tank is cycled, sufficiently completing the nitrogen cycle.

The fish look good.

Surface agitation is insufficient based on the video. You might need a bigger wave-maker, another wave-maker or different placement.

I feed two clowns three times a day a small pinch of flake or SMALL pellets. The fish get roughly 4-6 pellets each. Feed less more often. Obtain small pellets if appropriate.

Congratulations on the newer tank.

 

[ngbski_]

do you have any CUC uneaten pellets can sour the water pretty fast
do your clowns stick to the top of the water like that most of the time?
also worth noting that your heater is a partially submersible model and should has a maximum water line marker, it can turn into a shocking hazard and potentially malfunction if left fully submerged
if you plan on getting anymore fish I highly recommend getting more powerful filtration like a sump

CUC - 1 of each Trochus, nassarius, and astrea snail .. as for the heater I believe the Aqueon pro 150w is fully submersible the water line on it shows a minimum level. Am I missing something I’ll pull out the guide again I should have it. I want a sump too I just get sm mixed opinions from people running tanks like this with just an hob too

 

[ngbski_]

The ammonia value is subjective, based on the image that result wouldn't concern me. At over 6 weeks the tank is cycled, sufficiently completing the nitrogen cycle.

The fish look good.

Surface agitation is insufficient based on the video. You might need a bigger wave-maker, another wave-maker or different placement.

I feed two clowns three times a day a small pinch of flake or SMALL pellets. The fish get roughly 4-6 pellets each. Feed less more often. Obtain small pellets if appropriate.

Congratulations on the newer tank.

I have the wavemaker on a low setting should I turn it up or just place it higher, I assumed the hob was giving enough agitation and aeration?

 

[Baldyreef]

do you have any CUC uneaten pellets can sour the water pretty fast
do your clowns stick to the top of the water like that most of the time?
also worth noting that your heater is a partially submersible model and should has a maximum water line marker, it can turn into a shocking hazard and potentially malfunction if left fully submerged
if you plan on getting anymore fish I highly recommend getting more powerful filtration like a sump

CUC - 1 of each Trochus, nassarius, and astrea snail .. as for the heater I believe the Aqueon pro 150w is fully submersible the water line on it shows a minimum level. Am I missing something I’ll pull out the guide again I should have it. I want a sump too I just get sm mixed opinions from people running tanks like this with just an hob too

Like Tahoe said your clowns look overa pretty good but a bigger wave maker could help with circulation, if the snails end up not eating leftovers hermit crabs are great little scavengers, best of luck with with the tank man and happy reefing!

 

[ngbski_]

do you have any CUC uneaten pellets can sour the water pretty fast
do your clowns stick to the top of the water like that most of the time?
also worth noting that your heater is a partially submersible model and should has a maximum water line marker, it can turn into a shocking hazard and potentially malfunction if left fully submerged
if you plan on getting anymore fish I highly recommend getting more powerful filtration like a sump

Also yea they pretty much keep that back corner above the wavemaker locked down and move around from there

 

[Baldyreef]

Also yea they pretty much keep that back corner above the wavemaker locked down and move around from there

They could be hosting the wavemaker, clowns are funny like that when they don’t have a nem

 

[ngbski_]

Like Tahoe said your clowns look overa pretty good but a bigger wave maker could help with circulation, if the snails end up not eating leftovers hermit crabs are great little scavengers, best of luck with with the tank man and happy reefing!

Definitely gonna look more into it just don’t want those lil mofos nipping at my snails thank u fr though

 

[Baldyreef]

Like Tahoe said your clowns look overa pretty good but a bigger wave maker could help with circulation, if the snails end up not eating leftovers hermit crabs are great little scavengers, best of luck with with the tank man and happy reefing!

Definitely gonna look more into it just don’t want those lil mofos nipping at my snails thank u fr though

Yeah if you end up keeping coral hermits seem to excel at knocking unglued frsgs down lol

 

[Tahoe61]

I have the wavemaker on a low setting should I turn it up or just place it higher, I assumed the hob was giving enough agitation and aeration?

It's very common to underestimate flow in SW systems. Turn the wave maker up and move it closer to the surface. Just move it up 1/2 inch, if that doesn' t increase surface agitation move it higher.
You're going to start seeing a surface film, it's proteins. Increased surface agitation helps break it up and enhances gas exchange.