meldu512
New Member
I am a long time fresh water hobbiest going to a reef tank. I started with a 65 gal reef ready tank with wet/dry filter and 500 gph pump. I also have two 500 gph water circulators and a aquatech 60 hang on filter. I filter through carbon and change it bi-weekly. I run a marineland super skimmer with a 250 gph pump and lighting is an Aquaticlife T-5 four bulb HO fixture with two 10000k bulbs, a 420/460nm bulb, and a Actinic blue bulb. I test for PH, Amonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, and calicum, 8.2,0,0,0, and 480 ppm respectivaly. I keep my specific gravity at 1.023. I've made every mistake any newby can make from using dechlorinated tap water to mixing and immediatly using salt water at water changes. I did read and research before I made the change, however, the closest LFS (that carries salt water fish) is over an hour drive away, so I can't hang out and get firsthand advice. I set up with 45 lb live rock and 20 lb live sand and cycled for eight weeks. I then added two False Percula Clowns and cycled for eight weeks again. Slowly over the next three months I added a Blue Hippo Tang, a Heniochis Butterfly, a Bicolor dottyback, and a Coral Beauty Angel. At six months I gradually started adding inverts. I have Narcissis snails, a brittle star, a horseshoe crab (very small), two feather dusters and a couple of conch snails. I have been unable to keep hermit crabs, emerald crabs, or peppermint shrimp alive , but have not tried since I ammended my water changing ways. I would like to move on to easier corals but would rather quit learning the hard way so I have a few questions. Is the lighting sufficent for my tank size? When I purchased the set-up I told the dealer I wanted a reef system but a different dealer advised more lighting, between 250-300 watts. Is there enough flow in my tank now? I will be adding a wave controller to my set-up at Christmas (thanks Santa) and can add a couple more water circulators if it is advisable. Do I need to be testing for anything else? I do a 20% water change weekly using Seachem Reef Salt will I need to add additional trace minerals? Finally I would like some recommendations on corals to start with, species that are compatable, and what to feed them. If anyone answers, tell me what worked for you when you started that you liked. I want to start with frags and let them grow, thats part of the fun! I also need things that will remaing in proportion to my tank size. Finally if I need to add anything to my set-up let me know, my budget is not unlimited, but if it will keep the animals alive and healthy I will get it. Thanks in advance for your advice.
