newbie needs reef help

[saywhen]

Hello everyone, I'm looking for some info on adding some corals to my FOWLR tank.

My current setup includes:
65gal. glass tank w/pine cabinet
75gal. wet/dry
I'm purchasing a AquaFuge Pro today
36" JBJ Formosa power compact
Rio 2500 return PH
Rio 800 PH in tank for circulation
35lbs. of live rock
40lbs. of Aragonite
2 Percula's
2 Blue devil's
1 Domino
1 Four stripe Damsel
1 Blood shrimp
1 Banded coral shrimp
1 Bubble tip Anemone (dont know the exact name)
1 Pink plate coral

I'm purchasing the AquaFuge Pro today, what kinds of additives do I need to put in the water to prep it for corals?

What other levels do I need to check for in the water?

What should I put in the fuge other than LR and sand?

And if anybody has any other input I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Rich

[JennM]

First off, WELCOME to TRT!!!!

I hate to start on a negative note, but you might want to rethink the Rio return pump. If you do a search on this forum for "Rio Meltdown" you will see a couple of my posts where Rio pumps have caused disaster or near-disaster, and my experiences are far from unique...

Your setup sounds good otherwise - I have a friend who loves his Aquafuge Pro - my only observation was that it caused a bit of spray (and consequently salt creep) but I think I would be able to fashion a bit of a "backsplash" for it if necessary. It's a sharp looking piece of equipment, and it works - my friend's water quality is excellent.

I wouldn't add additives unless you NEED them. If you aren't testing for it, don't add it. Having said that, please do post your parameters... pH, Alk, Calcium especially. Nitrates too, but if you are kicking over to the Aquafuge, *if* you had a nitrate issue, it's likely to resolve itself with the new filter. Just be sure to prune your caulerpa regularly - export is the key, you must remove the bound-up nutrients.

If you intend to keep other fishes, you may wish to trade in your damsels - they will become terrors in time, if they haven't already. If you're content with your fish inhabitants, no worries.

HTH

Jenn

[saywhen]

The Rio came with my initial setup from the LFS, I actually had a 9.5 Mag drive pump in mind.

The last time I tested my parameters were: ammonia 0, nitrite and nitirate were below the capabilities of my kit but did show a hint of color in the tube, ph 8.1, and specific gravity was 1.023.

I dont currently have a kit to test for Alk. and calcium.

The only other fish I want to add later once my percs have some more time to grow is a Volitan Lion. I dont want those to get eaten but you never know.

What is caulerpa? Is that something else to add in the Fuge?

Thanks for the info,
Rich

[JennM]

Caulerpa is a macro algae - it feeds on the nutrients in your system and light (optional for the aquafuge but available), and you prune it to export nutrients.

Parameters are good - you might want to buffer your pH a bit, but 8.1 is fine. Alk test is a "must", Calcium test is "recommended".

Volitan will also dine on your shrimp. I've seen a coral banded shrimp mean enough NOT to be eaten by a big volitan but the blood shrimp will be a nice light snack. Odds are the damsels will be too fast for the lion, unless they make a "mistake" I had a customer lose a sally lightfoot crab to his lion - he bought the crab from me but neglected to mention the fish... I would have advised otherwise

The percs if they are large enough, won't get eaten BUT they aren't as fast as damsels....

If you want a lion, why not try a dwarf fuzzy or something that stays small? Your crustaceans will still be at risk, but your fish won't be. (or won't be as likely to be).

HTH

Jenn

[saywhen]

For the most part the shrimp tend to hide out in the rock out of sight, but that could possibly change over time.

I seen a couple of dwarf lions at the LFS that were no bigger than my percs and were exact replicas of the volitan I want. But I just love the way the Volitans look with their big fins flowing while they swim.

I noticed that you are a LFS owner, I have question about the Volitans that were at one of my LFS's.

They had 6 Volitans in about a 150gal. tank with a big Perc, I noticed that 2 of the Lions had ich and the Perc. I asked the kid that was helping me if that was ich and he said "yeah probably" I was actually thinking about buying one before I seen the ich spots, but the funny thing is that he was still willing to sell me one knowing it was diseased.

Now is that something they should take care of befroe they sell them or is it up to the buyer?

Thanks again,
Rich

[icebear]

while the fish is in their care, it is their responsibility to care for it. those fish really should not be sold, they should be treated for the ich and held untill treatemnt is over and time allowed to make sure it dosen't come back. its unfair to the fish to ask them to go through the stress of illness and medication, and introduction to a new environment all at once. MHO

[JennM]

Whether or not it was ich, if the fish had symptoms of ANY kind, they should not have been sold - but that's just my opinion. Unfortunately may people unknowingly buy sick fish. No decent LFS owner/employee will ever knowingly sell a sick fish, but some don't care, so it really is buyer beware. Sometimes symptoms might not present until AFTER the fish has moved. Stress of moving, new environment etc., can all weaken a fish's resistance. This is a good case for quaranting Even the best and most careful practices can fail. Watching the fish in the shop for a while, knowing how long it has been there, watching it eat and behave with tankmates are good criteria for choosing a specimen, but isolation and treatment (only if treatment is necessary) is a prudent move to make. Many LFS will hold a specimen for a small deposit or your honour, depending on their policy. If a store won't hold an animal for a deposit, that sends up a big red flag.

We're pretty careful, so are most of our customers because we take the time to educate them - but I can't tell you how many times I get a phone call from somebody who has bought something new, and a few days later everybody's sick. I had 3 calls like that yesterday - one was from somebody who's never been to my place! (The other two were my customers who had shopped elsewhere too.) I don't know if they call around looking for help or what, but it breaks my heart the number of people who don't quarantine. Even "perfect" fish pose a risk - most people seem willing to gamble the thousands they have invested in their systems, versus spending $100 or so on a quarantine tank... doesn't make much sense to me... but coming from me it's often seen as a sales pitch. I like to gamble - but if a small expenditure (versus the big picture) to save a bigger expenditure is just common sense, IMO.

I personally would think twice about patronizing a shop that would willingly sell sick fish - before you lauch a "boycott" you may want to have a discreet word with the owner/manager and see what their take is on it. If that is their practice, then IMO you might want to find another place to shop.

JMHO - as a current hobbyist AND LFS-type

Jenn

[bgaineshunter]

Add some live rock to help lower nitrates--recommended: 1.25-1.75lbs per gallon.