Need some help dialling in my rbta/gbta tank

[pompeyjohn]

Hi all,

I am looking for some guidance. I feel like the tank is doing okay, but perhaps with a tweak or two, could really take off. Ether my flow or lighting needs to be changed up. Not sure which.

The tank is 50g AIO, and has been running for about two years. Current inhabitants;

• pair of percs
• tri color wrasse
• around 15 rbta
• around 5 gbta
• some random zoas and an orange rfa

Flow

• 845gph return pump pushing through dual eductors
• pair of tunze 6604 wavemakers (660gph) set to mid strength, and short pulse, each in a back corner

Lighting

• 4 ati t5 bulbs, with some led actinic for dawn/dusk - currently raised up 12 inches from surface, typically run at 10 inches from surface

The reds seem to love the flow, and the light. The greens are mostly hiding under rocks - hence why I raised the light. I'd really like to have all the nems out and happy. Currently the reds seem to be doing great. The greens look fine, but are all under rocks.

I am thinking either, cut the flow and lower the light,.... or keep the flow and have the light up high. .... or cut the flow and keep the light up high. I am open to suggestions.

Not sure what would be a good flow amount for both reds and greens. 30x, 50x?

I feed IQF krill once a week. The clowns and wrasse get a tiny pinch of spectrum every day.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gonebad395]

Sound great got a pic of the tank to see t
Your rock work

 

[pompeyjohn]

Sound great got a pic of the tank to see t
Your rock work

Tank looks pretty bad at the moment. Recently my wife decided she wanted sand. So I added an inch to the bottom, and now I am getting some uglies. Rocks are caribsea life rock - which is great rock. But not great for nems as it doesnt have many holes. I think since taking the picture below I have moved a couple of the rocks slightly, and switched the skimmer in the back left compartment.

 

[pompeyjohn]

Any suggestions? I know a nem will move to where it is happy, but it is frustrating that the reds are all out whilst the greens are hiding. I'd like to make them all happy.

 

[pompeyjohn]

anyone?

 

[pompeyjohn]

Bump

 

[reef lover]

Your greens dont look bad at all...id leave it all the same and the nems will get used to it over time and come out on thier own.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I have a ton of nems and one thing I have noticed is the gbtas do not like near as much light as the rbtas. For example all my greens are are always lower in the light then the roses. My black widow is even up high, while a speckled green is down low. In one tank I have an gbta that would rather live right next to a 14" haddoni in a crevice with less light then in the light. It moved there and has been happy ever since, even splitting 3 times and the clones are right next to it lol. I tried moving the rocks also at one point in a full bubble tip tank, and it always ended up the same. Greens low and roses high. Even taking 6 weeks to ramp the lights up once the greens were settled in and they would move weekly to less light.

 

[pompeyjohn]

Thanks guys. I am seeing the same thing with the reds at the top and greens hiding down below. I thought it was due to light, but also wondered if it could be flow. It sounds like it is light related. If I reduce the light to the point where the greens come out, then the reds stretch so much. I'd rather keep the light a little stronger, and have the reds happy. It is a shame that the reds and green dont intermingle. In an old tank I had five different torches next to each other and that looked great. I was hoping for something similar.