The Ugly Details

[lawdoginc]

Well,

I did not research the whole Nano-reef thing enough. I took the word of a local fish store owner who in hind sight was just making a buck off me. At first I had an eclipse 6 with the stock lighting. In it I had a Maroon clown, Pygmy Angel, Catalina goby, and a Blue Damsel. I also had a Gonipora and plate coral. WAY TO MUCH AND THE WRONG STUFF. I posted a thread when I first found the board and listed the items inj my tank. I GOT FLAMED SO BAD I AM STILL APPLYING BURN CREAM. I took advice given and got rid of all but my Maroon Clown. I then got an Alife 7 because I have read so many good things about them on the board. The clown was small and I would have given him away when he got big.

Well everything was going along ok. I read on the boards that alot of you guys use B-Ionic so I went and got some. My PH must have been low and of course like an ass I didn't check it. When I added the B-ionic it spiked the ph and whacked everything.

So I am starting over but really feel like crap. I have my original live rock and sandbed. Give me advice on how to do it all right this time. I will be very grateful.

Lawdog

[LEEWINK]

reset as you will, don't add bottled stuff, too much hassle and you can't on most occasion get the dosing right (been there, done it!), just keep to regular water changes and your levels will not depreciate too much to worry about, say every week or two, but schedule them as its important to your contents of the tank to have a system of changes too, they can adapt to regular change but could be harmed by irregular.

 

by all means though, feed if you do with liquid foods etc as normal.

 

At home now, i have every conceivable additive bottle, just getting dusty now.

 

cheers,

lee

:) :)

[printerdown01]

Well you have an Alife, LR, and LS ... so you are off to a good start . A few questions: What lighting on the Alife, the 27 or the 13?? This will make a big difference... Also are you doing a DSB, and what size of grain are you using for sand? I agree with Lee, it is much safer and easier to replenish trace elements with water changes. I am not discouraging dosing... but I do think that people who are new to reefs entirely should hold off until they are a little more comfortable with everything. I know exactly how you feel, crashing your first reef and everything (been there done that... years ago... but I still remember it vividly!). Trust me you are not the only person to do this (I think every "experienced" reefer has a couple under their belt). Not to mention have been the subject of bad, and even VERY bad fish store advice!! Unfortunately, you learned the hard way -as I did- that it is much safer to get the opinions of LOTS of people (even if they differ) than the opinion of one... and sometimes the opinion of many can be bad advice too ... -sorry, but it is true... I say start off with some easy stuff to boost your confidence -which I am sure isn't exactly sky high right now!! After your Alife cycles (although it might have done this already) go out and pick up something like a neon goby and some shrooms (no worries they can be pretty, you don't have to buy some "easier" brown shrooms). Other easy stuff: star-polyps, button-polyps, zoanthids, xenia (so long as you provide current). -ooh ooh, that reminds me: I would yank the PH that is in the back of the Alife and replace it with a Rio 600. This will be all the circulation you will need (so long as your rock work is open) I promise!! Don't freak out if you kill an "easy to keep coral" either! It might not be your fault!! My tank has killed 2 colonies of star-polyps, and I know another guy who just can't keep buttons alive!! Not to mention that some corals that are "difficult" to keep can grow like weeds in some tanks (it all depends on the particular colony). "Easy to keep" is a generalization. Sorry, there is just so much stuff that I don't really know where to begin and or end, for that matter... Is there anything in particular that you are looking for??

[LEEWINK]

well put printer, good job.

 

THAT BLOODY CHEERS BLOKE AGAIN,

 

lee

 

:D :D

[lawdoginc]

I have the Alife with the 27 watts of PC lighting. I will replace the powerhead tomorrow. I am not going to dose anything anymore, just high quality water and 10-15% changes. Thanks for the encouragement. I will be getting everyones opinion on the firsr fish to add.

Lawdog

[Bocephous]

First fish and really the only fish shouldn't be added untill the tank is stable across the board. Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate values of 0.0ppm. Now as for what fish to add, Clowns are very popular and have tons of personality, I love my little ocelaris. Maroons as you know get big, I think the Ocelaris and Perculas stay the smallest in the clown family.

 

If you want multiple fish you have to go smaller. Maybe a small goby and a small psedochromis. A 7gallon reef will support about 4" of fish max imo.

 

The main focal point of a reef is the corals, not the fish.

 

Best of luck,

Bocephous

[MKramer]

printerdown, I thought I was the only person with the star polyps woes. That makes me feel better. Mine were spreading like crazy and coming out all day, every day. Then one day I noticed around 1pm that they weren't out. "Odd," I thought. But then they never came out again. It's been a week now. Occasionally I'll see one tiny star in the whole mat, but it'll disappear within an hour or so, never to be seen again.

 

It's depressing. Meanwhile, in the same tank, clowns spawn, a near-dead trumpet coral has coem to life and is splitting, a bleached & dyed colt is regaining its brown coloring, and torch continues to grow, and fragged ricordia grow overnight.

 

I think some things will just always remain a mystery.

[kimura]

As far as fish, Well I have only one false perc in my 12g. And he is totally spoiled. He'll only eat if I hand feed him. I have to hold the food between my fingers before he'll eat it. Otherwise he'll swim by it and ignore the food. What a brat!!!

[tinyreef]

MKramer,

me too! i have two GSP daughter colonies. one is thriving the other is half-dying & half-thriving. the right side has been receding (dying) but the left side keeps growing out to the left. problem is that the right side has been gaining the past month. the other good colony is right above it too. ??? i know i should just carve its butt up like surgery (it's an infection of some sort in the mat i think) but it's over some 'real' fiji LR and a b*tch to follow along with a knife. LAS

 

what're you using as makeup water? my last brush with GSP die-off (before this) was because of questionable makeup water.

 

Bocephous,

i agree with you. fish are overrated. my new nano still doesn't have a fish (10 months now).

 

Lawdog,

as printer says almost everyone pops their cherry sooner or later. i don't know anyone who's golden right from the start. maybe for a few months to a year and then whammo! climate/seasonal changes, bioload limits, detritus limits, chemical buildup, etc.