Hello everyone

Dom · Dec 22, 2023

Ambones said:
New to reefing and this forum so just wanted to say hi to everyone.

Do you have a system or are you still in planning stages?

If you already have a system, post some photos!

FrugalReefer · Dec 22, 2023

EUPHYILLAADDICTION · Dec 22, 2023

Welcome!!

Ocean_Queenie · Dec 22, 2023

Hello & Welcome

shakacuz · Dec 22, 2023

welcome aboard the r2r board!

SPR1968 · Dec 22, 2023

Hi and welcome to Reef2Reef!

jsker · Dec 22, 2023

Jimbhoy13 · Dec 22, 2023

Welcome to R2R and the salty world. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

Ambones · Dec 22, 2023

Dom said:
Do you have a system or are you still in planning stages?

If you already have a system, post some photos!

Yes I do! Long time FW aquarist who caught the SW bug. 10g WB 4 weeks in, cycle complete, fluval sea nano light (noopsyche mini ordered and hopefully en route soon, its on my kitchen counter so i have like 4" clearance above for the light), tunze 9001, hygger mini WM (a bit strong but I've made it work), 2 clowns, 2 trochus, 2 nassarius and 2 blue leg hermits (hoping for more because they're lovely). Things have been going more less pretty well except I'm midway through the dreaded ugly stage and the green hammer in the bottom left (pic attached) looks like it's on its way out. It just started shrinking a few days in and I've moved it to different places but it's just not happy. Any tips would be appreciated and thank you all for your kind words.

kevgib67 · Dec 22, 2023

Ambones said:
Yes I do! Long time FW aquarist who caught the SW bug. 10g WB 4 weeks in, cycle complete, fluval sea nano light (noopsyche mini ordered and hopefully en route soon, its on my kitchen counter so i have like 4" clearance above for the light), tunze 9001, hygger mini WM (a bit strong but I've made it work), 2 clowns, 2 trochus, 2 nassarius and 2 blue leg hermits (hoping for more because they're lovely). Things have been going more less pretty well except I'm midway through the dreaded ugly stage and the green hammer in the bottom left (pic attached) looks like it's on its way out. It just started shrinking a few days in and I've moved it to different places but it's just not happy. Any tips would be appreciated and thank you all for your kind words.

Very nice scape, well done. I’m going to try to help you, but I’m going to need some information first. I’m hoping what I see is live rock and not the purple colored dry rock. I’m going to assume it’s the dry rock ( kudos to you if I’m wrong) . 4 weeks is very early for the more demanding lps, less demanding lps you might get away with such as your duncan, the little guy looks happy. I’m going to need all of your parameters, please, please don’t answer with everything is fine or my lfs says everything is fine. Let me know what you are testing those parameters with. This one is understandable if you don’t know it but what is the par in your tank or at least what lights are you using. Lps like medium light and flow. I would stop moving it around at this point.

Ambones · Dec 22, 2023

kevgib67 said:
Very nice scape, well done. I’m going to try to help you, but I’m going to need some information first. I’m hoping what I see is live rock and not the purple colored dry rock. I’m going to assume it’s the dry rock ( kudos to you if I’m wrong) . 4 weeks is very early for the more demanding lps, less demanding lps you might get away with such as your duncan, the little guy looks happy. I’m going to need all of your parameters, please, please don’t answer with everything is fine or my lfs says everything is fine. Let me know what you are testing those parameters with. This one is understandable if you don’t know it but what is the par in your tank or at least what lights are you using. Lps like medium light and flow. I would stop moving it around at this point.

Thanks for the reply!

You're correct in that i used Caribsea life rock. Cycled with Microbacter XLM in about 2 weeks with no issues (I wrongly read that dry rock would be preferable so you dont import any unwanted pests). The parameters are:

Temp: 78
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5 to 10
Ph: 8.2
Alk: 8.9

They are all API tests except for Alk which is Salifert. I blew my wad on the build but hoping to get Hannas for Phosphate and a Calcium test kit as well soon (any recommendations?) and will likely upgrade to a Hanna for Alk once my Salifert runs out.

The light is a 20W Fluval sea nano with all channels at 100 except for CW at 50. As I said, I'm waiting for the noopsyche mini to arrive and then look into renting a par meter (I live in Vancouver so my LFS doesn't rent it).

My other hammers seems very happy it's just this one. I've attached before and after as well over like 3.5 weeks.

Thanks again.

kevgib67 · Dec 22, 2023

Ambones said:
Thanks for the reply!

You're correct in that i used Caribsea life rock. Cycled with Microbacter XLM in about 2 weeks with no issues (I wrongly read that dry rock would be preferable so you dont import any unwanted pests). The parameters are:

Temp: 78
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5 to 10
Ph: 8.2
Alk: 8.9

They are all API tests except for Alk which is Salifert. I blew my wad on the build but hoping to get Hannas for Phosphate and a Calcium test kit as well soon (any recommendations?) and will likely upgrade to a Hanna for Alk once my Salifert runs out.

The light is a 20W Fluval sea nano with all channels at 100 except for CW at 50. As I said, I'm waiting for the noopsyche mini to arrive and then look into renting a par meter (I live in Vancouver so my LFS doesn't rent it).

My other hammers seems very happy it's just this one. I've attached before and after as well over like 3.5 weeks.

Thanks again.

I test all my parameters with Salifert, pretty accurate and affordable. It’s important to have enough nutrients in the water and your nitrates look good but we need to know your phosphates. You’ll want to keep them at .05-.1 to keep your corals happy. Another thing that is important for your lps is your calcium and magnesium which with light demand can be maintained with good salt and weekly water changes. You’ll want calcium at about 450 and magnesium for torches, frogspawn and hammers a little higher, they seem to really thrive at 1400 or a little higher. Low nutrients, calcium and magnesium will cause your lps to spiral downward. The hammer has been struggling for weeks, it takes about that long before you see symptoms. Now to live rock! In 18 years of reefing I have only used live rock. Back in the day ( ya l’m one of those annoying people) there weren’t frags and every coral came on a piece of live rock, no way around it. I had one undesirable hitchhiker, a fireworm which was removed with tweezers. 99% of hitchhikers were desirable. My tank has been set up over 2 years, I had the usual suspects, diatoms, gha, bryopsis and cyano and all manageable and short duration. No dinos. I don’t know what your situation is in the great white north but I would encourage you to add some live rock to your tank. Merry Christmas and I’m here if you need me.

Dom · Dec 22, 2023

Ambones said:
Yes I do! Long time FW aquarist who caught the SW bug. 10g WB 4 weeks in, cycle complete, fluval sea nano light (noopsyche mini ordered and hopefully en route soon, its on my kitchen counter so i have like 4" clearance above for the light), tunze 9001, hygger mini WM (a bit strong but I've made it work), 2 clowns, 2 trochus, 2 nassarius and 2 blue leg hermits (hoping for more because they're lovely). Things have been going more less pretty well except I'm midway through the dreaded ugly stage and the green hammer in the bottom left (pic attached) looks like it's on its way out. It just started shrinking a few days in and I've moved it to different places but it's just not happy. Any tips would be appreciated and thank you all for your kind words.

Cool little tank!

Those Hammers look okay to me!