Scott's 50g Reef
- Thread starter sroot17
- Start date
Thanks aznt!
I definitely plan on moving it up as soon as I can get my calc up and purchase my first corals.
Manhattan Aquariums on the west side. They have been really helpful and I'm lucky enough to work right around the corner from them.
New Additions!
So this past weekend I picked up a couple of new additions to the tank. Last week I picked up a yellow tang thinking I would keep it until it got too big and then return it to the store. Turns out that this guy although small enough for my tank, was way too territorial. After a day he had claimed all of the LR to himself and would not let the clowns anywhere near it or their favorite hang out spot. Being that I want a peaceful environment for everyone I was able to exchange him for a Royal Gramma and a very juvenile six line wrasse.
Did a couple of water changes this weekend and cleaned our my reactor and skimmer. I'm also looking to purchase some chemi pure elite to add to the reactor so I can get my phosphates down under .1ppm.
I can now see why dosing pumps are so popular! It doesn't seem like a lot of work but dosing three separate chemicals daily can be a pain... my magnesium is on the rise, about 1110 as of yesterday. I'm hoping with this getting up to acceptable levels that my calcium will finally start to rise. Calc levels were around 375 yesterday, up about 15ppm from a few days earlier but still aways away from the 430-440 range I'm looking for.
I'm also really thinking of ordering a bubble tip anemone from Blue Zoo for my clowns.
Is it bad that I am already dreaming of upgrading to a bigger tank with better lighting and a sump/fug?!?!?!
So this past weekend I picked up a couple of new additions to the tank. Last week I picked up a yellow tang thinking I would keep it until it got too big and then return it to the store. Turns out that this guy although small enough for my tank, was way too territorial. After a day he had claimed all of the LR to himself and would not let the clowns anywhere near it or their favorite hang out spot. Being that I want a peaceful environment for everyone I was able to exchange him for a Royal Gramma and a very juvenile six line wrasse.
Did a couple of water changes this weekend and cleaned our my reactor and skimmer. I'm also looking to purchase some chemi pure elite to add to the reactor so I can get my phosphates down under .1ppm.
I can now see why dosing pumps are so popular! It doesn't seem like a lot of work but dosing three separate chemicals daily can be a pain... my magnesium is on the rise, about 1110 as of yesterday. I'm hoping with this getting up to acceptable levels that my calcium will finally start to rise. Calc levels were around 375 yesterday, up about 15ppm from a few days earlier but still aways away from the 430-440 range I'm looking for.
I'm also really thinking of ordering a bubble tip anemone from Blue Zoo for my clowns.
Is it bad that I am already dreaming of upgrading to a bigger tank with better lighting and a sump/fug?!?!?!
- Location
- long island
tank looks very nice. start dosing the esv and then slowly add coral
- Location
- westchester ny
I hope that you have added most of the fish you plan on keeping already. I made the mistake of adding a sixline wrasse early in the game (there were a few stray flatworms that needed to be dealt with, and to his credit theres not a single one left) but hes cost me about $100 in fish he's killed. If hes still really small you might be ok but even mine at just over 2 inches has killed a strawberry pseudo, a neon gobie, two firefish, a green mandarin, and a psychedelic mandarin.
The strawberry pseudo i replaced the dead one with kept it super gangster and just laid low hiding in the rock work eating when and where he could until he was ready to stake his claim. I was lucky enough to be staring at the tank when it happened, i just put in some cyclopeeze and the strawberry went to eat and when the sixline went to chase him back in his hole, the strawberry turned around and beat the #$^% out of the wrasse, now they just ignore each other and the pseudo still sticks to the rocks but every once and a while he flexes on the wrasse. Since then the tank has been real calm and it seams like balance has been restored.
If you plan on adding more fish that are smaller than the wrasse try doing it at night, make sure its got somewhere to hide where the wrasse cant reach (i used a clump halimeda) and pay close attention to make sure the new fish is getting food.
I saw someone suggesting adding b ionic for a while before adding corals. I wouldnt reccomend that unless you are testing your dkh and calcium levels and are noticing that the levels are below what they should be. If you are using a good commercial salt (oceanic, esv, instant ocean, etc.) and staying on top of water changes your levels should be fine to start with. If you dose b ionic without any organisms to utilize it, its gonna throw off your calc and dkh levels and when you do add corals its gonna shock them.
tank is looking good so far... keep up the good work!
The strawberry pseudo i replaced the dead one with kept it super gangster and just laid low hiding in the rock work eating when and where he could until he was ready to stake his claim. I was lucky enough to be staring at the tank when it happened, i just put in some cyclopeeze and the strawberry went to eat and when the sixline went to chase him back in his hole, the strawberry turned around and beat the #$^% out of the wrasse, now they just ignore each other and the pseudo still sticks to the rocks but every once and a while he flexes on the wrasse. Since then the tank has been real calm and it seams like balance has been restored.
If you plan on adding more fish that are smaller than the wrasse try doing it at night, make sure its got somewhere to hide where the wrasse cant reach (i used a clump halimeda) and pay close attention to make sure the new fish is getting food.
I saw someone suggesting adding b ionic for a while before adding corals. I wouldnt reccomend that unless you are testing your dkh and calcium levels and are noticing that the levels are below what they should be. If you are using a good commercial salt (oceanic, esv, instant ocean, etc.) and staying on top of water changes your levels should be fine to start with. If you dose b ionic without any organisms to utilize it, its gonna throw off your calc and dkh levels and when you do add corals its gonna shock them.
tank is looking good so far... keep up the good work!
- Location
- westchester ny
sorry I hadnt read all the way through the post. Adding the b ionic to get your levels correct is the absolute right move. Since you have livestock in the tank make sure not to raise the mag more than 100 ppm a day.
Im not sure if you interested but I have a real thin coralife two bulb t5 fixture you could have, it will allow you to have a dawn dusk cycle and even though its not HO it adds a ton of light which is gonna help out if you decide to keep an anenome. You could also check out the solarmax 2x39w t5's. Its kind of a cheap fixture ($120ish) but the reflectors arent that bad and it comes with 6 lead moonlights and each bulb has it own switch. And the bottom line is it would be 6 hot5's on a 50g and you could keep just about w/e you want. Just spend a few bucks on high end bulbs.
I think the relationship between clowns and anenomes is one of the coolest things we as aquarium hobbyists can recreate. Tank raised occilarus clowns are not the easiest clowfish species to accomplish this with but it can def. be done. In the wild the live almost exclusively in Carpet Anenomes (notoriously diff to keep, they tend to move alot, can easily kill other fish in the tank and can damage and kill corals with their sting) If you did get a carpet, your set up would basically be a clownfish /w carpet tank. That could be really cool if you got a nice colored carpet... but a safer bet would prolly be a bubble tip or and lta. Just make sure that w/e anenome you get isnt white, alot of sebae's and lta's come into lfs completely bleached and most slowly starve.
I prefer LTA's cus everyone I've ever kept has basically stayed put and the one I have now doesnt leave the sand bed. Tank raised occilarus rarely show an immediate affinity to anenomes, and as such the instinct might need to be nurtured a little. If after introducing the anenome the ignore it, you can try buy one of those small plastic cages with the vented tops and putting the clownfish in with the anenome and setting the whole thing in the tank. With the close proximity the clownfish will inevidably touch the anenome, and sometimes this triggers the behavior.
Theyre are rumors I've heard from reefers that clownfish need alot of time to slowly acclimate to a specific anenome. This is simply not true, a healthy clown will have a protective slimecoat and can dart into any anenome at any time w/o adverse affects. My black occilarus darted into my lta the second they hit the water and havent really left it much since. Theres a perc in my lfs in a tank full of about 6 diff kinds of anenomes and he darts in and out of every one (his fav being a condy, if you can believe that) Good luck if you decide to try and recreate this symbiotic relationship in your aquarium.
ooo and if you the occilarus dont work out and you really want a clownfish/anenome combo, just about any other species of clown is more likely to utilize an anenome. There are tons of compatibility charts online to refer to. And be warned: clowns can get hyper aggressive when they decide to host in an anenome.
Im not sure if you interested but I have a real thin coralife two bulb t5 fixture you could have, it will allow you to have a dawn dusk cycle and even though its not HO it adds a ton of light which is gonna help out if you decide to keep an anenome. You could also check out the solarmax 2x39w t5's. Its kind of a cheap fixture ($120ish) but the reflectors arent that bad and it comes with 6 lead moonlights and each bulb has it own switch. And the bottom line is it would be 6 hot5's on a 50g and you could keep just about w/e you want. Just spend a few bucks on high end bulbs.
I think the relationship between clowns and anenomes is one of the coolest things we as aquarium hobbyists can recreate. Tank raised occilarus clowns are not the easiest clowfish species to accomplish this with but it can def. be done. In the wild the live almost exclusively in Carpet Anenomes (notoriously diff to keep, they tend to move alot, can easily kill other fish in the tank and can damage and kill corals with their sting) If you did get a carpet, your set up would basically be a clownfish /w carpet tank. That could be really cool if you got a nice colored carpet... but a safer bet would prolly be a bubble tip or and lta. Just make sure that w/e anenome you get isnt white, alot of sebae's and lta's come into lfs completely bleached and most slowly starve.
I prefer LTA's cus everyone I've ever kept has basically stayed put and the one I have now doesnt leave the sand bed. Tank raised occilarus rarely show an immediate affinity to anenomes, and as such the instinct might need to be nurtured a little. If after introducing the anenome the ignore it, you can try buy one of those small plastic cages with the vented tops and putting the clownfish in with the anenome and setting the whole thing in the tank. With the close proximity the clownfish will inevidably touch the anenome, and sometimes this triggers the behavior.
Theyre are rumors I've heard from reefers that clownfish need alot of time to slowly acclimate to a specific anenome. This is simply not true, a healthy clown will have a protective slimecoat and can dart into any anenome at any time w/o adverse affects. My black occilarus darted into my lta the second they hit the water and havent really left it much since. Theres a perc in my lfs in a tank full of about 6 diff kinds of anenomes and he darts in and out of every one (his fav being a condy, if you can believe that) Good luck if you decide to try and recreate this symbiotic relationship in your aquarium.
ooo and if you the occilarus dont work out and you really want a clownfish/anenome combo, just about any other species of clown is more likely to utilize an anenome. There are tons of compatibility charts online to refer to. And be warned: clowns can get hyper aggressive when they decide to host in an anenome.
Thanks adamt!!
The wrasse is a baby, only about an inch at most right now. I plan on adding a gobie and then maybe a couple of pj cardinals and that will be it for the livestock. I guess I should get those guys in soon before the sixline gets much bigger!
After much reading I am going to hold off for another few months before trying my hand at an anemone, it sounds like the more mature the tank is the better.
As for the lighting, I would love to take that t5 fixture off your hands if you are interested. Let me know and thats for all the advise.
The wrasse is a baby, only about an inch at most right now. I plan on adding a gobie and then maybe a couple of pj cardinals and that will be it for the livestock. I guess I should get those guys in soon before the sixline gets much bigger!
After much reading I am going to hold off for another few months before trying my hand at an anemone, it sounds like the more mature the tank is the better.
As for the lighting, I would love to take that t5 fixture off your hands if you are interested. Let me know and thats for all the advise.
- Location
- staten island,ny
i went to manhattan aquariums this weekend and that place is awsome the guy i spoke to (kevin i believe was his name ) was extremely helpful A++++ for that place
Just got home from work.
Lost my six line today and a turbo. The six lines body was in the sand pretty torn up I'm guessing from my CUC. The turbo was flipped upside down on some rock
Testing my parameters now but everything looks ok except for my temperature. Current temp is at 82.6, it was 95 today in the city and probably even hotter in my apt. Could that have killed the wrasse?
Lost my six line today and a turbo. The six lines body was in the sand pretty torn up I'm guessing from my CUC. The turbo was flipped upside down on some rock
Testing my parameters now but everything looks ok except for my temperature. Current temp is at 82.6, it was 95 today in the city and probably even hotter in my apt. Could that have killed the wrasse?
- Location
- Long Island
what test kit are you using?? it looks like readings from an api kit. some advice;
i have been using api for almost two years now...it is a good basic kit to get started but, i felt like trying a couple other kits because i started getting a crazy reading of 20 for my nitrates in my big tank. so first thing i did was water change...which i do every week ...religiously. no change in the results...bought a new api kit. SAME RESULT, so i tried seachem, red sea pro kit, and salifert. from everything i have read from the advanced reefers on this forum and others is that salifert is the best and they were right. just a heads up...if you are using api, i would to change up to salifert to get more accurate readings. it will help you in the long run.
just my 2cents.
are you going to do a sump or anything in the future?
by the way aquascape looks good... keep up the good work.
i have been using api for almost two years now...it is a good basic kit to get started but, i felt like trying a couple other kits because i started getting a crazy reading of 20 for my nitrates in my big tank. so first thing i did was water change...which i do every week ...religiously. no change in the results...bought a new api kit. SAME RESULT, so i tried seachem, red sea pro kit, and salifert. from everything i have read from the advanced reefers on this forum and others is that salifert is the best and they were right. just a heads up...if you are using api, i would to change up to salifert to get more accurate readings. it will help you in the long run.
just my 2cents.
are you going to do a sump or anything in the future?
by the way aquascape looks good... keep up the good work.
Yesterday I received the second half of my CUC this time from Bluezooaquatics. I picked up an assortment of nerite, astrea and margarita snails along with a handful of blue and red legged hermits, 2 fighting conchs, 1 emerald crab, a black brittle starfish and a coral banded shrimp. The shrimp was DOA but everyone else is in and happily feasting in the display.
Testing today.
Calc 415
Alk 11 dkh
mag 1230
sg 1.024
Looking to do a 20% PWC tomorrow and then pickup some coral this week!! Any suggestions on what supplements and pre-dips I should pickup beforehand?
Testing today.
Calc 415
Alk 11 dkh
mag 1230
sg 1.024
Looking to do a 20% PWC tomorrow and then pickup some coral this week!! Any suggestions on what supplements and pre-dips I should pickup beforehand?
Congrats on getting a standard 50 gallon. It's a good size, though not easy to find.
As for your lighting, I can tell you that montiporas, whether shelving, branching or encrusting, will do fine with 4 t-5 bulbs. After a year, I upgraded to 6 bulbs, and I did see a little improvement in coloration, but growth is about the same.
As for your lighting, I can tell you that montiporas, whether shelving, branching or encrusting, will do fine with 4 t-5 bulbs. After a year, I upgraded to 6 bulbs, and I did see a little improvement in coloration, but growth is about the same.
Thanks, I know its a unique size and has great depth. Russ over a saltwater critters hooked me up special order.
Another loss and new additions
Well I woke up today to find my royal gramma missing. Did a 10g pwc hoping he would come out of his usual hiding spot but he wan't anywhere to be found. I am beginning to beleive that he was possibly eaten by the brittle star that I just got. It's the only explanation I can think of. Should I be concerned for my clowns and should I remove the a$@#!@?
On a brighter note, I did make it over to Manhattan Aquariums today for their sale and picked up a few of my very first frags.
Picked up a frogspawn, red/green favia, blastomussa, and firecracker paly frags. I will post pictures as soon as they open up! I am very excited about this purchase. Now I just need to figure out the best placement for them.
How does one go about breaking the rock or frag off from the plug? Is there anything important about placement that will impact the corals ability to grow and expand beyond the size of the plug?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Well I woke up today to find my royal gramma missing. Did a 10g pwc hoping he would come out of his usual hiding spot but he wan't anywhere to be found. I am beginning to beleive that he was possibly eaten by the brittle star that I just got. It's the only explanation I can think of. Should I be concerned for my clowns and should I remove the a$@#!@?
On a brighter note, I did make it over to Manhattan Aquariums today for their sale and picked up a few of my very first frags.
Picked up a frogspawn, red/green favia, blastomussa, and firecracker paly frags. I will post pictures as soon as they open up! I am very excited about this purchase. Now I just need to figure out the best placement for them.
How does one go about breaking the rock or frag off from the plug? Is there anything important about placement that will impact the corals ability to grow and expand beyond the size of the plug?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Update
Here is an updated pic of the tank
Levels as of today are:
temp - 78.1
sg - 1.024
amm - <.25
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 0
ph - 8.2
calc - 455
alk - 9.3
mag - 1290
With my calc levels finally up above 400 I am finally starting to see some coralline algae growth. Today I am going to take a razor blade and scrape if off some of the rock with hopes that it spreads more evenly throughout the tank.
Here are some pics of the frags I picked up last weekend. I'm still looking for livestock stocking ideas. I decided to slow down a little bit with the livestock after the loss of my grammma and wrasse.
Definitely need to learn how to tank some better pictures!
Here is an updated pic of the tank
Levels as of today are:
temp - 78.1
sg - 1.024
amm - <.25
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 0
ph - 8.2
calc - 455
alk - 9.3
mag - 1290
With my calc levels finally up above 400 I am finally starting to see some coralline algae growth. Today I am going to take a razor blade and scrape if off some of the rock with hopes that it spreads more evenly throughout the tank.
Here are some pics of the frags I picked up last weekend. I'm still looking for livestock stocking ideas. I decided to slow down a little bit with the livestock after the loss of my grammma and wrasse.
Definitely need to learn how to tank some better pictures!
Its been a while since I've updated so here are some new pics.
I picked up a few goodies at the swap:
maxima clam
6 head dendra
2 unknown sps acropora
couple of zoa frags
acan frag
Also added a blue spotted goby and a coral beauty.
Will be glueing my frags into more permanent positions this weekend and will take some more pics. Oh and also check out my posting on my very unhappy frogspawn
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/lps/85703-frogspawn-not-opening-up.html
I picked up a few goodies at the swap:
maxima clam
6 head dendra
2 unknown sps acropora
couple of zoa frags
acan frag
Also added a blue spotted goby and a coral beauty.
Will be glueing my frags into more permanent positions this weekend and will take some more pics. Oh and also check out my posting on my very unhappy frogspawn
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/lps/85703-frogspawn-not-opening-up.html
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