New to Reefing - Need advice

[shootingstar_reef]

For stocking, look at any nano species. You can have more fish and it will look more lively.

I am a personal fan of conch, and feather dusters as well. They add 'biodiversity' while still being interesting to look at.

Keep an eye on your cheato, if you just started your tank you might not have enough nutrients to sustain it (cheatogro worked well for me).

+1 to gorgonians. they will make a great addition

Why are you using chemipure already? You are stripping nutrients your tank needs

 

[MaxTremors]

Hey guys. I am fairly new and wanted to see if I can get some advice on if I am doing things correctly and where to go from here.

Tank is 2 months old. Finished cycling after 2 weeks, and added 2 clowns (Phantom and Misbar), 4 Nassarius snails, and 4 Astrea snails. Unfortunately the Phantom bit the Misbar and caused an infection and we lost him after his bottom jaw disintegrated. We also tried adding a Mandarin Goby and this too died after a day. (Later learned they stress really easily with tank transfers).

Since all of this we have added a DaVinci Clown to keep the Phantom company as well as adding Chaeto to the back of the sump area.

Tank: Innovative Marine 20 gal Peninsula
First sump chamber: floss, carbon, chemi-pure, chaeto (innovative Marine Chaeto light in the back)
Second sump: Eshopps Nano skimmer
Third sump: pump that came with tank
Light: Viparspectra 165w (I know it's not the best, but I bought it before I knew)

Parameters:
Salinity - 1.023
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10
Ph - 8.0
Calcium - 380
Magnesium - 1080
Phosphate - 0.32
Alkalinity - 7.1

- Any thoughts on what to do next? I want to get coral. I really like Hammer, torches, frogspawn, Zoas, Mushrooms, Duncans. I am just worried about the clowns pairing with one and killing it since there is nothing but rock in the tank right now.
- Also want to try a Mandarin again at some point and possibly a Wrasse or sand sifting Goby and shrimp pair

I would recommend starting with some soft corals, and once you’ve kept them alive and growing for several months, then try some LPS, once you’ve kept some LPS alive and growing for several months. At two months old, your tank is still very immature, and bacterially and chemically volatile. I would start with some mushrooms, zoanthids, leathers, tree leathers, etc.

A mandarin is not doing to do well in a 20g. Unless you’re getting a captive bred one from Biota that’s eating frozen there’s just not enough live food to sustain a mandarin in a 20g. And even the ones from biota still prefer live food. Also, adding a wrasse will only further deplete the population of live food.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

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[CherryRock]

For stocking, look at any nano species. You can have more fish and it will look more lively.

I am a personal fan of conch, and feather dusters as well. They add 'biodiversity' while still being interesting to look at.

Keep an eye on your cheato, if you just started your tank you might not have enough nutrients to sustain it (cheatogro worked well for me).

+1 to gorgonians. they will make a great addition

Why are you using chemipure already? You are stripping nutrients your tank needs

Really have no idea. I looked up nano tanks I liked and what people ran in the filter boxes and copied what I have seen. A lot use chemipure, so I thought it was a go to.

What nutrients is it stripping that my tank needs?

Appreciate all the advice! I am new and am just trying to figure everything out.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Really have no idea. I looked up nano tanks I liked and what people ran in the filter boxes and copied what I have seen. A lot use chemipure, so I thought it was a go to.

What nutrients is it stripping that my tank needs?

Appreciate all the advice! I am new and am just trying to figure everything out.

Did you look at the link I posted? It will answer a lot of your questions. Just scroll past the parts you have already done (or read them anyway to get a better understanding of why some things are done the way they are...)

 

[CherryRock]

Did you look at the link I posted? It will answer a lot of your questions. Just scroll past the parts you have already done (or read them anyway to get a better understanding of why some things are done the way they are...)

Yes, just started reading. Looks like a great link! Thank you!