Starting My 42g Saltwater Cube...

[SkiFletch]

100watt halide fixture?!?!? Are you sure it's not a mercury vapor fixture masquerading as a halide? Got a link?

Sun corals can be really gorgeous specemins as long as you know what you're getting yourself into. The biggest trouble is training them to come out when you want them to. You have to be religious about adding food to the tank with a turkey baster at the same time everyday to get them to come out at the same time. Somehow they learn, don't ask me how . As for the lighting, I wouldn't blast it with a 400watt halide atop my rock stack, but I wouldn't be too concerned about having it get some light. Generally they do well near the bottom of the tank, and if possible under an overhang is a pretty cool place to put them.

One word of note. Do not, I repeat, do not keep cleaner shrimp or any species of crab/hermit with them. Over time they'll learn that you're feeding the sun coral and will go after it to tear the food out of the sun coral's mouth, utlimately killing it. They're not eating the sun coral per-se, but goin after that food is stressful over time.

 

[cuticom]

I wasn't planning on shrimp or crabs so that works fine then, yah I did read about them stealing food.

Yes it's definitely a 100w metal halide, it says 100w metal halide on the bulbs, and on the box, sorry I don't have a link, they all just came with the tank, and I was told the whole thing was built and wired by an electrician, looks DIY too. What would happen if it was a mercury vapor bulb?

Still waiting for a response from the guy with prices and pics, they seem like their quite nice corals though and I lurve the colour LOL

 

[nanocubeking]

I beleive that vapor bulbs arent the same as metal halide and wont keep corals alive.

 

[cuticom]

Oky dokes thanks.

New question, the sun coral, should it be kept in qurantine before going in the tank? since it is photosynthetic I can put it in my Q tank along with cardinals if I get it, but would it be alright to go straight in the main tank? or qurantine first?

Sigh, I'm about to start breaking down my freshwater tanks, I want to make sure I have time to care for the marine tank and still get all my schoolwork done (just started year 11) and it's just going to be too hard with 6 freshwater tanks, so I'm breaking everything down apart from a 6g, a 17g and a 55. Got people coming to [pick em up later today, I hope marine is going to keep being fun, coz I doubt I'll ever find some of those fish again LOL.

 

[cuticom]

Oooh I've got snails! LOL, no idea where they came from, I've seen two so far, their teeny tiny only 3-4 mm long, their eating the maroon algae. Any ideas? Please don't say their bad, god only knows how I'd get them out, heres some pics

The pics aren't that great, my cameras not designed for such close close ups (It needs a macro lens) but it's the best I can do.

 

[nanocubeking]

The algae is a cyanobacteria more commonly know as red slime algae is pretty hard to get rid of. A red slime remover would work best. But conchs are known to eat it.

 

[Musho3210]

The algae is a cyanobacteria more commonly know as red slime algae is pretty hard to get rid of. A red slime remover would work best. But conchs are known to eat it.

known to eat or just stir up? I never knew this

 

[cuticom]

Right now I'm just leaving the lage, it's surprisingly not too bad, mainly on the walls of the tank, rather then on the rocks. What I'm after though is an ID for the snail sitting in the middle eating the algae (yes it is eating it).

Uuuh whats a red slime remover?

 

[nanocubeking]

Red slime remover is a chemical that only kill the slime algae. Its made by ultra reef life products. Its in a blue cardboard container.

 

[cuticom]

at a guess I'd say it's not available in Aus, this is the best I can find

http/www.thereefshop.com.au/index.php?ma...products_id=890

 

[nanocubeking]

Thats kent marine so I would trust it. I personally was apprehensive about this red slime remover because when the lfs showed to me it seem kind of second hand. Do you know what I mean?

 

[cuticom]

Yah, I won't get it unless the algae goes out of control, have had too many bad experiences with algae remover chemicals before LOL. Right now it's not too bad, so I'll just leave it. One plus though is that it's really eaten up my nitrates, readings are now below ten LOL.

 

[cuticom]

LOL how strange, I live practically in the middle of nowhere, but keep tripping over other marine keepers who live in the area, it's a nice feeling LOL. I've managed to locate another guy who can do me a good deal on a sun coral, if the other one falls through, I'm hoping it doesn't and the guys just away for the weekend or something, as I really want those PJ Cardinals LOL.

The guy also has a good price on a hammer coral, $60 for one with a 12" diameter, compared to the $45 frags I was looking at in the shop, barely 3 inches across it seems pretty good.

Oh and Mum's also agreed to get me a membership to a marine society to for my birthday, because of where we live theres none local, but I found one that caters for all the rural people and is entirely online, with a virtual frag swap etc, so should be good, plus it means I can get discounts on heaps of stuff as well.

 

[cuticom]

Just thought I'd repost my planned stocklist and the changes that ahve been made

Fish
3 x Pajam cardinals
2 x Captive bred occelaris clown fish
1 x ? (still need some ideas guys! would like some sort of bottom dweller)

Inverts
5 astrea snails

Corals
Sun Coral
Hammer Coral
Frogspawn coral
Bubble Coral
Candy Cane Coral

And some Questions
Those corals are all still okay under my lights right? a 100w MH light, a 20w full spectrum and a 20w actinic in a 24 inch deep tank?
Any ideas for the last fish? I'd like something thats interesting, I really do like the scooter dragonets but don't think I'm gonna get enough pods in such a small tank to support one
Is everything else okay in my choices?


Thanks
Emma

 

[nanocubeking]

It sounds really good. I wish i had a tank the size of yours. If you want a bottom dweller a black cap, or orangeback basslet would rock the house. A dottyback of some sort. A small snowflake eel ( not sure if it would be a good idea but it would be cool). To many gobies to list but an organe prawn, or yashia hase goby. Jawfish too. There are some ideas.

http/www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/pr...oot_parent_id=4