Questions on corals (newbie)

[40B Knasty]

Deep Blue HO(High Output) T5 2x24" 24w with moonlight LED. That is the one I have.
I run all 4 bulbs only at those specific times of the day.
TA- True Actinic( I was showing you how it has a muddy purple line in pic 5)

 

[Subuchef]

Deep Blue HO(High Output) T5 2x24" 24w with moonlight LED. That is the one I have.
I run all 4 bulbs only at those specific times of the day.
TA- True Actinic( I was showing you how it has a muddy purple line in pic 5)

Ok im sorry about my keep asking but lighting is a lot more confusing than I thought it would be. So i found the light you recommend, affordable, looks good but you say you run 4 bulbs, do you swap them out at times of the day or does it hold 4 bulbs i'm only seeing 2

 

[77railer]

Most fixtures have multiple ballasts or digital timers built in. If it's the later it as simple as putting in your times for on and off...if it's the first situation then you get 2 timers and program them to turn on/off when you want. On our tank the blue and purple t5 come on at 1 followed by another blue and white t5 coming on at 3. Then at 5 our actinic led strip comes on. At 7 the blue and white t5 go off, followed by the blue and purple t5 going off at 9. The actinic led stays on till 10:15. This gives our coral and fish kind off a simulated sunrise/sunset and Moonglow effect. I don't know about all of our fish but the female melanurus wrasse definetly gets the effect because when the blue and purple shut off she buries herself within 5 minutes which is amazing to watch. How's that cycle coming?

 

[40B Knasty]

Ok im sorry about my keep asking but lighting is a lot more confusing than I thought it would be. So i found the light you recommend, affordable, looks good but you say you run 4 bulbs, do you swap them out at times of the day or does it hold 4 bulbs i'm only seeing 2

All good man.
The first pic from before is when I had a 20g w/ a Deep Blue Solar Max HO T5 2x24" 24w for 7 months. I swapped out the 2 T5s in the ficture with 2 ATI T5 bulbs. Blue Plus & Coral Plus for 3 months. Had okay growth from the Blue+ & Coral+. (But I did not know about Reefroids or the peak time of photosynthesis for zooxanthellae)
So now I tried Reefroids for 2 months. (Still not knowing about peak time for photosynthesis 'feeding')
So NOW I have a 40 Breeder tank setting up and cycling waiting for my lights to come in all throughout January.
I picked up a JBJ Trinity 4x39w 36" T5. Right away I switched bulbs front to back B+, C+, B+, TA(TA-True Actinic that leaves a muddy purple line that you can see in pic 5)
Pic 2, 3, & 4 were to show you the success that can be had if what I told you is applied to your tank. You know the sayings "talk is cheap" and "a picture says a thousands words."
So go back see if you like the B+ & C+ look from a Solarmax T5.
You don't have to say the purple line looks bad on the live rock in pic 5. I know it does, but the results! That is what pic 2-4 are for.
This is to show you how 7 months of stock lights got me 1 polyp for my rasta.
2 full months got me 2 more. With the B+&C+.
Now I transfer everything over from the 20g to the 40B in one day. 1 week passes with 4 stock lights from JBJ. while trying to decide which 4th ATI light will I get. Than from Tidal Gardens was excited about the TA. Posting a video with stats and for someone with experience like him to get excited. The TA was a no brainer. 1 month passes of using reefroids and the 4 bulbs. Now I am getting results! Changed the peak time and now I am getting mind blowing results.

 

[77railer]

40B Nasty I am interested in knowing your timing on your lights...what is your on off shcedule? Are you saying that you have 2 max light periods each day? And can you provide a link to the research you are basing your photo periods on please...

 

[40B Knasty]

40B Nasty I am interested in knowing your timing on your lights...what is your on off shcedule? Are you saying that you have 2 max light periods each day? And can you provide a link to the research you are basing your photo periods on please...

On a timer:
3 moonlight LEDs 8:15am-9:30am(wake up call)
3 moonlight LEDs 7:15pm-8:45pm(last call for alcohol)
On a timer:
2x ATI BLUE PLUS
9:00am-7:30pm
Manually, but could put on a timer.
ATI CORAL PLUS & TRUE ACTINIC
9:15am-11:15am(breakfast time for fish)
4:00pm-6pm(supper time for fish and reefroids 2x a week)
That's why the Coral Plus and True Actinic are manual. I am up.
So yes two max hours. Of 2hrs of all 4 ATI T5s running
The video is one of the BRStv videos about the zooxanthellae peak photosynthesis hours. All of them are like 12m average long and there is over 40 that I know of. If I stumble upon it again. I will definitely get back to you with an exact answer.
The color spectrum is the ATI T5 combo part 1 done by Than at Tidal Gardens.

 

[77railer]

Very interesting....I will have to do some reading to learn more about this.

 

[TheLadyCrash]

Good idea on the zoa garden that actually sounds pretty nice if i can get them placed right n what not, also would you recommend that type of montipora to a beginner, i dont know anytving about them and since they seem like acrop which everyone says is difficult to keep so im just wondering. Also i have definitely heard gsp is very fast growing so will i need a piece of completely solitary rock or will this work on the grey rock

Yeah that rock IMO would be too large for a GSP island as it would cover that whole rock eventually. Another thought is I have seen tanks where people have glued GSP to the back wall and let it grow up the back.

The montipora digitata is one you'll want to wait until you've had corals a for a bit and also until your tank has stabilized. I also like to wait until I have a good idea of the overall layout and have put in lower corals because they can break really easily while you're working in the tank.

 

[TheLadyCrash]

Candy cane, frog spawn, Zoanthids, and pulsing Xenia are so easy.

Xenia is another coral that is pretty and easy to grow but can also be weed like. I won't put it in my tank because it can shoot off baby Xenia which float around the tank until it finds a place it likes so there's no good way to isolate it.

Have you looked at the leather corals like a toadstool?

 

[40B Knasty]

Xenia is another coral that is pretty and easy to grow but can also be weed like. I won't put it in my tank because it can shoot off baby Xenia which float around the tank until it finds a place it likes so there's no good way to isolate it.

Have you looked at the leather corals like a toadstool?

I have a 1 year old Xenia and she is a beauty. Honestly it was the first one I wanted. I was going to recommend it, but we all know how crazy people can get about it growing like a weed. I can say I never had that problem even when I had it on live rock. Now she is sitting in the sand bed. Love watching it pulse.

 

[TheLadyCrash]

I have a 1 year old Xenia and she is a beauty. Honestly it was the first one I wanted. I was going to recommend it, but we all know how crazy people can get about it growing like a weed. I can say I never had that problem even when I had it on live rock. Now she is sitting in the sand bed. Love watching it pulse.

I've always wanted a Xenia but everything I've read about their growth has scared me off.

 

[40B Knasty]

Honestly

I've always wanted a Xenia but everything I've read about their growth has scared me off.

Honestly I don't get what all the fuss is about. I feed my tank 2x3 a day. I never used a reactor of gfo or carbon to reduce this and that. Just a HOB filter and HOB protein skimmer. That is all I run. No sump, Light CUC, and flakes that are supposed to be so much more nutrients. A whole cube of frozens each time.

 

[Subuchef]

Most fixtures have multiple ballasts or digital timers built in. If it's the later it as simple as putting in your times for on and off...if it's the first situation then you get 2 timers and program them to turn on/off when you want. On our tank the blue and purple t5 come on at 1 followed by another blue and white t5 coming on at 3. Then at 5 our actinic led strip comes on. At 7 the blue and white t5 go off, followed by the blue and purple t5 going off at 9. The actinic led stays on till 10:15. This gives our coral and fish kind off a simulated sunrise/sunset and Moonglow effect. I don't know about all of our fish but the female melanurus wrasse definetly gets the effect because when the blue and purple shut off she buries herself within 5 minutes which is amazing to watch. How's that cycle coming?

Alright thank you for the info on the lights everyone appreciate it a lot. So a quick question on my cycle so Its been like a week with loads of diatoms but it seems like they might be dying off? My tank was caked all over my glass, ect I woke up today with barely any algae. heres a pic of my ammonia reading, its been this same color for a week maybe I dont know if i cant read these things but it doesnt seem like my ammonia is going down can anyone with more experience with the color charts help me out?

 

[Subuchef]

I've always wanted a Xenia but everything I've read about their growth has scared me off.

Honestly I don't get what all the fuss is about. I feed my tank 2x3 a day. I never used a reactor of gfo or carbon to reduce this and that. Just a HOB filter and HOB protein skimmer. That is all I run. No sump, Light CUC, and flakes that are supposed to be so much more nutrients. A whole cube of frozens each time.

I would love to get a xenia but I have read that they grow like weeds and people don't like it, can you frag them? if so I would honestly want to get something like xenia to force me and learn how to frag ect. the fast growing doesn't scare me away, maybe Im just really wanting to get anything in the tank but I would like to learn how to control that kind of stuff and get my feet wet if that makes any sense. And I haven't looked much into toadstool I will right now actually.

 

[40B Knasty]

Alright thank you for the info on the lights everyone appreciate it a lot. So a quick question on my cycle so Its been like a week with loads of diatoms but it seems like they might be dying off? My tank was caked all over my glass, ect I woke up today with barely any algae. heres a pic of my ammonia reading, its been this same color for a week maybe I dont know if i cant read these things but it doesnt seem like my ammonia is going down can anyone with more experience with the color charts help me out?

They are kind of wonky to me as well. Saltwater 40B 3 months(left). Brackish 13g 3 years(right)
Checkout how the brackish is more see through, but greener.
Then the saltwater is a milkier yellowish green, but harder to see through.

 

[Subuchef]

They are kind of wonky to me as well. Saltwater 40B 3 months(left). Brackish 13g 3 years(right)
Checkout how the brackish is more see through, but greener.
Then the saltwater is a milkier yellowish green, but harder to see through.

Glad its not just me then. So I took a sample to my LFS they said no ammonia, nitrites. So I sort of had a moment of impulse and got 2 damsels, and some water (going to buy red sea pro salt mix soon when corals can be added, do you guys recommend that? heard it was pretty good since it replenishes most of what corals need. Also is RO bottle water ok to use for mixing? I can buy an RO/DI device but most are 150-200$ and upwards and I dont really want to buy something worth more than my tank even though I know its worth it in the long run. Can anyone recommend a cheaper but not terrible RO/DI system?) Did about 2-3 gallon water change while floating them, acclimated as well as dosed a tiny bit of seachem prime (friend told me it's useful for new tanks when adding fish, so why not) they seem fine today but I know its a waiting game so I will pay special attention tomorrow since I'm not doing anything and test my water.

 

[40B Knasty]

Well you kind of screwed yourself on getting more fish. Damsels are nasty aggressive and very territorial. Some say they would take on a shark.
The thing with an RO/DI system is the amount of waste water. Say it is 5/1. That means you will waste 5 gallons of water to get only 1 gallon. There is 3/1 you maybe able to get. Think I have heard of a 1/1.
How crafty are you? 2 buckets, a tube of aquarium sealant, a 6 cup zerowater pitcher, and a table that can hold 40lbs that you don't mind drilling a hole through can get you what I use for my 13g and 40B.

 

[Subuchef]

Well you kind of screwed yourself on getting more fish. Damsels are nasty aggressive and very territorial. Some say they would take on a shark.

Yeah ive read that they are super aggressive but what i mainly wanted to have them for is knowing my water is good and so i have the routine going. I dont mind them being my only fish for a few months or longer while i set up my coral and everything, one question i do have is they dont mess with inverts right? Figuring if they are chillin by next week ill slowly get some snails, hermits maybe an emerald crab. I just didnt want to spend 50$ on one clown to come to find out my ammonia will spike or something else. I can always take these guys out when im ready for other fish and give them to my brothers 120g or something.

 

[40B Knasty]

If your tank is cycled. It is cycled. The only thing that will kill the fish is if it has a disease like velvet, ick, fluke, jumps out the tank, etc.. But you dont have anything in the tank. So treating it would be easier. Having two damsels pecking at each other all day can cause ich. Clowns are very resilient to diseases. Your best bet would to have just gone with the $50 clown vs adding in 2 fish that are instigating ich. I had a $128 grammica lined dartfish & a $138 swissguard basslet in with 4 other fish in a 20g. Just know you dont take care of fish. You take care of water. Your choices of fish and an actual trusted LFS is the final result of your tank. Someone that says cycle your tank with a damsel or another kind of fish. Drop that LFS fast. They just want a newbies money. When you have a guy/gal that LISTENS to what you have for a tank size and says,"I wouldn't put that in there. Your tank is to small." Or "those wouldn't pair well. Those are disease/aggressive/territorial fish. This would be your best bet." That LFS is a keeper BTW a Swissguard Basslet is an awesome fish to have. Pro rated for a 10g. Swales basslet also. Such a PERFECT tank mate and beautiful fish! Him and my clown are such buddies it is ridiculous. They sleep in the same cave together and play together. I have never owned an emerald crab. heard they can go after fish. That's a price and risk I could not afford to find out. I have heard they are very entertaining.

 

[Subuchef]

If your tank is cycled. It is cycled. The only thing that will kill the fish is if it has a disease like velvet, ick, fluke, jumps out the tank, etc.. But you dont have anything in the tank. So treating it would be easier. Having two damsels pecking at each other all day can cause ich. Clowns are very resilient to diseases. Your best bet would to have just gone with the $50 clown vs adding in 2 fish that are instigating ich. I had a $128 grammica lined dartfish & a $138 swissguard basslet in with 4 other fish in a 20g. Just know you dont take care of fish. You take care of water. Your choices of fish and an actual trusted LFS is the final result of your tank. Someone that says cycle your tank with a damsel or another kind of fish. Drop that LFS fast. They just want a newbies money. When you have a guy/gal that LISTENS to what you have for a tank size and says,"I wouldn't put that in there. Your tank is to small." Or "those wouldn't pair well. Those are disease/aggressive/territorial fish. This would be your best bet." That LFS is a keeper BTW a Swissguard Basslet is an awesome fish to have. Pro rated for a 10g. Swales basslet also. Such a PERFECT tank mate and beautiful fish! Him and my clown are such buddies it is ridiculous. They sleep in the same cave together and play together. I have never owned an emerald crab. heard they can go after fish. That's a price and risk I could not afford to find out. I have heard they are very entertaining.

Man the more I do and find out about this hobby makes me feel so dumb. But honestly I know youre saying my LFS wants money and I completely agree but if they want money he should've told me to just grab one of the clowns I was eyeballing a pair for 160$ and he told me to wait better to risk damsels than those clowns but I know what youre saying they aren't into my tank setup at all they just said "hey youre water is good" ect.
But if that is an inevitable future of having ich I'll probably bring them back soon.. I just didn't want my first fish to be expensive you know. Cause with these two (if they are chillin) I want to basically have as my first trial and error.. But I woke up this morning and they aren't lethargic or anything (suppose it could take another day but tested my ammonia it's actually more yellow than yesterday) no heavy breathing/spots signs of anything as far as I know.
edit: forgot to mention I really dont know how to tell if my tank is cycled thats why I was being so cautious I suppose.