Bristle Worms and Coral Fragments 12/9/03
Hi. I have a question on the coral fragments received from Louisville, KY MACNA convention.  Do you ever take the epoxy off the coral.  
<generally not... you simply wait for coral tissue or coralline algae usually to cover it over>
Mine is still on.  I may not have put on the right kind.  It looks like white putty.  The corals are just now starting to get color and grow a little. I didn't have proper lighting until 3-4 weeks ago.  They were turning white and I think they were dying, but with 130w they are making a come back in my 29 gallon tank.  Just leave them they way they are and don't move them?  
<yes... please don't move them for fear of killing them if they are weak>
I am having a lot of bristle worms in Fiji rock.  It now looks like
bunches of them.  They are white with bristles and getting possibly four inches long.  Can they be attacking my corals?
<they can be a risk to the coral... and in excess numbers are an indication of excess nutrients from overfeeding, lack of water changes and/or inadequate water flow (do you have less than 10-20X?)>
Someone at the local fish store told me to try peppermint shrimp and that they would eat them.  No such luck!!  
<be warned that peppermint shrimp also nip some corals and clams too... they are not fully reef safe. Do read though our archives here on wetwebmedia.com to hear such stories/problems>
What can I do that is affordable?
<better water flow and more aggressive water changes and/or protein skimming (do add a skimmer if you don't already have one... and make yours work better if not)>
My 3 clown fish are still in 10 gallon tank until I can figure out the bristle worms. I've kept them in there until bristle worms under control.  Will the worms hurt them?  
<not usually>
The clown fish will be the first fish in the 29 gal
tank.  What other fish would be a good mixture in this tank.  
<there are hundreds of possibilities... do browse through our archives and through some books to make a short list of candidates and then let us help you from there if desired>
Help!!!!  Any suggestions greatly appreciated.  Thank you,
Cindy Stantz
<do consider reading Bob's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" when you can... it will put so much of the fundamentals of marine keeping into perspective for you. With kind regards, Anthony>

Advice for a Reef Novice
Bob,
<Joseph>
I recently purchased your book The Conscientious Marine Aquarist and enjoyed it.  I will soon have a 120 gallon aquarium with sump and refugium.  The sump will have about 12 gallons of water (normal conditions) and a protein skimmer and calcium reactor.  The refugium will also have approximately 12 gallons of volume.  I plan to have about 200 lbs. of live rock and a base of live sand in the aquarium.  I am mainly interested in beautiful and entertaining fish and invertebrates such as the shrimps and starfish.  I am not going to go "whole hog" on the corals and other sessile organisms, but I may decide to have some of the hardier species.  I am thinking about having an Orchid Dottyback (maybe a male and female), a small wrasse, a Zebrasoma tang, a blenny and maybe a dwarf angelfish such as the Cherub.  I also love the beauty of the Saddled Butterflyfish.  Would you be kind enough to answer a few of my limitless number of questions?
<I will try>
1) What is the best substrate for the refugium and how deep should it be?
<Mmm, crushed coral... of four or more inches.>
2) Would you recommend growing a mangrove in a 17"L x 10"W x 20" H refugium or would it be better to have a few pieces of live rock for algae cultivation to feed the fish?
<I'd leave off with a mangrove in a sump of this size. Go with the live rock>
3) I am being scared away from Caulerpa because of its tendency to sexually reproduce and cloud the water?  Should I be?
<Not IMO... but unless you intend to leave the light on continuously on your refugium, I would opt for other cyclic species... e.g. Gracilaria, Chaetomorpha...>
4) Would a tang ( either a Yellow Tang, Purple Tang or Red Sea Sailfin Tang)  be a good tankmate with a Saddled Butterflyfish?  Is my tank large enough for the Saddled Butterflyfish?
<Yes and yes>
5) Would the number and types of fish that I mentioned be well within the limits of my tank?  On a system such as this, how many fish could I safely have ( no carnivores and no fish larger than the Saddled Butterfly)?
<What you have listed, intend above is fine. I would not add much more in the way of fish livestock>
Above all, I want to be a good custodian for the fish and invertebrates that I will care for.  Because of my work, I won't be able to feed the fish except in the mornings and evenings.  Should I then even get a tang that is constantly foraging?
<Should be fine.>
Thank you for your time,
Joseph Rouse
<You are welcome. Bob Fenner>

Lighting or water quality
To whom it may concern,
<hello>
I have had a 10 gal. reef tank for 9 months now and can't seem to find
adequate lighting to suit the hardiest of invertebrates (mushrooms & anemones). I have tried using a 15W actinic03 tube with a 19W Daylight "spiral" PC (socket bulb) combo but it doesn't seem to maintain anything but the coralline and green algae that continuously grows in the tank.
<your problem may not be you lights but maybe your water quality test all. pH should be 8.0-8.4 ,dKH should be 8-10, calcium should be 350-450, 0 ammonia,0 nitrites,0 NitrAtes, Emp should be 77-81 degrees. if all these check out then it could be the lights. Do you have a skimmer or are you doing water change every week? If not to both then start to try one.>
I want to upgrade to two PC bulbs, what lighting option would you recommend? Do you think the CustomSeaLife 15 - 2 x 32 W Power Compact Retrofit would be adequate?
<yes that will give you 6.4 watts per gallon. You might have a problem with the tank getting too hot due to the new lights and such a small volume of water>
I am also currently experiencing a rapid outgrow of these little weird creatures that are growing in the tank and attaching themselves on the live rock and sand. They look like fat oval featherdusters/worms but do not retract their
tentacles and are about 3mm-5mm long and growing. (see attachment for sketch) Do you know what this is? Is it bad? What can I do?
<from your sketch they look like harmless sponges. the are good filter feeders. Thanks for the question. MikeH>
Sincerely,
Henry Milian

- Lighting Question -
To clarify. You said to "punch a hole in the cabinet and hang the lamps did you mean remove the cabinet cover and suspend the lights?? <Exactly.>
Sorry to scream <No worries - thank for re-keying.>
Joe  
<Cheers, J -- >

- Length of Fallow Tank Stage, More Questions -
Hi again,
Sorry to bug you again, but I have been obsessing about my fish.  I would feel horrible if I lost another fish due to my lack of knowledge.  As you may remember, I had left my tank fallow for 2 months and then added a fish after a 10 day quarantine.  I gave him a freshwater dip before putting him in the quarantine tank, but he responded poorly to the dip and I put him in the tank after 10 seconds.
The Yellow Angel is now in the display tank for 2 weeks but is still battling with the parasites. He (or she) is still eating healthy (formula two with garlic) and he even seems to be developing 2 blue stripes on his lower rear fin.  However, I am still concerned with him because he has developed a 2 cm white cyst about 5 cm above his eye in addition to several much smaller cysts on the edges of the fins. <What you describe seems to me to be a response to overall water quality, and not necessarily a parasite.> I was planning on catching him and putting him back in the quarantine tank and treating him with copper again. <Hmm... you really should be avoiding copper with angels if you can, or at the very least lower doses.> How long should I leave the tank fallow this time? (one month or two) <I'm not convinced your tank has a parasitic problem.>
This is my plan, please advise.
I plan on removing the fish for 2 more months and leaving the tank fallow again.
This is my tank in a nutshell.  90 gal 48" W x 24"H x 12" deep.  It is built into a wall in my basement; no natural light.
I have just set up my metal halide light 400w. I also have a std. 40 watt Flo. light 4 ft w/ one blue actinic light. I leave the Flo. lights on 14 hrs and the metal halide on for 4 - 5 hours.
The invertebrates in my tank are doing very well. 3 emerald crabs, 1 medium Red leg Hermit crab, 5 very small blue leg hermits, 2 large turbo snails, 2 small Astrea snails in filter intake cups, one peppermint shrimp, one large long tentacle anemone  which has grown and changed color since the addition of the metal halide last week (it is Atlantic long tentacle anemone, the guy at the LFS said that clowns sometimes will use these, they didn't), and there are also a dozen glass anemones which the peppermint shrimp does not appear to be eating, and 10 lbs live rock. <Could also be the source of the marks on your angelfish.> The crabs ate one of my large fan worms which was very unhealthy to begin with, and they seemed to have developed a taste for fan worm because they stripped all of the 20 or so tiny fan worms from my live rock.  Not one of these remain, and they previously had seemed to be multiplying in my tank. <Crabs will do that.>
My tank is over a year old and has gone through the brown algae, green algae, red algae, the green hair  algae, and the red slime algae stages.  The invertebrates do a good job with the algae except I have been getting a hard brown algae on my glass that is extremely difficult to scrape off. (any suggestions) <Scrape more often.>
I have begun adding calcium supplements weekly.  My crabs seemed to appreciate this and have since all molted.
I would like to add a quick growing hard and soft coral that are very hardy to begin with. Any suggestions? <Nail down one thing at a time. Adding corals at this juncture will only complicate your husbandry.>
After 2 months I was thinking of adding a pair of tank raised Tomato Clowns (large one and a small one) hoping they might breed, and an Anemone that they might actually use possibly a bubble tip. <Mmm... well, for starters, any attempts at breeding will need it's own separate tank if you plan on keeping any of the fry. But again, let me try to convince you to wait until this tank is stable. You seem to be going back and forth between quarantining your fish and fallowing your tank, and I think you need to have several problem-free months before you consider any thing beyond what you have now.>
Is it a bad idea to have additional fish in the tank with the pair of clowns? I only have the one 2" Yellow angel currently.  Do you know of anyone having luck breeding dwarf angels? <Yes, but not in home aquaria and not yet a massive commercial success - the offspring are slightly more expensive compared to wild caught.>
Do I need to get rid of the glass anemones before investing in any corals? <Yes.> They have stung the large anemone, but I was able to separate them. Or are Corals and anemones a bad mix altogether? <That as well - an unwise mix.>
I was told that I would need to supplement the water with additional minerals (strontium) and filter feeder food.  Is this necessary? <Only if you have things that eat it... I didn't see any filter feeders on your list.> What would you recommend? <Only put supplements into the tank that you NEED. How does one know this? Observation and testing. By your own admittance, the crabs have eaten all the feather dusters, so you probably don't need the filter-feeder-food. Strontium, Calcium, Iodine - all these should be tested for before you go about putting in supplements according to the directions on the bottle. The tests will give you a much better idea of where things stand.>
Any advise would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mark
<Cheers, J -- >

High Redox 11/26/03
Hello Anthony!
<hallo, Thanassis>
After 3 months of operation my Redox is at 320 to 340mV.
<very fine... consistency is always better than spikes to unreal goals>
I do not see any problem with my first inhabitants - one Zoanthus, some Discosoma and an Ocellaris. However I am a little bit worrying if this Redox value is doing some harm to my system. My Redox meter is an American Marine and the probe is in a high flow area in my sump
<no worries, my friend... ORP meter are notoriously difficult to calibrate. They are better/best used as a simple guide (monitoring trends and sudden changes from infractions on water quality)>
Another question is about my sump, which is made according to your advice: two rooms, the first one is smaller where I have the thermostats and the Remora skimmer and the second is bigger, where I have the submersible EHEIM return pump. I have noticed that every 3 days there is a "foam" on the surface of the second part of the sump, which forms a thick foam membrane on the surface.
<hmmm... interesting. Are you sure that you are not overfeeding the fishes?>
I take it our manually with a big plastic cup, skimming only the surface, but still this way I take out some extra sea water, which means that the salinity slowly lowers.
<helpful to do so... do replace with seawater>
Is this foam normal or should I check something?
<its not normal my friend... the organics in the system have to be very high to cause this. Its a sign of likely overfeeding. If not that, I'm not sure where the decay is coming from>
I have a poly-filter and some carbon placed under the output of my skimmer and I have removed the drip-plate and the sponge on it, which means that I have no mechanical filtration (?).
<the mechanical is not needed while you have small fishes and light feeding. A slight benefit to go without it in this case in fact (no unwanted nitrification/nitrates from here)>
Third question: I realized I have a mantis shrimp. I saw its clams and a part of it in a dark hole in the LR and I am not completely certain it is a Mantis Shrimp, but if it not one, then what else could it be?
<perhaps a pistol shrimp... they are both fairly harmless either way. Most incidentally acquired mantis are smashers and not spearers, and as such are little risk to anything much more than some snails>
It has been hiding so well all these three months that I had not seen it till today. It seems to be about 1 1/2 inch. Is it dangerous for my Ocellaris (1 1/2 inch) or my future acquirements (2 neon-gobies, one Lysmata Amboinensis and some Turbo snails) ?
<a small risk here, yes>
I have read a lot in the FAQ's session about Mantis shrimps and I know how to trap it, but is it necessary?
<perhaps not... lets ID it first. Tank some time studying the tank at night to get a clear view of him. Do I recall that you have our Reef Invertebrates book? If so, do read the section on Stomatopods (mantis shrimp)
Thanks as always, Thanassis, your Greek friend
<always welcome, your American friend Anthony :) >

Singing A New Tune (Changing Maintenance Philosophy)
Here's what I've got:
* 30 gallon tank
* Penguin 170 BioWheel filter
* 2 - 65 watt PowerCompact 50/50 - 10K/actinic Bulbs
* Aqua C Remora Protein Skimmer
* 2 - Maxi-Jet powerheads  
* 3 inches of Florida crushed coral as the substrate
* Don't really know exactly how many pounds of live rock, but the tank is full.  I'd guess about 25 pounds. It is currently stocked with numerous(10+ types) soft corals, a yellow tang,
a clown fish, probably around 30 snails of various types they come and go), and about 15 red and blue legged crabs.  
<Sounds nice, but I'd think about much larger quarters for the tang in the not-to-distant future, okay?>
I use the following supplements and nothing more:
* Kent two-part Calcium/Buffer
* Seachem - Calcium Polygluconate
* Kent Iodine
* Kent Coral Accel
* Kent Phytoplex
* Kent Essential Elements
<Lots of stuff...Do test water to verify if you need to add some of these additives. It's important to closely monitor water conditions, particularly in a tank with a small water volume>
I try to do a 5 gallon water change every three weeks, but honestly months have gone by numerous times with no water changes.  I use RO/DI water.
<You're not alone there...Lots of hobbyists tend to not do changes. But ya know what? If you can get yourself in the habit of one or two small water changes per week, most of those additives that you're spending your hard-earned dollars on can be eliminated! Give it a try, it's not as hard as you think- and I'll bet you'll notice the difference in the tank after a few weeks>
Waiting so long for the water change has had some minor negative effects on a few occasions, but never anything too awful.  I just do a water change and everything comes back to healthy again.  
<Well, at least you can seethe benefits of water changes. Imagine how things would be if you did them weekly!>
Honestly I rarely test any water parameters at all.  I know I should, but I never seem to have the time. I wind up testing when I perceive a problem.  I follow the dosage recommendations on all of the supplements.  
<Well, I'm glad that you test. It's important to be able to test the water and evaluate the chemistry of your system. Try to set aside a few minutes, just once a week, to test the basic water parameters (pH, nitrate, specific gravity, alkalinity, calcium-and if you're a geek like me, phosphate and silicate. If you're dosing iodine, do check this as well). You can do them all at one time, or just one test a day for a few days. "Reaction management" of tank conditions is not a good long-term strategy. Much better to monitor as you go, to AVOID problems, or at least see them coming. Trust me on this. You have the skills, just try to make these techniques part of your schedule. You wouldn't miss the opportunity to feed or care for a dog or cat- so don't do this with your fishes!>
What are your thoughts on my equipment set up?  Should I change anything?
What are your thoughts on my supplements?  Should I add/delete/change
anything?  
<Sounds fine- just make sure that you change the media in the Penguin regularly to keep them at peak efficiency, and to avoid having them become nutrient traps>
Can I do more water changes and eliminate some of the supplements?  Its a small enough tank that large water changes are relatively easy and cheap?
<Exactly! You hit it on the head, my friend! Awesome!>
I've plumbed in off of my water filter a separate holding tank for mixing saltwater with it's own power head, heater, and auto-fill system as well as a transfer pump to get the water up to the main tank.  I fit this system under my tank in the stand.  Water changes are REALLY easy now.
<Sweet!>
I just recently made this change to my tank.  Best change I've made in a long time. I knew I needed to do more water changes and if it isn't easy I wind up not doing them until problems arise.  
<Excellent thinking. You are totally right. If it's easier- we tend to do it more...>
My biggest question is how often is too often for water changes?
<Well, if you find yourself skipping meals, work, important family events, etc. to make that 3rd water change in a day, then you are in trouble and need to get help! LOL. Seriously- 2 5% water changes twice a week can do a great job>
My only persistent problem with this tank is that the purple/pink algae will not grow on the tops of the live rock.  It grows great on the bottom and lower sides of the rock though! Do I have too much light?  Any ideas?
<many factors involved in coralline growth...The most important factor, IMO, is time. Give it time and continued good conditions. Monitor calcium and magnesium to see where you're at. In the end, just be patient and it will eventually show up. Have fun with your system- you're doing many things right, and will be doing a lot more things right with just a few minor adjustments! Regards, Scott F>

- Questions about This and That -
Thanks for all the info thus far, and I guess this ich outbreak has given me time to worry about other stuff. I have about 200lbs of Florida live rock and I'd say it's adjusted well. The coralline algae even started to spread the first couple months of introduction, but I haven't monitored or added any calcium since then. But now I'd like to encourage growth. About a month ago my ca levels were at 210 and alk at 12 (Salifert test kits) so I bought some Kalkwasser figuring that while my tank was fallow I'd have time to adjust and experiment with additives so I began adding the Kalk. Putting 2tbls in a gallon jug and adding half the saturated solution, pH would jump about 0.1. I'd usually try and add about half a gallon of the saturated solution twice a day. I'm not sure if I'm right for this but I would add more water to the gallon jug used previously and cap it for later use, there was more undissolved Kalk in the bottom. Well after a couple weeks of steady dosage I've only tested an increase of ca levels to about 230-240 (alk still 12) and no more. But strangely I've noticed a couple small blotches of coralline growth on my back glass.  I'm afraid to up the daily dose because of the pH increase. I've thought of using calcium chloride additives and have even went so far as to buy two bottles (LFS store recommended calcite and aragonite by NatuReef) but haven't used them yet. I know its a quick fix but needed a recommendation first. I know I could do a large water change but my instant ocean mix has only tested to have a ca level of about 300. And the water change I would have to do would take a lot of salt and money. <You think you will save money with other additives? Doesn't make sense to me - any route you choose will 'cost money'.>
Another thing related to coralline and calcium. Is the fact that I have a fish only with no DSB or refugium. <Neither of these have much to with calcium or coralline.> So I typically allow algae to grow all over the back and sides of my aquarium. My ideas on this are that they remove nutrients that need to be removed. <As long as you harvest this algae out from time to time, that should work to some extent.> But coralline is much more attractive, but my question is does coralline algae have the same benefits of nutrient removal as others, and will increased coralline on the glass improve nutrient uptake the same? <No.> I do have a cs12-1 EuroReef protein skimmer, use well water, and do not have much of a clean up crew. I need to purchase more animals for this, but I have a harlequin tusk at the LFS waiting for me and I'm afraid that he will demolish anything small I use for algae removal on my rock. So I plan on purchasing the larger turbo snails and am assuming these snails will consume algae on my rock and glass. I apologize for all these questions but they are all kinda related because if the coralline isn't effective for nutrient removal then ill need the algae growing on my glass right? <Or do more frequent water changes - with a skimmer the size of the one you have and regular water changes, you should have much of a nutrient problem.> So I would need a cleanup crew full of hermits and crabs that would only clean the rock, or does it really matter? <Only if it matters to you - a need to see the rock clean and pristine.> Will having not much algae of any kind growing equal bad water quality? <Not necessarily.>
thanks
Brandon
<Cheers, J -- >

- UV Sterilizer and Other Questions -
Hello WWM,
First I would like to thank you so much for all of your hard work on the website. It is first class.
I have two questions: <Ok.>
I have a 230 gallon FOWLR Marine tank that's water parameters seem to be perfect.  NO ammonia, Nitrite in the last 9 months or so and my PH and DKH are always right on.  My frustration lies with my nitrates.  They have been creeping up lately and now are at 20ppm.  I just did a 55 gallon water change this weekend and it did not seem to help.  How often should I be changing my water and how much? <I like 10% every two weeks, but 5% every week is probably overall the best for any tank if you can stand that much maintenance.> And how would you recommend that I fix this nitrate problem quick? <Depends on your system... do you by any chance have a wet/dry filter?> Also what is an effective level for calcium? <In my opinion between 350 to 400 although many prefer 450ppm. Depends really on maintaining those levels.> I am trying to grow more purple algae.
Secondly I have a double helix UV sterilizer (36 watt), in my sump.  Is that enough wattage and should I purchase another? <I don't think UV is worth the time or money on main systems - great for quarantine, but hard to tune for larger systems. The big variable is a low enough flow rate adequate to kill protozoans.> I also am curious if there is a place that I can put it to make sure it is most effective? <Again, careful quarantine procedures can make UV sterilization a waste of time, and likewise there is some anecdotal evidence of an acquired immune problems in systems that have run UV for extended [years] periods of time.>
Your help would be greatly appreciated,
Matt
<Cheers, J -- >

Nano cube - 11/18/03
I recently bought a 12 gallon JBJs Nano Cube with built in wet/dry filtration. <Mmmmm....OK. Not a big supporter of JBJ products as I have personally have had them fail in the past. Although they did make good on the replacement, they continue to fail> I have 12 lb of live rock that is in the process of being cured along with about 5lb of live sand. <Very well> I purchased a heater (25watt visa therm deluxe) and I have set the temp to be 82F. <I like to keep my stuff around 78-80> My tank is a week old today. I am adding 2 ml daily of b-ionic calcium buffer system (comes in two parts). <Widely used product and useful with heavy SPS growth in most cases I don't think you need to dose with this just yet> I have changed 25% of water yesterday. Here are my 3 questions, if you please:
1) Do I need to keep this temperature for the remaining curing process? <Could be lowered to 78 with a max fluctuation of about 2 degrees either way>
2) Is there any other supplement that I should add to the water? <If you don't test for it don't add it. Why?? Do you have animals already in the tank??> I was sold in the store Kemp's ammonia Detox, essential elements and pro buffer dKH but I have not used <Likely wasted money in my opinion. No getting around the natural way of things (nitrification process) Some might be good in a bind though. I wouldn't get rid of them per se, but not necessary for your tank's success (can be achieved with sound process and patience.) Frequent water changes is the best way to solve pollution issues, troublesome algal issues, and replenish needed nutrients for coral growth and animal health.>
3) Do you have any review about this particular tank? <Just what I said above> I think is great looking but more than that I would like to hear your expert opinion and know if I should change/add any other media, filter or accessory. <Don't know much about their tanks, but I have had poor quality lighting fixtures from said company. As for filtration,  it will depend on your future inhabitants. Once you know what you want to put in the tank then decide your method and cost and go from there.>
You are very kind! <Thanks for the questions. Good luck. Paulo>
Roberto

Sandsifter Siftable?
>Hello,
>>Hello.
>I have a quick question I just set up a 80 gallon sw tank yesterday, currently have 1 yellow tang, 1 tomato clown, 1 clarkii clown, 4 hermit crabs, 6 turbo snails and a sand sifting star fish in it.  I'm not really worried about new tank syndrome because my tank was a 37 gallon aquarium that I just upgraded to 80, so had an immediate transfer of 60 lbs. of live rock and for filtration
>>The wise aquarist would count on an upset of previously established nitrifying bacteria.  Be prepared with water ready for any emergent needs.
>I'm running a HOT Magnum canister filter, and a Fluval 304 canister filter with 3 powerheads and a 100 gallon rated protein skimmer.
>>Great with that skimmer.
>Lighting is 1 175 watt metal halide and 4 65 watt power compact Smartlights.
>>For... ??
>I guess my question is I just added 40 lbs. of dead sand and I want to know what I need to feed the sifting starfish until the sand becomes live sand, and how long will it take for the sand to become live sand.  
>>Well, to the first question, if it's Archaster typicus, it's a detritivore (sp?), and that's what it needs.  If you kept the previous substrate all together and didn't rinse, mix, or bury it, the starfish should be fine.  If you did any of the previously mentioned, I would overfeed a slight bit, and compensate for the water quality issues sure to arise with water changes and cranking up the skimmer.  As to how long it'll take for the new sand to become seeded, that will depend on many factors.  I would count on at least a month.
>Also what do I need to feed my anemone looking coral, and how hard is it to keep in those light conditions.
>>Unfortunately Frank, there is no way anyone can properly answer your question with this description.  Lighting isn't your only issue here, either.  Your filtration is not what we could call "optimal" for husbandry of corals.  If your sand bed is sufficiently deep it may make for good denitrification, but that would take several weeks to months to kick in.  For coral identification, there are many books to look for, a good quick reference guide is "Corals: A Quick Reference Guide", by Julian Sprung.  For answers as to lighting needs, et al, please make use of the articles and previous FAQs available with our site's search engine (I would also take time to peruse as much of our Marine articles as you can find under that heading).  Marina
>Thanks in advance, Frank Di Gioia    

- New Tank Questions -
Dear all WWM crew'
I am looking into a tank of my own after helping my friend a LOT with his 180 gal partial reef tank.  I would like the same thing, only a 220 gal with built in filter like my friend's by AquArt.  I am also wondering what many of your terms mean.  Sump, refugium, MH, PC, SPS. <A sump is typically a remote filtration system placed under the tank. Refugiums are a little more involved - you can read up on them here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm - HM and PC refer to lighting types: Metal Halide and Power Compact. SPS stands for Small Polyp, Stony coral.> Also, what is the difference between LR and coral? <Uhh... the price? Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/liverock1.htm and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cnidaria.htm > Does the LR simply grow coral? <Not exactly.> We've just been asking the LFS if anything goes wrong. <I'm not sure I follow... have you been asking the LFS folk any of these questions?> Current inhabitants in the 180 are 2 male percula clowns neither of which shows any interest in the 1 1/2 foot wide green carpet anemone.  One Bullseye tang, one Sailfin tang, one blue tang some yellow-tail and white-tail damsels five normal stars (unknown species, generic form) one brittle star and one small unknown crab that came with the live rock. I really thank you guys for teaching us to feed the anemone and brittle, we were told they would pick up scraps. In the 220 I was hoping to divide it off with a screen so I could have some lions and a blue-spotted stingray. <Please forgo the stingray - these not only grow too large for a system of this size but even under ideal conditions, they rarely live more than a couple of weeks in captivity. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rays.htm > The partition would be for some of the smaller fish aka damsels and clowns, so they wouldn't get scarfed. You have saved me from buying some triggers and angels that would have direly upset the 180's pleasant lifestyle.  One of the smaller yellow-tails (damsel) disappeared recently.  Do you think this is in part from the anemone? <Could be anywhere.> Another yellow-tail formed a relationship with the brittle star, in a hole in the live rock.  With the brittle waving his arms to scare off any approaching tangs, and the yellow-tail bringing food.  Is this unusual? <I think perhaps this is how you interpret the relationship, but I assure it it's coincidental.> If the clowns stayed in an anemone, would a lion harm them? <Probably not.> I also would like to know what to get to stir the gravel with. <Nassarius snails.> Right now we do it manually, but I am looking at horseshoe crabs and sea cucumbers to stir up the gravel with.  Is this OK? <Horseshoe crabs tend to plow about and upset rock work, sometime on top of themselves - not really an ideal selection.> About once in a 2 month span randomly, an algae burst comes up.  Is there any fish that can prevent this? <Depending on the algae, there are several... I've already given you a bunch of URL's - you really should spend some time reading through the rest of our web site where there are many articles outlining the possibilities along with archived question and answer sessions like this.> We are looking at Achilles tangs (BIG fans of tangs and surgeons) to keep down algal growth. What would we feed them when there was no algae? <Dried algae, Nori, etc.> Last time we introduced macro it nearly took over.
Sorry for the length,
Another person named Bob
<Cheers, J -- >

- Mini Reef Questions -
I have a 20gal long tank.  I have 20lbs live rock, 20lbs live, sand on top of 15lbs crushed coral.  To filter the system I have TetraTec pf150 rated for a 30 gal tank.  I move the water I use a Rio 180, and zoo med PowerSweep 214.  One of my questions is should I use the carbon filters and bio filter media that comes with the filter or should I just take it out? <At least with the carbon, I think it's a good idea to run this once in a while, perhaps for a week or two at a time - just toss the media cartridge when you're done with it, use a new one when it's time again. As for the biofilter media, as long as it's not getting filthy or clogged with mulm, I'd leave it in - it won't hurt.>
In my tank I have the following:
1 Bubble tip anemone (about 2 in. across)
4 Camel shrimp
1 tomato clown (1 in.) (getting 2 more at a later date when my LFS has small ones)
2 scarlet hermits
2 Blue leg hermits
4 dwarf hermits
6 Astrea snails
2 turbo snail (I think)
2.) I have my zoo-med powerhead sweeping over the bubble tip.  Is this a good idea? <It's probably not a bad idea - you should be able to tell by the behaviour of the bubble tip whether or not it approves of the flow. Do make sure you have an input screen on your powerheads as anemones sometimes go on float-about and end up being destroyed by powerheads - in a tank this small, you'd likely lose everything else in there if this happened.>
3.) I want a total of 4 fish in the tank 3 tomato clowns and either a orange spotted goby, yellow watchmen goby, or a small type of blenny. Would this be wise and should I get the goby or some type of blenny? <I don't think you'll be able to keep three tomato clowns in such a small area - a pair will likely develop and they will probably kill the odd-man-out. As for the goby... I think this would work just fine, although you'll want to provide a place for it to burrow.>
Thanks
<Cheers, J -- >

Skimmer Help
Hello,
<Hi>
I currently use a CPR Bak-Pak on my 55 gallon reef tank.
Recently I have noticed a thick yellow film on my water surface, I've
cleaned the entire skimmer and the film has not gone away.
<first add some carbon if you have yellow water it will clear it up right away, Also get a powerhead or 2 and angle them so that they ripple the surface. the surface of you water should have no dead spots>
Recently I have been battling algae and have lost two fish, corals are fine.
<test water chemistry test phosphates and if high use a good phosphate remover ROWAphos is the best I have used. this should help get algae under control. Also add a lawnmower blenny >
My question is should I get rid of the Bak Pak and go with a Berlin HO?
< like I said I don't think the skimmer is your problem, I think it is your water quality Hope this helps Mike H>
Is the Berlin HO superior to the CPR?
I really appreciate any guidance.
Thanks,
John

Reef Maintenance/operation
Hey guys! First I want to thank you for providing this website. Your help and wealth of knowledge has done so much for me and my aquarist' friends.  The LFS owner is even calling me with questions now!  
<wow... compliments to us both>
I just had a few questions for you. (here's my setup first:(8 months old) 45gal tall w/Fluval canister filter, cyclone pro skimmer,
<do consider a skimmer upgrade in the future... I doubt that you get consistent dark skimmate several times weekly here or better>
and power compact lighting 96watts*?, power head angled at Fluval output for chaotic water flow
50lbs live rock
1in crushed coral substrate
<stir this weekly or better... or make thinner for less maintenance>
1 leaf fish
1 mandarin fish (had to rescue him from the LFS, doing very well fat and healthy)
1 feather duster
8 assorted snails
1 emerald crab (had hair algae problem)
4 scarlet hermit crabs
1 devils hand coral
1 small xenia, silver-branched
1 2x2in zoomat polyp piece
1 mysterious all black snail that only has a small shell, like a helmet or something, its body is about an inch long and it only comes out at night. Any ideas?
<yep... a Stomatella it sounds like>
My main question is what can I add next?  
<a refugium gets my vote... to produce zooplankton for your mandarin above all>
This is a truly beautiful hobby and incredible interesting to me, but I want to be careful with my selections and I hope I have done well so far.  My corals are all about 8in apart at different levels in the tank, but do I have room for more coral?
<some other weakly noxious species perhaps... do consider other Xeniids here. Anthelia perhaps>
If so which ones would be best suited?  I know the "mixed garden" combo is bad and deadly in the long run, but I really want more color variety to my tank. I was looking at some Montipora species, Elkhorn and sunset digitata in particular, but I read not to use stony and soft corals in the same tank.  Any suggestions?
<the Montiporas are fairly harmless and nicely hardy/colorful>
Also, is there any more room for livestock?  Snails, crabs, star fish?
<the possibilities are endless... really do need for you to browse through some references to see what appeals to you>
What livestock and coral limits should I follow for my size tank? Im sorry for such open ended questions, but being a poor college kid with an expensive hobby, I need all the help I can get.  I cant thank you enough for all your help and insight.  
-Nick Caudle
<I do want to help, my friend... but the question really is quite general/vague. It is almost like asking someone to set up your tank/selections for you. That's no fun <G>. Do enjoy the journey my friend... browse the 'Net and popular books and daydream about the possibilities. Enjoy your hobby. And come of with a short list of faves and lets evaluate then what might work and what will not>
PS Are any of you guys going to speaking in the Midwest anytime soon? There's always more to learn right?! Thanks again
<yes... Bob and I both will be in Chicago at http://www.theimac.org/registration.htm
and many of our dates at large for the future are posted here:
http://www.readingtrees.com/meet_the_authors.htm
best regards, Anthony>

Bubbles & Red Slime
Hi guys. I have 2 problems with my 55 reef.
The tank is almost 1 1/2 year old. I have a tough time keeping an out break of red slime at bay. I assume it's from a nutrient problem<agreed>,specifically my sand bed (1 1/2 - 3"). I know it's a nutrient sink. Is there anything else I can do besides the weekly 10% water change I've been doing. I plan on adding a 4" DSB when I temporarily break down the tank for new flooring in the room.( @ 4-6 weeks from now)?<well first of all check your phosphate levels...maybe even feed your fish less, siphon the gravel? many ways to combat algae.>
#2: I have a large amount of small bubbles rising from the sand bed.
They stick to the glass and live rock. I assume it is from the sand bed, and is this dangerous. <probably not> There is no smell in the tank as some people claim to report.<good to hear> The strange thing is, this coincided with the addition of some new T5 lights to an existing older PC. Any thoughts? Is this as dangerous as it looks?<hmm.. don't know much about this. will send along to Anthony C> Thanks as always.<good luck, IanB>

I Don't Want to Be In Films!
Hi There, 
<Hello! Scott F. here again today!> 
I want to thank all ya'll for the help you've been giving me. It really is nice to know that there are people like ya'll that remember what it was like to get started and ya'll don't mind the questions. Some people make you feel intimidated by them when you aren't sure about something and if you should even ask a question, but not ya'll so thanks again. 
<Really glad to hear that! We are all still learning every day, and we enjoy sharing our experience with our fellow hobbyists. It seems a shame that anyone would "look down" on another hobbyist because he or she feels "above" others!> 
Well, to my question: I have a film floating on top of my water. I did another water change Sunday and I noticed this film Tuesday when I came home from work. My fish are swimming around and appear to be ok. My mushroom leather is still a funny color at the bottom of the stalks but they are wide open with their little tentacles (what ever you call the) waving all around. 
<Good to hear that...> 
I looked in on things this morning before work 4:00am and my tomato clown was sleeping (I hope anyway that's what was happening) on top of the mushroom leather and my leather still had it's tentacles waving for him/her to sleep in. Pretty cool I thought. 
<It is a neat sight to see...Sometimes the coral doesn't like it, but they seem to "get used to" it.> 
Finger leather still looks the same which is not good. 
<I'm not too sure about this one making it...> 
Last night I changed the filter pad that lies on top of my bio-balls in my sump and I did a water check last night also. And this is what I had: 
pH 8.2 
Ammonia 0 
Nitrite 0 
Nitrate 40 to 60 still high 
<You'll get that down with regular frequent water changes and continued good maintenance practices> 
I have learned some of the names of things in my tank besides just the kinds of fish I have. 
<Excellent! That makes it so much easier to find information- or explain concerns to others!> 
Here is a list that I believe to be correct: 
Sailfin Tang 
Coral Beauty 
Tomato Clown 
Neon Dotty Back 
Pink Star Polyp 2 of these 
Mushroom Leather 
Finger Leather 2 of these (one was in bad shape when I got the tank and the other one is really bad as of now) 
Flower Pot 
Sand Crab 2 of these 
Small Conch 
And when I look in my tank with the lights off, I have it looks like 100's of tiny tiny snail (light brown color with brown stripes) 
Crab with red legs 
<Sounds like an interesting mix of fishes and inverts> 
I am adding the last few times I corresponded with you guys so you will have the history of what has been happening. J answered my last one and I had not put the one with the first problem with my mushroom leather so J didn't know about the moving creature I call him, still haven't found him.  But in response to the question you asked what chemicals the guy put in my tank when he moved it for the red algae it was CHEM-CLEAN. 
<Haven't heard of that one> 
Also tell Scott I don't have a digital camera to send a picture of the little animals He and I don't know what are (in the letter below) but if I find out or get a camera I'll be sure to write him with the info. 
<Please do- hopefully we can figure it out!> 
Thanks again I don't know how ya'll respond so quickly 
<Horrifying dedication augmented with Thai Iced Tea usually does the trick for me! LOL> 
..but I for one greatly appreciate it and I am reading as much as I can. But right now, I leave for work before 4am and don't get home till 8pm or later. But I hope to be able to get back to my reading real soon. 
<Yep- soooo much good material out there! Read all you can, and talk with other hobbyists and share your experiences!> 
Sorry if I am asking too many ??????? but really need some help. Thanks again. 
<Never a problem...We have some great people working on this site that truly enjoy helping their fellow hobbyists! Ask away! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Expanding His System... 
Hi gang: 
<Scott F. with you today!> 
I have a 105 gl 'cube' shaped reef tank sharing a common sump with a 20 gallon tall fishless refugium full of 'display' macroalgae and a separate 10 gallon filled with Chaetomorpha. The display tank has a several species of Ulva, green Codium, red Codium, A SMALL AMOUNT of razor Caulerpa, plus red Gracilaria, sea fern, sea grass, and red grape. I currently add a bit of iron supplement twice weekly. 
<Sounds nice. You'll probably see one or two species ultimately "dominating" the others...> 
Water quality is generally good. . . nitrates hovering about 10-12 because my main system is a bit overcrowded in terms of bioload. 
<Keep working on it...> 
My questions are: (A) Does anyone know of a good book on 'care and feeding' or macroalgae? I have the 'Marine Plants of the Caribbean' field guide, which is excellent for species identification. . . but soft on everything else. 
<Well, you might start with Bob and Anthony's "Reef Invertebrates", which has an excellent section on macroalgae!> 
(B) I want to upgrade the 20 gallon tank to a 60 gallon long. . . taking advantage of the larger space to create a larger DSB. . . and introduce a fish or two from my main system. I'm trying to figure out how much light and in what portion/s of the spectrum I need it to benefit the macroalgae? 
<I'd employ daylight or full spectrum type bulbs.> 
I've got tons of live rock in the main system (150 lbs) so servicing live rock isn't an issue for the 60. 
<Sounds nice!> 
(B) My main tank was set up before I knew about WWM. . . and so with a coarse gravel bed that I thought 'looked neat'. I'm unable to add superfine aragonite to the main system. . . but have done so in the 'support' tanks. The 20 gallon has six inches of fine sand. . . and shows 'bubble' activity from top to bottom of the bed. Will an even deeper bed produce more nitrate reduction. . . or does the activity level 'top off' at about this depth for a given surface area? 
<Good question. My understanding is that there is a point of "diminishing returns" at around 7-8 inches, after which little additional denitrification benefit can be realized. I'd stick to 6 inches or so and enjoy the results> 
© Once I get the 60 in place, I'm going to resist the temptation to add an anemone (thanks to WWM coaching) and am wondering what the likelihood is of getting a true perc to adopt a Bali plate as its anemone? 
<Unknown...Although, many tank-raised clowns have never even seen an anemone, so they are perfectly comfortable without a "host". You'll just have to see what happens...> 
Mine is a female who's adopted a green Bubbletip in the past (anemone since removed, but from what I gather not a species percs generally bond with). Assuming this is a reasonable possibility (or even if not, since the plates look so beautiful anyway) if the plate is on the sand bed at a depth of about 16-18" how much light would you guess I'll need in the 60 gl. to keep it happy. . . and will it need any portion/s of the spectrum I wouldn't already be providing for the macroalgae? 
<I'd use a 150-250 watt metal halide bulb in the 10000k spectrum, myself> 
Thanks in advance for your time and attention from your fan. . .  Chuck 
<Have fun with your system, Chuck! Sounds like it will be quite interesting! Regards, Scott F> 

Keeping Things In Balance 
Thanks for your help on my previous questions. What do you think of a Berlin XL Turbo skimmer on a 55 gallon reef tank? (replacing a Seaclone piece of crap that only pulls 1/2 cup every week or two(!) even with an airstone dropped inside, as was recommended by my LFS) What skimmer would you recommend/ use? If it requires a pump what would you use also? 
<I'd use an Aqua C EV series skimmer, and use the pump recommended by Aqua C (check out their web site)> 
My next question is about Kalkwasser. My Ca is about 300, I have been dosing for about 1 1/2 weeks (1 teaspoon per 1/2 gallon) dripping every night at lights out and I am not seeing any changes in my Ca. I want to get up to 400. My alk is good at 5 meq/l. Is a Red Sea Ca test reliable? 
<First of all, as mentioned before, it's tough to get high alkalinity and high calcium at the same time...In fact, virtually impossible! Frankly, I'd look at the overall condition of your animals, rather than become "fixated" on a specific target number...The Red See Ca test is okay, the Seachem Ca test is a bit more accurate, in my experience.> 
What about Tropic Marin Ca/Mg test kit? 
<I have not used this kit, but I am a big fan of their salt!> 
When I drip Kalk at night my ph goes from 8.15 at night to 8.25 in the morning but the ph seems to go back down to 8.15 (digital ph monitor) by lights off. I'm confused, is the pH going down during the day because of the lack of Kalk? With a low ph to begin with should I dose all day/night to keep ph up around 8.3-8.5? I use instant ocean salt mix )which I think has a ph of 8.2-8.3) with DI water and change 20% every week or two. Can you tell me why my ph is so low? 
<Well, part of the day/night fluctuation is typical in closed systems. A declining pH during daylight hours is a sign that buffer capacity is somewhat diminished. As previously mentioned throughout hobby literature, Kalkwasser tends to diminish alkalinity somewhat. Perhaps you're better using Anthony's "Kalk slurry" method, in which you satisfy your tank's calcium needs with a single dose of Kalkwasser shortly after lights out.  Also, are you pre-treating your DI water? Fresh DI water has very little, if any, general hardness, and needs to be "reconstituted" somewhat with buffers in order to make it more stable for use. Read up on this process on the WWM site> 
Also I tried using Kent liquid Ca and Aragamilk (5-7ml per day of each for 2 weeks) which made no difference at all. I have 3 LPS, 5 SPS, 15 mushrooms, Tubipora, a few soft corals, two anemones and coralline algae on rocks, but unfortunately, not on the glass (don't know why). 
<Lots of possibilities, including light and flow, to name just a few> 
One more question if you don't mind. I have a small (about 2"x2") square of brown star polyps that I've had for about 8 months that show no sign of growth, can you tell me what they need? 
<They do like nice water movement, balanced (daylight/actinic), moderate lighting, and an area free of microalgae or detritus, which can interfere with the polyps growth.> 
I use Phytoplex/Coral Accel once a week about 5ml of both on different days. 
<I wouldn't use the foods. These corals derive the majority of their nutrition from photosynthesis and absorption from the water. Direct feeding is not necessary> 
(my lights are 130w 10,000K PC, 130w actinic PC, and 175w 10,000K MH, and I have good water flow in the tank 3 powerhead 402's). 
<Well, keep these guys clean, and don't over-light them> 
Sorry one more question. I have brown algae on the glass that I scrape every two days (more than I would like to have), my nitrate is between 10-20 and phosphate is under.1 and I only have one 2" clownfish that I feed only a couple flakes once a day (not over feeding the tank for sure). I use DI water so I'm not 
sure how algae can be growing back every two days, any ideas? 
<It's all about nutrient export. Employ very aggressive protein skimming, frequent small water changes, and possibly a deep sand bed. Also, brown diatom algae are common where silicates are found in the source water. Does your DI membrane need replacing? Have you tested your source water for silicates? Lots of things to look into.> 
Thanks in advance for the help, your site is extremely helpful, I find myself reading info at least once every day and there's so much to still learn!! 
<Ya never stop!> 
You guys are geniuses!! 
<Well, some of the guys and girls are...I wouldn't fall into that category.. Just a fish geek here! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> 

All Kinds of Stuff (Mixed Reef Topics)
Hi. Thanks in advance for reading this fairly long
list of questions, but I didn't know exactly where to
post on the boards, and I have looked at the FAQ, but
still need some clarifications. My specs are as
follows:
Reef Tank
-50 gal acrylic
-CPR Bakpak2R
-Aquaclear 200
-2 Eheim powerheads
50 lbs LR
60 lbs sand
~live stock~
1 med yellow tang (I know he'll have to go when he
grows up but he's a good algae eater and since my tank
is new, it has lots of it)
1 royal Dottyback
1 leather coral
yellow polyps
~15 hermits, 15 snails.
Okay, now for my much needed info. I've noticed that
my yellow tank produces "quote: "A large amount" of
waste, and was wondering if it would be prudent to
vacuum it up when I do water changes, or if I can put
an animal in there that enjoys the tasty snacks she
leaves behind.
<Well, believe it or not, there are numerous creatures on reef that eagerly devour (yuck) fecal pellets from fishes such as tangs, which are rich in nutrients. New tank or not, it is unwise to allow fecal matter, uneaten food, and other debris to accumulate in the tank, as there will no doubt be some degradation of water quality if this stuff sticks around for a while (The expression "sticks around" seems kinda gross, huh?). I would certainly make the effort to remove this stuff during regular water changes if it's lying around on the rocks and substrate>
I was told to wait on any stars since my tank is still new. Anything else that might work?
<Well, starfishes can be beneficial, but they can work over and decimate the sandbed fauna that you are so carefully trying to cultivate, before they get the chance to be established. I'd stick to old fashioned siphoning for now>
I was also thinking about purchasing a RO/DI unit,
since I'm spending $0.30/g and that adds up over the
year. My concern here is that I've seen a LOT of
models online. Some have 1 micron prefilter and some
.5 micron. Is it really worth the extra $100 or so to
upgrade?
<I don't thick it is the micron prefilter that is responsible for the price difference in units...These can be bought as replacements for $6.00-$10.00 each. The price difference is probably due to the quality and varying features (such as DI, silicate removal stages, etc. Read the "fine print" carefully>
Also, the prices I've seen online are around
$200-$300 for a 4 stage RO/DI unit, and the prices at my
LFS are $200-$300 for a 3 stage RO unit. Is this just
because they are online retailers?
<Well, yes- and no...Could be different quality levels, and you also have to take into account that an online supplier might have different overhead, so the product can be sold for less...Of course, local support is important, too, so don't count out your LFS...>
I've looked at Kent Models, as well as Captive Marine systems. In the end, is there an estimate as to how much I'll be paying for
new canisters, membranes per year?
<Depends on how much water you produce, and what type of system you get. I've used a Kent "Maxxima" RO/DI "Hi S" system for some time, and I've had to replace the prefilters almost quarterly, which is not too expensive, and the deionization cartridge once, which is rather pricey. R/O units are kinda like cell phones- the phones are often free, but the calling plans are where the $$ are. If you price out the replacement media, it can cost almost as much as the whole unit if you are replacing them all at the same time (you almost never will do this, however). I do a LOT of water changes, as regular WWM readers are aware, and my local water is very hard and contains lots of silicates, so your "mileage" may vary. Lots of different factors involved...In the end, R/O is relatively cost effective, but the process does waste a lot of water...If you have a use for the reject water (such as a lawn, garden bed, etc.- it's no big deal. Otherwise, you'll literally be throwing water down the drain...Something to consider. Some people like Deionizers because they don't waste water...All things to consider. Ask questions of your LFS and potential suppliers- they'll be happy to explain the relative merits/downsides of each>
And is there a large difference in quality between brands with the
same specs?
<Yes- there are some excellent high end products out there, such as Spectra Pure and Captive Purity, which are worth the extra $$ for many people.>
    Next, I was thinking about putting in a refugium
since I'd like to have more fish than usual for a
reef, and I've heard they can keep the nitrates down,
and also have a place for copepods and such to thrive.
I've seen CPR HOT models, but my tank is out of room
in the back. Will a simple 10 gallon glass tank work?
I have one with some coral from an established system
(used to me my marine tank with two fish). Would this
work if I put some Live Sand on top and kind of use it
as a sump/refugium?
<Sure...>
I'm still kinda unclear how these systems work. I know I'll need an overflow and a return pump, but is there anything else?
<Well, you can get a lot of good info. right here on the WWM site- or you could pick up a copy of "Reef Invertebrates Vol. 1" by Anthony and Bob, or Anthony's "Book of Coral Propagation"- both of which offer enormous amounts of good inf. on refugia...>
I've read how some people use micron filters and use their refugium as a QT. Maybe I read that wrong.
<I hope so- a quarantine tank should not be attached to a display in any way, and is not a permanent feature>
Anyway, thanks again for listening!
~Eric
<That's what it's all about, braddah! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
              brought to you by. . .                  
--== Eric   T.   Danielson ==--

Tang Trouble?
Hi. My name is Greg. We have had a 75 gallon marine aquarium for about 6 months now.  I've been searching the web trying to find some answers and hope I got to the right place.
<I'd like to think that you have! Scott F. at your service today!>
If you have time, here they are:
(1) Our yellow tang has recently started to get some red/orange color on his skin, close to his fins. I've searched but do not find any disease indicating this symptoms. He looks very healthy. His main diet has been shrimp based pellets, and once in a while I feed them frozen algae (containing other ingredients also).
<Algae in many forms is a great component of the fish's diet. It should be more than just an occasional treat...>
Recently I read they liked lettuce so I  briefly boiled some and placed it inside. They ignored it for 3 days, but discovered it later on and finished it in 2-3 days.
<To be quite honest, the use of lettuce (particularly boiled!) is, in my opinion, a really bad feeding strategy. Terrestrial greens, such as lettuce, have very little nutritional value for marine fishes. Better to use green foods of "marine" origin, such as fresh macroalgae, such as Gracilaria, or prepared seaweed intended for human consumption, such as sushi nori.>
The red/orange coloration has appeared just recently. Does it have to do with the diet?
<Hard to say...could be caused by environmental factors, too...or could be a bacterial issue...You will have to keep observing...>
(2) We have 3 "live" rocks inside. They seem to be keeping the aquarium's condition in great shape. Small living plants have risen from it. But there are two "vegetations" and one "worm like" creature that have me wondering what they are and if they are any harm. (a) One, is a white fluffy elongated "plant" that is growing everywhere in the rocks. I took the rocks out and
manually removed them, and now only the ones in the bottom of the rock have re-grown.(b) The other one, is a dark green (almost black) type of "algae" growing in spots. Are these both "food" for the yellow and blue tangs?
<Well, one of the life forms that you are discussing may, indeed, be an algae-most likely perfectly harmless. The whitish growth that you are describing might be a tunicate or other sessile animal- just part of the diversity in a healthy tank...>
I also have a "spider" shrimp like crab (do not know its name) that cleans the aquarium. I think I saw him once eating the white type plants, which is good, even though he goes crazy for shrimp.
<Hmm...maybe the white thing is an algae...I need pictures to get a positive ID for you...>
(c) The last one is like a worm, but it seem to have red tentacles. It uses these tentacles to grab food in its surroundings. They live inside the rocks, and sometimes under the sand.  I caught one and almost killed her thinking they were bad worms spreading everywhere, but then I got a doubt and felt bad, maybe they are not bad guys.
<Indeed, most of these animals are not bad at all. Rather, they are beneficial and interesting! For better ID information, why not purchase a copy of "Reef Invertebrates by Bob and Anthony? Lots of good information on the many animals that arise in our systems, or come in on rocks as "hitchhikers"...!>
(3) I keep control of pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and salt level. Everything looks fine. I change 25% of the water every 30 days or so. Any other things I might be missing?
<Just put more vegetable matter in the tang's diet, and keep up the good husbandry techniques!>  
Thanks for your time!
<And thank you for stopping by! Regards, Scott F.>

Building A Population- Slow And Steady!
Dear Scott,
<Hello there!>
It's time for an update and new questions (of course). Both of the clownfish died. Luckily they'd been in the hospital tank. No other fish ever got sick.
<Sorry to hear about the loss- but I commend you on the use of the hospital tank...Very beneficial>
I am not interested in replacing them anytime soon. The BTA is too small for a female anyway. I think it is a clone and have read that they don't get as large, nor do they like strong lighting.
<I would disagree on the lighting part, based on my experience. Bright lighting is very important with the majority of anemones..>
This one is on the bottom, well guarded by Bob, the cleaner shrimp.
Bob argues with anything that comes near the BTA. I think he has ulterior motives, as he steals from the BTA whenever possible!
<Ahh...how altruistic!>
Our water conditions are still excellent, but we have not acquired any new fish. We want to wait for a new protein skimmer first, as ours is not quite up to the job.
<Great show of restraint! The tank will always be there- don't worry...Get the "infrastructure" set, then add to your population...>
We have a snail problem. There are hundreds of baby snails everywhere, in about three sizes, so far. The nice thing is our algae problem is not a problem anymore! Do we want to add a critter that likes baby snails, or should we just remove as many as
possible and take them to the Aquarium guy- who said he'd take them- a true pain, (but whatever)?
<I'd definitely share them with your fellow hobbyists...Everyone seems to want/need some at one time or another!>
We were going to get the green Chromis for schooling fish, but wouldn't yellow Chromis look great! :) They are a lot more expensive though. Maybe I'll paint yellow
fish on the tank hood!
<A great solution- and one that one cause territorial disputes or add to your bioload! LOL>
We have bubble algae, but I think the sally lightfoot is eating it. We also have some sponge growing along with a funnel weed, interesting. The pulsing xenia moved up about an inch, but seems happy. How do they reproduce?
<Amazing "fission"...They'll start "creeping" all over the tank before you know it, if conditions are right!>
It is about full-size now. Can I add another BTA near the other one? Wide open, there would be about two inches between them. I have one other location that would be similar, but the water flow
isn't as strong.
<I would stick to one...>
Last questions; there are several varieties of liquid "food" for anemones, corals, etc. Do you mix and match, stick with certain brands, or get an all-purpose supplement?
<Many of the liquid foods on the market amount to little more than "pollution in a bottle" if misused (which is all too common)...Find a food that you and your anemone like, and stick with it>
What about the ones that mention protecting fish from ich? I guess they help with the slime coat?
<Well, there are a lot of so-called "anti-ich" foods out there. Some are of dubious quality and effectiveness. Some foods contain garlic, which is thought to contain substances that may or may not interfere with the Cryptocaryon parasite's ability to locate the fish...Still not conclusive, but garlic additives are a possible preventative against ich and other parasitic diseases. Lately, I have heard a lot of discussion about ginger "performing" the same role...None of this stuff is conclusive at this point...>
We believe ich exists in the tank and wonder if some/one of
these products would help newcomers? After all the time and money we spent on the clowns, it would be good to get it right next time!
<I think that, if you are convinced that there is still Cryptocaryon in the tank, you should utilize a "fallow" period, when all fishes are removed, and the parasite population is denied hosts (your fishes!), causing it to crash or diminish to the point where otherwise healthy fishes should be able to withstand it...>
We still plan to buy the Blue Hippo and Coral Beauty at the same time. We will probably get the Chromis first, in a month or so. The Chromis will keep the yellowtail busy so the other two can adjust to the tank (after quarantine of course).
<Definitely after quarantine and observation...And at a leisurely pace! Stocking a tank is a marathon- not a sprint! There is no need to rush things...Let your system adjust, and enjoy each new addition...>
If you had a 155 gal tank with the afore mentioned fish, plus five silly blennies, what would you add, if anything, for fun and/or balance? (We still have the brittle, two emeralds, a sea cucumber, and blue-legged crabs).
<I'd opt for a small wrasse, such as one of the Halichoeres species...They are colorful and have tons of personality..>
Thanks again for all you help. Books are great, but the response of an "expert" enthusiast sure comes in handy. Crystal
<Thanks for the kind words, Crystal! "Enthusiast", true..."Expert" is probably a stretch, though! LOL.. Have fun with your growing community! Regards, Scott F>

Toadstool questions - 10/08/03
Thanks for the quick response!
I have a couple of questions from your answers: <No worries. I figured as much>
1. When you say "This is not quite enough light in my opinion", I would like to know what in your opinion is sufficient for lighting? <Well for starters I have two grow out tanks designed with Sarcophytons in mind. One ten gallon and one twenty gallon. On the ten gallon I have 8 watts per gallon (if you subscribe to the oversimplistic argument of watts per gallon.) On my 20 gallon I have 7 watts per gallon. I experience very good growth and health of my Sarcophyton cuttings> Another set of 2 96-watt PCs or even a 175-watt MH to spot an area of the aquarium? <I like either choice. What ever is cheaper for ya. The metal halide is a very cost effective choice in the long haul. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm> Having 3.5 watts per gallon ((96*2)/55) as I have read should be enough. <If anything, then barely. PAR intensity just won't be there, in my opinion> Given your experience, and the 55 gal tank with the yellow toadstool leather, what would be an appropriate but economic light level or total wattage? <Stated above> I am specifically looking for an answer conducive to a future upgrade in my lights. <Very good. I like a 5 wpg to 7 wpg light source, in my opinion. Again, if you subscribe to the watts per gallon point of view>
2. I have just ordered an Aqua-C Urchin, should be here tomorrow. Would that be fine? <AWESOME choice!>
3. I added a 300 GPH power head opposite the rotating one, flow has improved severely. <Very good.>
4. Did buy a small green carpet anemone yesterday, don't know if it was wise though. Would the anemone require more lights than presently installed? <Well in my diving experience in the South Pacific (Palau) I noticed these in the area of 40 to 60 feet. I did not have a spectrophotometer on me at the time, but I believe it is mostly blue light that is prevalent at that depth. So light may not be an issue. Feeding and tank husbandry is much more important. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm Now you know what's coming next right? These are not readily available in captive bred form so.....well........have a hard time condoning the purchase of these. In any event, I wish you luck though. I have seen these kill stingrays and fish that land on them. They do get large, if they live long enough. Horrible way to die!>
5. I had been thinking about removing the bio-balls gradually, about 30% increments weekly. This would give me space to add a 4 or 5" sand bed and a couple of live rocks with a light (a refugium methinks). Is this positive, <YES!!!> I only have a small blue west Atlantic tang, and I am not that much into fish. <I feel ya there, brutha!> How would I be able to arrest the splash coming from the overflow box (2x 1" hoses)? <Hmmmmm......not sure. Without seeing how you are set up per se....Try some custom plexi baffles or something to that affect? Some splash guards from plexi or glass or some sort of plastic should do the trick. I am sure you can figure something out>
6. It has now been about a month and 1/2 since we got the leather, and it tried to open once, but I made the mistake of not having enough movement and it got covered in slime, well I moved it to the top shelve thinking it wasn't getting enough light, and then to the middle thinking it was getting too much light. When I moved it I use thongs, and I thing I squeezed too hard, as a bit of the coral dissolved or broke off. Its final resting spot, for about the last month, is in an area where it gets seeped by the rotating power head. Is this OK? <Not necessarily. Uh....just leave it be, my friend> Would this constitute a constant change that it couldn't get used to? <Yep> Otherwise time will tell. <Unfortunately the hardest part> Also I will try the daily small iodine regimen. <No need in my opinion. If you don't test for it don't dose it>
I'll shut up and sit back for the answers now, I still can't understand how in the world can a group of people that know so much about this subject, help others so readily, and so unselfishly. <For the betterment of many!> You guys should really think about what you do with pride! <Thank you. We do appreciate the kind words.> You have the courage to do it for free, and the dedication to do it right! <Just a small part of the community. So many others also contribute from the forums to the books to you, the users of such information>
Imagine NASA engineers spending their free time tutoring physics and engineering students from high school, for free, and with dedication... Just my perspective. <Some do just that. Glad to be affiliated with such fine people>
Most humble regards! <Good luck. -Paul>

Cleaning crew aggression and not so mysterious deaths - 10/10/03
Hi guys, my question is regarding the compatibility of some of my invertebrates. <Hi. Paul in today. Sorry for the delay>  The animals in question are 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 coral banded shrimp, 2 Brittlestars, 1 sally lightfoot crab, 20 blue legs hermits, 20 scarlet hermits, 3 emerald crabs, 1 porcelain crab, 1 orange Linckia starfish, and 20 turbo snails. <That is waaaaaayyyyyyyy too many inverts in such a small tank. My goodness!>  I have a 29 gallon tank <unbelievable......> and feed small amounts of brine shrimp and flake food 3 times a day. <Do you have fish as well?? That is a lot of food>  The problem is that it seems one of these guys is killing off the others one by one almost daily. <I am not surprised one bit. Firstly, Do you check water quality? Secondly, these animals are mostly if not all omnivorous. They are opportunists for sure. They will eat most anything. They usually come to you lean and mean so that they may "go to town" in your tank and prove their worth to you. There is no way this tank will support 2 brittle stars (forget the Linckia) the shrimp are in trouble (brittle stars have been linked to their disappearance at times) Crabs are fairly aggressive eaters and turn to other "things" when they feel they are not getting enough of what they like. Hermits will eat each other when in cramped quarters even with enough food, and there could not be enough algal matter to support all of those snails let alone all of the others who will rely on it for sustenance. Lastly, I wouldn't be surprised if you are having water chemistry issues. Feeding three times a day, plus the very large bio load all in a 29 gallon tank. Did these all come in at one time? (I will assume they did)> 3 days ago it was one of the emerald crabs, then the sally lightfoot, then a Brittlestar.  The Brittlestar had the most noticeable damage thus far. <Again, I am not surprised>  I awoke to find it missing two legs and having lacerations across it's central disk from where one of the legs was attached.<Again, I will assume that these came in a package deal. Which may mean that you acclimated them and added them all at once within 24 hours or so. How long after their addition did you notice the issues being described above??>  Once I got back from lunch it was even more injured than before.  I haven't seen the porcelain crab for a while either. <Could be a goner>  This has just started in the past couple of days <How long after they were introduced?> - who do you think is the culprit <I am leaning towards you, mate> and what can I do to stop my animals from getting killed? <Well.......................do research you inhabitants and their environmental needs before purchasing. Seek advice before change, then make the best decision. A lot can be found on various websites, books, and clubs. I am sorry for my lack of tact here, but sometimes and aquarist needs to be saved from oneself as well as the animals in his charge. I can't stress enough to read about your animals before purchase. There is usually some detail as to how many per gallon or per tank size listed and in some cases even info for compatibility. If there isn't, find a reference for it, or ask someone. My only advice on this manner is to maintain water quality, hand feed when possible, and either give away, sell (maybe), or move (to another tank) some of your dudes. Under normal circumstances these animals sometimes have some mortality in shipment stress (nothing you can do about it) but a lot of mortality comes from acclimation. We have much on our site (not only on a per animal basis but also an actual general acclimation site as well. Quarantine is another good idea. You might even already do this, I don't know. Read through our site a bit. There is hope for you and your animals. The ever winding path of learning! Let me know if there is anything more I can do -Paul>  Thanks, James

Something ate my...
Hi Guys,
<Scott F. you guy today!>
Been awhile since I bothered you.  Thanks as always for you time and attention.
<Never a bother! That's what we're here for! Scott F. with you today!>
Last night while working on my tank I noticed that my small feather duster type worm had disappeared.  He had come as a resident on my LR that I received from the Gulf.  HE was growing and doing awesome.  Looking through the glass he appeared to be no more than 1.5 inches in length, but he was growing.  Well he is gone now.  Completely.  Tube and all.  What would eat him?  Right now in my tank the only occupants I have are snails of various species, a Brittlestar, whatever has come resident on the LR, and a small brown hairy crab.  The crab I didn't add.  He came with the LR and I found him last week after about six months.  Would he have eaten the feather duster?
<Well- he certainly seems like the most likely culprit!>
If so, how the hell do I catch the little bastard?
<I'd recommend that you look into one of the "traps" that you can get from various on-line venders for just this purpose...You bait the trap and it does the rest...And they actually do work!>
On a secondary note, I recently retooled my filtration system by adding a new Aqua C EV120 skimmer.  Installed it inline to my sump.  Boy is it doing awesome!  A far cry from the Seaclone style I had prior.
<Light years apart! Glad to hear that it's doing so well for you!>
I also started dosing with KALK this week.  My calcium levels always seem to be real low in the 300 range.  Although I do not have any hard corals or any other such complicated creatures, I felt the KALK would help the coralline algae on the LR.  I am dosing at night using a Kent doser.  I mix about 1/2 a tsp in a glass jar with 4 cups of H2O.  Mix it up hard.  Let it settle out, and then use the almost clear liquid that remains for the doser.  I drip about 1 drip every 3-5 seconds which usually empties the doser by morning.  Does this sound ok to you?  Should I dose KALK every night?  A couple times a week?  Once a week?  I figure since the calcium requiring animals are minimum I might not need it everyday.  This week I have dosed 3 days in a row so far.  I figure I should get  the calcium up where it should be, then monitor it and create a dose schedule that will keep it at the 350-400 mark.  Any words of wisdom?
<Well, there are a lot of different thoughts on Kalkwasser dosing. Personally, I am a big fan of Anthony's "Kalk slurry" technique, which requires a bit of testing, but makes short work of calcium dosing once the parameters are set. You can do all of your dosing in a single shot this way. The way that you are doing it is okay, too...As long as you are testing your water regularly, regardless of the technique that you choose!>
Lastly, I think after 6 months the tank is pretty stable.  Animals seem happy.  Things continue to grow and appear.  I feel it might be time to add some fish and or other inhabitants.
<I commend you on your patience!>
What is a good source to help decide what animals to choose from a care and compatibility standpoint?  Can you point me in the right direction?
<Well, you couldn't have come to a better place! WWM is full of great information on fish compatibility. Also, you should pick up a copy of Bob's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist", which is like the "Bible of Fish Selection and Care!".
Thanks as always! Louis Rizzo
<A pleasure, Louis! Glad to hear that things are going well! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Filter or no Filter?
Hi guys, Jody Here again...Thanks for answering my questions guys, I couldn't do it without your help!   I live in Springfield, Missouri and there are not many LFS" here.  Only one decent one really.
<many ways to improve your hobby/world/education... the reward is in your pursuit>
I have a 40 gallon breeder tank with CSL 192 watt PC lite with
Moonlites.  1 96 watt 10,000k and 1 96 watt 03 Actinic.  I have 3 MaxiJet 900 power heads.  Aqua C Remora Skimmer (thanks for the recommendation...This thing Is AWESOME!!!!!!)  Glad I spent the money!!! 
<excellent to hear... and the usual response from Aqua C owners>
I have 55 lbs of Fiji Liverock and I am using a Penguin 170 hang on filter right now.  My question is this, All of my levels are great...ph 8.4, SG 1.025, NO2 NO3 Ammonia are all zero. 
<you need to allow a little bit of nitrate to linger to feed the corals (5-10 ppm)>
Calcium
is 450.  Alkalinity is 11. 
<its a bit precarious to keep CA and ALK both on the high end... do consider letting them slip top a safer level Range: 325-425 ppm Ca, 8-12 dKH ALK>
The tank has been going for 4 months and I have I
Percula Ocellaris, I Hippo tang, 1 Watchman Goby,  Euphyllia Divisa, Alveopora "Daisy Flower Pot", an orange sponge, and a Bubble tip anemone.  I cleaner  shrimp, a peppermint shrimp, a Pistol shrimp (for the Goby. They are sooo cool to watch together) a porcelain anemone crab, couple blue legged hermits and Astraea snails.  Also I have 3 types of Caulerpa algae.
I think I should upgrade my filter though.  I want to put Anthony's  return system...The loop around the inside of the top of the tank so I can get rid of those ugly powerheads.  What would be the best filter type? 
<hmm... for bio-filtration... none is needed here. Your live rock and live sand are fine. The addition of a refugium would be even better (does not need to be a macroalgae one). Else, you simply need a small filter to employ carbon regularly>
I was thinking of an Eheim canister of some type. 
<a good choice>
Is there another way to operate the return system with just a pump
or something? 
<yes... as it should be/likely. Just a water pump for the manifold return... a Supreme MAG-Drive would be fine>
Since all my levels are great and everybody seems happy, Should I just keep the same filter? 
<quite possibly>
Any help would be
appreciated.  I always look to you guys to put my decisions at ease!!  Hahaha!!  It's nice to have an experienced person give you the confirmation you need. Also on feeding my tank inverts and corals.  I shut down the skimmer and filter twice a week and feed them Coralife's Invertebrate  Smorgasbord.  Should I be doing anything else, or is this good? 
<I don't find this or any like supplement to be helpful or effective. I would rather see you stir your sand bet, or culture plankton in a refugium and save your money on supplements that usually only serve to feed nuisance algae>
My corals expand good and are doing awesome.  But I read on your website that even a 10% deficiency will take a while to show up, but it will sooner or later.
<possibly the case here... warm, undated bottled supplements generally contain food particles too big for most corals to consume>
Thanks for all your help and your great website.  You guys ROCK!! 
Keep up the great work for Neophytes like myself and the rest of the fish world.
<with kind regards, Anthony>

Question on new tank set-up/moving current occupants/water
>Hi Crew!  
>>Hello Flo, Marina here.
>Thanks, thanks, thanks for all of your advice!  It is much
appreciated.  I've purchased some of your books and written in a couple of times and gotten some good answers and solved some problems to questions not on website/net/books.  Your website is the first place I go for a problem/recommendation and was invaluable in my new tank set-up and has helped me stay in the hobby because of all of the "better" options outlined which I painfully have learned about.
>>Excellent, the proof is in the pudding and it's good to know when we realize our collective goals.
>I just wanted to run by some fish choices for my new :) 100 Gallon Tank with new equipment including Euro-Reef skimmer (seemed to be good from what I'd read).  We just got done plumbing all the pieces for the overflow/return last night!  I was tired of trying to rig poor equipment to work properly-bad skimmer, etc., etc., etc.  I got the skimmer with what I thought was a really good tank at least the store told me it was when I was too new to know- System II tank and the skimmer was cheap and in-tank and tiny.  Spent more on this method in time/materials/loss of coral than doing things right to begin with.  So some advice for anyone considering a reef tank is buy good solid equipment/brands and proven tank configuration even if it is more expensive upfront (It should be less expensive longer term although I'm testing that theory now).   
>>Sage advice, Flo.
>I'm moving 110 lbs of live rock from my former 75 gallon tank to the new one and adding a sump then a refugium (the new book Reef Inverts helped a lot w/choices here).  Right now I have a Mandarin Goby, Yellow Tang, Coral Beauty, and 3 Chromis and have had them for well over a year.  I wanted a couple more fish for the tank, as I think I have enough space, but I'm fond of my current crew and do not want any compatibility problems.  I've looked all of these up but as I like to keep things permanently, I'd like your opinion.  I'm thinking of:
3 more Chromis
>>Try to get animals larger than what you have, or a different species, as otherwise there may be conspecific aggression.
>1-2 Firefish (would these compete for food w/my Mandarin too much?)
>>Not if you have sufficient live rock, and especially not if you decide to set up that 75 gallon tank as a refugium!  (The book will help you greatly with that endeavor.)
>1 Fairy Wrasse OR Hippo Tang (would this Tang be a problem with my Yellow Tang?)
>>I honestly don't think so, though they could have their "moments".  In my opinion they should be dissimilar enough in body shape, etc.  If in doubt, be sure you get a very differently sized Hippo.
>Should I add the new fish slowly or at one time?  
>>Always, always, always SLOWLY.  ALWAYS after a minimum of 30 days in quarantine as well (this is for new fish).
>Before, after, or at the same time I add my existing fish?
>>Move your existing fish to the new setup once it's ready for them, you should be able to do that all at once.  There may be a slight ammonia spike, but keep some freshly made up water on hand and you should be golden.
>Any other not huge fish that would be hardy, compatible, and
bright/beautiful instead or in addition to the above?  
>Six-line wrasse or similar.  Possibly (but be wary if you have LPS corals) a butterfly.  Also, I am particularly fond of cardinal fishes, especially Banggai cards.  Maybe a small group of scissortail gobies or blue gudgeons?  Also, almost a must in my book would be a small group (3-5) of neon gobies.  They act as cleaners for almost all but the smallest fish, and add an extremely load bioload for vertebrates.  I think they're an excellent beginner's fish, and a compliment to any system.
>I'll be adding lower light soft coral to my tank, too, using about 360w of my existing PC lights.  
>>Remember, it's not exactly wattage that's most important when calculating lighting needs, it's intensity and color temperature.  If you add enough lighting for most soft corals, you would also be able to grow something like Tridacna derasa quite easily (I grew mine under a bank of normal output fluoros.).
>I lost ALL my coral to heat during the summer.  Next summer I'm
thinking...Chiller!  Where I live is hot and fans don't keep it cool enough.
>>Egads!  If you have one, consider joining a local reefkeeping club, a GREAT way to restock after catastrophic losses via fragging, often for free.
>Next question...I am putting in sand 1-2mm size, new water w/Instant Ocean salt.  Then adding my live rock from my former tank.  
>>Don't waste all that aged water, do use some, and save some of the new for the possibly needed water changes during a new cycle (which *should* be relatively small).  Also, if you're planning on adding more live rock (recommended), have it cured and ready to go to minimize cycling as well.
>Then I'm planning to wait a week and test the H20.  If good adding the Chromis.  If water parameters still good in another week and Chromis alive, adding my Yellow Tang and Coral Beauty.  And maybe my Mandarin if it looks like there is enough live food for him to eat- Otherwise I'll keep him in my other 40 gallon that is full of established live rock until the new tank has a good
food supply for him.  Is that a good plan for moving my fish over?
>>Yes.  
>Hope you've hung in there this long, sorry, lots of questions as I'm really excited about getting a whole new set-up and want to have everything right!  Last questions.  While I'm spending way too much $$$ on what I think is a nice set-up, I want to get my tap water tested to make sure it is OK in metals, etc.  I live rurally in San Diego County and have gotten infrequent notices from the local water company that say "don't drink the water for a
week" and am rather apprehensive with the water contents.  
>>That would more likely be due to bacterial issues.
>Where can I have the water tested?  
>>Ask the municipality to give you their most recent test results.  The EPA has outlined what substances must be tested for, including nitrate, nitrite, phosphates/phosphorous, as well as salts, minerals, and heavy metals.  
>What do I have it tested for?  And if it does have anything harmful in it, will storing it a week w/heater to right temp and
airstone eliminate everything that is possibly harmful?  
>>No, unfortunately it won't.  If it's really dreadful you may be forced to purchase RO/DI water from the grocery store or buy your own unit (another expense).  However, don't jump the gun just yet, ask for the tests from your municipality (or whoever provides your water) and go from there.
>On my other tank I changed 10 gallons of water each week.  Should I change more in the new tank or just keep changing 10 gallons weekly?  
>>It's a percentage thing, and it really depends on how the system responds, though it's always a good idea to change around 25% weekly, on average.  When the system's new and stocked, if you're experiencing spikes you may need to do more frequent/larger changes.
>Do I start changing water right away or let the tank alone for a couple weeks before starting water changes?
>>I would cycle fishless, just to be sure (add some raw shrimp or squid) to test in a couple of days, then continue testing for cycle peaks and drops.  Then, once you've got zero ammonia and nitrite (sometimes with or without a concurrent nitrate peak) the system should be ready for its first fish.  Now, if you're going to get all the same species of Chromis, you'll want to add them all at the same time to avoid that aggression.  At that point you'll want to be sure to have enough freshly made up water on hand to change at LEAST 50% of the tank's volume at once.  Again, testing is the key to knowing whether or not, and if so, when, this needs to be done.
>Thanks, Flo
>>Whew!  Good thing I touch type, eh?  I think you should be well on your way, Flo.  Best of luck, Marina