Tank ready?

[adamlodge14]

Hi guys!
My tank has been running 2 months+ now, I have some softies in the tank and a Yasha goby/ pistol shrimp pair.
I’m thinking of doing a decent sized LPS order including: acan, Duncan, Blasto, Frogspawn, Candy cane.
Am i ready for some LPS?
Here are some pics of my tank

 

[ScottR]

How stable are your parameters and what are they? Some other things to look into are making sure your lighting is sufficient, husbandry (water changes, dosing, feeding, etc), flow and so forth. Looks can be deceiving sometimes. I say, go for it if you are having success currently. There’s only one way to find out. But if you’re uncertain, take it slow. Once you have confidence, you’ll feel much better when purchasing corals.

 

[Suohhen]

It depends on how you set up the tank. 2 month is very early for non cycled live rock or dry rock however you seem to have coralline signaling that your tank is through the algae cycle (ugly phase)? Or is the rock just that color?

 

[adamlodge14]

How stable are your parameters and what are they? Some other things to look into are making sure your lighting is sufficient, husbandry (water changes, dosing, feeding, etc), flow and so forth. Looks can be deceiving sometimes. I say, go for it if you are having success currently. There’s only one way to find out. But if you’re uncertain, take it slow. Once you have confidence, you’ll feel much better when purchasing corals.

Hi, my parameters are:
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 2ppm
Ph- 8
Calcium- 480
Phosphate- hard to tell on test but approx. 0.05
Kh- 15 (been like that since week 1)
Magnesium- 1380

I use API and Aquaforest tests.
My salt is Red Sea coral pro salt.
I have Red Sea AB+ coral nutrition but am able to buy reef roids if needed.
I do a %20 water change weekly.
My parameters have been fairly stable, my ammonia dropped to 0 after the cycle about 2 weeks ago.

 

[adamlodge14]

It depends on how you set up the tank. 2 month is very early for non cycled live rock or dry rock however you seem to have coralline signaling that your tank is through the algae cycle (ugly phase)? Or is the rock just that color?

I have cycled the tank with Special blend bacteria and ghost feeding.
I used live rock in this scape (already coloured like that - caribsea live rock).
I have some sort of brown (I think diatoms) stuff.
Some algae also came on the softies I bought.

 

[terraincognita]

Hi, my parameters are:
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 2ppm
Ph- 8
Calcium- 480
Phosphate- hard to tell on test but approx. 0.05
Kh- 15 (been like that since week 1)
Magnesium- 1380

I use API and Aquaforest tests.
My salt is Red Sea coral pro salt.
I have Red Sea AB+ coral nutrition but am able to buy reef roids if needed.
I do a %20 water change weekly.
My parameters have been fairly stable, my ammonia dropped to 0 after the cycle about 2 weeks ago.

Looks like the Fluval 13.5

That light won't support anything that needs more than 180Par.

But IMO You can add any kind of LPS you want now.

Just make sure you're comfortable on controlling params and nutrients.

 

[terraincognita]

I have cycled the tank with Special blend bacteria and ghost feeding.
I used live rock in this scape (already coloured like that - caribsea live rock).
I have some sort of brown (I think diatoms) stuff.
Some algae also came on the softies I bought.

That's tiny strands of GHA.

Just starve it out or scrape it off.

 

[adamlodge14]

That's tiny strands of GHA.

Just starve it out or scrape it off.

Looks like the Fluval 13.5

That light won't support anything that needs more than 180Par.

But IMO You can add any kind of LPS you want now.

Just make sure you're comfortable on controlling params and nutrients.

The only thing I was worrying about was the KH. Is it just SPS that don’t like high Kh? The salt I have is supposed to give me around 12-13 kh.

 

[terraincognita]

The only thing I was worrying about was the KH. Is it just SPS that don’t like high Kh? The salt I have is supposed to give me around 12-13 kh.

Coral Pro doesn't really come in that high when you measure it in the end.

Probably around 10.5-11

But dKh/alk anywhere between 8 and 11.5 is totally fine. I've seen a couple reefers keep it at 13-14. But I would never.

Sps or LPS doesn't matter on high alk. Unless it's like super high. As long as you acclimate them/adjust them to it.


okay just read your params post.

I disbelieve that Alk measurement.

Get a different test kit plz.

Go to the LFS and buy the Hanna alk checker.

there's no way you have Alk like that from Coral Pro unless you had insane stratification.

In any case their mix should only ever come to 12 Max.

you're not dosing right?

 

[adamlodge14]

Coral Pro doesn't really come in that high when you measure it in the end.

Probably around 10.5-11

Just get a test kit

But dKh/alk anywhere between 8 and 11.5 is totally fine. I've seen a couple reefers keep it at 13-14. But I would never.

Sps or LPS doesn't matter on high alk. Unless it's like super high. As long as you acclimate them/adjust them to it.

.

 

[zukihara]

While the light in the Fluval 13.5 might keep LPS alive, they sure are gonna look ugly after just a few days. I am speaking from experience, not just guessing.

 

[terraincognita]

So my Dkh at 15 would be fine if I acclimated them slowly (drip)?
And were all the corals I mentioned first good beginner friendly lps?

I edited my post.
I doubt your alk is actually 15.

 

[Suohhen]

So my Dkh at 15 would be fine if I acclimated them slowly (drip)?
And were all the corals I mentioned first good beginner friendly lps?

15 is very high but it seems likely it is either a testing error or your salinity is very high. I'd look up a video for the test kits you use and see if your doing it correctly.

 

[adamlodge14]

I edited my post.
I doubt your alk is actually 15.

Ok, and no I’m not dosing

 

[adamlodge14]

15 is very high but it seems likely it is either a testing error or your salinity is very high. I'd look up a video for the test kits you use and see if your doing it correctly.

My salinity is bang on 1.026,
Will do.

 

[terraincognita]

If you’re using API to test your alk throw it away!

 

[Bribo12]

The softies look good. All those lps are pretty easy in my experience. Go for it

 

[adamlodge14]

If you’re using API to test your alk throw it away!

What sort of tests do you recommend?
Is salifert good? I don’t really have enough money to get a full set of hanna testers so something that’s still good, but in the cheaper side would be better.

 

[Suohhen]

I have cycled the tank with Special blend bacteria and ghost feeding.
I used live rock in this scape (already coloured like that - caribsea live rock).
I have some sort of brown (I think diatoms) stuff.
Some algae also came on the softies I bought.

Definitely looks like diatoms, They are the first part of the algae cycle. Now is a good time to add some CuC

 

[Suohhen]

What sort of tests do you recommend?
Is salifert good? I don’t really have enough money to get a full set of hanna testers so something that’s still good, but in the cheaper side would be better.

I use salifert for alk and love it but honestly there are a lot of good alk tests but yeah...api not so much.