Well I have not posted on this in a while! Things have changed a LOT!!! My PH crashed hardcore in my nano and I had to take emergency measures to save everyone.
I switched to a forty breeder and added about another 30-40 pounds of LR. The frogspawn died. I inherited a scopas tang. The bubble coral is barely hanging on, due to me not having sufficient light. I have 2 t8 10k, one 10k super compact vho daylight, one 50/50 vho super compact. I am wildly succesful at keeping zoas and shrooms, and some other weirdos that I and my lfs have no earthly idea what they are, but my lovely bubbles are barely hanging on.
Can I buy a T5 fixture from home depot and buy bulbs from petsmart to put in them? Cuz, honestly, That is the only way I am going to be able to afford to buy more lights for this tank.
First, I want to apologize for not checking up on this thread on occasion like I should have. I've been very busy too, heavy concert schedule (classical singer). I'm very sorry for your face graft and I'm glad that you're health is on the mend.
You, indeed, went too quickly. While it's always great to get stuff from a tank break down, bubble corals and Euphelia species (frogspawn) are not something that I'd recommend. He should not have given them to you. Euphelia is too much coral for a 10g, IMO, they have long, sweeper tentacles that attack other corals. Bubbles require more light. I also have problems with mixed reefs, especially with a first tank, or with a pico. Mixed reefs are reefs that have all three major kinds of coral; Softies, LSP (large stony polyp), SPS (Small polyped stony). Corals look cute and all, but man, do they squabble!
The thing is about nanos and picos, you have to start off with the right amount of LR and all the equipment from the beginning, otherwise, well, you now know what can happen. With the LR in transport, you probably triggered a mini cycle and then, well, all blank broke loose.
I'm glad that you upgraded, 40g is much more forgiving for a 1st system.
You need to not put things in your tank that you can't sustain. Scopas tang, or any other tang, need much larger tanks. bubble corals need more light. I'm sorry to sound harsh, but if you can't provide for these organisms, then rehome them. You don't need to upgrade your lighting if you stick with mushrooms and other easy softies. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with just having an all softie tank. My 8g is just softies and haha, it's got a Metal Halide! The only hard corals I have are some nsp in my 4g.
Good luck to you. Looks like this tank will work for your better.
L