Questions about my new tank

[MaxTremors]

Please tell me you didn't get a yellowtail damsel. They are the meanest bullies in any tank and they bite whenever you put your hands in the tank. Most damsels are just mean---yellowtails are evil. By the way, a two hour drip acclimation is long for even the most sensitive, rare invertebrate. For most fish, you can usually just temp acclimate in a their shipping bag for 15 minutes, then add a some tank water into the bag every 5-10 minutes for 30 minutes until you have a 75% tank water/25% shipping water mix. For a damsel, you probably could get away with just temp acclimation and then pour him right in.

In my 20 years of reefing, I’ve never had too much trouble from yellow tails. Now, three/four stripes and dominoes, those guys are awful, but IME so long as there’s adequate room/territory and more than just one or two other tankmates, they’re not too bad. Also never had one bite me. In a 15g, you’d have to be careful with tankmates, but I think yellow tails get a bad rap.

 

[BostonReefer300]

This is great news. I'd assume with your tank size, ammonia and nitrite should be zero by tomorrow. Did you buy any more bacteria?

 

[OneOtter]

Tbf I don't think I will keep him in there more so then to help get the cycling back on track, I want it to be a calm reef tank with anemone sps and clown fish

 

[BostonReefer300]

In my 20 years of reefing, I’ve never had too much trouble from yellow tails. Now, three/four stripes and dominoes, those guys are awful, but IME so long as there’s adequate room/territory and more than just one or two other tankmates, they’re not too bad. Also never had one bite me. In a 15g, you’d have to be careful with tankmates, but I think yellow tails get a bad rap.

@MaxTremors is obviously a yellowtail sympathizer and all-around horrible person---the two go hand-in-hand!

 

[OneOtter]

No I didn't add in anything other than the damsel and so I have to water test when I get home here in about an hour

 

[MaxTremors]

@MaxTremors is obviously a yellowtail sympathizer and all-around horrible person---the two go hand-in-hand!

What can I say, I am what I am.

 

[OneOtter]

Yeah the tanks pH is at 8.2 to 8.4, the ammonia is 0-.25 nitrite is roughly .50 and the nitrate is 5.0-10.0 now

 

[BostonReefer300]

You should be ready to go by tomorrow with adding new livestock slowly. I'd do the clowns you want first. I wouldn't add an anemone or coral for a few months---6 months for the anemone.

 

[OneOtter]

Okay thats awesome! What's the reason for the anemone?

 

[BostonReefer300]

They're sensitive creatures and typically only do well in well-established, stable tanks. You'll also want to make sure your powerheads and intakes are suitably covered so you don't suck in anemones and dice them up. For instance, I put guards on my ecotech vortech circulation powerheads (Nemprotect from BRS).

 

[OneOtter]

I am already in the process of doing that but idk how I am going to yet haven't decided looking a screen right now

 

[OneOtter]

@BostonReefer300 how long would you recomend I do my lighting for? The lights I have have white and blue but I feel if I leave white and blue on all day at lowest setting the white still out does the blue. And I feel I should primarily keep blue on.

 

[BostonReefer300]

What do you have for lights? I have Radion G5 Blues. I use the Ecotech Corallab AB+ lighting template although I've modified it to have a longer taper period at the end of the day that is primarily blue light. See the attached article on lighting. Most suggest that you do a 7 hour peak photo period with a ramp up and ramp down. I start mine at 11am with peak from 12-7 then a long taper from 7-11pm. If you have the ability to adjust individual color channels, this article is super helpful---but it's even helpful if you have a basic lighting setup.

 

[OneOtter]

Oh okay I was trying today from 11am til 4 or 5pm blue and white and then blue from 4-5pm until 7-10 its the lighting that came with the tank but it is meant for fresh/salt its a 25watt and I was looking at this one to buy for the tank since my tank is only 15-20 gallons.