SPS Dreams
<Greetings from the SF Bay- Ryan with you>
Sorry to keep bothering you all with questions but I really love the reef
hobby and I can't stand nitrate and algae anymore! <I see> I'm really having a
problem with nitrates though.  Here's what's going on:  I feed VERY small
portions of formula one and Hikari ocean plankton along with seaweed to my
(about 3"-4") Naso tang and (about 2") Maroon Clownfish twice per day ( I
don't overfeed, right?). <Not at all> These foods also are low in protein. I do water
changes once per week at 10-15 gallons in a 55 gallon reef tank (with 20
gallon sump), ok?  I don't have many corals (Xenia, two Leathers, Condy
anemone and a few small stalks of candy cane coral, had frilly mushrooms but
they died???????)  All my parameters are checked once per week as follows:
Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate always 25-35ppm, Ca-400-420, Alk-4-6 meq/L,
Salinity- 1.0245, Temp-76-78F, Phos always tests 0 also; and I use a
EuroReef skimmer CS6-1 (which only pumps about 1/4"-3/8" junk out of the
tank everyday at most, and I have adjusted it many times).   I have just
started using small amounts of activated carbon (nitrate/ phos free) hoping
for help.  With such a small fish load <A Naso Tang in a 55 is not exactly a small fish load.  This fish needs larger quarters quickly, and is the primary reason that you can't get your water quality where you want it.> and not much feeding I do not
understand how I can have such high nitrates for so long with this maint.
schedule.   Nitrates have been like this for about 7-8 months.  I use
deionized water for evap. and changes also.  Please help, I believe that my
tank could blossom with sps after I can control these nitrates and I am very
excited about that. <I agree, but you need to lose the Naso to achieve this. How many pounds of live rock are you using?  I would certainly maintain at least 1 pound per gallon if you are going to attempt SPS.> Any help on adjusting my skimmer would help also. <Need more to work with...Try WetWebFotos. com's equipment forum.> I am
almost ready to hire someone to come check my tank...<Hmmm...Paying well? ;)  >.. if anyone there is
interested!!!!  Any help will be great and thanks for all of the recent
help, the site is really great and a big help to many!
<Glad you find it useful.  Good luck! Ryan>

Staying With An Old System...
Hello,
<HI there! Scott F. with you today!>
I have been reading the new Reef Invertebrate book and it has been answering so many questions about miscellaneous critters I have wondered about. Thank you.
<I'll pass the "props" on to Anthony & Bob>    
Now, my current problem, I have had a 55 gallon tank up and running for a year and a half with LR and fish and some invertebrates. Ignorant at the time, I trusted the LFS guy and was set up with what I now think is a terrible system. I have an undergravel filter with large Puka shell substrate that is probably 3 inches deep, I know bad, bad, bad.   I have a new 150 gallon tank and totally new set up (Berlin system) being built, I ordered it in December and it was supposed to take 3 weeks and it is still not ready, but the guy keeps telling me any day now.
<Well, better to take his time and get it right!>
So in the meantime I have been biding my time with my
horrible nitrate accumulator, doing very frequent water changes and just hoping my livestock would make it until my new tank came.   But, a week ago my first animal, and one of my favorites, a cleaner shrimp who ate out of my hand, died.
<Sorry to hear that>  
And at the rate the jerk who was supposed to have my tank done for Christmas is going I can't wait any longer and I have to do something.  So I want to take out the substrate, but I am unsure about disturbing it, will it put horrible stuff in to the water and overwhelm my fish.
<Well, the potential exists for that to happen.>
I was thinking about moving the LR to one side and taking out 1/2 the tank at a time in conjunction with a large water change.   Is that a good idea?
<To be honest with you- if this was the tank that you were going to be keeping for the long-term, I'd go through this process. On the other hand, if in the next few weeks (or months?), your new system will be here, I'd keep up with regular water changes and stepped-up husbandry efforts. To many potential problems can arise as a result of disrupting this system...>
Also should I remove the undergravel filter all together or will taking out the substrate and putting in some new that is only 1/2 inch deep O.K.   Remember this is all just temporary
until my new set up is ready which will hopefully be soon.   I guess my main question is this, Will removing old substrate reduce my nitrates significantly and can I do it with my livestock in the tank? I will appreciate any advice, Thank you,   Kylee Cochran
<Again, Kylee- if it were me, I'd keep things as they are and limp along for a while longer. With a new tank on the horizon, I'd save the animals further stress at this point. Keep your eye on the prize! Regards, Scott F>

New live rock
I started my first saltwater tank maybe 6 mo.s ago or more.
It cycled great and I've been up and running good for about 4-5 months now.
The tank is 70 gallon. I have 60 lbs live sand, 40 lbs live rock, a blue tang
and a clown. The only filtration I have is an over the back bio wheel style
filter; its built for tanks up to 125 gallon. The lighting is only standard
aquatic bulb lighting that I used all the years i had cichlids. I have added
2 powerheads for additional water flow. My lights are on a timer for 4 hours
up until lunch, then off until 5pm and then on again for another 5 hour run.
My salinity stays a little on the low side at 1.019, and my temp around 78.
No nitrate/nitrite problems.<good to hear>
My questions are these:
My tank seems to build brown/red algae on the glass rather quickly. Is this
due to phosphate build-up and if so, how can I reduce its effects short of
added filtration. Second, if i went with added filtration what would you
suggest? <I would use RO/DI water>
Also, with the addition of my latest live rock, I gained an anemone. I
absolutely love it, but have no clue what different if anything I need to do
to optimize the conditions for it. (no idea on food, lighting, supplements,
any guide you can offer would be great) <It is probably Aiptasia or a glass anemone...don't
worry its pretty much impossible to kill lol, IanB>
Thanks
Spence in Nashville, TN

Mixed Bag (Catching Up On Some Missing Queries)
Hey crew,
<Scott F. your Crew member today!>
I have a few emails from before that haven't been answered.  I'm not overly worried about a reply yet, I understand that you are busy.
<I'm surprised that you haven't gotten replies to several emails. We strive to answer each and every one in a timely manner...>
I just finished a partial water change and noticed a few more things.  The first was that there was some green floaties on the surface of the water (possibly Cyanobacteria) it was quite a dark green.
<Or some kind of diatoms...>
I also noticed that some rocks appear to have rust on them...is this possible for there to be such a high concentration of iron to produce this after a couple of months??
<I'll take a guess and bet that your "rust" is actually some algae of some sort, quite possibly Cyanobacteria, as you postulated>
I have been finding little "bugs" the last two water changes.
They are floating on the surface, about 4-5mm long, 1-2 mm wide, 2
antennae or feet depends how you hold them, 8-10 segments of the body, brown in color, with some having a red top or bottom again depending how you hold them.  I was worried that these may be baby mantis shrimp as they appeared once I was able to remove the LR hitchhiker?
<Well, despite your good description, I couldn't be 100% certain without a picture, but they sounds like some form of amphipods or similar creatures to me. I wouldn't panic yet.>
I also found a second dead hermit crab. The first I believe is from the mantis shrimp getting it but the second I'm not sure.  Both were outside their shells, could this be due to poor water conditions (parameters are indicated in second email), another predator that I wouldn't know about, or lack of appropriate shells?
<Any or all of the above!>
Finally I have found a lot of syconoid sponges in the skimmer and around the tank wall near the water intake for the skimmer.  Can these guys get out of control??
<I've never had a problem with them. Just make sure that they are not interfering with water flow>
(Second email) Thank you for all the help in the past. Today I noticed some things in my tank. First off I noticed that a lot of my tube worms were gone...they were the worms with 2 long appendages that would feel around. On the same rock I noticed that what looked like twigs...(single twigs sticking straight up) were also gone, from about 60 only 5-6 are left. My aragonite has started to turn green, purple and pink on the surface.
<Different algae species, including possibly corallines...>
Finally one of the rocks has a black algae that just boomed.
Does this mean there is something going on in the tank. It has been
operational for 2 1/2 months. The parameters are SG 1.0225, pH 8.2,
nitrite 0ppm, ammonia 0ppm, nitrate ~10ppm . I recently added 2 candy cane corals and I also did the DIY moonlighting
<http://www.kaotica.com/frag/diy/moonlight/>
http://www.kaotica.com/frag/diy/moonlight/. Is there any cause for
concern...I'm sure it is probably just the tank running its course but I would like to make sure.
<My advice with any algae is to make certain that you keep nutrients in check, and environmental parameters stable. Use some of the ideas for nutrient control and export that we've touched on in a number of articles and FAQs on the WWM site>
(First email) Thank you for the help with the lighting situation. I had another question about feeding my candy cane coral. I have tried to feed it (using turkey baster, turning off all water movement) mega marine algae, mysis shrimp and brine shrimp but the tentacles only ever come out at like 4:00 in the morning...I can't keep doing this. Is there a way to get them to open up during the day, a certain food I should be feeding them??
<What about trying to feed first thing in the morning, before the lights come on?>
Also, my green brittle star has started making a tent...waiting for an unsuspecting fish. I have been feeding him shrimp (whole) but he has recently stop taking it...is there something
better to try and feed him???
<Perhaps various meaty foods of marine origin, such as squid, krill, etc. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Tank Problems 2/8/04
Bob here again;  Appreciate the reply Adam.  The tank was running great for over a year and everything was growing well.  The Sarcophyton had more than doubled in size, the Xenia's had split two or three times etc.   The nitrates were >10 when the dino outbreak occurred.  Will add another 10-15 lbs of sand as you
suggest. (Maybe time to change out some of the rock too?).
<IMO, rock doesn't have a life expectancy.  Unless it is exposed to some kind of toxin or is exposed to very high nutrients that can adsorb into the rock, it should be fine indefinitely.>
Was using Reef Crystal but that didn't seem to dissolve well so switched to Coralife, which I've used in the past and seems to dissolve much better. Will bring down the sal as you suggested..  
<I am not much of a fan of Coralife products in general, and their salt in particular.  IO, Reef Crystals, Kent, Tropic Marin and OmegaSea are all excellent choices.  Some undissolved material is common in salts that mix up to high calcium concentrations.>
Spoke to the LFS here in Sacramento (Capitol Aquarium)  and he said the live rock probably went bad to the core and went septic, leaching toxic substances into the water.
<This is nonsense.>
Tried some Poly Filter in the water flow of the fuge and after 4 days it's still white.  He seemed to be trying to sell me Fiji rock at $8.00 a lb. (Nuts).
<It is a good sign that the poly filter stayed white.  They generally turn colors quickly when exposed to organics or metals.  That rock price is quite high, particularly considering you are on the west coast.>
All water is RO/DI and left standing at least two days with a power head and airstone stone.
<Before or after mixing with salt?  It is very important that newly mixed salt water be allowed to "age" at least a day or two before use.>
Am also using Chemi-Pure to help treat the water.  The timeline I gave you is the way that it happened.  Tested the water last night and the results were Temp=77, Sal 1.028, PH =8.3 amm<.5 nitrate and nitrite=0 Org =very low pollution using Salifert tests and Phos .03.  There is also some brown algae which started to grow on some of the rock and on two rocks there is what looks to be a green grass growing.  Not like hair algae more like grass.  Water circulation comes from 2 Rio 400 mounted on the top sides and facing each other, the return from the fuge pointing to
the left rear and the return from the skimmer channeled into a bubble trap.  A small amount of tea colored skimmate is being produced.  Sorry to be so long winded but do appreciate the reply.  You guys have always come through in the past and you're very much appreciated.  Thanks.  Bob
<Ammonia should never be detectible.  Do check and maintain proper calcium and alkalinity to help coralline algaes out compete nuisance varieties.  All else sounds like it is in order.  Best Regards.  Adam>

Time for a new timer!
I have to tell you guys its great to have somebody to question! <Well I didn't do it, and I have never been there!  j/k, Ryan with you today> Thanks for the help!! I just sent you an email about my 210 with the tufts on my angels. <Cool> I took the fish out of my 80 gal and turned it into a reef tank. <Great> I have a tidepool II on it and a chiller. <Very nice> My local pet shop told me to put 160 #s of live rock and I wouldn't need a skimmer? <I'm not sure I understand their logic...Perhaps they make more from the sale of live rock!  There is no substitute for a skimmer in my opinion.  Live rock certainly is the best in filtration, but it's even better in combination with a skimmer.  Live rock certainly does not remove dissolved organics from your water.  In an 80 gallon reef, I would purchase 100 pounds of live rock and a nice skimmer from Euro-Reef or Aqua C.>  and said I should keep the temp at 74 deg? <A little low, but reasonable depending on livestock.  I would aim for 77-78.>  I am using two moon lites with both high output 50/50s with blue actinic and of course the moon lites. <Very nice> Another question I have is during the day my timers for the 50/50s are screwed up and turn off the white lites for about an hour or so and them they come back on is this a problem? <yes, I would correct at first convenience.>  some stuff closes up with just the blues but opens again when the 50/50s come back on. Is this hurting anyone (corals, polyps, worms?) <It's creating unnecessary stress on your tenants.  The ten bucks spent on a new timer is well worth it.  Good luck, Ryan>

Time for a skimmer? 3/2/04
Good evening, gents.  I have enjoyed the FAQs, but I need some
particular advice.<Hi there Tony.  Adam at your service!>
My tank is a 180 gal with about 100 lb live rock, under sand plenum, one return through a 9x9x12 inch canister filled with bioballs which drains into a 10 gal sump where the return pump is located; one return into a 25 gal algae scrubber (mostly Halimeda species with full spectrum light applied at night) which drains into the return pump sump.<Scrubber or Refugium?  Generally "Scrubber" implies turf algaes growing in a film of water that would not be deep enough to support Halimeda.>
The reef system does well with gorgonians, mushrooms (now proliferating), a growing leather coral, bubble and cabbage corals, a tridacnid clam - but not xenia, Acropora or any other hard corals, which have all died out.  There are about 30 fish in the system (tangs, damsels, dwarf lion and saddleback trigger, snowflake eel, fox fish, Hawaiian dominos, wrasse, others).
<This is quite a bit of fish bioload, and may be hard to manage if you are trying to keep a wider variety of corals.  I am sure you are quite aware of the predator/prey relationships that you have going on!  You will definitely have to give up the predators if you ever wish to keep ornamental shrimp or any small reef fishes.>
Halides are lit for ten hours and actinics for 12 hours.  Water changes of 15 gallons only every 4 to 6 months, but B-Ionic's regularly used.  Chemistries (Red Sea kit) are: pH 8.2-8.4, NO2 0.05 to 0.1, NO3 10 to 12, NH4 0.0, alkalinity 'high', Ca 400+, specific gravity 1.024-1.026 at temps of 78+2.
<All sounds acceptable, but especially considering your bio-load, I would step up water changes significantly.>
My question:  I have been studying whether to add a skimmer (my preference is an AquaC EV240) and a calcium reactor (not sure which one yet).  Given that I am pushing the reef concept pretty hard, can I expect a benefit worth the $1000 bucks or so the conversion will take? <In my opinion, yes.  With the high cost of B-Ionic, a calcium reactor will pay for itself in a year or two.  The skimmer will just make life easier and improve the survival of your animals.  BTW, the Aqua-C is an outstanding choice!>
Do I take out the bioball trickle filter if a skimmer is used?
<I would recommend removing them when you get a skimmer.  If it weren't for your high bioload, I would recommend it regardless.  Be sure to remove 1/4 at a time a week or two apart so that the other biological filtration can catch up.>
Can the Halimeda in the algae scrubber be converted into a refugium, and if so, with what water source to provide the plants with nutrients?  Where should refugium water return into a system running a skimmer?  Thanks for your reply.  Tony
<As I said above, if you are growing Halimeda, most folks would consider this a refugium as is.  I would replace the Halimeda with Chaetomorpha since the Halimeda consumes large amounts of calcium.  As for specific plumbing issues, it is hard to say without seeing your system.  In most cases it is fine to plumb it how ever is convenient.  Relative locations of pumps and skimmers will have little impact on the benefits of the refugium.  Best Regards.  Adam>

Playing In The Sand (Keeping Sandbed Clean)
Hi-Just to give ya a little background. I am running a 20 gal (first time) saltwater tank, and I have live rock and very fine live sand. As for fish, I got two damsels, a clown, a sixline wrasse, and a turbo snail. My snail has taken care of my algae growing on my rock, but it is the sand I am worried about. My tank is fairly new and doing well, but my question is this...is there an easy to care for fish or sea star that will help me clean my sand w/o devastating the natural balance of the tank (I don't have detritus just yet, just algae on the surface of the sand).
<Well, there are a lot of fishes and animals that can fit the bill. I am partial to some of the snails that can do the job, such as Nassarius and others.>
My goal is to have my tank run pretty much as self sufficient as possible (cleaning wise). Or is there a way to clean the sand w/o stirring it up?
<Well, you can use a slow siphon and disturb just the very top layers of the sand. Unfortunately, and siphoning of the sand or use of "sand sifting" creatures will result in some level of disturbance to the resident fauna. On the other hand, if you are not too aggressive, it probably won't be too big a problem. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Overly-Aggressive Maintenance?
Hi, my name is Frank.
<Hi Frank! Scott F. here today!>
Your website has helped me out since day one and was wondering what you think of my tank and if you can help me out with a couple things.
<Sure>
I have a 25 gallon tank (20 gal actual water volume), 18lbs of live rock and 3 inch deep substrate made of reed-sand with aragonite.  My parameters are ph:8.2 (substrate automatically sets it at that) ammonia: 10-0.25 (can't get it any less),
<Yikes! It MUST be at an undetectable level before you even contemplate additional animals. Detectable ammonia is a sure sign that their is a serious problem with your biological filtration. Is this tank fully cycled? You should not have detectable ammonia in an established system>
nitrite:0 and nitrate 10-20 (can't get less), water hardness 9-10 and calcium: 400-410.  I also have a protein skimmer (the true workhorse of my tank), power filter (10x turnover rate), 2 powerheads and a 50/50 compact fluorescent 55watt (tank is only a foot tall when I subtract the substrate).  My livestock consists of 1 cleaner, Peppermint and Fire Shrimp, 6 Turbo and 12 Astrea snails, 3 red-leg and 3 smaller blue-leg hermits.  I have a yellow-tail from day one, a Bicolor Blenny 1 month later and then I got a Sixline Wrasse and a Percula Clown in the following month, but spread out.
<No more fish, okay? You are pushing the limits in this sized tank, especially if you're seeing ammonia!>
I just got a small red polyp and a mangrove that is about a foot tall and has roots almost the size of a fist. My tank is now 10 weeks old and everyone looks and eats and behaves very well.
<Glad to hear that, in light of the ammonia levels. Do continuously re-check to verify>
I wanted to ask you what you think of my tank compatibility, my ability to keep these fish now and as they grow (will bio filter catch up as they grow?).
<Well, the compatibility of these fishes should be okay. My bigger concern is the potential metabolic waste production of the animals, particularly in a relatively small volume of water. The detectible ammonia is evidence of that. You need to embrace a very aggressive, methodical water change and maintenance regimen, once the system is fully cycled.>
I read all the formulas on calculating capacity but also read how increased aeration and filtration can help out. How can I further reduce my nitrates and get my ammonia to 0?
<We have a lot of good material on nitrate reduction and nutrient export here on the WWM site. Do a key word search under the word "nitrate" using the Google search feature, or peruse the articles we have on the topic>
How effective will my mangrove help and will my polyps and future coralline algae help reduce nitrates.
<Well, the mangrove is an extremely slow-growing plant, and I'm afraid that its of little value, at least in the short term, as a nutrient export vehicle. That being said, of course, mangroves a re a cool addition to an appropriate system, and do support a variety of microfauna that can benefit your other creatures. Better to utilize more efficient nitrate reduction techniques, such as deep sand beds, chemical filtration media (like activated carbon/Poly Filter), water changes, and "purposeful" macroalgae, such as Chaetomorpha or Gracilaria, etc.>
Will my ammonia reading ever drop by themselves over time (as tank matures).
<Given time and no disturbances, the tank should "cycle">
I change around 13-15% water every week and feel that I take care of my tank as best as I can.
<You are developing some good habits, but you need to slow down on the water changes and other disturbances for now. If you leave things alone for a while, I would hope that the tank will cycle>  About once a month, I take out a little more water in that week to gain an edge on the nitrates.  I clean the glass and gently swirl the substrate to uplift anything that can go into the filter and I turkey baste the rock clean if I notice some brown diatoms in hopes that they will get better light.
<Again, good habits on occasion, in an established system. Disturbing the sandbed early on can disrupt the very processes that you are trying to foster! Again, go gentle for a while, and the system should cycle naturally>
Your reply and insight would be greatly appreciated.  Love your web site.  Please help if there is anything you can recommend.  Thank you
<As discussed above, it's entirely possible for this system to be successful. You just need to slow down a bit and things should be work out well. Hang in there, study the resources on the WWM site, and move forward from here. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Lighting Quandary?
Hello, I had a couple of questions about lighting a reef tank. The coral in the tank is  primary  mushrooms, polpys,a  brain ,three sps coral, a torch, fox,and live rock.
<Quite a mixed bag of animals with varying light requirements!>
I was have a debate with a guy about light cycle, he stated that it is better to run your light in cycles instead of a constant 12 hour period.
<I cannot imagine why you wouldn't want to have a regular "day-night" cycle, like corals have been accustomed to for untold millions of years?>
He also told me that running light like that is one of the cause for hair alage and and one sure way not to get a good growth of coralline algae growth( my coralline growth is real slow, need to do more tests on water).
<Light itself will not cause nuisance algae to proliferate! Light, coupled with abundant nutrients, will lead to algae blooms. As for the coralline growth- many factors (including water chemistry) contribute to its growth, not just light. It is a very adaptable algae, and species of coralline can be found in all sorts of environmental niches: High light, low light, high flow, modest flow, low flow, etc. >
If this is true how about running light more like the natural sun? I currently run a power compact (2-96watt 10000k+2-96watt actinic). should I run them all together or in cycles like  10am-actinic,12pm-actinic/10000k,6pm atinic,10pm moon lights.
<I don't see any advantage to doing this with PCs. Some people run a "peak lighting" period (like noon time) with halides, where maximum lighting is in effect for a few hours. Interesting, but certainly not required. I'd just run 'em all at the same time>
Or, do you think a major part of my lack of coralline growth is due to water chemistry?
<As above- water chemistry is a major contributor to the growth of coralline in aquaria...You can read a lot about its needs right here on the WWM site>
Oh, yeah- what by far would be a great calcium additive? Kalkwasser, wo-part additive, or both?
<I use both with good results...Remember, there is a sort of compromise between high alkalinity and high calcium levels in the aquarium. Two part additives and kalkwasser additions, with doses determined through regular water testing, will often do the job.>
I have been using kalkwasser and the SeaChem Liquid Calcium.
<Both fine products. Seachem's Liquid Calcium is a unique form of calcium (Calcium gluconate), which has been cited as an excellent help in growing coralline...Again, I recommend Bob's sage advice regarding additives: If you are going to add ANYTHING to your aquarium, do test for it, so that you can determine proper dosage and measure effects of the dosage...Very important!>
My tank filtration is the Ecosystem mud filtration. I called Ecosystem aquariums and they told me that kalkwasser was not a good calcium additive for their system.
<Really? Why?>
They said that it promotes hair algae! How can that be if kalk is suppose to help remove some phosphates? Any opinions would help?
<I'm at a loss to understand that one? Sounds like you may have heard something out of context? You are right- kalkwasser does help precipitate phosphates with regular use....>
And again, the guy told me that coralline doesn't like bright light.
<As above- partially true. Remember- coralline grows in many environments. Many species do thrive in subdued lighting. However, there are numerous species that thrive in bright light, too>
Well, why do some people have it growing on the sides and front of their tank? And, if I cycle my light, will it hurt the coral (sps and lps)?
<I don't think that it would "hurt" the coral, but I cannot imagine why you wouldn't want to keep a simple day/night cycle for all of the lights...So much easier, and the results will be fine in the long run...>
Thank you.  Mr. McCoy
<You're quite welcome! Regards, Scott F>

Eheim's alright by me 2/18/04
Sorry for the confusion, I was just wondering if it was ok to use an eheim canister in a reef tank.
<sure... like HOB Magnums and various other "power" filters, they have their place and advantages (and disadvantages). Be sure to service it frequently to minimize nitrate production>
Can you tell me what company makes "sugar based"  calcium? Seachem reef advantage calcium is not?
<it is indeed Seachem's "Reef Calcium">
Can you give me any help on my questions (below) about lowering nitrate and lessening the amount of algae I have in my tank?
<very easy my freund... its all about nutrient control: aggressive protein skimming (tuning a good skimmer to get daily or near cupful daily skimmate production.. moist skimmers are not properly installed to do this if even worthy brands - be sure to feed raw overflow water only to a skimmer or is a sump model, have it catch raw water in a skimmer box/section... never in the open sump)... and do regular partial water changes (10-20%weekly minimum)>
Sorry about all the questions, just cant seem to
get my tank like the tanks I see and read about on the internet and in my LFS (Absolutely Fish in Clifton, NJ)
<do check out the archives on skimmers here at wetwebmedia.com... very extensive. Best of luck! Anthony>

Evolving System...
Hi there Crew, I keep wanting to ask you more & more.
<Well, do ask- and make use of the numerous resources that we have on WWM>
Sometimes I cannot believe I found this site. Many
times reading The "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" I have often wondered wouldn't it be great to have a website on these lines? I do thank you, each and every one of you, for the guidance and support you have given me so far.
<Glad to be of assistance!>
So here we go another question (or three)
First of all I will give you a brief outline of the situation I find myself in.
Last summer I had two slipped or prolapsed disks. I also have a
6x2x2 FO tank (running now for 5 years with no problems)  Have now made a system of automatic water changes.    But...... Whilst on my back as it were, for three months, not a thing was done to the tank, apart from a few "helpful" neighbours dropping food in the tank like it was going out of fashion! OK.
Fast forward 8 months.  3 weeks ago, I added  40lb of live rock. I thought the batfish ate all the mushroom polyps and star corals but could it be more to do with water quality?
My readings are:-
Top-up /Water changes (30G every two weeks) are done with RO water. I have never up until now added any buffers or additives of any kind as I though the salt (Instant Ocean) would replace all these.......anyways
Ph 8.0
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate= 40ppm
<You should strive to reduce it...Lots of techniques out there- many of which are covered on the WWM site>
KH= 12.2 dKH.......Is this too high and should I aim to lower it?
Alk= 4.4 meq/L........                    "    "
<I'm okay with those readings...>
Calcium 230 ppm.......???
<A bit low for calcium-loving corals....>
I have been adding liquid calcium by Kent and am Now trying to dose with "Kalk" but do not have a calcium reactor. I am just mixing Kalk in fresh RO water (one teaspoonful) and adding this to the top off water which I am dropping in the sump at around 4 drops per second. This is about the right amount to negate any extra topping up. Question: Should I always add Kalk to my top up water and buffer it.
<Well, you should always buffer your makeup water before mixing your salt. Kalkwasser should be dosed as needed separately, IMO>
And the same question goes for my water change mix of 30G ?
I am sorry if these seem rather mundane questions but I do intend to turn this into a reef tank with a sump and SEPARATE refugium which I have already.
<Not mundane questions at all...>
Would love to know how to plumb these together?
<Well, there are so many different ways to do this that I wouldn't even know where to begin. I'd check out the great Aussie DIY site, ozreef.org , for tons of ideas>
I have to tell you my prized Queen Angel Died. My wife was so sad :(we fished her out after leaving her for 15 minutes making sure she was indeed dead (no gill movement) put her in a bag, and...........To cut a longer story short she is doing fine now after being resuscitated over two months ago.
Anyway just thought I tell you that and to any others, it is also worth a try to resuscitate your fish when there seems nothing else you can do.
<Well it's nice to here that this worked...I guess you can never give up!>
I also did this to a Yellow Tang 3 years ago and he is still fine
Keep up the great work Crew ! And thanks again
Simon UK
<Our pleasure, Simon! Best of luck as your system evolves!>
how can I safely raise the calcium quickly and why is the KH and Alk as high
as they are?
Is this simply a case of bad husbandry and overfeeding? In which case I
need a new back ! But hell, what do you do in a circumstance like
that?....as a result I lost my job so things really are difficult at the
moment. I'm not saying that to winge, but as a genuine question to you as to
what to do when something like this happens......per-lease do say sell
the fish !! Mind you I have never had fried batfish !
Cheers to you all
You are a great bunch.
Simon

- Just Double-Checking -
Hi everyone.  
Wanted to first say that I really enjoy your site and all the hard work that you all put into it.  It doesn't go unappreciated!  Many hours of the day/week are spent reviewing all the posts here,  great education! <Well... I'm glad you find it all useful.>
If I may, I'd like to give you the specs/chemical numbers and over all appearance from my tank to see if everything seems to be where it should be and if I'm following "proper" husbandry. The tank inhabitants I have seem to be doing ok, but I have a feeling that they aren't doing great (the plate coral doesn't look that great anymore...tentacles have thinned out but have grown taller and he/it doesn't seem to bring its body up and around itself anymore when it retracts it tentacles - they don't all retract anymore either) and I wanted to see if I'm not doing something properly on my end. I'm having just a slight brown (algae?) on the LS that I vacuum out weekly (see below) and am wondering if its normal for this to be lingering for this long... my tank has been up/running a fully cycled since July I think.
Here is my current set-up:
55 gallon tank with a ten gallon sump (Jeff's Lifereef compact sump is arriving this week!! yea) Lifereef 24" protein skimmer which is currently off awaiting the sump - evaporation was a problem for it so I just shut it down for now. About 35 pounds of Lalo rock and about 15 lbs of Fiji rock. 1 inch of live sand - roughly - as the fish swish it about and make high/low and empty spots.
260W PowerCompacts with moonlights (2 10k, 2 03 actinics) which run for about 12 or 13 hours daily total... actinics on/off about 1/2 before/after the 10ks.
The flow is from Anthony's style PVC loop around the tank.  (which I proudly built myself... no big deal you say, except I'm afraid of power tools - the round bladed thing to cut PVC especially, so I'm quite impressed with myself (hubby was too).  The loop is actually 2 square loops each with 4 T's around the inside of the tank (8 T's total) with a SQWD separating - left side current then right side current. Its powered by a Supreme mag drive 1800 gph from the sump 3 ft. below the tank, but after the loop/SQWD I think there is roughly 750 gph in actuality. It's not a "whiplash" flow but it definitely gets things moving everywhere in the tank.  Had 2 powerheads but removed them due to... amm.... ugliness, plus I think I have enough flow now with the loop.
I have about 15 snails, 8 hermit crabs, 2 different cleaner shrimp and some smaller life... handful of amphipods and tubeworms, and lots of 2 other types of worms - spaghetti and bristle I think.
For fish I have a Tomato Clown, 1 coral beauty angelfish, 1 yellow tang and an electric blue damselfish.  That's it for fish and none are full grown.  I may add 1 or 2 more in the not so near future... a flame hawkfish and maybe one other small one but still undecided. The fish I have now seem crowed already so I'm in no rush to add anything more.
1 Heliofungia plate coral, 1 Hawaiian cultured polyp coral and a very small rock with some Zoanthids (sp - forgive me if I botched the spelling, my (all your) books are upstairs) I also have a rock with 4 or 5  1 1/2" in diam. assorted mushrooms and some smaller "babies".  
Feeding is twice daily with either/or a mixture of Prime Reef, formula 1 or 2, mysis(d?) and 2 other kinds but their name escapes me now, usually soaked/defrosted in Zoë, water drained before feeding.  I don't think I over feed the tank... usually 1/2 to 1 cube per feeding or when the fish seem uninterested in the food  I stop, but never more than 1 full cube. I bought a bottle of liquid phytoplankton a few weeks ago and have used it a few times and I will generally spot feed the plate coral a few times a week with a turkey baster with very small particles of the thawed food. Its very cool to watch it take the food, its become a family gathering time and we all enjoy it.
I also just added a brine shrimp hatchery just as a "snack" for the fish.  I let it hatch a very small amount of shrimp about twice a week (well, I just got it, but that is what I'm planning on doing).  I know the brine shrimp are useless as far as nutrition goes but psychologically, I thought my fish would feel more at home hunting down live food once in a while, I don't know - I feel guilty housing these ocean creatures for my own enjoyment sometimes and Finding Nemo really put me over the edge LOL. <Well... the live feeding thing is a misperception. Fish are happy to get any food... live foods are a good way for your fish to accidentally crash into things while trying to get their prey.> Anyway, moving on... <Indeed.>
My numbers are:
KH - 110  I can not, for the life of me, figure out how to turn that into dKH. My test kit says 110 is ideal range for KH though.  I've found the conversion chart place but still couldn't figure it out (doh) ph - 8.2 consistently
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
NitrAte - reads light blue on my test strip - always... there is no light blue for results... eergh  there is a light green though? <Perhaps...>
Calcium - 375
phosphate - .15 (this is unacceptable right?) <Will be plant food, so to speak - source of nutrients for algae, perhaps problem algae if not addressed.>
temp - 79.5 - 80.3
For evaporation top off I use RO/DI water that is always ready. I have a 10g set up and just keep a powerhead/heater running all the time.
For water changes I use Instant Ocean and usually let it aerate for, well, maybe a few hours.  Sometimes more or less.  depends on how organized the water change is for me (spur of the moment or well thought out :-)  ) By saying "aerate" do you mean what I'm doing, leaving a p. head running. <Different from just the powerhead, also an air stone or similar source of air, bubbling in the water.> I don't always have the airline attached to it so is that ok? <When you don't have the air line attached, you won't be aerating the water.> and I sometimes buy a few buckets of water ahead so 1 will sometimes sit for a few days until I use up what's in the 10g tank. It has an air tight cover in place when it sits.  Will this at all hinder the quality of the RO/DI water? <Only if the bucket is dirty.>
I use to do a 10% water change once weekly.  I now changed that routine and do 2- 3 gallon changes on Wednesday and Saturdays (I aim for those days anyway but it doesn't always happen, but its still twice a week).
Everyday I clean the front and sides of the inside glass to remove the brown tinge that builds up.
I don't really supplement much.  I am more consistently (like 1 capful everyday now) using Coral-Vital in hopes of getting the coralline algae growth going and maybe once a week or other week  I'll use a bit (1 cap full, not much) of reef calcium/iodine/strontium. <The coral vital could be the source of your phosphates.> I also use a poly filter continuously in the sump and some activated carbon for like 4 days in, 3 days out.  The PolyFilter gets pretty dirty/brown pretty quickly... sign of phosphates in the tank right? <Don't recall... it seems to me this could just as easily be fish-dirt.>, but from where and is .15 really high? <A byproduct of the foods, supplements you use.> I haven't checked silicates lately.  Have the kit, I should go do that maybe? Again, the protein skimmer is off so thinking my problem is stemming from there... <Skimmers don't generally remove phosphates directly, only the compounds that will become phosphates.>
On Saturday, every Saturday faithful, I vacuum the (live) sand bed which generally turns rusty brown (any idea why?). <Just diatom algae - very standard aquarium denizen.> I vacuum the front half, entire length of the tank, but not the back sand at all which doesn't turn brown.  On a side note: A few months ago I had a real problem with Cyanobacteria (real pain). <Yes... this is still likely Cyanobacteria, available in a number of colors.> Trying to correct my errors, I barely fed the tank, vacuumed everyday, and used only RO/DI for all water added to the tank. (that's when I switched to RO/DI exclusively) After about 4 weeks or so of this routine I still couldn't rid the tank of it, so I used red slime away.  I really didn't want to use a chemical but I was about ready to get rid of the tank... couldn't bare another day filled with vacuuming, cleaning and discouragement so I broke down and used it. That outbreak was overdue and my fault since I didn't have a protein skimmer at the time (when I got the outbreak I ordered the LR skimmer, but it took a while.
The filter on the Lifereef overflow is changed once or (now) twice a week and also the filter I had to put on the mag pump (reduce micro air-bubbles).  I just rinse/soak them in plain water, should I be using something else? <No, that is fine.> Anyway, I have a few sets of them so while one set soaks, I use the "clean" ones.
I just feel like I'm missing something somewhere.  The brown (rusty color but not matting like Cyano) on the sand and glass is slightly aggravating and not to pleasing to me. <Is normal - both its presence and your distain for it.> Is this a normal occurrence and should I be vacuuming it out every week, or just leave it to run its course? <Do whatever you want here - if it bothers you, clean it out.> I'm afraid it will bother the plate coral on the sand. <Perhaps after prolonged exposure - you could place the plate above the sand.>
If your professional saltwater eyes see something that I'm overlooking or doing wrong can you let me know. Any thoughts/ideas would be greatly appreciated! <No... it all looks good to me. Your tank is just going through some normal stages that will pass and give way to others, all just as interesting.>
Jan
<Cheers, J -- >

Water quality - short question in a long email
Good day .
My question is about water quality in a reef tank setup. Take your time
responding as there is no panic .Hopefully I am not wasting your time with
this as I was unable to find anything on your website that related to my
question.
<Of course you're not wasting our time! :) We enjoy answering aquarium related questions.>
Now and then I get a green tinge to the water, kinda like an algae bloom of
some sort. It comes and goes every week or so with no intervention by
myself. I figure it is just natural however everyone wants that crystal
clean blue water ( the stuff with nothing living in it )
Being that I can grow Xenia like a weed and my soft corals are doing very
well I figure my water is not that clean and somewhat nutrient rich. Could
this bloom be simply an algae bloom that is beneficial ? feeding the softies
? I am hoping you will tell me all is well and it is just part of nature.
I have ruled out the Caulerpa going sexual as I have had it happen once
before turning the tank to pea soup ( thank goodness for the skimmer )
Nothing real " bad " is happening so I am not too terribly concerned but
Being that I live a very long way away from the ocean I am unfamiliar with
the natural occurrences that happen within , hence my questions.
I have found that reading your FAQ's helps with many questions the biggest
benefit is that your information is consistent. Some things I disagree with,
however consistency is far more important in a very long term hobby /
investment like a reef tank.
I don't want to go nuts and react franticly with massive water changes and
the likes.
The tank is a tall 110 gallon with a 1200 GPM ( at 6 foot head ) return
pump that is distributed in the tank via a 6 outlet manifold for good flow
in all the corners. The tank is fairly full of rock and contains several
soft corals ( pulsing xenia and various polyps ) along with one hard coral
( Acropora ) that is growing well. The filtration is an 80 gallon sump that
is divided in two, half for a refugium / plant filter containing some soft
corals and razor Caulerpa. The water is then filtered through some sponge and
then over to the skimmer( should be skimmed first and I know that is a
design flaw. There is a large skimmer ( DIY ) that consistently ( daily )
pulls out lots of skimmate with a fairly dry foam. There is also a DIY
calcium reactor in the sump also. Lighting is 240 watts of compact
fluorescent ( 6500 K ) with actinics to come soon ( 95 watt PC ). Water
quality tests out OK with zero nitrates. There is a 4 inch DSB in the main
tank and a 4 " with plenum DSB in the refugium. About a 100 watts of light on
the refugium. Additives are some Aragamilk for conditioning the top off
water ( not recommended by you guys and I am not sure of its benefits either
as it looks just like powdered coral )and some SeaChem calcium ( gluconate
type ) Oh , and very few fish ( clown , lawnmower blenny, scooter blenny,
coral beauty, yellow India wrasse, and a regal tang, all under three inches.
You can hardly tell there are fish in there unless it is feeding time.
Water changes are 10 gallons every two weeks with carbon used now and then
( rarely )
Probably too much information is some area's and a key piece of info missing
however I hope you can shed some light on the issue. If you are too busy can
you just suggest some books on ocean reef life that a layman can understand.
Too many books out there with very specific information on aquariums. My
thought is that understanding the ocean first would be more benefit as we
are trying to reproduce the ocean in our homes and not trying to reproduce
an " authors " aquarium in our homes .... make sense ?. Now trying to match
the oceans biodiversity in an aquarium is impossible but it doesn't hurt to
try real hard to do so.
Kevin
<My guess is that you are experiencing a minor algae bloom. Provided you have plenty of herbivorous corals living in your aquarium, this bloom may prove to be beneficial to your aquarium. As long as your livestock seems healthy and you are not experiencing massive growth of unwanted algae, I wouldn't worry. For curiosity you may want to test for Phosphate (PO4). This may possibly be a reason for this algae bloom, although as I've stated before, if everything is thriving I wouldn't worry about it as it's more than likely beneficial to your livestock.>
Take Care,
Graham Stephan

Feeding a Nano reef - 2/9/04
Hello crew!  Thanks so much for your helpful site. <Thanks for being part of it>
I have a 12g salt nano and having a hard time deciding how much:
Iodine
Strontium & Molybdenum
Calcium
to add. <Well, I will tell you what, the best way to add these supplements in such a small tank is to do weekly water changes, if not twice a week. Do you test for these? The rule of thumb is if you don't test for it don't add it. Words I live by> I have some yellow polyps, trumpet coral and a xenia. I have one clown fish as well. <this is almost too small for most clowns but....I digress. It can be done.> Water condition tests fine, but I can't find on my products how much to add for such a small tank. <Water changes are the best way to replenish lost minerals See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/suppleme.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/watrqualmar.htm>  The trumpet coral is looking a little ill. <Lots of reasons for this. Without more specifics, it would be hard to diagnose> I have the Kent Marine Reef Starter Kit with the above solutions.
And should I add any other food besides the solutions (for the corals)? <Yellow polyps (Parazoanthus) and the Trumpet coral (Caulastrea) should be fed small mysids, small krill, baby brine (nauplii), zooplankton, and other meaty matter in that size range.>
Any guidelines for me? <Hope the above helps ~Paul>
Thanks so much,
Steve HJ

Finding The Right Values?
I ordered my LR a week or so ago to be delivered on Wednesday of this week. I had my water running for a week previous to ordering and everything seemed to be progressing well. I became alarmed yesterday, when I found that my ph was still 8.0. It hasn't moved an inch for a week. I know that ph is lower when there are no lights on the tank and my main lights have not yet come. I have
been using a small leftover 10K 20W fluorescent for a few days thinking it would raise the ph after the day cycle but no luck. I started two weeks ago using Seachem buffer and builder, and then recently switched (5 days ago) to b-ionic 2 part calc/alk at night and buffering with the buffer at mid day. Since starting the 2 part, my alkalinity has risen steadily and is now at a whopping 6 meq/l (or 16.8 dKH if my conversion is correct). My calcium levels can't seem to reach over 325ppm, but this being acceptable is not a big deal at this point. I think maybe the light isn't strong enough to raise ph, or maybe the few hours (3-4) that I use it isn't long enough. I used RO/DI water and have heard it is harder to stabilize, but jeez. Would it have anything to do with the buffer I'm using. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately due to my ignorance, the buffer also raises alkalinity by a supposed 1 meq/l with each dose, so I don't want to overdue it on the alk considering I am also using the 2 part buffer system. Thanks in advance for your support.
Eric Witschen
 <Well, Eric, I'd avoid any more additives or buffers at this point. Let's see what the pH looks like once you get some more light in there. B-Ionic is great stuff, IMO, and will do a super job if used according to manufacturer's instructions. Keep it simple and continue monitoring these parameters. Don't get too caught up on hitting perfect numbers- look at how the overall system is doing. As long as the animals are doing well, and as long as the water parameters are within generally-accepted normal ranges, I think that things should work out fine. Regards, Scott F>

New tank/upgrade questions.... lots of questions
Hi Bob and all others beer abusers, hope all is good in your life and aquariums :)
<fellow fish/beer-a-holic Anthony Calfo in your service>
I've wrote some time ago about a tank upgrade that I’ll make this Sunday .(weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I still have some questions.
<okey-dokey... let it rip>
1st question : is possible/useful in a tank to create a DSB only in a part of the tank ? I cannot do a full DSB because of the cost of the sand here in Italy (50$ for 20 lbs of live sand and 30-40$ for 20lbs of dead sand and tank is 48" x 22") go figure...., but on the other side I want a partial DSB for my sand shifting star. Is it dangerous to create something like that ? I don't mind for NNR (low bioload) but I'd like to know any possible drawback.
<its not dangerous at all... very possible to be helpful. Simply partition off part of the floor of the aquarium so that you can block up 4-6" (10-15 cm) in a DSB area>
2nd   question : in that tank I'll want only small (max 3-4”) peaceful fishes ( now in my 29 I've 1 royal Gramma and 2 Amphiprion ocellaris )) and I'm thinking of making it a breeding pairs heaven so I'd like to know some fishes that like to swim/live in pairs (aside from a couple of P. kauderni) and are known to be reared in home aquariums. How many couples can I add to my tank ? ( I was thinking of 5-6 couples + the Gramma), stocking will be 1 couple every 6 months (slow = good).
<that seems very reasonable>
Tank is 100 gal and I'm planning a refugium for live food and maybe as a place to stock the fry , but I'll not setup now as it'll be too much expensive and I want that to be done with patience, study and good hardware .
<all good>
Tank is filtered by 2 Big Mombasa skimmers modified to increase the results and lighted by 2 x 150w HQI 10000 °K + 2 x 15W NO actinics 03. (I’ll probably make a DIY moonlight)
<very nice lighting... the best IMO>
140 lbs of live rocks. Tank will have 4*400 gph pumps and 2 smaller to create some movement behind the rocks.
<hmmm... believe it or not, this is on the slightly lower end of the water flow needed. Aim for 10-20X turnover (you are around 10X now)>
I want to aquascape as 2 high islands (1 big reef with 100 lbs of rocks without sand below it and 1 smaller with 40 lbs and a DSB and an open space of at least 10"-15" between the 2 islands ).
The smaller island will be a soft corals place (maybe some LPS in the sand) and the bigger will be SPS in the upper part and ... any suggestions for the lower ??).
<on rock... Corallimorphs and zoanthids... on the sand, Fungiids>
Separating the 2 islands will it help me with the chemical warfare between corals ?
<not much at all... the warfare is chemical and spread through the water. You need water changes, ozone and/or heavy use of carbon to help with that>
D'u think it is an interesting/problematic setup ?
<if you resist an excessively unnatural mix of corals, it should be just fine>
3rd   question : Shrimps !! I love them , and I'd like to keep 2 Lysmata Amboinensis , 2 L. debelius and 2-3 L. wurdemanni, are those too many for my tank ? I want them to make some fresh live food for my fishes.
<not too many if they behave territorially with each other. Small risk here>
4th   question : fishes related again, does Nemateleotris fishes "always" jump ?
<yes... commonly. Keep a tight cover>
all kinds of them does jump? my tank is opened and I don't want to buy something that can suicide. I really like them (so cute and peaceful).
<Hmmm... all fish can potentially jump out... always keep some kind of cover to the tank>
5th   question : I live near the sea and I've got some nice shells for my hermit crab but I don't want to put them into the tank with a possible die off in them , how can I clean them ?
<boil them for a couple of hours and they will be find (low rolling boil)>
6th   question : for which silly/stupid/good reason in your country (u.s.a.) do you use "common names" for fishes / inverts? Sometimes its a weird for us to read your forums/articles.....
<not a silly question at all my friend. It is a problem when any authors only use common names. As you have noticed, common names vary by country and even by region within a country. But when a person uses the scientific name of an organism (with or without common names) there can be no mistake about it>
7th   question : do you know any good livestock etailers in Europe ? or some in the US that will send in EU.
<its best to buy your livestock from a dealer in Europe that has stabilized their fishes and corals first. I realize you are somewhat limited still in Italy, but let me suggest that you explore the options (use www.google.de) in Germany. The Germans have a very well-established industry/hobby>
8th question: Have you ever been to the Shell Museum (Malacology) in Cupra Marittima in Italy ? (it has 400000 different kind of shells, its one of the biggest in Europe I think), if you ever come there pay me a visit.
<wow... it sounds fantastic! I have never been, but would love to see it. I think I'm going to be attending a conference in Paris next year and was thinking about extending the stay to visit Italy. Perhaps then, my friend :) >
9th question : have I made too many questions ? Hope not …anyway that will not be my last email (hmm that sounded much like a curse or something…). Thanks in advance and greets from Italy. Andrea
<no worries, my friend. With kind regards, Anthony>

- System & Livestock Questions -
Hi I've emailed you a few times about upgrading to a bigger tank and I was wondering when you buy a calcium reactor you also have to buy a C02 reactor with it, or is it just something that you can add to the calcium reactor. <No need for a CO2 reactor for a calcium reactor - if I'm not mistaken, CO2 reactors are usually for freshwater, planted tanks.>
I was also wondering what the amount of tank water that should be pumped through a protein skimmer every hour. <Can't think of a ratio for such things - personally, I use the manufacturer's specifications and match those up to my system/goals - if a reef tank, perhaps want to use a smaller skimmer in order to not skim too aggressively.>
I would like to know your opinion on a fish matter. <Ok.> When I upgrade I want to get a Leaf Scorpionfish, arch eye hawkfish, marine Betta, and maybe a tang either yellow or powder blue tang, <I'd like to encourage you to skip the powder blue.> and I would like to keep a few fish from my 46 gallon  tank (I've become attached to them they are a firefish and a black ray Goby (both fully grown) The tank that I am going to get is hopefully a 129 gallon tall or a 129 custom made tank from Briton depending on the price. I was wondering if the fish will be all right with the fish other fish in a tank of that size. <Hmm... depending of the size of the leaf Scorpionfish, it probably or would eventually consume the firefish.> I am aware that the fish that I have picked out like to eat other fish. In this new tank there will be a lot of live rock because I am fascinated with coral. <Well... time will tell.>
I would also like to say that I like to say that I like your website and so does my brother. <Glad you find the resource useful. Cheers, J -- >

Snails and Serpents Not Sugar and Spice
Hi, 
Thanks for the info!! <A pleasure. Steve Allen again here.> 
I wasn't sure if I should even purchase the snails and crabs, or just leave well enough alone. <Often the best choice.> 
I do have a 125g reef system now with a 3 1/2" sand bed, over 200# live rock and sump with skimmer. But like you said "saving for a larger tank" we are planning on a 180g or better, for next year with a custom made (our design and work) 55g sump/refugium system, and stand that will display the refugium as well as the tank. <Sounds nice.> I have always wanted a planted aquarium, but with the tangs, that is impossible! <They do love to munch!> 
I have Anthony Calfo's first book and his and Bob Fenner's current book. <Excellent books indeed.> I have gotten some great ideas with these and had great success propagating my leather coral! At least after I got over the idea that I was hurting it by cutting it! Now I think of it as snipping a plant. <Corals have no real nervous system. Certainly cant' feel pain from this procedure; but as living creatures they deserve non-abusive treatment.> I now have 3 "little ones" growing faster than the parent it seems! <Great to hear. Keep us posted.> 
Thanks again for the fast reply! Kathy <Glad to be of service.>

Whole bunch of questions - 1/27/04
Hello crew! <Hello Aaron> Thank you for all the help. <No problem. Thank you for asking> I wrote a letter about a week ago, I understand the amount of letters you must get, <Especially lately> I have another question so I am sort of re-writing, and adding on. First off Let me give you my specs. I recently switched everything from a 7 gallon "Nano" to a 35 gallon tank. Filtration is achieved through an Emperor 280, I don't remember the name of the company that my skimmer is.. I think it was Red Sea, the label has been worn off. Its a hang on, about 22" tall, the collection cup probably holds a cup and a half to 2 cups of liquid if full (I don't let it). I probably have to empty or clean out the sludge once a week. <Very good> Its about 4 years old, I think its a good one. I have 2 RIO 200's, and a RIO 600 for current (Is this enough?). 
<really depends on what you keep but the general rule of thumb is 10 times the tank volume in an hour minimum. For a 35 gallon tank you need something along the lines of 350 gallons per hour or more. So you can use any configuration of pumps to achieve this.> 
Lighting is achieved by 2 CSL 32 Watts each, 50/50 lamps, and 1 Hamilton MH 175 watt. The PC's I run for 13 hours, and the Halide I presently run for 10. My Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate have all been at zero for about 3 weeks since my tank finished its cycle. <Wow, relatively new> I let the tank Cycle for almost a month. <About right. Longer is better though> I used Sand from the existing 7 gallon to activate a 3-4" DSB. <very good.> about 20lbs of it came from my existing tank full of bristle worms, and the like. while cycling I have about 10 lbs of LR in the tank.<Very good> now there is probably close to 30lbs. I need more I know but I have to pay off some holiday bills. 
<I think what you have is more than adequate> 
Livestock is as follows: 1 Purple LTA, I have had this for over a year, and it seems to love the more space, its about 10" diameter when fully open. about 10 snails (turbo, Cerith, Nassarius) 5 hermits (Scarlet, blue, Zebra), 2 Ocellaris clowns about 2" each. <good stocking level> also had them with the anemone for over a year... they don't come out of it much but to feed and chase away a shrimp. 1 Coral banded shrimp, and one Camel Shrimp. 1 Sally Lightfoot crab. <good> My corals are as follows, 15 Ricordea mushroom all 1 1/2" or smaller. a rock with some sand polyps 
<not too familiar with this common name> 
on it, a very nice 6" by 4" pipe organ, <OK> and a toadstool leather about 4" tall, and 4" crown. <nice> I also have a rock with a fair amount of Ulva on it. <love that stuff> and then a couple stalks of Xenia, that I have already propagated a couple times. <Don't get me started> My problems are this, HEAT! my tank is usually about 80 degrees in the morning before lights come on, the tank wavers between 83 and 84 degrees. <Whoa. Careful. Likely too high> I think this is a little hot. <agreed> I have my Heaters set at 80 because in the past during summer (I live in Fresno Ca.) it gets pretty hot, <here in the Bay Area too!> so I just kept it at the higher temps. <No worries but beyond 82 degrees we get into danger zones> Is this too hot for what I have? 
<Well. Yeah, generally speaking. I would add a fan or chiller to the set up. I use a small white office fan to blow across the top of the water and lights when it gets too hot. Watch the evaporation though. Be sure to get an automatic top off device> 
I have had a small Cyanobacteria bloom the last couple days. 
<unfortunately part of the cycle process. Expect algae for the next 4-6 months regardless of efforts. You can minimize its effect though, by increasing circulation and water changes (with quality water)> 
I angled the power heads differently to help with circulation, but it seemed to cover a small frag of xenia, and in one day the frag vanished. Is this the algae? <hard to say but possible> or possibly something else. My toadstool, also has been a little droopy, and closed the last 36 hours. 
<They do this from time to time. Keep an eye on it and don't move it. If it hasn't opened in over a week then take a soft bristled toothbrush and scrub the crown lightly for a few moments to help with its shed.> 
everything else seems fine. <glad to hear> My lights are 9" off my water, <About right for the halide but if you add a fan then you could lower to about 6 inches> the back of my canopy is completely open, and I don't have a glass cover for the tank. <I would use a small fan then> Is the water too warm to keep the Ulva healthy? <I would bring the temp down but should be OK for algae> is there enough light? <yes> I am currently using a 12k MH. <Try a 10K next time around> I have flirted with the idea of placing a 10-20 gallon tank under this one and not keeping a heater in it. using it as a semi sump. 
<OK. I guess you could use a fan to blow over the water if set up before summer. It will make changing water and adding RO top off a lot easier.> 
My skimmer is to tall to put in it, and space is an issue. <understood> would a tank like this that sat at room temp fluctuate the temp in the tank too much or would it also act as a chiller of sorts? <It would not have any affect on cooling the water. You will need to add a fan or add a chiller> would the water be in the sump long enough to cool down? <not likely> Is 10-20 gallons enough to achieve this? 
<I would definitely go larger and add a refugium space to it as well. Again, to cool the water you need a chiller of a fan blowing over the water> 
Would placing a pc light above it and using it as a refugium raise the temp to much? <Not likely as long as there is plenty of space and ventilation> If not how much light is required for plants (Gracilaria, or Ulva) to thrive? Would a 15 watt fluorescent be enough? 
<No. More like a 32watt PC in the 6500K range for a 10 gallon and 65watt PC for a 20 gallon> 
My girlfriend is nudging me to ask about her newest pet. She wanted to get into the hobby as well, and we have set up a 20 gallon FOWLR system. <Very cool> I figure this is the easiest way to get into the hobby. She bought a VERY small boxfish Ostracion cubicus, its about 1" long. We have had him for about 2 weeks and he eats almost everything. 
<It is what they do on the reef as well. You're lucky though as these little buggers have a reputation for being difficult when it comes to feeding.> 
Mysis, crushed flake, prepared frozen "formula" foods. he even picks at a plant that is growing out of a rock. <Yep. The need a mix of meat and greens> I told her that he gets WAY too big for her size tank. <Indeed> and she already has the fever.. she said "when he does, I will have to get a bigger tank". she wants to know what she could put with him while he is small.. are shrimp ok? gobies? 
<Mmmm.......a fairly aggressive bugger. Here is some info I lifted from the first site in my search: "The Ostracion cubicus grows up to 18 inches. The small size will come to you generally 1 to 2 inches; the medium generally 2 to 3 inches; the large generally 3 to 5 inches. The Cubicus prefers a tank of at least 150 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim. The Ostracion cubicus is a omnivore and likes to eat variety of chopped foods (meats & veggies), bloodworms or live brine shrimp. The Cubicus is a high maintenance fish and may act semi-aggressively toward other fish. It is a venomous fish, ostracitoxin. Warning signs include stress and concavity in the side walls. Difficult to keep in captivity Keep with caution in a reef aquarium. Difficult to keep in captivity. Ostracion cubicus, Linnaeus 1758, the Yellow Boxfish. Keep water quality high (SG 1.020 - 1.025, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Temp. 72 - 78° F). The Cubicus is commonly collected from the Indian Ocean." As far as info related to this animal including compatibility see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/boxfishes.htm  > 
or any other suggestions. I have a 75 gallon that will be set up sometime in the next year. I would only put him in there if he is reef safe when he gets bigger. LFS are a little fuzzy on this one. I have heard that they nip at corals. 
<Ironically enough, they are found to inhabit acroporid heads where they eat various micro organisms and invertebrates, some algaes etc. I think it is incidental that they sometimes get some coral polyps when trying to pick at food. They also sometimes bite other fish as well as their owners arms and hands. Be very careful. Feed often both meaty and green foods stuffs. Good luck. ~Paul>

Starting Over The Right Way?
We had a major tank disaster earlier this week. Lost everything. We aren’t sure why, but I do have the explanation on another email, and I’m waiting on a response. Although, I’m not sure anyone will be able to figure it out for sure. We did go to our fish store, and they told us it was probably too much chlorine in the water, and no amount of dechlorinator was going to do
anything for it.
<Seems strange...>
This is a different question. We are starting over, but not completely dumping the tank out. The new damsels have been in the tank for 3 days, and are fine. I think whatever was in the water is gone. WE will be running only fish store water, and carbon just to be sure.
<Don't forget the Poly Filter. This stuff excels at removing toxic substances>
I had been told that crabs and snails are good for cleanup. We have no live rock, and our decorations are the stuff that is Living Color Coral. I don’t know if you have seen it, but they have a web page. I wanted to get the fish thing down before I started adding other things.
<Nothing wrong with artificial coral until you get the hang of things!>
It does still get yucky. We have thought about adding
some live rock. But, we did, about 6 months ago run copper through the tank. Stupid, I know, but at the time, I was very new and didn’t know. I wanted to add a couple crabs or maybe some snails. I didn’t want them to die. I have checked the copper levels, and it says there isn’t any. I also heard that crabs can capture fish and eat them. I like crabs though, and shrimp.
<Well, not all crabs and shrimp are capable of this type of predatory behavior>
I wasn't  sure if any of these things required anything special. What do you think about putting in snails?
<Start with a few to see how they do. I highly recommend Bob and Anthony's "Reef Invertebrates" book, which offers a lot of information on these animals>
I have not really decided what to restock with. I’d like to keep it to 3 fish. Plus the damsels. I don’t want to over do it. I know three isn’t a lot, but I think I’d rather have too few.
<Nothing wrong with that!>
I’d really like a puffer, I had one and it died. I’d also like a trigger, but I’m not wanting a super vicious model. Maybe none of these, since I’m interested in crabs, shrimp, and snails.
<Yep! Not a good idea!>
I also think the Passers angel is pretty. Now that you know what I like, maybe you can make some recommendations.
<Well, the angels will have to wait until you have a more mature, stable system, and a large one if you're thinking of the Passer! Do start with some hardy, interesting fishes. I'd look into a Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) and an interesting and colorful fish. You may also want to consider a Yellow "Coris" Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus) for more color and interest. Other possibilities are some of the more hardy clownfishes, such as Amphiprion Clarkii. Many other possibilities...Scan the WWM site for more ideas!>
I do eventually want a larger tank, and I want to buy the fish small. I hear that if you buy triggers too small they may not live. Is this true?
<Not if you select a healthy specimen, and provide optimum conditions>
Can you combine species of trigger in the same tank? Okay, what you can do, and what works are two different things.
<You said it well...I wouldn't do it...>
Of course you can, but they may eat each other. I think you know what I’m asking! HA!
<Get a huge tank!>
I do have a protein skimmer, and it seems to be working, I don’t know if this matters.
<Keep working the skimmer!>
I had questions about it, but I put them in a separate email.  Your website is really nice. I am quite happy it’s there!
I’m new into this fish thing, since last March, and the more I read the more some of it makes sense. It’s just that so many people have different opinions. Not really as much on your website, but from fish store to fish store, everyone has different ideas. It’s hard to decide who is right. I guess it’s what works for me! But, I’d rather not kill anything in the process.
<Well, everyone has different opinions, even the folks on this site. Take everyone's with a grain of salt, but keep learning and acquiring your own experience. Then you'll be the best judge of what works for you.>
Too Late. I have some questions about diving, and places to go. We are getting into it, and I wasn’t sure if you could answer those!
Thanks, Trish
<Well, Trish- you should definitely push those questions to Bob- who has pretty much been all over the world diving! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

The start of the reef bug!
Hi Bob,<Cody here today.>
Quick question. While my fish are undergoing treatment for ich in a QT, after letting the main tank go fallow for 6 weeks, can I add live rock and some mushroom corals, feather dusters and star polyp corals - My FO tank's lighting is at about 2.5watts/gallon -35 watt NO tri-phosphor bulb, 130 watt PC fixture with 50/50 bulbs. The tank is a 72G with about
65 gallons of water, with two powerheads, a wet/dry filter, 1.5" of oolitic sand covered by 1.5" of Samoan pink sand and a Red Sea Prizm skimmer. I was wondering if any of my fish will bother the corals. I have a flame angel, a Singapore angel and a yellow tang. I can't find any data on the Singapore angel, but it sounds like the tang will be fine and the flame angel is a risk. Also, I'm concerned about having live rock shipped to RI - the temp this morning was minus 8F without wind chill. It's about +4 now. The LFS has live rock that looks more like dead rock so I don't want to buy from them. Okay this wasn't a very quick question...sorry...<The corals should be fine just keep an eye on the two angels.  As for the LR I would wait until your weathers warms up a little.  I live in Montana and we just got out of a cold spell that lasted about two weeks, one morning I got up and it was 35 below! Cody>  Thank You, Narayan Raja

- Whole Slew of Questions -
Hey All,
Sorry to keep emailing.  I had sent a huge email that was loaded with questions and info last week.  Something happened and it was lost.  Now to remember everything.....arghhhhhh!
Here's what I have (B4 I get to the questions and problems):
55 gal FOWLR, spg=1.019, ph=8.3, alk=14 dKH, ammonia=0, nitrites=0, nitrates=20-30, calcium=300-325, temp=78-80.  Circulation provided 2 X Hagen 402 mounted in opposite corners blowing towards center, RIO 2100 return from what I think to be a 20 gal sump (recycled old wet/dry).  An additional Hagen 802 and the sump return are center mounted  blowing toward front corners of the tank.  Skimming accomplished by a Aqua C EV120 powered by a Mag 5 pump.  Lighting is a Coralife 4X65W PC, 2 actinics & 2 10000K on for about 8-9 hours a day with the actinics coming on an hour before the 10K and off an hour after.  6+" DSB with 1" of LS from the Gulf of Mexico, 70+lbs of LR from the same, 2 ocellaris clowns, 1 sand sifter star, 1 brittle star, a bunch of mixed snails, and what I think is the makings of a small gorgonian of some type that hitchhiked on the LR and is growing steady.  LR is encrusted with many bivalves as well......It think I covered everything....oh yeah, weekly maintenance includes a 10 gal water change, and complete cleaning of skimmer and prefilters.  I use municipally treated NY City tap water.  Let it stand to dissipate chlorine.  No room for RO/DI system.
Here's the dilemma, tank has been in operation since April 2003.  No problems for the most part.  About a month ago I began noticing Cyanobacteria beginning to for with their partners in crime, diatoms.  Now they are appearing everywhere.  Within a week the glass is heavily spotted with diatom algae and the substrate is growing Cyano in places....its spreading.  Nothing has really changed in the past month except the addition of the clowns about 45 days ago.  My nitrates have always remained at the level listed and never seem to want to decrease.  My DSB seems to have not kicked in and I don't know what else to do.
As of yesterday I have modified my wet/dry sump to prepare it for refugium use, in hopes of combating these issues.  I had to remove the center wall to make one big sump.  I have purchased and am waiting delivery on the Precision Marine slide in refugium.  It measure 16X9WX10D and should just fit in the sump with room for my existing plumbing.  See attached file for diagram.  What do you think? <I think it will work.> The refugium if you do not know already, does sit off of the sump floor, though I plan on raising it a bit higher to accommodate my heater which will sit under the refugium.  I have no other place other than in the tank (which I don't want) for the heater, so underneath the refugium is the way I am planning.  I feel that circulation should not be a problem with the skimmer pump, the return pump, and a sponge filter, constantly moving the water.  If you feel it need to, I can add a little tiny MaxiJet as well, to blow water under the refugium and around the heater.  And what of lighting cycle for this refugium. On at night when the tank is off? <Either that or on 24 hours... depending on the type of macro algae you choose to use.> What do you think about this slide in idea? <Nothing wrong with it... should do the job.> Am I better off with the AquaFuge hang on? <Not necessarily. Either one will work.> Any benefits of one over the other? <None that I can think of.>
Am I incorrect in thinking that the refugium will combat the phosphate (Cyano) and nitrate problems? <Hmm... likely the removal of the wet/dry will do more for the nitrates than the refugium. Likewise, your deep sand bed will also take care of a good deal of your nitrates once the wet/dry is gone. Phosphates are another matter... any plant matter you put into the refugium will likely use the phosphate as food.> My local LFS (reputable in my eye and well known) has urged against the refugium.  They said nothing but problems will result, as well as an algal outbreak in my main tank. <Don't agree with this. The Cyanobacteria is another matter which you must deal with separately... I wouldn't look to the refugium to fix this problem.> I read WWM and people do nothing but boast as to how it changed things for the best in their tanks.  Instead they suggested I use a red slime remover chemical. <I wouldn't use this.> I was uncomfortable with the idea but purchased it anyway.  AntiRed I think it is called?  Well I have not used it yet and plan on returning it for the $30 I spent on it.  First I am scared to misuse it, and second I feel I am not addressing the problems. <Well... it will address the problem, but perhaps not the causes.> As far as refugium setup, I have just ordered your new book and plan on following your recommendations in there. Am I wasting my time and money? <Perhaps on the red-slime remover, but not on the book - much valuable information for you there about refugiums and much more.>
Another issue is that of my coralline algae.  The stuff just does not want to seem to grow.  I did learn recently that my alkalinity was a bit high.  I was told that in time it should fall by itself, as long as I do not dose anymore buffer.  I try to dose 1 tsp of Kalk solution nightly via a Kent doser drip. I plan on learning more of the slurry method soon.  My calcium level refuses to increase and the coralline just wont grow.  Matter of fact the stuff just seems to be getting less and less.  Should I be dosing anything else? <Personally, I'd go for one of the two-part calcium systems like ESV B-Ionic rather than the Kalkwasser.> Trace elements? <Wouldn't be too concerned with these - your excellent water change regimen should address these.> I do not know what else to do.  Why does my LFS tanks look so friggin perfect and I feel like I am doing everything right and its not working!!!..>>THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING! <Not fair to compare yourself to a store's tanks where they have a staff of people to do the maintenance.>
And of my brittlestar....he hides most of the time. <This is what they do... in the wild are rarely if ever seen during the day.> Actually have not seen him in about a week.  Dug him up yesterday to make sure he was alive....he still is.  What am I to feed this guy? <Should scavenge for itself.> What is he eating to sustain him now? <Leftovers from the fish.> He has been in there for about 2 months and I have not fed him anything.  I am assuming he is eating what he is finding in the sand. <Correct.> Can you help here? <Don't sweat it.>
And the story continues....last week I purchased three small green Chromis and prepared them for quarantine.  I floated their LFS bag in the qt tank while I prepared their dip bath. <Hmm... should have this prepared before you took off to the store... takes a little while to stabilize.> about1.5-2 gallon of fresh water, adjusted ph to match qt, about 20 drops of Meth blue.  Put fish in and watched for 20 minutes. <That is a very long dip - shouldn't need much more than five minutes.> They seemed fine.  No problems or stress.  I have been told to leave them in as long as possible. <Don't agree with this. Five minutes minimum, ten maximum.> I get nervous really after 15 minutes, but pushed the envelope here I think.  After the bath I rinse them in qt water for a few minutes and then into the qt tank it is.  Within 6 hours fish #1 was dead, and by the 3rd day fish #2 was dead.  Fish #3 is alive and eating but very shy. <These are social fish... likely feeling very out of place with no other Chromis around.> He will not leave his spot behind the heater in the qt when the tank is approached.  I am assuming he will make it.  So did I do something wrong with the dip process? <Probably too long.> Did that kill my little guys? <Possible.> Water params for the qt tank are all good, amm=0, nitrites = 0, nitrates = 5-10, ph = 8.3.  I am afraid to dip now, and especially when I get the new Chromis this coming weekend.  Was planning on skipping the dip and just quarantining them.  Any info or help?! <Just shorten the dip, should be fine. Cheers, J -- >

- Whole Slew of Questions, Follow-up -
Hi again guys\gals,
Couple of things continued from below.
First, I received my Reef Inverts book last nite.  I cannot wait to lock myself in a room this weekend to read!!  So EXCITED!
There was a misunderstanding below in reference to my wet\dry sump and it was my fault.  I am not using wet\dry technology I am just using the box of the wet\dry as a sump.  No bio balls or anything of the sort, therefore the nitrate problems are still a question, along with why my DSB does not seem to be doing the job.  Should I be stirring up the bottom on a regular basis? <I would not stir a deep sand bed.> Its almost a year. What can I do to help things? <I'd work on brisk circulation within the tank to make sure as much water as possible is moving over the top of that sandbed.>
My reference to the brittlestar was incorrect.  I write from the office so my brain goes awry now and then, I am sorry.  The actual issue is with my sand sifter star, Archaster Typicus.  He buries himself often.  Don't know what he is eating.  I don't know what to feed him, and now after skimming the new Reef Inverts book last night I see that he is not a good inhabitant to have.  He requires lots of space and he can eat out the entire population of my DSB in no time.  Am I to worry? <I wouldn't loose any sleep over it.> What do I do? <Take it back to the store.> Should I be feeding him? <I'd get rid of it.> What do I feed him? <They feed themselves, from your sandbed... is not really a wise creature to keep, as you've read in NMA-RI.>
The BGA (Cyano) is still an issue.  I use a Aqua C Ev120 skimmer with a mag5 pump to feed it.  The other night I noticed it was not functioning properly.  To make a long story short, it turns out that I had to clean salt and calcium build up on the injector and the air intake valve.  Didn't know I had to do this. <Hmm... is in the instructions. There isn't much attached to your aquarium that doesn't need to be cleaned at regular intervals.> But the big question is adjusting the damn thing for optimum performance.  I cannot seem to get it to produce the quality and quality of skimmate that it should....1/4-1/2 cup of dark stuff daily. <Hmm... don't use production in the skimmer as a sign of performance. All systems are not created equal. Differences in stocking levels/bioload/feeding et al will combine to determine exactly what will be skimmed.> I put a ball valve on the pump feed line and try adjusting the water flow into the skimmer but it doesn't seem to make a difference. <Use the gate-valve on the skimmer body to adjust the internal water level within an 1/8" to 1/4" of the separation plate in the skimmer. This is also detailed in the instructions. Also... if the skimmer is sitting a part of the sump where the water level varies a lot, then this will also affect the performance of the skimmer.> The skimmer is hard plumbed to return into the sump and does not sit in the sump if it makes a difference.  I produce skimmate but not very dark.  Now I know that organics are there because my 100 micro prefilter gets really brown within a few days.  What do you think? <Think you need to play with the adjustments some more... also realize that stuff that gets stuck in your prefilter may not be stuff that can be skimmed out.> I obviously have this organics problem that is feeding the BGA and diatom problems I am having. <Could be because of your feeding practices, could be because of a lack of circulation in the tank.> Oh yea let's not forget the dying off coralline, and now my beautiful orange encrusting sponges are retreating. <Unrelated. Do read the chapter on sponges and algae in NMA-RI.> PLEASE HELP!!!  My only inhabitants in the 55 gal are two ocellaris clowns, a brittle star, and the Archaster typicus.  I feed them all extremely sparingly with no waste... trust me on this one.
Thanks as always!.
Louis
<Cheers, J -- >

Disease, Setup Review
Hi crew –
<Hi! Ryan with you today>
Thanks for your response to my last e-mail. I have the following additional questions.
<Surely>
Setup Questions (please see attached diagram of my set up. Note: tank has been running as shown for appx. 7 weeks with live sand and 5 wks with live rock and live sand).
1) Protein Skimmer
Based on information on the site, it appears that my in-sump Precision Marine CV 426 skimmer is not functioning correctly - I am only getting clear/"light brown" skimmate (instead of daily "dark coffee" skimmate, which I got during my cycling process). <Could be little dissolved organics left in your water> Also, according to the site (I) the skimmer should operate in a stable water level and receive raw (un-pre-filtered) surface skimmed water; <YES> and (ii) one way to do this, is to place a simple plastic box/bucket/tub or divider in the sump which will first fill with water before overflowing into the sump proper. Based on my set up (attached) what is the best way to implement this solution? Unfortunately, I have very little space in my sump. <Hmmm....without the sump in front of me to fiddle with, I'm at a loss.  Trial and error may be the only way to correctly implement this.>
- Should a box/bucket/tub be placed in the wet/dry sump and then the skimmer pump (Mag 7) placed into the box/bucket/tub? Or
-Should both the skimmer and pump be placed in the box/bucket/tub? <Both work in theory, you'll need to see which works better in the space you have. The more cramped that sump is, the less likely you are to clean in regularly.>
-Should I remove the pre filter?
<I wouldn't>
-Also, I have connected an external air pump (rated for a 60gal tank) into the venturi air line of my skimmer (to help create bubbles, since the skimmer does not appear to create enough bubbles on its own). Is there any benefit in installing a larger air pump (e.g. one rated for 96" deep water tanks)?
<No, I think that fine tuning/a decent bioload is all you'll need to start pulling some serious skimmate>
2) In tank water circulation
I currently have an Aqua Clear Power head (802) which pumps up to 400gph and a Mag 9.5 return pump (placed on opposite sides of the tank). Do you think I have enough water circulation or should I add a second 270gph power head?
<Yes, would certainly be helpful.>
3) I currently have bio balls in my Wet/Dry and understand that they could be a nitrate trap. However, I only have 46lbs of live rock in my tank. Do I need more live rock (for bio filtration) before I remove the bio balls? <You'll need at least 1 pound per gallon to rely on live rock for primary filtration.>
4) Micro bubbles – Although I recently tightened all clamps, I still get micro-bubbles in my tank. Are micro bubbles a bad thing? I have read various sections that appear to be conflicting on the site. <Yes, they are irritating to corals and can be problematic to some fishes.  Microbubbles are normal in a "break-in" period, and they should subside within a month or so.  If they don't, it's time to break out the test kits.>
Fish diseases
5) I recently noticed red dots on the body of my green Chromis. Based on my readings of the disease sections/FAQ and beyond on WWM, the closest I disease match I could find is "velvet." However my fish do not exhibit the symptoms of velvet (i.e. gold/brown spots and difficulty breathing) and appear to be eating well.
-Do you know what these red spots are?
<not without a photo, but I'd suggest a 3-5 Minute Freshwater Dip.  Please adjust for pH, temp first.  See: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm>
-If velvet which of these is the best copper treatment (Probiotic Marine Formula, SeaCure Copper Treatment, Parasite Clear, CopperSafe or any other meds that you recommend). I plan to treat in a QT tank.  <Before you medicate, please make sure you know what you're treating.  Send us an ID, or match a pic in our FAQs.>
-If not velvet, (I) what do you think it is, and (ii) what medication and brand do you recommend for treatment?
<Above>
Quarantine Tank
6) I am in the process of setting up a 5 gal. Quarantine Tank (with 100% water from my display tank).
-Quick clarification on WWM site readings re: quarantine of invertebrates. If I purchase the following inverts online:
-5 Red leg Hermit Crabs
-5 Blue leg Hermit Crabs
- 5 Scarlet Hermit Crabs
-10 Margarita (Turbo) snails
-1 Cleaner Shrimp
-1 Peppermint shrimp
<I would recommend some Nassarius/Ceriths as well>
Questions:
- Can I acclimate all in the same 5 gal QT at the same time?
<Sure, just make sure to make 20-30% water changes daily.>
- I plan to (I) drip acclimate (for 1 hr) before placing into QT and leaving for 2 weeks. After the 2 wks do I have to drip acclimate again before putting into my display?
<Drip acclimate the snails, they can suffer from osmotic shock.  Drip acclimation is certainly not needed for the hermits and shrimp, but it won't hurt.  Repeat when you're ready to move to display.  You may want to supplement the snails/hermits with a sheet of nori, there won't be much algae for them to munch in a QT.  I like the sinking Hikari pellets made for crabs, they're easy and don't pollute the water>
-What do I feed these inverts during the acclimation period?
<Above>
- If I have velvet in the display tank, can I still place the inverts in the display tank?
<Within 2 weeks, the disease should be under control.  But yes, inverts are relatively immune to marine velvet.>
Sorry for the long e-mail. Thanks again for your help Keep up the good work with the site!
<And the best of luck to you! Ryan>
Ade

New Lights Coming Soon -- Some Questions (12/12/2003)
Thanks Steve,
I figured I wouldn't be able to keep an anemone.... other people would actually like me to have one more than I would myself! I definitely will consider getting one of those books.  Hmmm... Christmas List?
I expected you to figure the tank was crowded.  The yellow tang, flame angel and large maroon (female?) swim throughout the entire tank.  The small (male?) maroon sticks to his little collection of rocks. The yellow damsel also stays in his little part of the live rock. The Bluefin damsel mostly swims at the top of the tank. And the four little yellow tail damsels stick together and mostly stick to one side of the tank.
<I am less concerned about the number of fish here than their aggressive nature. The Tang, the Clowns and the Damsels are all notorious for becoming quite nasty as they age.>
I have a question about my coral banded shrimp... he doesn't come out during the day?  During the day, he is always behind one particular rock.  I have noticed at night he moves from behind that particular rock at night, but I usually can't find him. <No worries here. They are naturally shy and nocturnal. If you look closely, you will often notice his antennae sticking out from under a rock overhang.>
So far the flame hasn't touched anything... will keep my fingers crossed.
I also have a question about my toadstool leather.  It opens wide and extends all its little polyps during the day, but at night it shrivels up to nothing...is this normal? <Yes> I think it needs more light... the new PC fixture should be here in a week! <Just be careful to acclimate to the brighter lighting. Check the links on WWM I provided in my previous answers.>
I also have a very annoying problem....aiptasia (sp?)<correct> do you have any good suggestions for getting rid of these annoying little things? <Evil organisms. Like cancer, difficult to eradicate. If you have just a few, you might try injecting them with some noxious/toxic substance using a syringe. I use vinegar with good effect. Others sing the praises of concentrated kalkwasser, lemon juice and other things. If you have more, consider adding something that eats them. True Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata Wurdemanni) will, but I fear your CBS will eat them. Start here and read the associated FAQs for ideas: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
Nope, no refugium... <Do consider possible ways to add one. Quite useful and interesting.>
Thanks, Daryl <You're welcome. Steve Allen>

Fish germs and other yucky microbes--Eww! (12/08/2003)
hello,
I got a question here. If we handle a fish which are sick like, body fungus, gill disease, or other disease with hand without glove, will the disease effect us? or is there any side effect to us?
thanks. sorry for my bad english. hope u reply a.s.a.p
<While many fish diseases can't infect humans, some do, so it pays to be cautious. Bacteria are very good at entering the body through the slightest break in the skin (cut, scratch or scrape) and some (Vibrio, Mycobacteria) can cause nasty infections. Fungus is probably less likely, as are the various parasites. Fish tapeworms have been known to infect humans. If you got tapeworm eggs on your hand and touched your mouth you might get infested.
The best bet is to always wear gloves if you need to handle your fish. Latex-free surgical-type gloves from the local store will provide good protection. If you're going to put your hand in the tank, it's best to wear arm-length aquarium gloves. In any case, always wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water or use an alcohol-based skin cleanser after handling anything that's inside your aquarium. Steve Allen>

- New Tank Set-up -
Hello,
Two things:
1. Your site is FANTASTIC! I have searched high and low and finally stumbled upon your site, and I am a better man for it. Great info for newbies and pros alike, keep up the great work! <OK!>
2. I would like your advice on my setup. Here is my tank:
135 gal
80 pounds crushed aragonite
150 pounds of fine sand
100 pounds live rock cured
150 pounds live rock uncured
4 powerheads = 1600 gal/hr
I placed about 20 pounds of live sand covered it with new fine sand, placed 80 pounds of aragonite on top of it while leaving a sandy area about 1/3 or the tank. Next placed cured and uncured live rock and filled the tank. the tank has been up for 2 weeks now, and I plan on letting it cycle for about 3 more months.
I believing the cured rock is hastening the cycling process as ammonia is <.25, I haven't checked the other readings yet. Now the question is, should I add 2 tank raised perculas to help the cycling? <No.> Or should I wait 3-4 more months before I add anything at all? <If you can actually wait that long, I would. Some really neat stuff will spontaneously appear from your live rock.> I plan on doing 25% water changes a month during the cycling. <Just wait for the cycle to complete, which should be in a couple of weeks. Then do a 25% change and fall into whatever regular schedule you had planned on.>
I would like to use a hang on protein skimmer, a friend of mine is a HUGE advocate to not overskim and pointed me to the BakPak 2r. He states that even though this skimmer is rated for 60 gal, it would in fact be more than enough, as a matter of fact, he states that he'd only run this at the end of the cycling and only 2 weeks out of the month thereafter. <Don't agree... it's not that easy to overskim, and in some cases... especially if you are trying to under skim... why even bother with a skimmer. I say you're much better off with a descent sized, not over-sized skimmer.>
I would appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks,
Kwon
<Cheers, J -- >