What would you suggest getting?

[daer119]

Hey everyone, so my wife and I are new to the saltwater aquarium life and was wondering what you would suggest getting to help achieve our goals? We currently have a 25g peninsula waterbox, we have a uv sterilizer, heater, rock, 2 clownfish, 1 torch, 1 hammer, 1 favia, 1 stylophora, 1 gold trumpet, 2 zoas, and 3 encrusting corals, we dose with fusion1 & 2, feed mysis and brine shrimp to the clowns, and we have saltwater and master reef kit to test the water.

We don't speed any of the corals but after looking up a lot we were thinking about getting reef roids to spot feed the torch, hammer, and trumpet. Do you spot feed your corals? What have you used to help keep your corals happy and healthy and what tool do you recommend to spot feed them?

Also was looking at getting an ato and a protein skimmer sometime this year, which would you recommend getting first and any suggestions on a brand?

Thanks for any information! Happy reefing!

 

[Billldg]

Hey everyone, so my wife and I are new to the saltwater aquarium life and was wondering what you would suggest getting to help achieve our goals? We currently have a 25g peninsula waterbox, we have a uv sterilizer, heater, rock, 2 clownfish, 1 torch, 1 hammer, 1 favia, 1 stylophora, 1 gold trumpet, 2 zoas, and 3 encrusting corals, we dose with fusion1 & 2, feed mysis and brine shrimp to the clowns, and we have saltwater and master reef kit to test the water.

We don't speed any of the corals but after looking up a lot we were thinking about getting reef roids to spot feed the torch, hammer, and trumpet. Do you spot feed your corals? What have you used to help keep your corals happy and healthy and what tool do you recommend to spot feed them?

Also was looking at getting an ato and a protein skimmer sometime this year, which would you recommend getting first and any suggestions on a brand?

Thanks for any information! Happy reefing!

I feed my LPS corals directly twice a week, but, I never noticed any Euphylia actually liking it, so I just feed my acans and blastos and let the leftover feed the torch. When I did feed the torch's directly it seemed they didn't like it. Usually, higher nutrients, N03 of 10 or so and P04 of .08-.10 feed them properly.

I would go with a ATO 1st. Stability in a tank is the holy grail of saltwater tanks. I would go with a Tunze, but, since the 3155 is being replaced with something else, I can not give you a model number as the replacement has not come out yet. I would only recommend a skimmer if your N03 and P04 are high.

What is your N03 and P04 at?

 

[daer119]

I feed my LPS corals directly twice a week, but, I never noticed any Euphylia actually liking it, so I just feed my acans and blastos and let the leftover feed the torch. When I did feed the torch's directly it seemed they didn't like it. Usually, higher nutrients, N03 of 10 or so and P04 of .08-.10 feed them properly.

I would go with a ATO 1st. Stability in a tank is the holy grail of saltwater tanks. I would go with a Tunze, but, since the 3155 is being replaced with something else, I can not give you a model number as the replacement has not come out yet. I would only recommend a skimmer if your N03 and P04 are high.

What is your N03 and P04 at?

Thanks for the info. Ill definitely look that up. My N03 is between 10-15 but I just did a water change so thinking that dropped just a bit and my P04 is reading 0. My LFS did tested it a few days ago and they go 0 to so not sure whats going on there.
Ill keep that in mind then about the Euphylia, because they were the ones I'm most concerned about, because the torch and hammer were the most expensive we've added and the torch hasn't been seeming to do very well.
Also anything you'd recommend about raising the Ph slightly? My tends to run a little low, about 7.8. I put an air stone in my filter area of the waterbox, and that raised it a little but I don't like it. Little drops fly out and stuff.
Thanks again, its been a fun hobby so far and so much to learn. I just wish I waited a little longer with the expensive (my view of expensive lol) corals till I got a good handle on it.

 

[Pistondog]

+1 on the ato, tunze is the gold standard.
Careful of po4 with reef roids, but if you're low, that might be good.

 

[Billldg]

Thanks for the info. Ill definitely look that up. My N03 is between 10-15 but I just did a water change so thinking that dropped just a bit and my P04 is reading 0. My LFS did tested it a few days ago and they go 0 to so not sure whats going on there.
Ill keep that in mind then about the Euphylia, because they were the ones I'm most concerned about, because the torch and hammer were the most expensive we've added and the torch hasn't been seeming to do very well.
Also anything you'd recommend about raising the Ph slightly? My tends to run a little low, about 7.8. I put an air stone in my filter area of the waterbox, and that raised it a little but I don't like it. Little drops fly out and stuff.
Thanks again, its been a fun hobby so far and so much to learn. I just wish I waited a little longer with the expensive (my view of expensive lol) corals till I got a good handle on it.

If you already have a turbulent surface on the water, then, without running a skimmer I have no means of raising the PH. Being in NY, you can't open up the windows to release some of the C02. You can add Soda Ash, but that will also raise your Alk.

 

[daer119]

If you already have a turbulent surface on the water, then, without running a skimmer I have no means of raising the PH. Being in NY, you can't open up the windows to release some of the C02. You can add Soda Ash, but that will also raise your Alk.

Yea, it’s pretty turbulent. I’ll keep that in mind and maybe get some to have on hand. Thanks!

 

[Andresnyc93]

If you’re going to broadcast feed into water column I suggest getting benepets… food for all of your reef and don’t cause spikes like reefroids… also a lot of euphyllia doesn’t really eat much of that stuff so you’d just have excess nutrients in your water

 

[Andresnyc93]

+1 on the ATO for that water volume a skimmer will do little compared to the water changes you are doing every week

 

[daer119]

If you’re going to broadcast feed into water column I suggest getting benepets… food for all of your reef and don’t cause spikes like reefroids… also a lot of euphyllia doesn’t really eat much of that stuff so you’d just have excess nutrients in your water

Thanks, I’ll look that up. I like the idea of kindling tossing it in and they grab what they want type of deal.

 

[Andresnyc93]

Thanks, I’ll look that up. I like the idea of kindling tossing it in and they grab what they want type of deal.

Makes reefing so much easier and simple. Also if you want to keep corals happy and healthy I suggest testing for cal-alk and mag weekly so you can know those parameters as well.. makes a huge difference in growth and health of corals