New reefer hoping for comments & identification.

[Mike7323]

I recently got my first saltwater aquarium.  It is a Fluval 13.5 gal that I purchased off offer up.  The previous owner had had a large 50 gallon tank and downsized to this Fluval and moved what he could into it.  He moved again and had no space for it so he sold everything he had from the previous tank as well as this one.  I'm starting to get the hang of it and have been by my lfs multiple times but was wondering if any one had any ideas about some of the species or if there is anything I should change in my setup. I've already been told that the damsel is a jerk and I need to give him away if I want to get any other fish. Also, if anyone has a rough estimate of value, with an additional 2 550 gph pumps from larger tank, aquatech ro, and assorted acces.  I'm not at all interested in selling it, just want to see if I won the coral lottery as greatly as I feel I have.  Thanks for any advice  anyone can provide.  I

[WV Reefer]

4 minutes ago, Mike7323 said:

I recently got my first saltwater aquarium.  It is a Fluval 13.5 gal that I purchased off offer up.  The previous owner had had a large 50 gallon tank and downsized to this Fluval and moved what he could into it.  He moved again and had no space for it so he sold everything he had from the previous tank as well as this one.  I'm starting to get the hang of it and have been by my lfs multiple times but was wondering if any one had any ideas about some of the species or if there is anything I should change in my setup. I've already been told that the damsel is a jerk and I need to give him away if I want to get any other fish. Also, if anyone has a rough estimate of value, with an additional 2 550 gph pumps from larger tank, aquatech ro, and assorted acces.  I'm not at all interested in selling it, just want to see if I won the coral lottery as greatly as I feel I have.  Thanks for any advice  anyone can provide.  I

Looks like a good start. Most of the Corals look pretty basic and perfect for a new hobbyist.  The damsel May be a problem with other fish but will be fine if he’s the only one.   

[A Little Blue]

Whatever the value it might be is irrelevant. I would gladly answer some maintenance Qs tho. Seems like something you should be concerned about at this stage. Water parameters, Aiptasi, Vermedit snails, all those shells after dead snails/crabs, nuisance algae, all that should keep you busy for a while. At least until you really get a hang of it. 

[banasophia]

Congrats on your first saltwater tank. You have some nice corals in there already to start out with... not sure about value. 

 

I think the challenge is that you already have livestock in there so you’ll need to learn quickly how to care for the tank. 

 

Have you figured out what you’re going to do for your water, for both your saltwater and your freshwater top offs? How about temp control? Feeding, light schedule, and also  getting a cleaning magnet like a Flipper Nano to clean the glass would be all the first things I would focus on. 

 

Not sure how much you’ve already figured out, so let us know so we know where to focus to help. 

[Mike7323]

Feeding was one of my major questions.  I've got reef roids, and thus far I've fed them twice.  I've read two to three times a week?  Do coral have a particular behavior they display when hungry?  So far I've mixed roughly an eighth of a teaspoon of reef roids with a bit of tank water and then used a syringe with a piece of tubing on the end to distribute it over them. I noticed this morning that my plate had eaten a hermit crab.  Is that normal, or is he hungry?  And do they normally get larger later in the day? When I get home from work he seems to have expanded a couple inches in diameter. Goes back to normal overnight.  Just a feeding habit?

For water I've gone to my lfs, and an aquatech ro buddie came with it, but it seems like overkill to get the fresh water I need.  Lfs said water was perfect when I had it tested yesterday.  What should I do for the top offs of fresh?  The buddie seems like a lot of work for what I would think I'd need.  Also along with water, how paranoid do I need to be about cleaning my hands and the turkey baster and things I use in the tank before I put them in?  So far I've been (washing hands) rinsing hands and tools with charcoal filtered water/vinegar mix, then rinse with salt water I bought at lfs.  For things I'm getting close to the coral, I'll add dipping it in where the pump is.  Am I crazy? Is there "new coral syndrome" like new mother syndrome?  

My lighting schedule so far is 12-14 hrs on with a ramp up and down period.  I know it's a bit long from what I've read, but it's hard to have it off when I've just gotten it. I'm using the stock lighting and it looks as if everything likes it, but I'm considering upgrading in the future. 

Thanks for the advice about cleaning out all the dead snails and other debris.  I have been hesitant to add or remove anything because of how well it has turned out from just starting up.  I'm still learning and wasn't sure if their Decay was part of the life cycle of the tank.  I didn't change water after moving, because I didn't want to disturb such an established tank.  Could have been the wrong move, but I'm happy with the results.  Ill attach before and after pics. Moved it into position Friday afternoon, and the second pic was earlier today.  Thank you everyone for all your help and advice. 

[WV Reefer]

17 minutes ago, Mike7323 said:

Feeding was one of my major questions.  I've got reef roids, and thus far I've fed them twice.  I've read two to three times a week?  Do coral have a particular behavior they display when hungry?  So far I've mixed roughly an eighth of a teaspoon of reef roids with a bit of tank water and then used a syringe with a piece of tubing on the end to distribute it over them. I noticed this morning that my plate had eaten a hermit crab.  Is that normal, or is he hungry?  And do they normally get larger later in the day? When I get home from work he seems to have expanded a couple inches in diameter. Goes back to normal overnight.  Just a feeding habit?

For water I've gone to my lfs, and an aquatech ro buddie came with it, but it seems like overkill to get the fresh water I need.  Lfs said water was perfect when I had it tested yesterday.  What should I do for the top offs of fresh?  The buddie seems like a lot of work for what I would think I'd need.  Also along with water, how paranoid do I need to be about cleaning my hands and the turkey baster and things I use in the tank before I put them in?  So far I've been (washing hands) rinsing hands and tools with charcoal filtered water/vinegar mix, then rinse with salt water I bought at lfs.  For things I'm getting close to the coral, I'll add dipping it in where the pump is.  Am I crazy? Is there "new coral syndrome" like new mother syndrome?  

My lighting schedule so far is 12-14 hrs on with a ramp up and down period.  I know it's a bit long from what I've read, but it's hard to have it off when I've just gotten it. I'm using the stock lighting and it looks as if everything likes it, but I'm considering upgrading in the future. 

Thanks for the advice about cleaning out all the dead snails and other debris.  I have been hesitant to add or remove anything because of how well it has turned out from just starting up.  I'm still learning and wasn't sure if their Decay was part of the life cycle of the tank.  I didn't change water after moving, because I didn't want to disturb such an established tank.  Could have been the wrong move, but I'm happy with the results.  Ill attach before and after pics. Moved it into position Friday afternoon, and the second pic was earlier today.  Thank you everyone for all your help and advice. 

 

I would go easy on the coral feeding until you get a feel for things.  The fastest way to algae is overfeeding.  

 

Plate corals expand and deflate all the time.  They can also move if they do not like where they are at in the tank.  

 

An RO buddy seems perfect for making water in this size tank. You will want to top off with fresh RO water.   

[paneubert]

In that size tank the Three Stripe Damsel might cause trouble with other fish, but maybe not.  Depends on what the other fish are.  I have three of them in a 40 gallon.  And some other small groups of damsels as well......they all get along so far.

[Tamberav]

 Nice start... Cost of corals varies greatly on location... That green plate is around 40 bucks here. My plate would eat small snails sometimes. It would probably like something meaty like mysis. Don't overfeed... You don't really even have to.... Certainly water quality first and feed sparingly if able. 

 

I just wash my hands in the sink with hot water... It's no problem... You just don't want leftover soap or lotion ect on your hands. Corals can handle a lot of bullshit though. 

[12scanlon]

 

19 hours ago, Mike7323 said:

Feeding was one of my major questions.  I've got reef roids, and thus far I've fed them twice.  I've read two to three times a week?  Do coral have a particular behavior they display when hungry?  So far I've mixed roughly an eighth of a teaspoon of reef roids with a bit of tank water and then used a syringe with a piece of tubing on the end to distribute it over them. 

I only feed reef roids once a week at max. Overfeeding reef roids in a system that small will shoot your nitrates up extremely quick.

 

11 hours ago, Tamberav said:

 Nice start... Cost of corals varies greatly on location... That green plate is around 40 bucks here.

 

Plates where I live go for around $150. I’ve always wanted a plate, but can’t stomach paying $150 for one coral when I can get Zoas, mushrooms, and Euphyllia for that price.

[specore]

If you got it for less than $300 you got a great deal.  Without knowing exactly what is in your system I would guess one could easily spend $500+ to get a similar setup going. 

[Mike7323]

Thanks for the feeding advice everyone.  I'm also happy to learn I don't have to fully sterilize myself like a brain surgeon before working in the tank!  The more I speak with people who are knowledgeable about this subject, the more I realize how much of a gift I was given by the previous owner of this system.  It's obvious now his intent was to introduce someone to a hobby he loved and was not worried about the money aspect of it.  In addition to the pictured tank and  livestock, he also gave me two larger 550 GPH pumps, a di/ro, and tons of maintenance, cleaning and feeding supplies.  He only asked $80.  If he is at all representative of the reefer community, it looks like this is an amazing hobby to pick up.  

One new question, what's going on with my plate coral in this pic?  Could be wishful thinking, but I swear that horn looking part keeps  wiggling independently like it's trying to break away.  I don't want to count chickens, but it's acting similar to some I've seen in videos that end up doing something that would make me particularly happy...