Newbie in saltwater aquarium

[hondaker]

Hi all, new to the aquarium scene, have started a tank for 1 1/2 months now.

Initially, a few fishes perished due to water toxic(nitrite levels too high). But however, right after one month old, the levels become more tolerable and fishes are able to be kept alive.

But my tank now grew some algaes(some green some brown), heard from a friend that algae growing is signs of water stableness(is this true?)

Are these algae harmful? Should i get some fishes to eat them?

Thanks in advance for replying

btw, my tank consists of coral chips as the sand bed, overhanging filter with bio balls and ceramic rings and wool filter, an ornament made from white corals(looks like same material as the coral chips)

LS are 1 x boxer shrimp, 1 x purple nudibranch, 4 x clowns(2 orange, 1 yellow, 1 black)

[Alvin Tan]

bro..welcome to the reefing world....since u are new to src...u can try to search arnd the newbie forum to check out more of some knowledge...

after reading some threads abt coral chips..u will find that it isn't gd using coral chips as base... do spend some time reading the threads that many new reefers FAQ...

my limited 2 cents..

cheers..

[hondaker]

bro..welcome to the reefing world....since u are new to src...u can try to search arnd the newbie forum to check out more of some knowledge...

after reading some threads abt coral chips..u will find that it isn't gd using coral chips as base... do spend some time reading the threads that many new reefers FAQ...

my limited 2 cents..

cheers..

alright thanks bro, but i have trouble reading the abbreviations

any common terms to explain to me?

[Alvin Tan]

if im nt wrong...AT and the mods listed down all the short forms somewhere in SRC...u gt to hunt fot it..

[hondaker]

if im nt wrong...AT and the mods listed down all the short forms somewhere in SRC...u gt to hunt fot it..

ah found it thanks bro

[Kelmen]

grow of algaes mean your water got the right things for them to grow, and many other live stocks do feed on these. So, one "can" say its "stableness", or other would say you not maintaining the tank "clean" enough.

Anyway, its best to get some pets to help mow down on these algaes. As to improve the mini-ecological cycle there as well.

[hondaker]

i've just purchased a fire shrimp and a orangy diamond goby, and a blue tang, hope they will clear up some algaes as they feed

does brime shrimps feed algae too? i bought a bag of them as well

[Travy]

i've just purchased a fire shrimp and a orangy diamond goby, and a blue tang, hope they will clear up some algaes as they feed

does brime shrimps feed algae too? i bought a bag of them as well

Aiyoh... those living brine shrimps used to feed fishes one la...

[loster]

Aiyoh... those living brine shrimps used to feed fishes one la...

"my tank consists of coral chips as the sand bed, overhanging filter with bio balls and ceramic rings and wool filter, an ornament made from white corals(looks like same material as the coral chips)"

a good sugguestion for you friend. pls read up those information that being provided here and stop getting and adding anymore fish or shrimp etc... u need to look into your filter system. i don't say it is wrong if you use them. but you need to maintain it well or else your N03 will be sky rocket high... for long term use, this filter system will not be able to cope with your additional of fishes etc...

furthermore, most shrimps are sensitive to high N03

ask question from those information that you don't understand. if you ask anymore question from your current set up, i will still suggestion you to read up first before you do anything to your tank. once you get your hand on those info...i am sure you will have more confident to handle your tank set up

advice to you: your filter system will not be able to cope if you add anymore fishes have you ever thought of why your first set-up failed? why your n03 so high?

[Kelmen]

i've just purchased a fire shrimp and a orangy diamond goby, and a blue tang, hope they will clear up some algaes as they feed

does brime shrimps feed algae too? i bought a bag of them as well

these pets are not known to eat algae. Tang only eat macroalgae, not those on the glass (microalgae), although it may nip on them, but dont hope on it.

Best is algae blenny aka lawnmower blenny. certain snails (dunno which one though) and hermit will love to munch on them too.

[mUAr_cHEe]

to buy things to eat other things...

u must really know exactly what you buying in first place....dun anyhow buy.... then expect things to go alright... wait few days later... "HELP! NEW FISH ATE OLD SHRIMP, BUT I WANTED NEW FISH TO EAT PEST SHRIMP" or something along that lines....

pls pls pls pls pls research before buying anything.... dun buy something... go back... "ai yah, not exactly what i wanted." "ok! now lets wait for it to die, since i can't throw it away, since it cruel, then i can buy the next thing which i think it might be what i need."

[hondaker]

thanks for all the advices given

@ Travy: i know the brine shrimps are meant as food for the fishes, but i've seen a thread saying the brine shrimps feed on algae as well, so i thought this would be a 2 fold advantage for me. Anyway, i thinking of cultivating my own brine shrimps in future, figure that live food is better than frozen shrimps since the liquid from frozen shrimps encourage algae growth(again read from another thread)

@Kelmen: I was told by the LFS staff that the goby eats algae, but i know the blue tang does not eat much. However they told me yellow tang does eat algaes, so i think i will research a bit on it before deciding whether to get one or not.

@ loster: i cant find any info on why overhanging filters are not good whatsoever to the aquarium system. i also want to have those sump filtering system, but due to space constrains and budget, i can only make do with a overhanging filter for now(it was leftover from my family old luohan tank) The only reason that i can think of as to why my NO3 shot so high is due to my tank's cycling process. At that time, i didnt know there was such a forum, so i introduce a few clowns to kick start the cycling process. But on the 3rd week, my friend gave me some fishes as a present(i couldnt say no could i?). I got info that cycling needs 30 days, so i thought they might have a chance of survival since the water was 3 weeks old(boy was i wrong here). I measured the chemical content, and everything was in the reds(pretty scary here). But after exactly 30 days, i measured the water again and everything was back to normal, so i started to purchase more fishes to add variety.

If anyone could advise me on how to setup my overhanging filter, that would be best, cause thats the only option now i have.

@ mUAr_cHEe: i am buying mostly small fishes(no threats to any species i hope), and i try to buy fishes that i know of, of course i always ask the LFS whether they will be agressive or not(i only want peace loving dudes here).

PS: now i am reading up on reefcentrals' newbie guide to tank setup, pretty impressive infomation gathered there

[loster]

actually, if you don't have sump, u can still use the canister. but you must be very hard working to maintain it clean or else...big problem.

i said it before. i didn't say overhanging filter system is wrong. unless you know how to maintain it or how to use it and how much it can cope with your system. but what i can tell you now is that this system will not be able to cope with your marine tank system and i am not talking luohan water tank system. unless you prove me wrong

i am glad that you read up some materials from the RC forum. keep it up bro happy reading

[Travy]

actually, if you don't have sump, u can still use the canister. but you must be very hard working to maintain it clean or else...big problem.

i said it before. i didn't say overhanging filter system is wrong. unless you know how to maintain it or how to use it and how much it can cope with your system. but what i can tell you now is that this system will not be able to cope with your marine tank system and i am not talking luohan water tank system. unless you prove me wrong

i am glad that you read up some materials from the RC forum. keep it up bro happy reading

Yeah i agree with the canister.

But do get a big external one. Dont need much inside. Just 2-3 layers of foam and bioballs. Be prep to change the foam every 1-2weeks when it gets clogged.

I think the adult brine shrimp feeds on mirco algae suspended in the water rather then those growing on glass, but hey i might be proven wrong.

Get some of those snails will help big time. I get mine from the beach, but have to id them correctly. Dont want them to eat other stuff like yur corals.. sponges.. or fish!

AFter the skimmer consider a protein skimmer. Those cheap airstone powered ones can be surprisingly effective in a small tank. Trust me bro.

[loster]

http://www.liveaquaria.com

hope that this will help you for your set-up and the LS that you plan to buy

[hondaker]

canister filter??

never heard of it, guess i've to read it again. Hopefully it doesnt need any mod to my tank

i've installed a simple skimmer, dont need any pump just the normal air hose from my existing pump, looks cool with the small small bubbles though

so if i installed this canister, i can do away with my overhang filter?

[iantoh]

hi there hondaker, ive taken some time to write this, so hope it resonates with you. pls do think and research before you buy more livestock ya bro.

basically, you need to ensure that your system is able to break down the wastes as quickly as your tank's inhabitants are producing this waste. any food introduced into the system, regardless of whether its eaten by the fish/shrimps, or blown somewhere to decay, will all eventually to form ammonia (if not skimmed out), and then be broken down into nitrites, then nitrates. now the problem is that for most aquariums, nitrates will build up over time to toxic levels, because there is little conducive environment for the bacteria which specifically breaks down nitrates back into nitrogen and oxygen to survive. and your use of coral chips for your sandbed potentially only aggravates this problem as shit/detritus/etc, will accumulate and settle within the crevices and gaps in between your coral chips, creating a nitrate factory without any avenue for the further breakdown of this nitrate.

if you say that you realised your previous tank crash was due to toxic nitrate levels, i assume you have a nitrate test kit? could you pls tell us what are the present nitrate levels?

micro algaes, that is, the brown ones you mentioned (diatoms), and green ones (green alages or BGA or dinoflagelletes) are part of the cycling process of marine tanks. however, they should not grow at such pace that it becomes a problem. if that is so, there is most likely too much phosphate and too much nitrates in the water, as these two elements serve as fertilizers for these microalgaes. also, how are you maintaining sailinity? what top up water do you use? tap water or distilled? or RO/DI? if youre using tap water, note that tap water, even though you may remove chlorine and chloramine by letting it sit overnight or boiling it, it still contains significant amounts of phosphate, silicates, arsenic, etc, further fueling your algae problems.

you also havent told us how large your aquarium is. if it is any larger than two feet in length, then a hang on filter will not be adequate. what brand is this filter and does this filter have an attached protein skimmer? you mentioned you got a new skimmer- pls share with us what model it is?

if your tank has no corals now, and i hope it doesnt, maybe you can try introducing some macroalgaes into your tank that will help to use up the phosphates and nitrates within your system and lower their levels. if youd like some chaetomorpha or caulerpa nummularia macroalgaes, i can give you some free just pm me.

you also mentioned that you bought a new orange spot goby, blue tang, fire shrimp, on top of the four clownfish and coral banded shrimp you already have. honestly, i feel you are overstocking your tank. the orange spot goby will not like the coral chip substrate as its too rough; and the blue tang is in fact primarily a zooplanktivore in its natural habitat and differs from other tangs which consume more algaes so its not gonna help your algae issue.

are your clownfish of the same species? and are they showing signs of aggression towards each other? and is your coral banded shrimp getting along with the fire shrimp? clowns can be very aggressive, as can coral banded shrimps, so pls pls do take note of that and research prior to making any new puchases.

nutritionally, adult live brine shrimp is far worse than frozen brine shrimp because frozen brine shrimp is nutritionally enhanced with HUFA and omega-3 lipids and multi vitamins whereas live adult brine is not. and live adult brine occurs in salt lake environments and not in the ocean i think for a cheap and easy food, frozen mysid shrimp will be a good choice for your fish, as will formula one and two pellets.

lastly, the purple sea slug you have- most likely a Hypselodoris bullocki.

do you know what it eats and how to care for it? i dont mean to flame you or anything, but even though i really admire the beauty of this sea slug, ive never dared to buy one as they almost all die invariably, so i'm wondering if youve learnt something i dont know. from what i do know, they are obligate feeders of sponge and trunicates (though even marine biologists have not confirmed this), and they also somewhat filterfeed for phytoplankton with their gills, so pls do try to do what you can to feed this fella.

if you wish to keep costs down (i understand this because i need to keep costs down too), think about possibly investing in a seocnd hand skimmer like the Prizm Pro skimmer that is on sale now in the pasar malam forum. thats a decent hangon skimmer that will help remove organics from your water and in this way, prevent the breakdown of wastes and food into nitrates eventually.

if you observe at any time, your shrimps moving out into the open area (that is, not perched on rocks), and not moving much but looking dazed, that is a sure sign of nitrate poisoning, so if that happens, pls do make an emergency water change.

well.... i hope that helps. pls do kindly read up more about the pets you wish to keep. if youre willing to spend money buying these fish, it only makes sense that you like and care for them and should be willing to spend some time to get to know them better.

ian

ps: if your overhang filter is one of those with a pipe that sucks in water from the bottom or middle of the tank, pls try to change it or screen it off as the sea slug is very likely to get sucked inside.

pps: pls see this site:http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm

it has an index and write ups about almost every fish, shrimp, coral, etc you can keep and what is needed for it to thrive.

and also this:

1) http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nudibran.htm (pic of your sea slug and info)

2) http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nudispt3.htm (feeding requirements of sea slugs in detail)

[Guest]

Hi

Like to ask for few comment on my tank setup too

I have a 4 foot tank with 3 foot sump, 3 desmel, 1 butterfly, 1 blue tang (2inch), 1 sailfin tang (2 inch). My tanks is running for 1 month already, just added the 2 tangs last week. The NO3 went from 12.5 to 25 now. Have i overloaded the tanks? Have not change water since tank started. Is i high time to change?

I have bioballs, cermic rings and mechincal filter. Skimmer is weipro 2013, think not working no skimmate!!

thanks

[loster]

Hi

Like to ask for few comment on my tank setup too

I have a 4 foot tank with 3 foot sump, 3 desmel, 1 butterfly, 1 blue tang (2inch), 1 sailfin tang (2 inch). My tanks is running for 1 month already, just added the 2 tangs last week. The NO3 went from 12.5 to 25 now. Have i overloaded the tanks? Have not change water since tank started. Is i high time to change?

I have bioballs, cermic rings and mechincal filter. Skimmer is weipro 2013, think not working no skimmate!!

thanks

have you cycle your tank for about 30days before you add any fish? do you have live rock in your tank?

at present, i don't think your system can cope with the load cos you add those load in such a short time. your N03 will keep increase. better do water change weekly and monitor your n03. if u have space, do add cure live rock (make sure there is no dead in the rock) cos your system is at it max limit.

if you are using bioballs, cermic rings and mechincal filter, make sure you have a good discipline to keep them clean. if not, this will be the production of n03 also. if you don't have such discipline, you can remove them and make it easy for maintenances.

[Alvin Tan]

bro....ur water is not stable yet....so cannot add lots of LS...

let the water run wif at LEAST 3wks...den..u can try some damsels..

[Guest]

opps so bad!!

I have run the tank with only 3 damsels for 3 weeks, than add 2 more tangs and a butterfly. Till now it is the 4th week. Still not enough?

Had 30Kg of life rocks

bioballs, cermic rings -- need cleaning? though that where BB grow, clean means no more??

thanks for you advice

[Alvin Tan]

tang n butterfly is a NONO for new tanks..

[Guest]

No worries, this butterfly is given by a friend. He is keeping reef and butterfly is eating up his reef. This butterfly can with stand anything he said. No problem

The tang :- well as few white spot. Should be normal for tangs right? will go away after a while right?

Just did a 25% water change but can not see any different in the NO3. Water not enought? need at least 50%?

[Alvin Tan]

10%-15% water change will do...the more u change..the worst it gets...

white spots may multiply in tangs...so bcarful abt that..

[Guest]

Any idea how to reduce NO3? Looking at my water condition not possible to keep any reef right. Wonder when will i be able reach the stage like you all