Is this Normal???

[nanoreefer22]

I'd really go with the remora, in the end it will be worth while. The coralifes are new on the market and from pics I've seen the remora beats them out easily. The remoras are also more compact than the coralife skimmers. Just remember you get what you pay for.

Again I have to say stay AWAY from getting an anemone.

What exactly is a dragonete and a bogy?

 

[findingnemo]

sorry goby and the dragonete is this

 

[ming]

Even though the Coralife skimmer is new on the market, I've heard great things about it, especially for its value.

I can't say its better or worse then the remora because it depends on which model you use, but I've heard the coralife to be better then the remora from friends who tried both.

That dragonete is a mandarin fish. They need a lot of rock and a very established tank to sustain the amount of pods they need.

 

[nanoreefer22]

Cool Ming .

I stay away from the dragonete aka Mandarin as well. Difficult fish to keep especially for a beginner. Put the money towards another fish.

Also what kind of goby?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

as already stated stay away from the dragonettes and def. from starfish unless the ones stated above, also anemone should be added if anything 6+ months into ur tanks life (at least)... guys great info so far.. she is gonna have a sweet tank once were done :lol2:

 

[findingnemo]

hahahahahhahahha I better !!!!

 

[masterswimmer]

I agree with Tony, great info everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing her tank.

I have a Coralife SuperSkimmer 65 on my 16g nano. I would not use this model on any tank larger than about a 30g (max). For your size tank I'd use the CSS 125. For the price, they are a decent skimmer.

swimmer

 

[LeslieS]

Hi Reef Lady,

It's nice to see other women on the site

Can you please start posting your water parameters? While you are sitll cylcling your tank, it will make it easier to understand what is going on in your tank and how to best answer your questions.

Don't worry about the diatoms. Just think of them as food for the next part of the cycle!

 

[findingnemo]

Well I took my water to the fish store and they tested it they told me that it was low on calcium but other that was very good. I dont any kits to test my water , the fish store told me they would do it for me. Should I still go and buy the kits?

 

[LeslieS]

Buying test kits it totally up to you. There is a very good reefer on this site who does not even have one.

As a fellow newbie, I can advise to mention in the beginning of each post what your parameters/water quality are. When people hear that your tank is only a week old, they probably will not know how far along in the nitrogen cycle you are.

Hope that is helpful. It worked really well for me

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Calcium testing is not needed. Not until you start adding coral and other animals that require calcium. Go out and buy a test kit for amonia, nitrate, nitrite, ph, and use those, test the water yourself. I am gonna say this and may get flamed for it but LFS's are in the biz to make money. They sell things to people to help but also to make a profit. Your tank is still in it's cycle perod, the only things you should be testing is Amonia, Mitrite, Nitrate, PH and salinity. Once those all level off and drop to the proper levels then worry about calcium.

 

[masterswimmer]

Well I took my water to the fish store and they tested it they told me that it was low on calcium but other that was very good. I dont any kits to test my water , the fish store told me they would do it for me. Should I still go and buy the kits?

Hi findingnemo. In this hobby it is very important to be able to monitor our animals health. The best way to do this is visually. However, this will only give you a superficial view of their health. To find out what might be causing the problems we have to test their environment.....the water.

In the early stages (cycling) you should monitor what chief said:
pH
ammonia
nitrites
nitrates
specific gravity (salinity)

Once the cycle is complete, you should also monitor the following (in addition to the above):
calcium
alkalinity/hardness
magnesium

Salifert is a highly recommended test kit. Premium Aquatics carries them. Their stock #'s for the ones you'd need right away are:

SAT112
SAT105
SAT105A
SAT110

swimmer

 

[findingnemo]

Ok will get that thanks.

 

[findingnemo]

Do you guys know why the diatom will be on some rocks and not in all of the them?

 

[nanoreefer22]

Could be a few things...probably the way the flow is hitting the rocks and how much light each rock is getting.