...Hi

bodangit0024 · 04/18/2006, 04:55 PM

Hello everyone, I'm starting up my first SW ever and it's a 60 gallon. I'm about 5 days into cycling with Stability and my Ammo is declining. I have 30lbs. of base rock and 45lbs. of Fiji LR, with 30 lbs. of crushed coral and 15 or so of Arag-alive. I'm running a Current SmartPaq 130W PC system with the 2 50/50 lights, an AquaClear 70, a Visi-Therm Stealth 200 heater (I've already gotten flak about the filter and heater from a different site), and a Coralife Super Skimmer 65. So far my plans for stocking are:

1 Clarkii clown
1 Yellow clown goby
..... as you can see, I need some help.

My main questions are can I keep any sessile invertebrates as a complete noob, and what other fish should I get? The selection in my city is very limited and mostly only the popular fish are in stock. How many watts per gallon do the zooanthids need? Thanks for the help!

Sk8r · 04/18/2006, 05:10 PM

Consider whether you may one day want to keep hard corals v softies; if hard, stay away from softies, and vice versa, for the easiest situation. You can get fish via internet, and if you have a very limited city that can be good or bad: either they know what they're doing and lust after a customer who wants something besides the usual, (in which case they'll order), or they don't know what they're doing and your chances of healthy stock might be better on the internet. Hey, it's summer: heaters are less important than they were. I don't know your equipment, but it seems fair for a start---my own recs for getting top of the line are: a sump (10 gal will do you, at a 60) if you can possibly, a good skimmer, and good lights. Well, and enough flow to keep the corals swept. But I've kept softies with a Penguin double in a 30, under a minimal light with no trouble. You should start acquiring test kits appropriate for the sort of corals/inverts/fish you want to keep: those will save you a bundle, and I personally like Salifert: no subjective interpretation of color/results. Just numbers. Read not just in the newbie section but in Reef Discussion and in the forums appropriate for your own reef-ly ambitions. Better hangar-fly your desired items here with those who have had them: this again will save you a ton of money.
And good luck! My own current tank is a 52, set up in January, and I'm still learning to plug in the auto topoff when I want it to work.

bodangit0024 · 04/18/2006, 05:29 PM

Thanks for that. I'm probably going to go with the soft corals and polyps, I've been told that the hard corals are more difficult to keep. I have ammonia, pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Alkalinity test kits. I'll look into getting more as I get corals and whatnot.

bertoni · 04/19/2006, 12:54 AM

To Reef Central

You'll also want a calcium test kit, and likely magnesium. Some corals will be okay with that setup, mostly soft corals, since the lighting is very dim. I have 110 W over a 29g and it makes a fine softo coral tank. This book might be useful:

[ericsbook]

Also, this article is a good way to get a handle on testing needs:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

04/18/2006, 04:55 PM	#1
bodangit0024 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Alabama Posts: 9	...Hi Hello everyone, I'm starting up my first SW ever and it's a 60 gallon. I'm about 5 days into cycling with Stability and my Ammo is declining. I have 30lbs. of base rock and 45lbs. of Fiji LR, with 30 lbs. of crushed coral and 15 or so of Arag-alive. I'm running a Current SmartPaq 130W PC system with the 2 50/50 lights, an AquaClear 70, a Visi-Therm Stealth 200 heater (I've already gotten flak about the filter and heater from a different site), and a Coralife Super Skimmer 65. So far my plans for stocking are: 1 Clarkii clown 1 Yellow clown goby ..... as you can see, I need some help. My main questions are can I keep any sessile invertebrates as a complete noob, and what other fish should I get? The selection in my city is very limited and mostly only the popular fish are in stock. How many watts per gallon do the zooanthids need? Thanks for the help! __________________ Go Led Zeppelin. Current Tank Info: 60gal with 130w PC

04/18/2006, 05:10 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Consider whether you may one day want to keep hard corals v softies; if hard, stay away from softies, and vice versa, for the easiest situation. You can get fish via internet, and if you have a very limited city that can be good or bad: either they know what they're doing and lust after a customer who wants something besides the usual, (in which case they'll order), or they don't know what they're doing and your chances of healthy stock might be better on the internet. Hey, it's summer: heaters are less important than they were. I don't know your equipment, but it seems fair for a start---my own recs for getting top of the line are: a sump (10 gal will do you, at a 60) if you can possibly, a good skimmer, and good lights. Well, and enough flow to keep the corals swept. But I've kept softies with a Penguin double in a 30, under a minimal light with no trouble. You should start acquiring test kits appropriate for the sort of corals/inverts/fish you want to keep: those will save you a bundle, and I personally like Salifert: no subjective interpretation of color/results. Just numbers. Read not just in the newbie section but in Reef Discussion and in the forums appropriate for your own reef-ly ambitions. Better hangar-fly your desired items here with those who have had them: this again will save you a ton of money. And good luck! My own current tank is a 52, set up in January, and I'm still learning to plug in the auto topoff when I want it to work. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/18/2006, 05:29 PM	#3
bodangit0024 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Alabama Posts: 9	Thanks for that. I'm probably going to go with the soft corals and polyps, I've been told that the hard corals are more difficult to keep. I have ammonia, pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Alkalinity test kits. I'll look into getting more as I get corals and whatnot. __________________ Go Led Zeppelin. Current Tank Info: 60gal with 130w PC

04/19/2006, 12:54 AM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	*To Reef Central* You'll also want a calcium test kit, and likely magnesium. Some corals will be okay with that setup, mostly soft corals, since the lighting is very dim. I have 110 W over a 29g and it makes a fine softo coral tank. This book might be useful: [ericsbook] Also, this article is a good way to get a handle on testing needs: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php __________________ Jonathan Bertoni