Stocking My 3Ft Marine

[Joshi39]

Hi, about a month ago i made the leap from fresh to salt! Once i had set it up wit liverock and baserock i was monitoring the readings, and i started to get a bit iffy about them coz they were so high they werent even on my chart!!! but i left it without reading for 1 week, got the lfs to test it 2 weeks ago he said to add some cycle which i had done and i left it again.. I just finished testing it and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all at 0 which im overly happy with coz i never thought it would go down, Now im wanting to stock it, i was orinigally looking at two dwarf lions and a snowflake eel, but my mum(im21 btw and she managed lol) some how convinced me outta it!!! Im looking towards mayb two yellow tangs two cardinalfish and maybe 2 mandarine gobies?? i have read they wil all b fine in the same tank but will there be enough room??? There are plenty of places to all of those fish to hide, thats the way i scaped the tank, coz i was gunna have a eeel, so there are caves etc...

Also i have a fair bit of brown algea, i know it isnt bad and have heard it will fade away soon enough it jus becomes a pest while setting it up etc, i brought some algecide for marine will this help??

Cheers

 

[seffieuk]

to the salty side of the hobby

So your cycle is finished - woo hoo now your cuc can go in.

first we need to know how much water your tank holds then we can help you with stocking.

Glad you decided against the lionfish, only the dwarf species would have been good for your tank, the volitan needs at least 18 inches to turn round in.

Unless your tank is over 75 gallons I've got some bad news for you - No tangs, they get too big!

Mandarins (and they are not gobys but Dragonets) - need at least 90lbs of live rock unless you are cultivating copepods (which is easy) and a mature tank - so Mandys need to wait a while.

Cardinals, you either love em or hate - but would be fine in your tank, although sexing is difficult.

Brown alage is diatoms, your cuc will get rid of that for you.

So, as we are a nosey lot here:

Photos please
Stat results
water volume
how much live rock
lighting
do you plan on having corals
what sort of an eel

Not many questions

Seffie x

 

[Joshi39]

Thanks,

First question what is a cuc? Lol sorri, only just got into salt amonth or so ago..

My tank holds 150L (144 to be exact).

Ya i was going to go for dwarf species, i had put my name down at 3 lfs to be the first calld if they came in..but no luck so far..

Oh ok, thats fair enough

how many kilos is 90lbs?? and whats is capecop?? remember im only new to marine tanks

Cardinals look like a great fish, but ive read they can be extremely boring to watch???.

Oncee again what is a cuc? sorri

I havent got any photos as of yet.

Ammonia. 0ppm
Nitite. 0ppm
Nitrate. 0ppm
Temp 27c
PH 8.4
Salinity is 1.023

Ive only got around 5 kilos of live rock, i am going for more and a few hard coral pieces soon

I have no idea what my lighting if, i know its twin glob but is good for both marine and freshwater, one if for plants and the other is jus a basic one?? got thm from an aquarium

Not really, as i dont have room for a protien skimmer, which sucks coz coral is amazing... =(

Well i was only gettin an eel if i was going lion fish and i was hooked on a snowflake eel...

And its sweet bout all the questions.. haha

Cheers

 

[seffieuk]

Thanks,

First question what is a cuc? Lol sorri, only just got into salt amonth or so ago..

Clean up crew = CUC the critters that will clean up your tank

My tank holds 150L (144 to be exact).

Good first tank

how many kilos is 90lbs??

40K - and you will not have that in your tank or the fish couldnt move

and whats is capecop?? remember im only new to marine tanks

Copepods are small white bug like creatures, they are the staple diet of a Mandarin

Cardinals look like a great fish, but ive read they can be extremely boring to watch???.

Pretty to look at, boring to watch

I havent got any photos as of yet.

tut, tut

Ammonia. 0ppm
Nitite. 0ppm
Nitrate. 0ppm
Temp 27c
PH 8.4
Salinity is 1.023

SG (not salinity) is fine at that level if you are not going to have any coral

Ive only got around 5 kilos of live rock, i am going for more and a few hard coral pieces soon

Ah right, so, you need to bring up your SG to 1.026 and you will need more live rock- between 16/18K is required to filter your tank

I have no idea what my lighting if, i know its twin glob but is good for both marine and freshwater, one if for plants and the other is jus a basic one?? got thm from an aquarium

How wide are the tubes? and how new are the tubes?

Not really, as i dont have room for a protien skimmer, which sucks coz coral is amazing... =(

You dont have to run a skimmer for corals, its better to have one but as long as you do a regualr 25% water change weekly it should be ok

Seffie x

 

[steelhealr]

SH

 

[Joshi39]

Oh right, well for cuc i was looking at a few banded shrimp, but for a pair they are 110$ so ill have to make sure i an afford to buy them with all my other expenses haha...

Thank you, well i used ot have a 2 ft tank but wanted a bigger tank but 4 ft would have been to big for my room so 3 ft fit perfect =)

Ya well im not planning on having corals at this time as its only my first attempt at marine, maybe after a few yrs ill go coral they r amazing the types yu can get =)

I have heard i need more liverock, but i do have a canister filter on there.. i was told id need more LR is i didnt have a filter?

The tubes have been on there since i got the 3 ft tank about 6 months agos

I was planning on doing a water change every 2 - 3 weeks..

On stocking my tank i went to the lfs today which has been in business for ove 35 yrs and are well known, and they suggested i get a few "cheaper" fish at first,,,, so i brought two black clowns and two firefish gobies, they are both amazing fish, and all im looking at adding to the tank now is 2 mandarine gobies and 2 longnose hawkfish as they are amazing fish=)

What do yu guys think??

Ill ger fotos soon=) jus want brown algea to go first hahaha

 

[simonas]

only a newbie myself but from my limitedexperience you have probably added to many fish at once, I;m sure someone else will clarify this

as for adding more I;m with you on the hawkfish lovely and active but the mandarin goby is a difficult fish to feed and one for reef keepers with lots of experience

The corals are not meant to be that difficult you know as long as you have decent lighting and some soft corals are quite cheap like pulsing xenia and make such a difference to the tank scape and create a real marine look

 

[Joshi39]

Added to many fish? the guy at my lfs which i will state again has been opened for over 35 yrs told me those fish were fine ot add.. he knew my tank stats considering he was assiting me in monitoring it... and the clown fish r around 2 cms in size and the firefish are round 4-5, so i would have no idea on how that is to many fish? being 4 fish in a 3 ft tank with all the readings at zero....

 

[Trod]

I think what simonas meant was you have added to many fish in one go, the tank needs to get used to the extra bio load, so its best to add the fish gradually, with a couple of weeks between additions.

 

[seffieuk]

Remember, we are here to help and get help, what are the lfs there for?

I have to agree with my sister and Simon. The pair of clowns was fine, but the two fire fish wasn't - and apart from anything else unless they were sold to you as a mated pair (and they are expensive) you run the real risk of having two the same sex and this will end in tears.

Ensure you keep on top of weekly water changes

Seffie x

 

[Joshi39]

Oh ok i see where yu guys are coming from,, The lfs is actually really helpful they are legit and dont jus look for the sale coz if they were wouldnt he have let me go for the cardinals which are 55 each??? i did think of the two male situation, i really hope i havent got two, and if i do i guess ill need to rethink having them in my tank =(

Ok illl keep ontop of the weekly water changes but i have two questions, when i do a water change i do use salt water?? and say if the water level drops to evaporation i read adding salt water can raise the salinty, so do i top it up wit fresh water?? And wat is RO water? can i use distilled? like bottled water

Thanks for all the help guys

 

[sorgan]

RO is reverse osmosis, its water that has been passed through a special set of filters to ensure its only water, no copper, chlorides, base metals, heavy metals ect get through.

RO is pretty cheap to buy (i am on £3 per 25l bottle ATM) but you can buy your own RO filter if you cant buy in you LFS.
any good LFS should make there own RO as they should use it in their own systems, just ask for it to be tested as sometimes the filters go.

good luck with the firefish if they ruck to much you may need to rehome one (that said they may live happily everr after )
the two clowns are always a nice addition!

 

[Joshi39]

Oh ok i see, ya well my lfs will sell it so ill have to get some,,,

as for the firefish, i just got home and mum hadn told me but she found one dead this morning,, it was breathing heavy n hiding,, so i guesss it was stressseddd,,,, but all the others are doing awesome, feeeding as soon as i put food in there,, the clownfish are not scared of anything,, but the firefish always bolts for cover wen i walk past or watever,..

Loving it so far.. cant wait to add more =)

 

[Harry1996]

my dart fish never dose that apart from when the lights go out or my hand gos in the tank.

 

[seffieuk]

The dart fish behaviour is normal as you have just added it to the tank - one dying could have been stress but could also have been killed by the other one. Rule is one dart/fire fish per tank unless they are a mated pair

Seffie x