First marine tank

whipper

whipper

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Hi guys

This is my first venture into marines. I bought a boys tl450 second hand. Actually with the initial thoughts of using it for tropical and maybe later going to marines. When I received it I also got, sand some dry rock and enough premixed salt water to actually start. It didn't take much encouraging from there!

It's been cycling for four weeks. Started with dry rock and special blend.
Red Sea test kit

Ph 8.1

Kh 5 dKH

Ammonia 0

Nitrites 0

Nitrates off chart

Salinity 1.022

Temp 26

So it looks like my cycle has mostly done. Not had any algae growth/bloom so don't think there would be much for a cuc. I've started to run the lights in the cycle I plan to once I've got livestock, 8-8. Unfortunately I can't control the lights independently so it's full light from 8-8.

Was thinking to run it like that for a week, keep checking readings and then maybe add some snails? Then hermit crab although I've read many think they're more trouble than good, peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp

Plans for live stock eventually is the obligatory pair of clowns, false percula. Again I see some say that's all that should be kept although I've seen tl450 with four or five fish? If it's safe I'd like to add a yellow coral/clown goby and maybe a royal grammar( if the tanks big enough) all slowly one at a time.

Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated.
 
Hello and welcome @whipper

Nothing wrong with your fish choices. Add the gramma last.
 
Thanks guys,
@riaanwium I was thinking of doing a big water change say 30/40% with new water mixed up correctly. My guess is the water that I received wasn't perfect. I realizes it won't bring my salinity up all the way but I would then do top ups with saltwater instead of RO till it did get up to 1.025. Would that be ok?
That will also hopefully help with the nitrates but will it help bring the alkalinity up?
 
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409860326.162933.jpg
Pic of the tank

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409860326.162933.jpg
 
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Hi guys just a bit of an update. Started dosing with Pure kH buffer. It's slowly going up not sure if I should up the dosage, currently 1 ml as per the bottle. I've added 5 snails will big doses be a problem? Haven't checked ca or mg, don't have tests, from what I've read that can effect KH stability. Will try get those tested.

10/09/14

Ph 8.3
Kh 6
Nh3 0
No2 0
No3 50
Temp 28
Salinity 1.025

12/09

Ph 8.2
Kh 6
Nh3 0
No2 0
No3 50
Temp 27
Salinity 1.025

I'll post some pics of the snails for ID

Thanks
 
Nasarius and Nerite I think

What's the thoughts on adding a cleaner shrimp this week and maybe a week later a pair of clowns?

Or do I need to get the KH up to 8 first?
 
Your temp needs to drop still or atleast keep it stable as inverts dont like big temp swings. Also your NO3 is to high to add anything yet
 
I think you should look at something like
Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes to lower your NO3 because you are always going to have high NO3 in this size tank.​
 
Thanks. I've added a bag of purigen and phosguard. I'll also remove the sponge from the first chamber. Hopefully that'll bring it down

Also turned down the heater a bit. Will monitor temps to see the daily fluctuation from morning to evening esp with it warming up.
 
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do you have hermits? some hermits like those shells
Last time I collected hermits, my sons got some of these snails by mistake, thinking they were hermits. Was in between the hermits so I do not blame them. Back in Gauteng, I realized that I got an unwanted hitchhiker or 2. I placed all the hermits in a separate tank and checked who could climb the sides. Obvious those were the snails. I froze them in the freezer for a week, then gave them back to the hermits as food. And extra housing.
 
No hermits just the five snails at the moment. I've heard they can be more trouble than good. Like them though so might just get one. Any you'd recommend?

Going to do a biggish, 30%, water change to try bring nitrates down some more. Then I'll add one and maybe a cleaner shrimp at the same time.
 
whipper said:
No hermits just the five snails at the moment. I've heard they can be more trouble than good. Like them though so might just get one. Any you'd recommend?

Going to do a biggish, 30%, water change to try bring nitrates down some more. Then I'll add one and maybe a cleaner shrimp at the same time.
Click to expand...

i would rather seek another solution, a 30% WC will just waste money and only bring nitrates down 15ppm to 35ppm, where as a better solution will keep them in check.

thats my opinion
 
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