My First Nano Reef

[seffieuk]

I'm running at 27C, but have been told to drop it to between 24-25C as it is better for the corals.
Martin

and all these years we have all been running our tanks at the wrong temp! 27c is fine

Seffie x

 

[MartinS]

and all these years we have all been running our tanks at the wrong temp! 27c is fine

Seffie x

Thanks Seffie
Martin x

 

[MartinS]

Good news - went and got the water tested today, readings as follows:
pH - 8
SG - 1.026
kH - 11
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
Am taking my daughter to get the CUC tomorrow - intend to get 3 red legged hermits, 3 cerith snails, 3 nassarius snail and maybe a conch. Turbo snails out of stock until next week. Found two fish though can't decide which to get - panda goby or an eviota goby. Neither need a shrimp partner but I'd like a shrimp/goby pair too.
Martin

 

[seffieuk]

Good news - went and got the water tested today, readings as follows:
pH - 8
SG - 1.026
kH - 11
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0



Am taking my daughter to get the CUC tomorrow - intend to get

3 red legged hermits, too many, just get one for now

3 cerith snails, 3 nassarius snail - fine

and maybe a conch. Dont buy a conch yet, it will starve to death

Turbo snails out of stock until next week. OK


Found two fish though can't decide which to get - panda goby or an eviota goby. Neither need a shrimp partner but I'd like a shrimp/goby pair too.

the tank is too small for two gobies - choose one or the other
Martin

Seffie x

 

[MartinS]

Good news - went and got the water tested today, readings as follows:
pH - 8
SG - 1.026
kH - 11
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0



Am taking my daughter to get the CUC tomorrow - intend to get

3 red legged hermits, too many, just get one for now

3 cerith snails, 3 nassarius snail - fine

and maybe a conch. Dont buy a conch yet, it will starve to death

Turbo snails out of stock until next week. OK


Found two fish though can't decide which to get - panda goby or an eviota goby. Neither need a shrimp partner but I'd like a shrimp/goby pair too.

the tank is too small for two gobies - choose one or the other
Martin

Seffie x

OK, I'm home and have just read your reply....
I ended up bringing 2 cerith snails, 2 nassarius snails and 3 (apparently) dwarf hermits as well as a small conch, but if you think it will starve then I'll take it back next weekend when I'm working at my LFS. I actually planned to only bring one hermit home anyway, so not sure what I was thinking there .
Re: the gobies - fair enough, it's a real shame neither of the two I have chosen pair with a shrimp so will have to go back to just a shrimp/goby pair - as nice as the two I have chosen are, I really wanted the pair, so will stick to my original plan.
How long would you leave it before I feed, and what with?
Thanks again
Martin

 

[Pampy]

your questions and the answers has really helped me thanks

Pampy

 

[MartinS]

your questions and the answers has really helped me thanks

Pampy

Am glad it's been of use

Have been doing some research (and a little bit of stocking) and the conch is a Strombus alatus, commonly known as a Florida Fighting Conch. I added yesterday (Saturday) a small colony of Green Star Polyps (Clavularia viridis), and this seems to be doing really well. I now have 2 empty hermit shells and 2 walking Nassarius snail shells - this was evident within an hour of them being in the tank, so can only assume that I managed to bring home 2 empty snail shells doh!!
I'll get some more video in the next few days.
Martin

 

[seffieuk]

its more likely the hermits killed the Nass for their shells

Seffie x

 

[MartinS]

its more likely the hermits killed the Nass for their shells

Seffie x

Seffie
No, I'm pretty sure that isn't the case, but I do know it can happen. I know we were short of Nass, and I was in a hurry as everyone was trying to get home. I acclimatised CUC together, and the shells were already empty by the time they had been added to the tank, so think I was just over eager and grabbed empty shells.
Martin

 

[steelhealr]

Hi Martin....

The best way to bring up you specific gravity is to either:

• do your weekly water changes with a slightly higher s.g.
• slowly let the water evaporate to the s.g. you want (depending on how quickly you lose it) and replace with the same s.g. SW

Honestly, I think it's too early to be adding coral. Avoid 'Plop'....plopping in corals before your tank has had time to mature.

WTG.
SH

 

[seffieuk]

so think I was just over eager and grabbed empty shells.
Martin

what a dip stick!

Seffie x

 

[MartinS]

Hi Martin....

The best way to bring up you specific gravity is to either:

• do your weekly water changes with a slightly higher s.g.
• slowly let the water evaporate to the s.g. you want (depending on how quickly you lose it) and replace with the same s.g. SW

Honestly, I think it's too early to be adding coral. Avoid 'Plop'....plopping in corals before your tank has had time to mature.

WTG.
SH

My SG is fine (I think) at 1.025 but thanks for the advice.
And yes, in hindsight you're probably right - it's doing really well, but I won't add any more for the moment. My LFS has a shrimp/goby pair ready for me, but will hold fire on that too - don't want to rush things and have any other problems having just had an almost complete wipe out of my tropical catfish over the past week.

so think I was just over eager and grabbed empty shells.
Martin

what a dip stick!

Seffie x

Charming

Martin

 

[seffieuk]

Seffie x

 

[steelhealr]

Good choice to have patience and hold back. What newbies can't appreciate here and what we try to preach is that a new tank is immature and unstable. Not only that, most nuisances occur right after cycling. Why put in your favorite coral only to have it destroyed by cyanobacteria?

My tank is almost five years old. My clown is the same age. I can dump battery acid in there and nothing will happen (well, not really). My point is my tank is mature...I have 0 nitrates...and that is what time and patience gives you.

SH

 

[MartinS]

Short clip of the tank with the latest additions: