saltwater newbie attempting a 55 gallon reef

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
BIGgourami;3414552; said:
looks like button polyps

they COULD be mojanos (deffo aren't aptaisia) but we'd need better/closer pics to be sure
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I looked up some pics of mojanos and I'm sure they aren't that. I'm still going to take some better pics as soon as I can get a better camera.

mr.reef24;3415005; said:
They look like zoanthid, congrats. Glad to hear the tank is doing good, and you got yourself a free coral.

mr.reef24
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Thanks! What can I do to help them multiply and how long do you think it will take??

Myteemouse;3415758; said:
Do a regular water change no matter what.
I wil replenish trace eliments (in the salt)
And make a good habit for when you are running a fully loaded reef..
I do 20% every other week.
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Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to stick with a weekly 10% water change. I'm thinking if I use the Seachem Reef Salt mix I could get away with very minimal dosing of other supplements...thoughts on that?? What kind of salt mix do you use??
 
BTB0923;3417222; said:
Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to stick with a weekly 10% water change. I'm thinking if I use the Seachem Reef Salt mix I could get away with very minimal dosing of other supplements...thoughts on that?? What kind of salt mix do you use??
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I use Instant ocean and I dose kalkwasser with my ATO into my sump..
Thats the only doseing I do...
 
Myteemouse;3417371; said:
I use Instant ocean and I dose kalkwasser with my ATO into my sump..
Thats the only doseing I do...
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I'm also using Instant Ocean right now, with Brightwell 2-part Calcium/Alkalinity supplements. Reefscape said that all he does is use a salt mix specifically made for a reef tank (Seachem Reef Salt) and he never has to dose with anything else. Do you use regular Instant Ocean or the Instant Ocean Reef Crystals mix?
 
BTB0923;3417404; said:
I'm also using Instant Ocean right now, with Brightwell 2-part Calcium/Alkalinity supplements. Reefscape said that all he does is use a salt mix specifically made for a reef tank (Seachem Reef Salt) and he never has to dose with anything else. Do you use regular Instant Ocean or the Instant Ocean Reef Crystals mix?
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I use regular IO
I dose kalk because I'm 80% SPS and LPS with some zoo's
High calcium demand
As for Seachem , That salt mix is known to "bind up" some test kits and they will read wrong..
Make sure you use Seachem test kits when using seachem salt..
And further more I would rather sup my calcium and ALK and MAG so I can control it..

PS don't forget to dose mag when yuor reef starts to mature..
Alot of people don't realize that calcium ALk and MAG are in direct relationship to each other.
If one is off the others will swing.
You wont get the perfect hamonial, dreamlike balance..
CAL 420
ALK 9-10
MAG 1300
those are the three most important tests in a reef tank.
Don't let anyone fool ya.
Furthermore.
"DON'T DOSE ANYTHING YOU DON"T TEST FOR!!"
Those are words to live by!!
 
as long as water condition's are good and you do regular maintence they should split slowly but surely for you and then after some time you'll have a nice colony of them going.

mr.reef24
 
Thanks guys.

So as I mentioned before I have a few aiptasia in the tank. I'm thinking about adding some livestock that will take care of these pests before I start adding corals to the tank. I know that copperband butterfly fish will eat them, so I may add one of those. I'm not sure if its a good idea to add a fish like that or or if I should wait a while longer for my tank to become more established. I've also heard that peppermint shrimp will eat aiptasia so I'm leaning towards getting a few of those, but they are just so common. I'd rather add a more interesting and rare aiptasia eating invert, I just don't know of any.

Anybody have other suggestions of aiptasia eating livestock I might be able to add??
 
I've seen and read a few times where people use scats to control aiptasia. They are a brackish water fish (like most that do just as well in full marine) and extremely hardy. It wouldn't be the prettiest fish in your tank but it just might work.
 
pepermints will sometimes eat them but the best two ways I've dealt with them is
1. boiling water in a syringe shoot it right on them..
2. mix kalkwasser paste and smear right on them

You'll be happier with a direct approach then a crap shoot with the livestock!!
 
Berghia love aiptasia and reproduce like mad and clear the tank of them peppermint's are good but you want to make sure it's the true peppermint or you'll be dissapointed

mr.reef24
 
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