albertthiel Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 thats the only thing i didnt do was aerate it, i just kinda mixed it up because it was late and i forgot to buy a airstone. i brought my sample to the LFS and he said everything looks ok. Although in the end im not sure if he actually tested for phosphate. (he was saying something how a little phosphate will only cause a algae problem if anything) and since i dont have that issue and its not really high i should be ok. whether or not this guy knew what he was talking about is anyones guess. its hit or miss with these guys. other then that he said he didnt find any nitrates, PH, ammonia or anything else. my salinity was a little on the low side for reefs. i also told him i found phosphate in the saltwater i made using their RO water and IO reef salt. He said he dont know but there should be little to no phosphate or nitrate in their water or the salt mix. one thing i will be doing is cutting the clownfish feeding down to once every other day instead of daily in hopes that it was causing the phosphate issue. Thanks for the update and yes it sounds like he may not have done a lot of testing as I am sure there is nitrate and phosphate in your tank water ... there should be none in the RO/DI but sometimes depending on how well the treatment units are being maintained there may be some ... After you mix IO I think you will find some nitrates and phosphates as well, not much but there will be, and there will also be silicates. All of that is kind of what happens with most salts though so nothing unusual. Good filtration and algae in the tank will get rid of all of that eventually so I would not worry about it unless the levels get high. You may want to get a good test kit for saltwater and test everything yourself and see what you come up with and then post it here maybe, or on my thread Albert Link to comment
Old Gregg Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 If you're using the API Reefmaster testkit for phosphates then it probably won't be giving anywhere near accurate results because it's nowhere near precise enough. But yeah you're clown might be a wee bit large for the tank, if not physically, then biologically. A new tank just can't naturally filter the waste yet, so you'll need large water changes like this frequently. Hey did you ever scoop the sand out or did you chicken out ;P Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Albert, thank you for the info as always! Gregg, yes i am using the API test kit. Maybe i will invest in a better one. and i may have to trade or give the clown away. Maybe trade to get my first small piece of coral. and YES and NO about the sand lol...i did siphon out a lot but i did chicken out when it came to lifting the live rock and removing some of the sand under it. so now the deepest sand is under the rocks. not only im a noob but this tank is tiny! so everything's tough to do in it. Link to comment
albertthiel Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Albert, thank you for the info as always! Gregg, yes i am using the API test kit. Maybe i will invest in a better one. and i may have to trade or give the clown away. Maybe trade to get my first small piece of coral. and YES and NO about the sand lol...i did siphon out a lot but i did chicken out when it came to lifting the live rock and removing some of the sand under it. so now the deepest sand is under the rocks. not only im a noob but this tank is tiny! so everything's tough to do in it. Thanks for the update and if you have any questions that you think I can help you with just let me know, on my thread or here Albert Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Thanks for the update and if you have any questions that you think I can help you with just let me know, on my thread or here Albert really appreciate all your help Link to comment
albertthiel Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 really appreciate all your help U R welcome Link to comment
Old Gregg Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Hehe perhaps I'll invest in a better one too someday. I'd like to know what my phosphate is up to, too =) Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 might as well ask... anyone have any suggestions on the type of coral to get first? i know that with this stock lighting i will only be able to do certain kinds but im up for suggestions Link to comment
seabass Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Hehe perhaps I'll invest in a better one too someday. I'd like to know what my phosphate is up to, too =)I'm currently using a Hanna phosphate checker. Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 I'm currently using a Hanna phosphate checker. thats nice and not that expensive. wish everything was digital and that easy Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 TANK UPDATE 7/18/12 Tank is 1 month 1 week old now. Everything is doing great. I had some phosphate and nitrate about a week ago but i did my weekly water change today and all is good. Nitrate=0 Nitrite=0 Amn=0 Phosphate=0 Calcium=460 KH=196.9 My salinity was a little low last week so i topped off a little this week with some saltwater i made and the salinity looks good now too. seems like im starting to learn LIVESTOCK UPDATE The clown was added a few weeks ago is doing good. I am trying to trade him locally because i think he might end up too big for the tank. I got a fire shrimp about 2 weeks ago. I really wanted little sexy shrimps but no LFS ever had them. He may be too big for the tank as well. His tentacles alone take about a lot of room haha. CORAL- so i got my first piece of coral ever last night! just a frag of some green zoas. They stayed closed all night but by the time I got home from work today some were open. However, everytime the fire shrimp is near it touches them with his tentacles and they close right up. And hes a very curious fire shrimp. Despite what Ive read about them he stays out in the open and is very active.....maybe too much....which is why I may try to trade him to a local reefer as well QUESTION- Will the zoas eventually just get used to the shrimp and stay open or will I always have this problem? oh and PICS! Link to comment
albertthiel Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 TANK UPDATE7/18/12 Tank is 1 month 1 week old now. Everything is doing great. I had some phosphate and nitrate about a week ago but i did my weekly water change today and all is good. Nitrate=0 Nitrite=0 Amn=0 Phosphate=0 Calcium=460 KH=196.9 My salinity was a little low last week so i topped off a little this week with some saltwater i made and the salinity looks good now too. seems like im starting to learn LIVESTOCK UPDATE The clown was added a few weeks ago is doing good. I am trying to trade him locally because i think he might end up too big for the tank. I got a fire shrimp about 2 weeks ago. I really wanted little sexy shrimps but no LFS ever had them. He may be too big for the tank as well. His tentacles alone take about a lot of room haha. CORAL- so i got my first piece of coral ever last night! just a frag of some green zoas. They stayed closed all night but by the time I got home from work today some were open. However, everytime the fire shrimp is near it touches them with his tentacles and they close right up. And hes a very curious fire shrimp. Despite what Ive read about them he stays out in the open and is very active.....maybe too much....which is why I may try to trade him to a local reefer as well QUESTION- Will the zoas eventually just get used to the shrimp and stay open or will I always have this problem? oh and PICS! Yes indeed he sure seems very active ... Lysmata debelius are typically shy ... Normally they are not as active as you describe, so I wonder why yours is .. not enough food ? Possible Here is some more info : http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/fire-shrimp.html Albert Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Yes indeed he sure seems very active ... Lysmata debelius are typically shy ... Normally they are not as active as you describe, so I wonder why yours is .. not enough food ? Possible Here is some more info : http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/fire-shrimp.html Albert thanks....I am leaning more towards the tank being too small or not enough hiding spots. I do have a little cave area in the back but maybe its not too big for his liking. The only time I saw him hide was when I first put in the zoas. He stayed hidden in the cave part for about a hour and then went about his normal routine. Not much I can do to make him more room so I will try to trade him off asap. I already have a FS FT thread on here for him and the clown. Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 VIDEO of feeding. Feeding Fire Shrimp and Clown in Pico Link to comment
x3thelast Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 off to a pretty good start. I think a 4 gal is a pretty ideal size to start a pico. I have a clown in my 4 gal as well. He's about 1.5inch and is hosting a fungia. He doesn't really swim around much besides feeding time. I feed him pellets about every two days and when I feed my corals he gets some mysis as well that he shares with the fungia. keep up the good work. Keep posting update pictures weekly! Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 off to a pretty good start. I think a 4 gal is a pretty ideal size to start a pico. I have a clown in my 4 gal as well. He's about 1.5inch and is hosting a fungia. He doesn't really swim around much besides feeding time. I feed him pellets about every two days and when I feed my corals he gets some mysis as well that he shares with the fungia. keep up the good work. Keep posting update pictures weekly! thanks man! will do! and yea the clown is not a problem at the moment. But this fire shrimp is too big. I really need to find a local reefer to trade him to. I dont want to give him to the LFS because i paid $40 for him! Link to comment
x3thelast Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 thanks man! will do! and yea the clown is not a problem at the moment. But this fire shrimp is too big. I really need to find a local reefer to trade him to. I dont want to give him to the LFS because i paid $40 for him! I've never been a fan of shrimps anyway. They go crazy one day and may start eating corals. I had a peppermint once, started to munch a bit on a zoa patch. My sixline went ape $h!t and killed it and the hermits ate it. lol Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I've never been a fan of shrimps anyway. They go crazy one day and may start eating corals. I had a peppermint once, started to munch a bit on a zoa patch. My sixline went ape $h!t and killed it and the hermits ate it. lol HAHA thats crazy! yea hes already messing with my new zoas. lil bastad is wild! Link to comment
albertthiel Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 VIDEO of feeding. Feeding Fire Shrimp and Clown in Pico That shrimp must have been starved looking at how it is feeding .... wow Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 That shrimp must have been starved looking at how it is feeding .... wow haha thats how he eats all the time! like a mad man, doing cartwheels and stuff.....even when i was feeding every day a pinch of flakes is enough for him and the clown right? i do that every other day Link to comment
albertthiel Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 haha thats how he eats all the time! like a mad man, doing cartwheels and stuff.....even when i was feeding every day a pinch of flakes is enough for him and the clown right? i do that every other day Whatever they eat in a few minutes is what I go by ... if all you put in the tank gets eaten then you are fine IMO Albert Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 Question..... I came home today to all 3 of astrea snails dead and 1 of 2 of my cerith snails dead in my 4g pico. the astrea all looked like they died in place. 2 against the glass and turned over on the sand. the cerith snail was turned over on the sand being eaten by 3 hermit crabs. weird that they all died today though. I worry because last night i added some polyps and a little piece of devils finger leather I got from a local reefer I met. Could that of caused something? Also the first frag of zoas has not opened up since I moved it around last night when added the others. I hope i didnt cause this. Link to comment
djfrankn Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Question..... I came home today to all 3 of astrea snails dead and 1 of 2 of my cerith snails dead in my 4g pico. the astrea all looked like they died in place. 2 against the glass and turned over on the sand. the cerith snail was turned over on the sand being eaten by 3 hermit crabs. weird that they all died today though. I worry because last night i added some polyps and a little piece of devils finger leather I got from a local reefer I met. Could that of caused something? Also the first frag of zoas has not opened up since I moved it around last night when added the others. I hope i didnt cause this. Please provide water parameters. Frank. Link to comment
ny300z Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 should i remove the dead snails right away? Checked everything Nitrate=0 Nitrite=0 Amm=0 Phosphate=0 CA=460 KH=179 Salinity 1.025 Link to comment
seabass Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 should i remove the dead snails right away?If they are dead, get them out now. Link to comment
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