Saltwater Aquarium N00b Needs Help

[nonstophoops]

The shrimp is between the sea star and Florida conch in the second to last picture.

I realize that the water is really cloudy; I'm pretty sure that it hasn't completely settled from all of the changes that we made last night (replacement of substrate, addition of new live rock, addition of dead rock, and filling the aquarium up all the way). The plan is for my dad to do a water change (no more than 25%) in four to seven days; hopefully that will help with both clarity and water parameters.

I know that thing isn't aiptasia; I took all of those off of the one live rock before it went in there. I'm hoping that I got them all, but I think my dad is going to get a true peppermint shrimp soon just to be safe.

Thats right, sorry forgot you just did all that. It should settle pretty quickly. If it does not within 2 days or so you could do a water change to help it along. Otherwise, 4 to 7 days like you planned should do well.

I saw the shrimp in there, hard to tell definitively what it is. Someone else may be able to tell.

Even if you removed all the aiptasia it most likely will grow back some. It should not thrive in your tank however, because that means something is off with the water quality.

The shrimp should take care of any rogue aiptasia that does grow, but no guarantees because they don't all eat it.

Keep up the good work and keep us updated!

 

[liontammer]

the odd thing looks like a type of red macro algae nothing to worry about you get a tang in that tank it will be gone in a day lol

 

[Wiggles92]

Thats right, sorry forgot you just did all that. It should settle pretty quickly. If it does not within 2 days or so you could do a water change to help it along. Otherwise, 4 to 7 days like you planned should do well.

I saw the shrimp in there, hard to tell definitively what it is. Someone else may be able to tell.

Even if you removed all the aiptasia it most likely will grow back some. It should not thrive in your tank however, because that means something is off with the water quality.

The shrimp should take care of any rogue aiptasia that does grow, but no guarantees because they don't all eat it.

Keep up the good work and keep us updated!

Thanks. Sounds good. Any recommendations for biological means of controlling undesirable anemones, algae, etc.?

the odd thing looks like a type of red macro algae nothing to worry about you get a tang in that tank it will be gone in a day lol

Thanks. I found it in Florida when we collected the majority of the invertebrates in this aquarium; I thought that it was neat, so I kept it in seawater, and it came back with us when my dad decided to keep the invertebrates and mosquitofish.


I'm pretty sure that my dad has no intentions of adding anything new to the aquarium other than new proper lighting and a protein skimmer while I'm gone at college for the next few weeks, so I'm not too worried about anything that is incompatible with the current stock being introduced.

 

[Wiggles92]

Here's the video that I promised that I would post:

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Please excuse the water clarity; there was still some substrate debris floating in the water when I made the video.

The anemone doesn't look so great in the movie (I had recently moved it), but it has since attached itself to a rock that makes up the "cave" that it is in.

 

[nonstophoops]

Thanks. Sounds good. Any recommendations for biological means of controlling undesirable anemones, algae, etc.?



Thanks. I found it in Florida when we collected the majority of the invertebrates in this aquarium; I thought that it was neat, so I kept it in seawater, and it came back with us when my dad decided to keep the invertebrates and mosquitofish.


I'm pretty sure that my dad has no intentions of adding anything new to the aquarium other than new proper lighting and a protein skimmer while I'm gone at college for the next few weeks, so I'm not too worried about anything that is incompatible with the current stock being introduced.

Just the usual, skimmer, water changes, light stocking like you have, and water flow. Those things should keep everything good for you.

 

[Wiggles92]

Just the usual, skimmer, water changes, light stocking like you have, and water flow. Those things should keep everything good for you.

Sounds good. Skimmer and better lighting (MH) should be ordered soon.

Will it be possible to eventually add more fish or is it pretty much at the maximum capacity? Is it fine to add more invertebrates for a better cleaner crew?

 

[Wiggles92]

Update:

This is the light fixture that my dad wants to get for the aquarium. Will it be adequate for keeping all of the inhabitants alive?