Day 65 ... 5 Questions

[splunty]

Hello!

I've been up and running now for 65 days. It's bare bottom with BRS "Reef Saver" rock. The current stock is:

2 Clowns (about 1") added day 53
2 Small GSP (about .5") added day 64
1 Tiny orange rhodactis mushroom added day 64
1 Spring of pom pom added day 64
Edit:
Salinity: 1.025
Temps: 78
Flow: 200gph (return, no power head)

BJ and The Bear are voracious eaters and immediately head up to the feeding zone to beg whenever I approach the tank. This photo is similar to the current state.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: .25 (API test)
Nitrates: under 5 (API test)
PH: ~7.9
Ak: ~50
Phosphates: .03 (Salifert)
Calcium: ~200 (Salifert)

I think the calcium test may be off as I found the Salifert test a bit confusing.

Question 1: Do my numbers look okay? I think nitrites are actually zero. As many threads indicate, the result seems to always be off in this manner. The API ammonia test is similarly off, whereas my other tests and Seachem alert all read zero.

Question 2: Does the little mushroom below look alright? It's just over 1/4" and had some algae on it, so it received some rather aggressive dipping before it went into the display. After 24 hours it doesn't seem to have started shrinking, but it also isn't displaying any signs of life. It arrived as pictured, stuck to red rock which is glued to a small plug. The plug is just kind of resting in this "island". In the background the GSP (as expected) is already flourishing. I removed two polyps and relocated to another island and tied them down with a rubber band. They're also flourishing. I can't wait to regret this GSP decision later.

Try to ignore the superfluous glue.

Question 3: For the first time today I noticed a few brown spots showing up near the tops of the rocks, always in direct and the brightest lights. Is this the start of diatoms? It seems kind of late in the process to have them appear at all. Should I ignore this, try to brush it off and let it filter, or pop some GFO in the stack? It will be a few days before I can do another large water change (I did 90% when the fish went in, and about 20% before the corals went in) because of the weather.

Question 4: This is my 15 year old doggo. Isn't she cute? Do those of you with dogs/cats who can approach your display(s), do you worry about disinfecting the floor around the tank? This little girl spends a long time smelling anywhere a drop of display water might have touched the floor.

Question 5: Feeding the clowns.... I have seen recommendations all over the place, even in single threads here on r2r. I commonly see to feed them all they'll eat in 2-3 minutes. I swear that would kill these guys. They generally go through about 6-10 pellets each in about 5 seconds. I have two types of pellets and will start mixing in frozen when I'm confident in my stability and get a CUC in. Just looking at this picture, this this about the right amount of food for a 1" clown each day? Am I way off?

Thanks in advance!

Michael

 

[Uncle99]

Alk 50?
Is that an error?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Hello!

I've been up and running now for 65 days. It's bare bottom with BRS "Reef Saver" rock. The current stock is:

2 Clowns (about 1") added day 53
2 Small GSP (about .5") added day 64
1 Tiny orange rhodactis mushroom added day 64
1 Spring of pom pom added day 64
Edit:
Salinity: 1.025
Temps: 78
Flow: 200gph (return, no power head)

BJ and The Bear are voracious eaters and immediately head up to the feeding zone to beg whenever I approach the tank. This photo is similar to the current state.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: .25 (API test)
Nitrates: under 5 (API test)
PH: ~7.9
Ak: ~50
Phosphates: .03 (Salifert)
Calcium: ~200 (Salifert)

I think the calcium test may be off as I found the Salifert test a bit confusing.

Question 1: Do my numbers look okay? I think nitrites are actually zero. As many threads indicate, the result seems to always be off in this manner. The API ammonia test is similarly off, whereas my other tests and Seachem alert all read zero.

Question 2: Does the little mushroom below look alright? It's just over 1/4" and had some algae on it, so it received some rather aggressive dipping before it went into the display. After 24 hours it doesn't seem to have started shrinking, but it also isn't displaying any signs of life. It arrived as pictured, stuck to red rock which is glued to a small plug. The plug is just kind of resting in this "island". In the background the GSP (as expected) is already flourishing. I removed two polyps and relocated to another island and tied them down with a rubber band. They're also flourishing. I can't wait to regret this GSP decision later.

Try to ignore the superfluous glue.

Question 3: For the first time today I noticed a few brown spots showing up near the tops of the rocks, always in direct and the brightest lights. Is this the start of diatoms? It seems kind of late in the process to have them appear at all. Should I ignore this, try to brush it off and let it filter, or pop some GFO in the stack? It will be a few days before I can do another large water change (I did 90% when the fish went in, and about 20% before the corals went in) because of the weather.

Question 4: This is my 15 year old doggo. Isn't she cute? Do those of you with dogs/cats who can approach your display(s), do you worry about disinfecting the floor around the tank? This little girl spends a long time smelling anywhere a drop of display water might have touched the floor.

Question 5: Feeding the clowns.... I have seen recommendations all over the place, even in single threads here on r2r. I commonly see to feed them all they'll eat in 2-3 minutes. I swear that would kill these guys. They generally go through about 6-10 pellets each in about 5 seconds. I have two types of pellets and will start mixing in frozen when I'm confident in my stability and get a CUC in. Just looking at this picture, this this about the right amount of food for a 1" clown each day? Am I way off?

Thanks in advance!

Michael

Yeah, your numbers are fine, Nitrites are most likely zero, and i assume you didn't mean 50 DKH for alk.

I'd wait for the mushroom to open, some corals take longer than others, though I wouldn't recommend gluing the actual tissue of the coral as that can cause necrosis, just glue the rock its on.


Yes, diatoms, that's what they look like, just part of the process, do not use GFO as that lowers po4 which is at the perfect level


Pets aren't a concern of mine, unless one of my cats jumps on the canopy, then we have a problem

I'd feed more, dosent look like enough IMO, also try frozen food as well to vary up their diet


Hope that helped

 

[splunty]

Alk 50?
Is that an error?

Yes. It is about 120ppm. I read that against the wrong color chart when I posted. It's also from a dip test and may be a bit off as well, but that's about where I've been reading every time.

 

[shakacuz]

1. API tests are usually not accurate, although some will state otherwise. my recommendation is to get salifert test kits and compare the two.
2. anything dipped will be somewhat closed. light could be too strong for it? however you tank is still relatively new, even if 65days old. no signs algae growth could definitely mean low nutrients which in turn would affect the corals opening/coloring up. however...
3. diatoms. you're on the right track here.
4. dogs' sense of smell are immensely better than ours. let the pup smell. as long as it does not ingest the water causing dehydration you should be fine. my dalmatian always comes over when i work on the tank. he's my little helper.
5. i'd feed twice that amount but at different times. so once in the AM once before bed or sometime in the middle of the day. fish are constantly swimming to they do need energy. and if they are gluttons are you say, give them a little more!

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Yes. It is about 120ppm. I read that against the wrong color chart when I posted. It's also from a dip test and may be a bit off as well, but that's about where I've been reading every time.

Then that should be good, if anything alittle low but you only have soft corals so it's not as important

 

[themcnertney]

Flow: 200gph (return, no power head)

I'd add a powerhead, get that surface water moving.

 

[Uncle99]

Yes. It is about 120ppm. I read that against the wrong color chart when I posted. It's also from a dip test and may be a bit off as well, but that's about where I've been reading every time.

Bit low for me as you have no room on the lower end if testing is not accurate. You can go to 220ppm i
I’d run no less than 140ppm, more in the middle.

When we get lower than 7dkh, we start to see unhappiness.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

notice how your clowns are sticking out of the water to suck air? you really need a powerhead in your tank to move the water, 2 is better IMO, your fish are in stagnant water without any flow. Remember, we are replicating the ocean, the ocean has strong flow. Point one of the powerheads at the water surface to create agitation, like white water rapids, that helps with gas exchange and helps put oxygen in the water.