[Bamaguy]

I'm in the process of slowly making a reef tank. Currently I have added the lights, LR, live sand and have got 3 fish (foxface, 2 percula). I've done a fair amount of reading to get it set up but haven't focused to much on corals till I got to this point. I had a few questions:

1. Water Changes- What's the best way to change water? I have maybe 10+ gallons of water in my sump with pump, skimmer and some LR rubble. Can I just cut the tank off and drain the sump out for a 10 gallon water change? It would be easier than taking from the top of the tank but I want to do what is best?
2. My PH is 1.21. What is the best way to raise this to 1.25 for coral additions without stressing my fish?
3. To date I haven't been testing anything except PH, temp, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. I've seen most reefers test other things such as Phosphate, Magnesium etc. What should I test.
4. Some sites recommend iodine additions for shrimp or coral etc. Is this needed? Do I need to add anything else to the water for corals?
5. Do basic softies and mushrooms need extra feeding or do they pick up stuff from fish eating in the water flow?

Sorry for all the questions but I want the coral additions to go as easy as the FOWLR did.

[dinor2]

First, congrats on your new reef! I am only 7 months into this myself and don't have all the answers but can tell you what has worked for my tank and what I've learned here, which I'm sure you'll get more very experienced reefers replying as well.

In my 55gal, I do weekly water changes of 6gallons which does the job of replacing the elements that my corals need because of the 6 fresh gallons of salt water. Mind you, I only have four baby corals so it's something I'll have to track as I add corals and calcium consumption increases. I only add 2 drops of iodine/wk, about three days after my water change.

As for my salinity, I used to have it at 1.026 but now it's a steady 1.024 and everyone seems to be happy.

Testing: I test these parameters weekly: ph, alkalinity, dhk, phosphates, nitrates. I test daily, salinity, temp. and ammonia(for ammonia, I have an alert badge in the tank.)

Back to water changes, I find that weekly ones work best for me. I do not have a sump but an overflow/refugium. I'll syphon at the middle or close to the bottom of the main tank all but a half gallon, the last half that comes out comes out of the overflow to help keep that part of the tank clean as well. But it's where most of my pods thrive so I take a turkey baster and use that to take some near the top of the overflow. It would be easier to just drain your sump, but, I would do the same with a sump as I'm doing now if I had a sump. The majority from the dt, and some from the sump.

Also, be sure to use reverse osmosis/distilled water for your reef. Freshwater does fine with tap but reefs are much more delicate and need pure clean water. This also cuts down on algae growth. Softies seem to do well mostly with the lighting, as long as you have about 3-5watts per gallon (this can vary though depending on what type of lights you have and if they have individual reflectors!). My softies are doing well without supplamental feeding.

Keep doing your research on the critters you want to stock in your tank. And keep us posted of your progress, we love pictures and seeing eachothers tanks!

[Taras1]

Matt

I'm hoping that you did not mean 1.21 for a pH. The pH is a measure of acidity and should be about 8.2 - 8.4.

Salinity can be measured by Specific Gravity (SG) and is usually 1.021 - 1.027 (ususally around 1.025). This is a measure of "salt content" in your sea water. Reefs tend to be on the higher side due to evaporation effects.

Regarding water changes -- you'll get all sorts of advice ranging from 25% of your water on a monthly basis to 5 - 10% on a weekly basis. It depends on the amount of time you have, kind of filtration, livestock (bioload) and water parameters. Once the tank is stable, about 6-9 mos, I've found that you should not have to to a lot of "tinkering."

My 90 is about 12 -14 mos old and appears to be quite stable. No it's not as pristine as some of the pix you see on the web, but my corals are growing, fish are happy and maroon clowns have laid about 2 sets of eggs. I do water changes every 4-6 weeks, about 15%, add only 2 part solution of Calcium and Alk, and Magnesium to keep my levels stable. I test once a week for salinity (1.026 - 1.028), pH, Alk, Ca, nitrates. Once a month, I test additionally for Mg, and Phosphates. I do keep a test kit for ammonia and nitrites and test before adding new livestock and then a day or two after adding livestock, as well as after doing a "major cleaning."

IMHO, a sump, good protein skimmer and refugium is a key to your stability. Additionally, pick up "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists" by Fenner (about $30 on Amazon.com). It's a great reference telling you all about how to set up and maintain a reef aquarium.

[Taras1]

PS Softies, mushrooms and buttons are mostly photosynthetic but require only about 3 watts/gal lighting. Again, do your research before buying. Some do require target feeding. Once your tank is established, it will grow all sorts of microscopic and macroscopic critters ("Live Rock") which help feed these animals. This is also where a refugium comes in. It'll grow all sorts of critters and if you plumb it so the water goes directly back into your tank, your livestock will have a continuous source of food in addition to your daily feedings.

[NOSAJ214]

Well Matt As Dana Said Congrats On Your Starting Of A Mini Reef.

Now I Have Been In This Hobby For About5 Years Now.some People Will Have Their Own Oppinions On How To Do Things,and Some Will Think They Absolutley Have All The Answers.but To Start Off With Some Of Your Questions,if You Are Using A 90 Gallon Tank,i Would Recomend Doing Weekly 10 Gallon Water Changes.thats What I Do On My 90.as Far As Keeping Corals,investigate Before You Buy What You Are Interested In.this Will Make The Acclimation Process Much Easier Instead Of Just Buying A Piece And Then Finding Out It Is Not Rite For Your System.softies Generally Need Light,most Dont Take In Any Foods Just Natural Elements In The Water.

In The Beginning You Will Need To Use Some Additives To Get The Reef Paramiters Proper,such As Calcium,strontium ,iodine,and A Myriad Of Others If You Choose To.but Dont Go Crazy.patience Is The Most Important Thing.reefs Dont Form Over Night,or Days,or Weeks.in The Real World It Takes Hundreds Of Years,but Anyway Stay Patient.

My First Suggestion Would Be To Get Yourself A Two Part Additive System,such As Bi-onic Or Kents Tech Cb Part A And Part B.these Will Help You Start To Build The Essentials Such As Forming Corraline Algae,if Dont Already Have Some In The Tank Or On The Rocks.i Would Then Use These Products Daily For About 3 Months At The Recommended Dosage.after That You Can Slow Down To A Couple Times A Week.

Anyway I Am Tired Of Typing But Dont Hesitate To Ask Questions.you Will Always Get An Answer On This Site.nativeman Is A Very Good Person To Ask Questions,and He Will Be More Than Happy To Answer What He Can.

This Is What Is My Tank
5 Different Colonies Of Zooanthids
1 Kryptonite Branching Hammer Coral (lps)
1 Normal Green Branching Hammer
1 Large Brown Colt Coral (softie)
2 Clusters Of Sun Polyps (lps)
15 Super Red Mushrooms
1 Neon Green Birdnest (sps)
Metallic Green Star Polyps
1 5" Purple Meat Coral
1 Exotic Brain Coral (lps)
1 Pink Plate Coral (lps)
1 Bubble Tip Anemone
1 Long Tentacle Anemone
1 Carnation Coral
About 50 Blue Leg Hermits
About 20 Scarlet Reef Hermits
About 30 Snails
1 Yellow Hawaiian Tang
1 Maroon Gold Stripe Clown (he Hosts The Bubble Tip Anemone)
1 Royal Gramma
1 Pearly Jawfish
1 Yellow Watchman Goby
1 Bar Goby
2 Sand Sifting Stars
1 Orange Linckia Star
1 6 Line Wrasse
Oh And A Finger Leather Coral
And Pulsing Xenia
And Last A Couple Pieces Of Ricordia

And If Anyone Can Please Tell Me How To Upload Pictures I Will Be More Than Happy To Do So,but Every Time I Do It Says The Pic Was Uploaded Succesfully But Nothing Ever Shows.thanks

And Good Luck To You Matt,enjoy Evry Minute Of It,just Remember Patience.

Sorry For The Novel.

[Bamaguy]

Doh!
I did mean my salinity not my PH was 1.21. What I was asking was the best method for bringing the salinity up to around 1.25.
I don't have a refugium, just a sump with LR and some live sand but I can see little critters moving around at night when the lights go off. I might add a refugium soon.
For water changes I understand the basic premise but was wondering how people did theirs more than when they did it. I was thinking that pulling the sump water would be less disturbing to the tank than pulling from the top but wasn't sure?
I've posted a few pics of the progress in the reef building section. (See link below)
I’ve got a pretty good idea of what types of coral I can keep. My lights are a little on the low side so probably just some mushrooms and zoa and such. If I do OK, I might try stoney corals down the road. I mainly just wanted to make sure what I should add and test for that was different from a FOWLR tank. Thanks for the advice!

http://www.reefbuilders.com/forums/r...excursion.html

[Bamaguy]

Originally Posted by NOSAJ214

Well Matt As Dana Said Congrats On Your Starting Of A Mini Reef.

Now I Have Been In This Hobby For About5 Years Now.some People Will Have Their Own Oppinions On How To Do Things,and Some Will Think They Absolutley Have All The Answers.but To Start Off With Some Of Your Questions,if You Are Using A 90 Gallon Tank,i Would Recomend Doing Weekly 10 Gallon Water Changes.thats What I Do On My 90.as Far As Keeping Corals,investigate Before You Buy What You Are Interested In.this Will Make The Acclimation Process Much Easier Instead Of Just Buying A Piece And Then Finding Out It Is Not Rite For Your System.softies Generally Need Light,most Dont Take In Any Foods Just Natural Elements In The Water.

In The Beginning You Will Need To Use Some Additives To Get The Reef Paramiters Proper,such As Calcium,strontium ,iodine,and A Myriad Of Others If You Choose To.but Dont Go Crazy.patience Is The Most Important Thing.reefs Dont Form Over Night,or Days,or Weeks.in The Real World It Takes Hundreds Of Years,but Anyway Stay Patient.

My First Suggestion Would Be To Get Yourself A Two Part Additive System,such As Bi-onic Or Kents Tech Cb Part A And Part B.these Will Help You Start To Build The Essentials Such As Forming Corraline Algae,if Dont Already Have Some In The Tank Or On The Rocks.i Would Then Use These Products Daily For About 3 Months At The Recommended Dosage.after That You Can Slow Down To A Couple Times A Week.

Anyway I Am Tired Of Typing But Dont Hesitate To Ask Questions.you Will Always Get An Answer On This Site.nativeman Is A Very Good Person To Ask Questions,and He Will Be More Than Happy To Answer What He Can.

This Is What Is My Tank
5 Different Colonies Of Zooanthids
1 Kryptonite Branching Hammer Coral (lps)
1 Normal Green Branching Hammer
1 Large Brown Colt Coral (softie)
2 Clusters Of Sun Polyps (lps)
15 Super Red Mushrooms
1 Neon Green Birdnest (sps)
Metallic Green Star Polyps
1 5" Purple Meat Coral
1 Exotic Brain Coral (lps)
1 Pink Plate Coral (lps)
1 Bubble Tip Anemone
1 Long Tentacle Anemone
1 Carnation Coral
About 50 Blue Leg Hermits
About 20 Scarlet Reef Hermits
About 30 Snails
1 Yellow Hawaiian Tang
1 Maroon Gold Stripe Clown (he Hosts The Bubble Tip Anemone)
1 Royal Gramma
1 Pearly Jawfish
1 Yellow Watchman Goby
1 Bar Goby
2 Sand Sifting Stars
1 Orange Linckia Star
1 6 Line Wrasse
Oh And A Finger Leather Coral
And Pulsing Xenia
And Last A Couple Pieces Of Ricordia

And If Anyone Can Please Tell Me How To Upload Pictures I Will Be More Than Happy To Do So,but Every Time I Do It Says The Pic Was Uploaded Succesfully But Nothing Ever Shows.thanks

And Good Luck To You Matt,enjoy Evry Minute Of It,just Remember Patience.

Sorry For The Novel.

No, I like novels
Great stuff from everybody so far. If my rock already has coralline will the dosing still be the same? I am still only seeing brown algae growth but I just added new lights and was using a strip light before.
I'm in no big hurry to add a coral since I am enjoying the fish side alot so I'm cool with getting the water improved to a point for coral addition slowly.
My tank is a month old. Aside from getting the water correct should I also let the tank mature more before adding a coral?
Thanks for the advice!

[Bamaguy]

Originally Posted by Taras1

Matt

I'm hoping that you did not mean 1.21 for a pH. The pH is a measure of acidity and should be about 8.2 - 8.4.

Salinity can be measured by Specific Gravity (SG) and is usually 1.021 - 1.027 (ususally around 1.025). This is a measure of "salt content" in your sea water. Reefs tend to be on the higher side due to evaporation effects.

Regarding water changes -- you'll get all sorts of advice ranging from 25% of your water on a monthly basis to 5 - 10% on a weekly basis. It depends on the amount of time you have, kind of filtration, livestock (bioload) and water parameters. Once the tank is stable, about 6-9 mos, I've found that you should not have to to a lot of "tinkering."

My 90 is about 12 -14 mos old and appears to be quite stable. No it's not as pristine as some of the pix you see on the web, but my corals are growing, fish are happy and maroon clowns have laid about 2 sets of eggs. I do water changes every 4-6 weeks, about 15%, add only 2 part solution of Calcium and Alk, and Magnesium to keep my levels stable. I test once a week for salinity (1.026 - 1.028), pH, Alk, Ca, nitrates. Once a month, I test additionally for Mg, and Phosphates. I do keep a test kit for ammonia and nitrites and test before adding new livestock and then a day or two after adding livestock, as well as after doing a "major cleaning."

IMHO, a sump, good protein skimmer and refugium is a key to your stability. Additionally, pick up "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists" by Fenner (about $30 on Amazon.com). It's a great reference telling you all about how to set up and maintain a reef aquarium.

I've heard alot of people mention that book. I just blew out my money this week on lights and some percula clowns but will definitely pick that up next weekend. I've got a sump and a good protein skimmer already but not a refugium. My space is a little cramped but I will look into it and see what I can come up with. Basically I need a tank, LS, some LR and some Chaeto (?), a light, and a way (pump?) to get water back and forth to my sump?

[Taras1]

Originally Posted by Bamaguy

... I've got a sump and a good protein skimmer already but not a refugium. My space is a little cramped but I will look into it and see what I can come up with. Basically I need a tank, LS, some LR and some Chaeto (?), a light, and a way (pump?) to get water back and forth to my sump?

You got it!

Here's a link where you can get a unit where there's a sump/refugium/return area. Ameka Aquatics
This is the model I got for my 90 gal.

Ameka Aquatics

and love it. I added the Mag 12 pump and a cheap "Toms Aquarium Light." Chaeto didn't do too well in my setup and I got some free Caulerpa which took over the refugium. I am pretty diligent to trim it back, because the stuff can go "sexual" and really foul the tank up.

Definitely get the book when you can. Save up for a refugium/sump combination, or look on the DIY area for some plans or links. They don't have to be fancy, unless you want to display the refugium as part of an ecosystem. (Personally, I love to open the bottom of my cabinet and watch the life in there as well. My wife thinks I'm strange watching the pods swim around and get sucked into the intake to feed my tank at dusk)