New and need stocking ideas!

[Peace River]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!!

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!!

 

[1112-425XL]

 

[BryanM]

Hi everyone!
I've been keeping freshwater tanks for a few years and finally decided to get into saltwater tanks. I've been lurking in the R2R forums for awhile, but finally decided to make an account.

I need some help with ideas for stocking the tank. What would you all add (both fish and corals)?

Tank stats:
• Lighting: Orphek Atlantik icon x2
• Flow: Icecap 4k Gyre Pumps x2
• Tank size: 180 gallons (72in x 24in x 24in)
• Sump size: 60 gallon breeder (2 hygger pumps, red sea reefmat 1200, a tunze skimmer i havent turned on yet, Heaters, carbon, seachem seagel, and leftover dry rock)
• 2 inch sand bed: Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Sand (70 pounds) + 40 pounds of Caribsea Bimini Pink sand
• Rocks: 45 pounds of Tampa Bay Saltwater Live rock + dry rock (can't remember how much)
• PH:
• Alkalinity: 9 dKH
• Nitrate: 0ppm
• Nitrite: 0ppm
• Saltinity: previously 1.025, but is currently 1.023 since removing 20 gallons for a small temporary tank. Its stable at 1.023.
• Ammonia: 0ppm
• Temperature: 78-79 Fahrenheit

Current inhabitants:
• Royal gramma
• Zebra Porclain Crabs (TBS hitchhiker)
• Micro brittle stars (TBS hitchiker)
• A ton of copepods and amiphods
• Hermit crabs (TBS hitchikers)
• Turbo snails x3
• Cerith snails
• Dwarf cerith snails
• Tiger conchs x2
• Nassarius Snails
• Nassarius vibex snails
• Astrea Snails
• Limpets (TBS hitchikers)
• Nerite snails
• Toadstool leather x1
• Duncan coral x1
• Zoanthids x2
• Birdsnest x1 (a free frag from my first coral purchase)
• Hidden cup corals (TBS hitchikers)
• Decorator crab? Maybe... (TBS hitchiker)
• A ton of barnacles (TBS hitchikers)
• A few different. Tunicates, sponges, etc (TBS hitchikers)

Any ideas for stocking the tank are welcomed! My fiance would love to add an Arrow Crab and I would love to add a rock flower anemone.

Photo:

Video:

Welcome to the forums.

0 nitrates is not good, you need to get that number up... 5-20 is a decent target range.

Have you measured phosphates?

 

[BryanM]

Hi everyone!
I've been keeping freshwater tanks for a few years and finally decided to get into saltwater tanks. I've been lurking in the R2R forums for awhile, but finally decided to make an account.

I need some help with ideas for stocking the tank. What would you all add (both fish and corals)?

Tank stats:
• Lighting: Orphek Atlantik icon x2
• Flow: Icecap 4k Gyre Pumps x2
• Tank size: 180 gallons (72in x 24in x 24in)
• Sump size: 60 gallon breeder (2 hygger pumps, red sea reefmat 1200, a tunze skimmer i havent turned on yet, Heaters, carbon, seachem seagel, and leftover dry rock)
• 2 inch sand bed: Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Sand (70 pounds) + 40 pounds of Caribsea Bimini Pink sand
• Rocks: 45 pounds of Tampa Bay Saltwater Live rock + dry rock (can't remember how much)
• PH:
• Alkalinity: 9 dKH
• Nitrate: 0ppm
• Nitrite: 0ppm
• Saltinity: previously 1.025, but is currently 1.023 since removing 20 gallons for a small temporary tank. Its stable at 1.023.
• Ammonia: 0ppm
• Temperature: 78-79 Fahrenheit

Current inhabitants:
• Royal gramma
• Zebra Porclain Crabs (TBS hitchhiker)
• Micro brittle stars (TBS hitchiker)
• A ton of copepods and amiphods
• Hermit crabs (TBS hitchikers)
• Turbo snails x3
• Cerith snails
• Dwarf cerith snails
• Tiger conchs x2
• Nassarius Snails
• Nassarius vibex snails
• Astrea Snails
• Limpets (TBS hitchikers)
• Nerite snails
• Toadstool leather x1
• Duncan coral x1
• Zoanthids x2
• Birdsnest x1 (a free frag from my first coral purchase)
• Hidden cup corals (TBS hitchikers)
• Decorator crab? Maybe... (TBS hitchiker)
• A ton of barnacles (TBS hitchikers)
• A few different. Tunicates, sponges, etc (TBS hitchikers)

Any ideas for stocking the tank are welcomed! My fiance would love to add an Arrow Crab and I would love to add a rock flower anemone.

Photo:

Video:

Welcome to the forums.

0 nitrates is not good, you need to get that number up... 5-20 is a decent target range.

Have you measured phosphates?

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!

 

[CoralB]

Zero not good . What are your phosphates levels ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi everyone!
I've been keeping freshwater tanks for a few years and finally decided to get into saltwater tanks. I've been lurking in the R2R forums for awhile, but finally decided to make an account.

I need some help with ideas for stocking the tank. What would you all add (both fish and corals)?

Tank stats:
• Lighting: Orphek Atlantik icon x2
• Flow: Icecap 4k Gyre Pumps x2
• Tank size: 180 gallons (72in x 24in x 24in)
• Sump size: 60 gallon breeder (2 hygger pumps, red sea reefmat 1200, a tunze skimmer i havent turned on yet, Heaters, carbon, seachem seagel, and leftover dry rock)
• 2 inch sand bed: Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Sand (70 pounds) + 40 pounds of Caribsea Bimini Pink sand
• Rocks: 45 pounds of Tampa Bay Saltwater Live rock + dry rock (can't remember how much)
• PH:
• Alkalinity: 9 dKH
• Nitrate: 0ppm
• Nitrite: 0ppm
• Saltinity: previously 1.025, but is currently 1.023 since removing 20 gallons for a small temporary tank. Its stable at 1.023.
• Ammonia: 0ppm
• Temperature: 78-79 Fahrenheit

Current inhabitants:
• Royal gramma
• Zebra Porclain Crabs (TBS hitchhiker)
• Micro brittle stars (TBS hitchiker)
• A ton of copepods and amiphods
• Hermit crabs (TBS hitchikers)
• Turbo snails x3
• Cerith snails
• Dwarf cerith snails
• Tiger conchs x2
• Nassarius Snails
• Nassarius vibex snails
• Astrea Snails
• Limpets (TBS hitchikers)
• Nerite snails
• Toadstool leather x1
• Duncan coral x1
• Zoanthids x2
• Birdsnest x1 (a free frag from my first coral purchase)
• Hidden cup corals (TBS hitchikers)
• Decorator crab? Maybe... (TBS hitchiker)
• A ton of barnacles (TBS hitchikers)
• A few different. Tunicates, sponges, etc (TBS hitchikers)

Any ideas for stocking the tank are welcomed! My fiance would love to add an Arrow Crab and I would love to add a rock flower anemone.

Photo:

Video:

Get salinity to at least 1.024
Disregard nitrite which is freshwater specific and I suspect false readings....... How are you testing water?

 

[Jimbhoy13]

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

 

[Ruben's Reef]

Welcome to R2R !!!

 

[|Frank|]

 

[BriellesAbyss]

Way more thought than i put into my initial stocking. Nice equipment list.

My only comment, based on recent experience, is to consider placing the TBS live rock in the sump rather than the DT. I did that, and I’m glad I did because I’ve recently found a large stone crab and at least two gorilla crab hitchhikers in the sump, where they’re curiosities rather than serial killers.

Thanks! I haven't thought of putting the live rock into sump. I did find a couple of gorilla crabs, but have been trapping or catching them as I see them. I'll keep that in mind for future setups!

 

[BriellesAbyss]

Welcome to the forums.

0 nitrates is not good, you need to get that number up... 5-20 is a decent target range.

Have you measured phosphates?

I haven't tested phosphates, yet. What would you suggest for getting nitrates up? I heard of feeding more or adding more fish.

 

[BriellesAbyss]

Get salinity to at least 1.024
Disregard nitrite which is freshwater specific and I suspect false readings....... How are you testing water?

I'll work on getting the salinity back up. I've been testing my water with the Red Sea Marine Care Test Kit and using a Milwaukee refractometer for salinity.

 

[BriellesAbyss]

Zero not good . What are your phosphates levels ?

I haven't tested phosphates, yet. I plan on maybe getting a Hanna phosphate checker soon.

 

[BryanM]

I haven't tested phosphates, yet. What would you suggest for getting nitrates up? I heard of feeding more or adding more fish.

I've never had a lot of luck feeding more, I've dosed NeoNitro for this in the past with good results. NeoPhos for phosphate if that's also zero (neither should be and if zero invite algae, dino, etc problems)

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

 

[kingranch2003]

Welcome to the family!