Newbie question on Starting New

[Caleb]

Hi folks,

some help needed here! I really like this algae. Its the next best thing to having plants in the marine tank!

I need to know, what are the best conditions for this fella.. and I would like to know, is it safe from the turbo snails?

Thanks!

[Caleb]

I finally got it...

This here's a picture of Mr. Fu. Man Chu's his name.... kekeke

Only 2 inches... very very cute...

I also got another zebra lion.. but his in QT now.. white spots... any advice? I've already dump in some melafix.. hope to zap all that parasite soon..

[sonicfrank]

Hi folks,

some help needed here! I really like this algae. Its the next best thing to having plants in the marine tank!

I need to know, what are the best conditions for this fella.. and I would like to know, is it safe from the turbo snails?

Thanks!

Yes is gd to have plants in the marine tank.. coz its break down NO3 but plant only do well wif light and CO2 somemore yu need to does iron too.. if not ur plant will turn brow and die off.. is safe for turbo snails no worry..

This is my new live rock. Can anyone help me to ID some of the stuff on it? I think its got some Zoos on it rite ? 

Sorry very new at this coral stuff.. these are called soft corals rite?

I would like to know if my turbo snails will cause any damages to this live rock and its coral ?

I bought this from the uncle marine shop at Pasir Ris, many many things there to see.. and the live rocks are very nice... but uncle able haolian.. so didnt stay much to talk. Not a veri frenly chap, i guess i asked too many newbie question and he was only trained to deal with professional reef keepers. 

Anyway, he told me that I needed to get a bottle of PHYTOPLankton.. looks to me like a bottom of green lokang water.. and it costs $6. Anyone used this before?

The challenges that I have been facing over the pass couple of weeks over this tank, really is causing me to think of a bigger project... 

Too bad, I dun work in PSA.. else I would know what to do with that 6 months bonus!!

the Phytoplankyon is actually algae.. dont pour too much if not all ur tank will start growing hair algae.. yu can go reborn check out Concentrated Phytoplankton is a samll botter but is better than wat yu buy.. is only $10 can use for yrs for ur tank.. too bad cant post pic for yu to see how it looks like..

I also got another zebra lion.. but his in QT now.. white spots... any advice? I've already dump in some melafix.. hope to zap all that parasite soon..

ur tank is new will have white spots problem.. from now dun add any more LS in..

wat yu can do to help the fish is

- Reduce sg level to 1.21 - 1.23 (help the fish to save energy from clearing salt)

- Keep temp cold at 24-26 deg (reduce parsite metabolism and increase oxygen level)

- Keep water clean and stable (less stress to fish)

- have some Cleaner Shrimp to reduce parasite load on the fish body

- run UV sterilizer or Ozone to help reduce parasite load in water.(Important if system has alot of fish as free floating parasite can be alot)

- Have sand cleaners like Black Sea Cucumbers that engulf the sand to disgest organic matter. this help to reduce the ice cysts that go into the sand to multiply.

- feed some garlic soaked food to fish to help feeding and resistance.

hope ur fish turn better cheez

[sonicfrank]

This is my new live rock. Can anyone help me to ID some of the stuff on it? I think its got some Zoos on it rite ? 

Sorry very new at this coral stuff.. these are called soft corals rite?

I would like to know if my turbo snails will cause any damages to this live rock and its coral ?

I bought this from the uncle marine shop at Pasir Ris, many many things there to see.. and the live rocks are very nice... but uncle able haolian.. so didnt stay much to talk. Not a veri frenly chap, i guess i asked too many newbie question and he was only trained to deal with professional reef keepers. 

Anyway, he told me that I needed to get a bottle of PHYTOPLankton.. looks to me like a bottom of green lokang water.. and it costs $6. Anyone used this before?

The challenges that I have been facing over the pass couple of weeks over this tank, really is causing me to think of a bigger project... 

Too bad, I dun work in PSA.. else I would know what to do with that 6 months bonus!!

The bottle of Phytoplankton yu buy is actually algae.. dun pour too much if not hair algae will gown.. if yu have time check out Concentrated Phytoplankton brand is 'aquaz' at reborn.. is a small bottle but is better than wat yu buy and I believe can use for yrs.. is only $10

Hi folks,

some help needed here! I really like this algae. Its the next best thing to having plants in the marine tank!

I need to know, what are the best conditions for this fella.. and I would like to know, is it safe from the turbo snails?

Thanks!

yes is gd to have marine plants in tank coz they break down NO3 but yu must give them enough light and CO2.. yu need to does iron too.. if not they will turn brown colour and die off..

I finally got it...

This here's a picture of Mr. Fu. Man Chu's his name.... kekeke 

Only 2 inches... very very cute...

I also got another zebra lion.. but his in QT now.. white spots... any advice? I've already dump in some melafix.. hope to zap all that parasite soon..

New tank will have white spots problem.. dun add anymore LS from now..

What you can do to help the fish build resistance and survive is

- Reduce sg level to 1.21 - 1.23 (help the fish to save energy from clearing salt)

- Keep temp cold at 24-26 deg (reduce parsite metabolism and increase oxygen level)

- Keep water clean and stable (less stress to fish)

- have some Cleaner Shrimp to reduce parasite load on the fish body

- run UV sterilizer or Ozone to help reduce parasite load in water.(Important if system has alot of fish as free floating parasite can be alot)

- Have sand cleaners like Black Sea Cucumbers that engulf the sand to disgest organic matter. this help to reduce the ice cysts that go into the sand to multiply.

- feed some garlic soaked food to fish to help feeding and resistance.

Hope ur fish turn better Cheez

[sonicfrank]

sry double post

[Caleb]

hi sonicfrank,

thanks for your post. Sad news, my zebra lion didnt make, it died. I think my QT was too small..

I bought seachem's Garlic solution, and try to does abit (not more than 2ml) into my 2 ft tank, and i noticed immediately the sps on my live rock resided!

In fresh water, preventing and also curing ick is a very simple thing.. usually we add salt, increase temperature, and viola.. ick is gone. But for marine it is so much tougher...

[Caleb]

i also have a planted tank at home, so i have all the necessary plant fert. I was wondering whether they can be used, safely with marine setup with sps in it.

[sonicfrank]

marine plants and FW plants are diff... if yu talking abt marine plant yu have at hm.. yes yu can add if not dont.. IMO QT is not gd for marine fish.. coz yu only make the fish more stress.. if yu really wan ur fish in QT.. than QT have to be big coz the water in the small tank wont hold the toxic and the water is really unstable.. even pro will have hard time to keep fish in small tank.. try to get Cleaner Shrimp asap.. and the best UV too..

Mmm.. I think yu get the wrong idea.. is adding garlic soaked food to help feeding and resistance.. not adding Garlic solution.. which shop yu go at pasir ris.. so unfriendly let me guess.. is pasir ris farm right..

[Caleb]

yah the shops at Pasir ris is not very really frenly... i guess they too far away from civilisation to be civil ?

Anyway, perhaps it was me asking to many newbie questions.. like how to take care and what to feed... most of them look at you like 'eh, you dun know how to take care then dun buy lah?! '....

Anyway... I must add that for price reason, some of the PR farms (actually only two lah.. the rest all very expensive).. are really very cheap.. but.. as mentioned earlier.. you really need to know what you are buying.. what it looks like (especially fish and sps) then you can go PR.. dun expect them to give you advice.

[sonicfrank]

where yu stay? if west.. go Marine Life Hobbielist they are friendly if east can go J&J Marine Life Enterprise they are friendly too.. asking questions is better than dun ask.. but wat I agred wif yu "really need to know what you are buying.. what it looks like (especially fish and sps) then you can go PR.. dun expect them to give you advice" for is hobby read up as more as yu can to help yu in the future.. cheez

[Caleb]

I am intending to visit both ML and also the one at the east. I drive and so its pretty convinient.

I've done a fair bit of reading since taking on this challenge. But as you can see from some of the advice that forummers have posted on my thread.. these are very invaluable advice.

Self reading can help, but it experienced forummers and caring persons, such as yourself, that can really help make my experience easier. So thanks!

My ultimate is to keep a 3 footer, with at least 5 different lions in it. I intend to dabble in the easier sps, like some zoos and some mushrooms.

[pingpong]

where yu stay? if west.. go Marine Life Hobbielist they are friendly if east can go J&J Marine Life Enterprise they are friendly too.. asking questions is better than dun ask.. but wat I agred wif yu "really need to know what you are buying.. what it looks like (especially fish and sps) then you can go PR.. dun expect them to give you advice" for is hobby read up as more as yu can to help yu in the future.. cheez

ya.. agree that Henry @ ML is really frenly, i was there the first time the other day. and Henry came forward to shook my hand and asked for my name...

FIRST time i see any shop keeper so frenly..

[Caleb]

i actually left a couple of posts in his thread, (ie Henry@ ML) and he bothered to answer, not like some others. So I also think he is pretty frenly. I will be paying him a visit. The thing is.. most of the stuff he selling, I dun really need.. I scare I will end up buying fishes that I cannot keep and sps that I dunno how to keep.. hahaha..

[pingpong]

i actually left a couple of posts in his thread, (ie Henry@ ML) and he bothered to answer, not like some others. So I also think he is pretty frenly. I will be paying him a visit. The thing is.. most of the stuff he selling, I dun really need.. I scare I will end up buying fishes that I cannot keep and sps that I dunno how to keep.. hahaha..

haha..ya..luckily i'm still cycling my tank else i would have ended up with some fishes too.....

[sonicfrank]

if yu going to Henry place tell me.. I wanna to visit him too.. we can go 2gether.. I nv been there be4

[Caleb]

Hi people.

I need advice, real quick.

My FMC is not doing too well, it was still ok on Sat evening. Monday morning, now, its floating at the top... it looks very tired... I already changed 40% of the water.

I noticed that for my live rock, alot of the prolyps have disappeared.. can they be rotting and releasing toxins into the water?

The chocolate star fish and the turbo snails are all doing fine.

I have already lost my zebra lion and this little fella is all I've got now. Any advice ?

I already check for Nitrites and Ammonia, all turn out to be zero. I am flabbergusted.. what should I be testing for next ?

[jc85]

Wat's ur tank parameters?

NH4 - 0

NO2 - 0

NO3 - ?

ph - ?

Salinity - ?

If u suspect the buttons are releasing toxic, get some GAC. How long have u kept the FMC? Any chances done yesterday to the tank?

Cheers

JC

[sonicfrank]

wat water yu change wif?? I belive yu nv use DI right.. check ur SG level keep it at 1.021.. and oso check ur NO3.. now feed ur FMC see if it is eatting.. if not eatting than is at a very high chance of dying.. if FMC is eatting feed wif garlic soaked food.. it helps alot..

abt ur prolyps how long yu on ur light.. atless 5hrs.. and keep the water temp stable.. can take pic of them?? if is rotting they will releasing toxins into the water.. same as LR too.. if LR is rotting must take out..

wat yu need to test water is KH, PH, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrate.. Phosp..

[Caleb]

hi all,

the FMC is still going fine.. after i changed the water... i changed again, therefore, so far, i changed water this morning at 9am.. and now again at 3pm.

At 9 am was 40%.. not at 3pm, I only changed 20%...

I am surprise that the FMC still have not die yet.. No it is not eating.

I saw one of the mushroom already detached and lying on the sand bed.. alot of slime.. yucks..

Ammonia is zero

Nitrites is Zero

I dun have PH.. but i think should be ok

The SG is between 1.022 and 1.023, so I think water is ok.. the starfish and the turbo snails and also one molly is still ok!

the salt I use is coral life.. water damn cloudy.. but i heard this is normal with coral life salt.

This is the picture of the very weird sps.. can it be the culprit ?

[Caleb]

I am using DI water. There is a filter fitted. The Ph of this water is around 7.5-7.7 but i wouldn't know whether the ph will increase after adding the salt. (my assumption is it will)

I think, I will carry on changing the water. Can anyone tell me, why the mushroom can come off? There is no strong current blowing at the live rock. And the water is not stinky.. so I dun think the LR is rotting...

any advice please?

[dominik]

that thing look like sponge not sps. how long u cycle your tank before adding any lifestock?

[Caleb]

yah.. i also think its a sponge.. after reading some websites. If that is the case, it will die soon, because the uncle took the whole liverock out of the water. And accordingly, sponges cannot be taken out of the water and allow air to enter their body.. so its a goner for sure..

But wat about the mushrooms ? Why did it detach itself?

I cycled for about 2-3 weeks. I even added melafix in it, to ensure that external parasites would be taken care of..

[dominik]

yah.. i also think its a sponge.. after reading some websites. If that is the case, it will die soon, because the uncle took the whole liverock out of the water. And accordingly, sponges cannot be taken out of the water and allow air to enter their body.. so its a goner for sure..

But wat about the mushrooms ? Why did it detach itself?

I cycled for about 2-3 weeks. I even added melafix in it, to ensure that external parasites would be taken care of..

melafix can be use in reef tank? make sure the label say it is reef safe.

[jc85]

imo, cloudy water is not a gd sign. The water should clear after a fwe hours even if u are usign coralife salt. One possible reason of cloudy water could be due to bacteria boom going on in the tank.

Mushroom detach from their base due to stress. Most often due to water parameters or too high a flow.

Regards

JC

[Caleb]

I think I know what is the problem.

The flow in the tank may not be sufficient enough to pump in oxygen. The change that took place before all of this, was that I switched from a OHF to a canister. The OHF was using a very powerful powerhead, around 1000l/hr and this new canister is only 300l/hr.

I have since added an airstone (I know, tomorrow I will have to clean up all that salt spray)..

When I was using the OHF... I never had cloudy water as an issue... I am suspecting the same thing too, as in, bateria bloom... but I was confident enuff because the media was the same as the OHF...

Anyway, I am about to dump in one unit of Chemi pure as well.. to take care of all that impurities... I hope my FMC can take all this stress!!