Should we add a 6th fish?

[jabberwock]

Currently have three gorgonians in the tank: A purple frilly, a candelabra, and a corky finger.

I must have got my order from TBS about a month after you. My macros are struggling a bit, hence my question about your lighting.

 

[OldRed1]

Tank seems young for so much livestock, but I do see all that wonderful macro algae! That definitely gives you a jump start. What are you running for lights and light schedule?

When the clown get to breeding size, I am afraid they will run amuck on a murderous spree.

The tank is young, but it's amazing how much of a jump start is possible when using actual live rock! By the time the clowns get too big, we will likely have a larger system up and running. At least, that's the hope!

Lighting schedule is below:

 

[OldRed1]

These are from GCE. Grown some but were healthy full polyp extension in the shipping bags

What kind of Gorgonians are those??

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

The tank is young, but it's amazing how much of a jump start is possible when using actual live rock! By the time the clowns get too big, we will likely have a larger system up and running. At least, that's the hope!

Lighting schedule is below:

Good luck. Yeah I see an upgrade in the spring. Lol

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

What kind of Gorgonians are those??

I’m thinking purple candelabra. Been a while. Also have a tan on other side

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I’m thinking purple candelabra. Been a while. Also have a tan on other side

 

[OldRed1]

Your tank is everything I dream of lol. Do you dose? If so...teach me your ways!

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Your tank is everything I dream of lol. Do you dose? If so...teach me your ways!

Lol. Ty. Work in progress. 30 months. Yes I do dose. I’m old school. Esv. Test alk daily. Stability key.

 

[tbrown]

Hey, friends! I have a 25 gallon peninsula style tank. All of my fish have been acquired through Dr. Reef’s Quarantined Fish. At the moment, the tank inhabitants consist of:

2 small mocha clowns
1 yellow watchman goby
2 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp
1 candy stripe pistol shrimp
~40 cerith snails
1 Nassarius snail
1 rock-boring urchin

Next week, we’ll take delivery on:

1 tail spot blenny
1 neon blue goby
1 fighting conch
1 blue tuxedo urchin

Here’s the current tank layout. Corals are closed up because lights have been off for about 2 hours, turned them on low for photos.

Thanks for sharing your feedback!

I loved my Yasha when I saw it...

 

[OldRed1]

I must have got my order from TBS about a month after you. My macros are struggling a bit, hence my question about your lighting.

What’s your current lighting schedule?

 

[jacquesPiette]

Hey, friends! I have a 25 gallon peninsula style tank. All of my fish have been acquired through Dr. Reef’s Quarantined Fish. At the moment, the tank inhabitants consist of:

2 small mocha clowns
1 yellow watchman goby
2 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp
1 candy stripe pistol shrimp
~40 cerith snails
1 Nassarius snail
1 rock-boring urchin

Next week, we’ll take delivery on:

1 tail spot blenny
1 neon blue goby
1 fighting conch
1 blue tuxedo urchin

Here’s the current tank layout. Corals are closed up because lights have been off for about 2 hours, turned them on low for photos.

Thanks for sharing your feedback!

im just curious.. when you say plain cardinalfish in the vote, do you mean bangai, threadfin or an other kind? im asking cause im intrested in diffrent kinds of cardinalfish

 

[JoJosReef]

I must have got my order from TBS about a month after you. My macros are struggling a bit, hence my question about your lighting.

Wow did you get mermaids cups on yours?

What light/schedule are you running? I see some Botry, gracilaria and Caulerpa along with something big and green in the back. For Botry (and codium and gracilaria hayi) I'm running AB+ spectrum on a Saxby schedule, and it grows well (on TBS rock/sand in an IM 10g). Are you low on NO3/PO4?

Your tank is looking amazing for 2 months @OldRed1 . Put gulf rocks and sand in a tank, and I think you can fill it with anything, as long as you keep parameters!

 

[jabberwock]

Wow did you get mermaids cups on yours?

What light/schedule are you running? I see some Botry, gracilaria and Caulerpa along with something big and green in the back. For Botry (and codium and gracilaria hayi) I'm running AB+ spectrum on a Saxby schedule, and it grows well (on TBS rock/sand in an IM 10g). Are you low on NO3/PO4?

Your tank is looking amazing for 2 months @OldRed1 . Put gulf rocks and sand in a tank, and I think you can fill it with anything, as long as you keep parameters!

Hey, this seems to be a neglected topic. Lot's of folks have interest in macros with little information available. I am a bit of a novice on lighting, so I will be really open to advice.

I am running two Kessil Tuna Blue A80s about 6 inches above the water surface for about 10 hours a day. It is a shallow 25 gallon lagoon, so I feel like I am getting decent light penetration. Phosphates are consistently at 0.5, and nitrates consistently at 20. I am not struggling with any nuisance algae. I only have one firefish for now.

I DID get mermaids cup, it seems to be doing the best. The Gracilaria was picked up out of the surf off the coast of Tampa Bay (Indian Rocks Beach) when I went down for local pickup from TBS. The Botry is doing ok. The big green stuff is dead man's fingers, and I think it is struggling. The Caulerpa seems to be doing ok. I am super impressed with the live rock product. The tank has been up for 2 months, and had the live rock in it for 1 month.

Do I need to upgrade/add lighting?

 

[jabberwock]

What’s your current lighting schedule?

2 Kessil Tuna blue A 80s for 10 hours a day. See my other response on what things are doing well. I think this is a great thread about macros. Lot's of questions, not much information. TBS did point me at this site which I found very helpful. https://www.marineplantbook.com/

Do you think I need to upgrade lighting?

 

[i cant think]

Hey, friends! I have a 25 gallon peninsula style tank. All of my fish have been acquired through Dr. Reef’s Quarantined Fish. At the moment, the tank inhabitants consist of:

2 small mocha clowns
1 yellow watchman goby
2 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp
1 candy stripe pistol shrimp
~40 cerith snails
1 Nassarius snail
1 rock-boring urchin

Next week, we’ll take delivery on:

1 tail spot blenny
1 neon blue goby
1 fighting conch
1 blue tuxedo urchin

Here’s the current tank layout. Corals are closed up because lights have been off for about 2 hours, turned them on low for photos.

Thanks for sharing your feedback!

As it appears you’re going for macroalgae, I wouldn’t do the tuxedo urchin or blenny. Some of that macro is beautiful and I personally wouldn’t try to get rid of it.

 

[OldRed1]

2 Kessil Tuna blue A 80s for 10 hours a day. See my other response on what things are doing well. I think this is a great thread about macros. Lot's of questions, not much information. TBS did point me at this site which I found very helpful. https://www.marineplantbook.com/

Do you think I need to upgrade lighting?

I don’t know anything about these lights, so I can’t say if you need to upgrade. I can say that my macro is thriving under my AI Prime 16 HS light. I’ve had great success with running cool whites and reds for about eight hours a day.

 

[OldRed1]

As it appears you’re going for macroalgae, I wouldn’t do the tuxedo urchin or blenny. Some of that macro is beautiful and I personally wouldn’t try to get rid of it.

Fortunately, the macros grow fast enough that an urchin will help to prune it back!

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Fortunately, the macros grow fast enough that an urchin will help to prune it back!

@i cant think is a valued and respected member of this community. He had what appeared to b your best interest in mind based on the current set up u shown via pics I agree. They will prune it faster then u know. They are grazing machines. But u know your tank.

 

[OldRed1]

@i cant think is a valued and respected member of this community. He had what appeared to b your best interest in mind based on the current set up u shown via pics I agree. They will prune it faster then u know. They are grazing machines. But u know your tank.

I had a short spines purple urchin in the tank that ate like a machine. The macros were able to reproduce faster than the urchin could munch them down.

I ended up donating the urchin back to the LFS because she was too big for the tank; she couldn’t get into the small spaces where I have minor cases of GHA growth.

The blue tuxedo urchin will be much, much smaller than the short spine, so I do not anticipate any challenges.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

That’s awesome. I have a tank around the same age and I want to add an urchin but I don’t think I have enough algae / food for it.

If you really want an urchin but worry you don't have enough algae, you can supplement feed - they will eat seaweed sheets/nori. Mine has more than enough algae, but he still goes over to the tangs' seaweed clip and munches on that, lol.