Starting My Reef Tank

[SkiFletch]

Alkalinity and strong lighting is actually more crucial to the growth of coraline than anything else. If you keep your alk way up there at like 11-12+ dKH (~3.6meq/L) then you'll get a coraline explosion. My alk stays lower around 10dKH so my coraline grows exceptionally slow.

So now that you've made these changes.... PICS

 

[rhysiboy]

how can you make it more alkali?

 

[Mr.September15]

how can you make it more alkali?

There are chemicals you can buy to boost alkaline lvls.

 

[SkiFletch]

First, test for calcium and alkalinity, then dose a baking soda and water solution SLOWLY to bring the leves up to where you want them

 

[hubbard_shark]

Ok so Ive finally had a chance to update my reef status. with being gone in hawaii and busy with school, its been awhile since ive updated this. well since last, ive boughten a candy cane coral

which is shown here, and it fits perfect in my rock, which once held my galaxea. now my galaxea is on the otherside of the tank, where the flow touches the glass. i went out and bought a royal gamma

whose taking a liking to the tank, as well as his new friend, my sixline wrasse. bought some more cerith snails, and some margarita snails, and also bought the crab ive been wanting forever, a pom pom crab. heres the little guy here

. heres awesome and i enjoy watching himwave his pom poms (anemones) in the air. already has had one molt, only had him about 2 weeks. so besides that nothing newly bought, now im in a battle with some nasty cyanobacteria algae, which is killin me. ive been doin daily water changes, so im hoping maybe in a week or so, ill see some improvements. heres a pic of the tank now.

. only small specks of corraline algae on the glass , so im hoping its going to start "blooming" soon.

 

[SkiFletch]

If you want coraline algae to grow you're gonna need to keep your calc and alk up on the high side just as a heads up

 

[hubbard_shark]

yea, i remeber u tellin me. so ive been keepin an eye on the alk, and calcium

 

[Mr Miagi]

Agreed, whislt high lighting will also be good to have, my corralline grows slow under one T8 flouro in my FOWLR, just not at rapid speeds. Looking good!

 

[hubbard_shark]

at last the red slime, cyanobacteria is gone . U dont know how happy I am. I did water changes for about a week, and noticed it to slow down, and ended up just going with the last resort, Red slime remover, and it knocked it out. im watching the tank though, as some things never officially leave, but it looks much better than when it did. I also modified my canopy, so its back on. everything is looking smooth and nice. ill have full tank shots up soon. thx for the help with the cyanobacteria to all those who helped me, much appreciated

as you all know i have a galaxea coral, and i know its stinging tentacles will affect other corals. but heres my question: can a hammer or frogspawn coral be put next to a galaxea since they both sting? i was wondering as ive liked the hammer, but i dont want to put another stinging coral in if they cant be next to each other, and now my whole tank is covered with stinging corals and no room for non-aggresive corals.

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, they're all Euphylla genus corals (as is a torch) so most often times they'll be OK in close proximity to another. SOMETIMES Euphyllas do not tolerate one another, but usually they're OK. My frogspawn and hammer play nice together

 

[hubbard_shark]

so then my galaxea would be cool next to a hammer coral, as this is the next id like to buy?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah I'd say you've got a 90% chance for compatability between the two types