New to keeping a Reef tank

[Knight420]

I have a few questions. My tank is like 3 months old. I have 2 clowns, 5 Chromis(more in them later), 1 firefish, 1 diamond goby, 1 (fat)lawnmower blenny(again more on him later), 5 blue leg hermit crabs, 1 Halloween hermit crab, 1 Mexican turbo snail, 1 emerald crab, 1 banded shrimp, and a few other snails.
Coral, Daisy, pipe organ, disco mushroom, sympodium, pavona, 2 types of tree coral, one is kynia tree the other I'm not sure, and a blasto.

I have added Coraline algae to the tank, both purple and pink. During the day I see a coating on the rocks but it looks more burgundy than purple or pink.

I have some apocalypse pods in a separate container to culture, also some Nanno algae. Both seem to be doing good.

My questions are

1. How to store salt? I get a 50g bag of the instant ocean but within a couple of weeks, it becomes rock-hard. I have tried to use a bag clip with no luck.
2. Is that burgundy color on the rocks my Coraline?
3. What size sieve should I get for the apocalypse pods?
4. Is there any place I can rent a good PAR meter? I need to map my tank's par levels for the coral and $200+ is insane just for one use.
5. My lawn mower blenny looks fat, like he has a really big belly. I am not adding any algae to the tank it is just what is growing on the rocks. Is this normal or should I be worried?
6. I started with 6 Chromis but one went missing. I'm sure the others didn't like it, anyway. I have found a way to keep them happy. I feed the fish with the power heads on. That way they chase the food like they would in the wild. Does anyone else thinks this could work to keep hostility down? So far still at 5 and they do school together esp around feeding time.
7. I have some pom pom and dragon's breath growing. I have a separate culture going of the pom pom. Is there any fertilizer that would work great for it? I have been adding F2 and it seems to be happy.
8. Does anyone have any sugestions for NO3, Phosphate filter media?
9. I was thinking of getting more pods and having their own container to breed in like my Apocolyps pods. I was thinking Tig and Tisbi. Anyone have any suggestions on which is more nutritious for the fish?
10. I have some Nanno algae growing well. I was thinking of adding a 2nd container for Tetra so the pods get a lot to eat.
11. I was going to raise brine shrimp as well. I have a gallon tank ready to start them off. Are brine shrimp herbivores or omnivores?
12. I want to start a Pico tank in my office. it is 4.8 gallon DeskMate 4.8, is that set good enough for some rock flower anemones and bubble tips. I want to get a couple of clown fish, and a porcelain crab.

 

[Jekyl]

Lots going on for a new tank here. Best advice is to simplify. 3 month old tank probably doesn't have coraline, your YWG is normal. Tank probably already has pods. My tank is around 4 or 5 years old and never bothered with a par meter.

 

[Knight420]

Lots going on for a new tank here. Best advice is to simplify. 3 month old tank probably doesn't have coraline, your YWG is normal. Tank probably already has pods. My tank is around 4 or 5 years old and never bothered with a par meter.

YWG?

 

[Jekyl]

YWG?

Oops. Meant lawnmower. I have both and got mixed up

 

[RedoubtReef]

2 things; what the heck is 'Apocolypse' pods? and you could buy a 50 gallon container and mix the entire bag of salt so that you have the water you need for changes and some for the next one or an emergency.

 

[Jekyl]

The salt I buy comes in 5g buckets. Lasts months without clumping

 

[Knight420]

2 things; what the heck is 'Apocolypse' pods? and you could buy a 50 gallon container and mix the entire bag of salt so that you have the water you need for changes and some for the next one or an emergency.

1 copepods, 2 not enough space for a 50g anything lol

 

[TheBear78]

Don't kid yourself that the Chromis are content! They go missing when one gets picked on and ends up bullied to death.
I had 7, one "disappeared" after a couple of weeks then I had 6 for about 4 months. I'm now on 5 but theres a smaller one and he's rarely allowed to eat...

 

[Knight420]

Don't kid yourself that the Chromis are content! They go missing when one gets picked on and ends up bullied to death.
I had 7, one "disappeared" after a couple of weeks then I had 6 for about 4 months. I'm now on 5 but theres a smaller one and he's rarely allowed to eat...

have you tried to feed them with the power heads on?

 

[PatW]

I have a few questions. My tank is like 3 months old. I have 2 clowns, 5 Chromis(more in them later), 1 firefish, 1 diamond goby, 1 (fat)lawnmower blenny(again more on him later), 5 blue leg hermit crabs, 1 Halloween hermit crab, 1 Mexican turbo snail, 1 emerald crab, 1 banded shrimp, and a few other snails.
Coral, Daisy, pipe organ, disco mushroom, sympodium, pavona, 2 types of tree coral, one is kynia tree the other I'm not sure, and a blasto.

I have added Coraline algae to the tank, both purple and pink. During the day I see a coating on the rocks but it looks more burgundy than purple or pink.

I have some apocalypse pods in a separate container to culture, also some Nanno algae. Both seem to be doing good.

My questions are

1. How to store salt? I get a 50g bag of the instant ocean but within a couple of weeks, it becomes rock-hard. I have tried to use a bag clip with no luck.
2. Is that burgundy color on the rocks my Coraline?
3. What size sieve should I get for the apocalypse pods?
4. Is there any place I can rent a good PAR meter? I need to map my tank's par levels for the coral and $200+ is insane just for one use.
5. My lawn mower blenny looks fat, like he has a really big belly. I am not adding any algae to the tank it is just what is growing on the rocks. Is this normal or should I be worried?
6. I started with 6 Chromis but one went missing. I'm sure the others didn't like it, anyway. I have found a way to keep them happy. I feed the fish with the power heads on. That way they chase the food like they would in the wild. Does anyone else thinks this could work to keep hostility down? So far still at 5 and they do school together esp around feeding time.
7. I have some pom pom and dragon's breath growing. I have a separate culture going of the pom pom. Is there any fertilizer that would work great for it? I have been adding F2 and it seems to be happy.
8. Does anyone have any sugestions for NO3, Phosphate filter media?
9. I was thinking of getting more pods and having their own container to breed in like my Apocolyps pods. I was thinking Tig and Tisbi. Anyone have any suggestions on which is more nutritious for the fish?
10. I have some Nanno algae growing well. I was thinking of adding a 2nd container for Tetra so the pods get a lot to eat.
11. I was going to raise brine shrimp as well. I have a gallon tank ready to start them off. Are brine shrimp herbivores or omnivores?
12. I want to start a Pico tank in my office. it is 4.8 gallon DeskMate 4.8, is that set good enough for some rock flower anemones and bubble tips. I want to get a couple of clown fish, and a porcelain crab.

1) Salt - I store it in the bag. But storing it in a food safe 5 gallon bucket with a tight sealing lid would be good too. I have AC so the humidity in my house is low and constant enough to prevent rock forming salt.
2). Take a turkey baster and give the red stuff a blast. If it comes right off, I bet you have cyano bacteria which is not good. If it adheres and needs determined scraping to make a dent in, you have coralline algae which is very good.
3) hmmm I have not tried but I bet something like a tea strainer size.
4) Some local fish stores rent them but not many. Bulk Reef Supply rents them. I have heard that there is an app for it for cell phones or at least some cell phones.
5) I bet he is just eating everything you toss in and algae to boot. If he is alert, active and well colored, he is probably just chubby.
6) Chromis do tend to murder each other. I have never had luck keeping a group. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
7) It is not something that I have fooled with.
8) For phosphate, I use granular ferric oxide. Warning, it works really fast and it can strip all of the phosphate out which is not good. I have not used a chemical means to lower nitrates.
9) I would think that most pods are pretty good for fish and it is a matter of raising enough to meet their needs.
10) You can try it.
11) Brine shrimp eat algae. From what I understand, raising them to adult size is pretty easy. They do have a reputation of being low in nutrition but for just calories, they would do fine. Being live food, I bet that most fish would really go for them and they could supplement the pods.
12) I would not put a clown fish is a 5 gallon tank. You would need a really, small fish for that to work. Maybe a neon goby or something like that.

 

[Knight420]

1) Salt - I store it in the bag. But storing it in a food safe 5 gallon bucket with a tight sealing lid would be good too. I have AC so the humidity in my house is low and constant enough to prevent rock forming salt.
2). Take a turkey baster and give the red stuff a blast. If it comes right off, I bet you have cyano bacteria which is not good. If it adheres and needs determined scraping to make a dent in, you have coralline algae which is very good.
3) hmmm I have not tried but I bet something like a tea strainer size.
4) Some local fish stores rent them but not many. Bulk Reef Supply rents them. I have heard that there is an app for it for cell phones or at least some cell phones.
5) I bet he is just eating everything you toss in and algae to boot. If he is alert, active and well colored, he is probably just chubby.
6) Chromis do tend to murder each other. I have never had luck keeping a group. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
7) It is not something that I have fooled with.
8) For phosphate, I use granular ferric oxide. Warning, it works really fast and it can strip all of the phosphate out which is not good. I have not used a chemical means to lower nitrates.
9) I would think that most pods are pretty good for fish and it is a matter of raising enough to meet their needs.
10) You can try it.
11) Brine shrimp eat algae. From what I understand, raising them to adult size is pretty easy. They do have a reputation of being low in nutrition but for just calories, they would do fine. Being live food, I bet that most fish would really go for them and they could supplement the pods.
12) I would not put a clown fish is a 5 gallon tank. You would need a really, small fish for that to work. Maybe a neon goby or something like that.

it won't come off with a turkey baster, and I can't scrape it off. None of the fish seem even interested in it at all. Not even the hermit crabs or snails will touch it.

 

[PatW]

it won't come off with a turkey baster, and I can't scrape it off. None of the fish seem even interested in it at all. Not even the hermit crabs or snails will touch it.

It sounds like coralline algae then. Coralline algae deposits calcium carbonate as it grows rather like stoney corals do. Coralline algae is characterized by a stoney encrustation. Generally, if you have coralline algae, it means you have conditions that are favorable for stoney coral growth like LPS and SPS corals. If you really have a question about it, you can place a small piece of rock in an area where you are getting this growth and take it to your LFS once you get some attached to it And see what they say.