My first starter reef tank

[TANGOX4]

Hi everyone, little advice needed and I know many of you have helped already so thank you! But here is my tank so far! I’m still doing my fishless cycle. Long story short got some bad advice when I first started, from a LFS and won’t be going back there, and talked to another LFS and got some better advice but had to completely drain my tank and start over. But I plan to add some corals to this tank at some point in the next couple months. But I’m trying to figure out what kind of start I should have? I have some calcium to add to the water, bought it years ago not realizing it was mainly for saltwater when doing my freshwater tanks. So to make it simple, here’s the main questions: Should I add some clean up crew first? Should I add some corals first? ((Thinking mainly about green hammer corals, or Xenia?? I think that’s the right name?) I know I can’t put anything super cool in bc of my lighting situation and tank size. Plan to make a 55 gallon tank one day, so starting small.) should I add the pair of clowns or the watchman goby and pistol shrimp first? What is everyone’s thoughts on my tank so far? Any tips for this?

Thank you all for just looking and any advice! I only just redid the water and stuff Saturday so I have plenty of time to adjust some things.

 

[Uncle99]

Welcome to R2R!
No fish?
That should be first.
Unless you’re having no fish.
That makes keeping corals more challenging.

You should have to dose nothing until the corals you add, use more Alk, CA and MG than your normal water changes can replenish.

I do some fish first (to help build system maturity), then a softy, after my parameters hold steady for at least 60 days, I add LPS and when I see the first coralline circles forming, SPS.

Lastly, me, I don’t add any high end Acros for a year.

 

[Fish Fan]

Hi everyone, little advice needed and I know many of you have helped already so thank you! But here is my tank so far! I’m still doing my fishless cycle. Long story short got some bad advice when I first started, from a LFS and won’t be going back there, and talked to another LFS and got some better advice but had to completely drain my tank and start over. But I plan to add some corals to this tank at some point in the next couple months. But I’m trying to figure out what kind of start I should have? I have some calcium to add to the water, bought it years ago not realizing it was mainly for saltwater when doing my freshwater tanks. So to make it simple, here’s the main questions: Should I add some clean up crew first? Should I add some corals first? ((Thinking mainly about green hammer corals, or Xenia?? I think that’s the right name?) I know I can’t put anything super cool in bc of my lighting situation and tank size. Plan to make a 55 gallon tank one day, so starting small.) should I add the pair of clowns or the watchman goby and pistol shrimp first? What is everyone’s thoughts on my tank so far? Any tips for this?

Thank you all for just looking and any advice! I only just redid the water and stuff Saturday so I have plenty of time to adjust some things.

Nice looking start!

I'm curious, what caused you to have to drain the tank and start over?

What method are you using for your cycle?

What are you using for water? Tap water, RODI, purchasing from LFS?

Here's a couple of thoughts I hope might help:

Add your clean up crew towards the end of your cycle, and not before you have some algae for them to munch. If you add them too early, you'll have to target feed them, or they can starve.

I believe you can add coral right from the start, but if you're doing a fishless cycle by adding ammonium chloride, I would probably wait for the ammonia to come down before adding corals.

Sometimes, hammers may not like brand new tanks, so you might want to give them a few months before adding. And while cool, that Xenia can grow like a weed and overrun your whole tank, so I might give that some thought. Maybe check out some corals like Green Star Polyps, mushrooms, toadstools, candy canes, Duncans, etc.

I'd add the Goby and shrimp first and allow them time to get used to the tank and stake out their territory, then add the Clowns. If you add the Clowns first, they may decide that the whole tank is "theirs" and not let any new fish in the tank.

Good luck!

 

[TANGOX4]

Welcome to R2R!
No fish?
That should be first.
Unless you’re having no fish.
That makes keeping corals more challenging.

You should have to dose nothing until the corals you add, use more Alk, CA and MG than your normal water changes can replenish.

I do some fish first (to help build system maturity), then a softy, after my parameters hold steady for at least 60 days, I add LPS and when I see the first coralline circles forming, SPS.

Lastly, me, I don’t add any high end Acros for a year.

Thanks! Well I plan to add a pair of clowns and a small goby, not sure which kind yet. Was thinking a yellow watchman goby with a pistol shrimp. And as for the corals I know I can't get too crazy, but I would really like to have those green hammers. But anything else I would love to try, just nervous because I am so new to all of this. Any products you like or recommend for the Alk, CA, and MG? I currently have a big bottle of CA that has been unopened for years.... still good for another year or so according to the best by date lol.

 

[TANGOX4]

Nice looking start!

I'm curious, what caused you to have to drain the tank and start over?

What method are you using for your cycle?

What are you using for water? Tap water, RODI, purchasing from LFS?

Here's a couple of thoughts I hope might help:

Add your clean up crew towards the end of your cycle, and not before you have some algae for them to munch. If you add them too early, you'll have to target feed them, or they can starve.

I believe you can add coral right from the start, but if you're doing a fishless cycle by adding ammonium chloride, I would probably wait for the ammonia to come down before adding corals.

Sometimes, hammers may not like brand new tanks, so you might want to give them a few months before adding. And while cool, that Xenia can grow like a weed and overrun your whole tank, so I might give that some thought. Maybe check out some corals like Green Star Polyps, mushrooms, toadstools, candy canes, Duncans, etc.

I'd add the Goby and shrimp first and allow them time to get used to the tank and stake out their territory, then add the Clowns. If you add the Clowns first, they may decide that the whole tank is "theirs" and not let any new fish in the tank.

Good luck!

Nice to see you again! Finally put a picture to the madness of my tank adventure haha. And according to one of the LFS of St. Louis, adding a WHOLE BLOCK of frozen brine shrimp to this tank would "really jumpstart" the cycle of this tank. And went to a closer/newer store and the owner was shocked... My nitrates and ammonia seemed to have stalled after a couple of weeks of cycling, according to my API test kit, the ammonia was just sitting at 1 for week/s and my nitrates were stuck at 5 or more ppm according to that kit as well. That is what prompted the whole restart of water, but that is what the closer LFS said to do... I originally got all my saltwater from them because it was easier for me. They have a salinity of 1.025 in their water which I understand is the highest I can have it to keep things healthy? I am currently just doing a fishless cycle with a little bit of the old water with all that ammonia and nitrates. While adding a cap full of Microbacter 7 everyday. I restarted the tank on Saturday. I have jugs of saltwater I get from that store and when I do my water changes (Which I should probably do one next week?) I will use their RODI water since I don't have that here.

So I should add clean up crew once I get a boom of algae, and then add the coby and pistol shrimp to the tank following that? Thank you for the tips with the corals as well. I will definitely look into those.

My tests today showed about .5 Ammonia and about 2.5 nitrates. So it looks better than before that's for sure.

Should I be leaving the light on throughout the day? I have been keeping it off. Wasn't sure I should be keeping it on or off once I added the bacteria...

 

[Uncle99]

Thanks! Well I plan to add a pair of clowns and a small goby, not sure which kind yet. Was thinking a yellow watchman goby with a pistol shrimp. And as for the corals I know I can't get too crazy, but I would really like to have those green hammers. But anything else I would love to try, just nervous because I am so new to all of this. Any products you like or recommend for the Alk, CA, and MG? I currently have a big bottle of CA that has been unopened for years.... still good for another year or so according to the best by date lol.

I use three individual parts to dose.
I use the same three for 7 years as each concentration is different.
I use Seachem fusion 1 for CA, and Fusion 2 for Alk. For me, I,use their pre-mix in my Doser as it does not clog up the heads and is in the same concentration each time.
For MG, I use Red Sea, again, premixed, this format works better for me.

It’s not the cheapest way, but I rather have as much consistency as I can get.

Like salt, I’d use what is always available and close by as having to change them requires a dosing change, and all,salt mixes can be different.

 

[TANGOX4]

Thanks! Well I plan to add a pair of clowns and a small goby, not sure which kind yet. Was thinking a yellow watchman goby with a pistol shrimp. And as for the corals I know I can't get too crazy, but I would really like to have those green hammers. But anything else I would love to try, just nervous because I am so new to all of this. Any products you like or recommend for the Alk, CA, and MG? I currently have a big bottle of CA that has been unopened for years.... still good for another year or so according to the best by date lol.

I use three individual parts to dose.
I use the same three for 7 years as each concentration is different.
I use Seachem fusion 1 for CA, and Fusion 2 for Alk. For me, I,use their pre-mix in my Doser as it does not clog up the heads and is in the same concentration each time.
For MG, I use Red Sea, again, premixed, this format works better for me.

It’s not the cheapest way, but I rather have as much consistency as I can get.

Like salt, I’d use what is always available and close by as having to change them requires a dosing change, and all,salt mixes can be different.

Gotcha, that makes a lot of sense to me. I am fairly similar minded I think, so I’ll definitely look into those products then. I don’t want to accidentally overdose something or under dose on something else and throw it all out of wack. After reading everyone’s thoughts I’m debating on going to pick up some corals this weekend, depending on how my tests come out. I really appreciate the help!

 

[nessig]

Hi everyone, little advice needed and I know many of you have helped already so thank you! But here is my tank so far! I’m still doing my fishless cycle. Long story short got some bad advice when I first started, from a LFS and won’t be going back there, and talked to another LFS and got some better advice but had to completely drain my tank and start over. But I plan to add some corals to this tank at some point in the next couple months. But I’m trying to figure out what kind of start I should have? I have some calcium to add to the water, bought it years ago not realizing it was mainly for saltwater when doing my freshwater tanks. So to make it simple, here’s the main questions: Should I add some clean up crew first? Should I add some corals first? ((Thinking mainly about green hammer corals, or Xenia?? I think that’s the right name?) I know I can’t put anything super cool in bc of my lighting situation and tank size. Plan to make a 55 gallon tank one day, so starting small.) should I add the pair of clowns or the watchman goby and pistol shrimp first? What is everyone’s thoughts on my tank so far? Any tips for this?

Thank you all for just looking and any advice! I only just redid the water and stuff Saturday so I have plenty of time to adjust some things.

Nice set up

 

[TANGOX4]

I use three individual parts to dose.
I use the same three for 7 years as each concentration is different.
I use Seachem fusion 1 for CA, and Fusion 2 for Alk. For me, I,use their pre-mix in my Doser as it does not clog up the heads and is in the same concentration each time.
For MG, I use Red Sea, again, premixed, this format works better for me.

It’s not the cheapest way, but I rather have as much consistency as I can get.

Like salt, I’d use what is always available and close by as having to change them requires a dosing change, and all,salt mixes can be different.

Hi again, sorry can you show me what the bottle of your Red Sea MG looks like? I am going to pick up these bottles now so I don't forget later. I really appreciate it, thank you.

 

[Uncle99]

Hi again, sorry can you show me what the bottle of your Red Sea MG looks like? I am going to pick up these bottles now so I don't forget later. I really appreciate it, thank you.

Sure