125G Cycle:0 Ammonia/0 Nitrite/10 Nitrate

[gjustinj]

Hey guys!

Thanks again for all of your advice. I am using a Red Sea marine testing kit for these numbers.

So I did two 50 Gallon water changes (48 hour period) as per your request, and kept the salinity and the temp of the water very near the same.

I have not tested for Alkalinity or PH (these are tests in my kit as well) - are these something I should be testing yet?

Also - am I ready to add a fish or are there any other items I should do first?

Thanks again! You guys are the best

[nereefpat]

Welcome back. It looks like your tank is cycled, according to nitrogen values. Go ahead and test for alk, pH, and salinity and give us the values. You are probably ready for a fish or two.

It might be wise to get a general total stocklist in mind before you start adding fish. What are your plans for fish, coral, other inverts?

[gjustinj]

Originally Posted by nereefpat

Welcome back. It looks like your tank is cycled, according to nitrogen values. Go ahead and test for alk, pH, and salinity and give us the values. You are probably ready for a fish or two.

It might be wise to get a general total stocklist in mind before you start adding fish. What are your plans for fish, coral, other inverts?

Thanks nereefpat! I will get these values at lunch time and post them!

[nursedude]

I echo, nereefpat's, statement have a plan in place other wise you may find your dream fish down the road and not be able to add it because of compatibility issues.

[scooter31707]

I would add the CUC first, then work your way up to the fish.

[gjustinj]

Hey all,

The only plans I had set in stone that were must 'fish' were clown fish and a blue tang (nemo), and I would enjoy a yellow tang too. I am sure I'll add more, but those are my 'dream' fish. I would like to consider an anemone for the clowns (but I don't have any special lighting or anything so I'm not sure I can) - I did want to add some very beginner coral to the tank just to add color, but nothing toxic or crazy like.

Oh I would also like one of those funny fish that dig into the sand and spit it out - they are kind of nice and with a near 3 inch sand bed I think that would be cool.

Does anyone have recommendations for some good fish to with the what I would like to get?

[gjustinj]

Originally Posted by scooter31707

I would add the CUC first, then work your way up to the fish.

I think I might grab a pair of clowns and a few snails - I just called my local fish stop (it's a quality shop, not a chain) who specialize in salt water fish, and even do services for this kind of thing.

They told me to bring in the water to do a final test, but I might be able to add an a pair of clowns and some invertebrates to start.

I assume clowns do better in pairs?

[nereefpat]

Originally Posted by gjustinj

I think I might grab a pair of clowns and a few snails

perfect idea.

[scooter31707]

Originally Posted by gjustinj

I think I might grab a pair of clowns and a few snails - I just called my local fish stop (it's a quality shop, not a chain) who specialize in salt water fish, and even do services for this kind of thing.

They told me to bring in the water to do a final test, but I might be able to add an a pair of clowns and some invertebrates to start.

I assume clowns do better in pairs?

Are you quarantining? Do not trust no one (even your LFS) quarantining fish except for yourself. I recommend taking the Hippo off the list as they require a bigger tank, IMO at least a 8ft tank, plus they can stress out easily. IMO, they are not made for the beginner hobbyist and if you are not quarantining, I would not recommend one, as they are prone to parasites/diseases.

[TokiHacker]

Originally Posted by gjustinj

Hey all,

The only plans I had set in stone that were must 'fish' were clown fish and a blue tang (nemo) NO GO. This fish requires a minimum 180g tank and at least a 8ft tank , and I would enjoy a yellow tang tooThis is a much better choice. I am sure I'll add more, but those are my 'dream' fish. I would like to consider an anemone for the clowns (but I don't have any special lighting or anything so I'm not sure I can) - I did want to add some very beginner coral to the tank just to add color, but nothing toxic or crazy like.

Oh I would also like one of those funny fish that dig into the sand and spit it out - they are kind of nice and with a near 3 inch sand bed I think that would be cool.

Does anyone have recommendations for some good fish to with the what I would like to get?

[gjustinj]

Originally Posted by scooter31707

Are you quarantining? Do not trust no one (even your LFS) quarantining fish except for yourself. I recommend taking the Hippo off the list as they require a bigger tank, IMO at least a 8ft tank, plus they can stress out easily. IMO, they are not made for the beginner hobbyist and if you are not quarantining, I would not recommend one, as they are prone to parasites/diseases.

Hey there, Wet Pets & Friends is a very high quality store (they are not your typical store), they service lots of businesses- before you purchase fish from them they test the water with you and everything. I've been purchasing fresh water fish from them for over 10 years and never had one issue - they are pretty trust worthy. I am not quarantining however - I don't have an aquarium to do that. I do have a lot of faith in Wet Pets, they keep their waters perfect and you can tell when you're in the shop

What is the HIPPO? Is that the fish that spits sand I referred to? I have not done much research on that particular fish yet.

[gjustinj]

I hear that Tangs require a minimum of 125 Gallons and 6 ft tank by a lot more people, and I know people who have these setup and it works great. This is the reason i Purchased 125 Gallon tank. I'm certain this will be fine.

[gjustinj]

Originally Posted by nereefpat

Welcome back. It looks like your tank is cycled, according to nitrogen values. Go ahead and test for alk, pH, and salinity and give us the values. You are probably ready for a fish or two.

It might be wise to get a general total stocklist in mind before you start adding fish. What are your plans for fish, coral, other inverts?

Hey nereefpat,

So I did my PH test kit and it came in somewhere between 7.8 and 8.2.

I also did the Alkalinity test, but I'm not sure how 'accurate' this was as it was a much different testing method. I believe I used around 6 drops total to get to the color they told me was 'over', the chart read 2.1 meq/l.

[nereefpat]

The aforementioned Hippo refers to the hippo tang (blue tang, regal tang, etc; different names for the same fish). Gets about a foot long, and most folks on this site will recommend a bigger tank than your 125.

pH is fine. alk is a little low, but probably safe for fish, especially clowns. if you want to do some reading, look into bringing it up to the 2.9-3.1 range using baking soda.

[gjustinj]

Originally Posted by nereefpat

The aforementioned Hippo refers to the hippo tang (blue tang, regal tang, etc; different names for the same fish). Gets about a foot long, and most folks on this site will recommend a bigger tank than your 125.

pH is fine. alk is a little low, but probably safe for fish, especially clowns. if you want to do some reading, look into bringing it up to the 2.9-3.1 range using baking soda.

I have a bottle of PH Up - is that worth using?

[nereefpat]

Originally Posted by gjustinj

I have a bottle of PH Up - is that worth using?

I would not, since I don't know what's in it, and your pH is fine where it is.

If you want to raise alkalinity, I would recommend a teaspoon or two of baking soda added to your topoff water each day for the next couple days. Test alk before and after additions to make sure you know where it's at and that you don't overshoot.

[gjustinj]

thanks nereefpat,

I am taking a water sample in later to the fish store to have them test to see where I am at and if the Alkalinity is low still I will do the baking soda thing and test again before adding anything.

Appreciate it

[Stolireef]

First of all...Slow Down!!

Don't worry about pH (you really never need this number) or testing anything else at the moment. Assuming you did the tests correctly, your numbers are fine for a couple of fish. Just keep an eye on ammonia and nitrates as you add fish. Feed enough for your fish to consume all of the food in a few minutes.

Your water changes are more than adequate to keep your levels of Ca and kH stable. You don't indicate what you're using for lighting but if it's just a couple of fluorescent bulbs, you can't keep coral. You really need pretty powerful lighting. This is true for anemones as well.

Finally, yes, a hippo tang will outgrow your tank ... in about five years assuming you get a smaller one. That said, they can be pretty touchy to keep successfully and should be the last fish you add. They are very susceptible to Ich and HLLE so you need really good water parameters and a very good feeding regimen. I don't see them as beginner fish. Frankly most tangs fall into this category although some, such as Yellows and Kole tangs stay smaller and are a bit hardier.

[scooter31707]

Originally Posted by gjustinj

I hear that Tangs require a minimum of 125 Gallons and 6 ft tank by a lot more people, and I know people who have these setup and it works great. This is the reason i Purchased 125 Gallon tank. I'm certain this will be fine.

If you know everything why are you on here asking for advice?

[gjustinj]

Originally Posted by Stolireef

First of all...Slow Down!!

Don't worry about pH (you really never need this number) or testing anything else at the moment. Assuming you did the tests correctly, your numbers are fine for a couple of fish. Just keep an eye on ammonia and nitrates as you add fish. Feed enough for your fish to consume all of the food in a few minutes.

Your water changes are more than adequate to keep your levels of Ca and kH stable. You don't indicate what you're using for lighting but if it's just a couple of fluorescent bulbs, you can't keep coral. You really need pretty powerful lighting. This is true for anemones as well.

Finally, yes, a hippo tang will outgrow your tank ... in about five years assuming you get a smaller one. That said, they can be pretty touchy to keep successfully and should be the last fish you add. They are very susceptible to Ich and HLLE so you need really good water parameters and a very good feeding regimen. I don't see them as beginner fish. Frankly most tangs fall into this category although some, such as Yellows and Kole tangs stay smaller and are a bit hardier.

I didn't plan on adding a lot of fish quickly and I've been moving pretty damn slow lol. But thank you for your post I did not know that PH levels will be good if my cycle is already good - so it's a wasted test at this time? What about Alkalinity? Also, I'm new to this so I didn't expect to add a blue tang for another month or two - I want to first get a feel for the tank and the first fish I add.

I was considering one panel of LED lighting for where I would put the anemone- I assume clowns are less stressed with one available to them.

I really appreciate it.

Do you happen to know what fish it is that sucks up sand and spits it out often? I thought that fish was kind of cool

[gjustinj]

Originally Posted by scooter31707

If you know everything why are you on here asking for advice?

That's not fair - I don't know everything, but I did a lot of research before purchasing this 125G tank, and I purchased because it was the smallest I could get away with successfully having a blue tang.

[Stolireef]

See my comments in red.

Originally Posted by gjustinj

I didn't plan on adding a lot of fish quickly and I've been moving pretty damn slow lol. But thank you for your post I did not know that PH levels will be good if my cycle is already good - so it's a wasted test at this time? What about Alkalinity? Also, I'm new to this so I didn't expect to add a blue tang for another month or two This is really fast. Most experienced reef keepers wouldn't add a tang for several months. They are big eaters and thus big excreters (poopers). Your bio filter isn't sufficiently mature to keep up with that kind of fish yet. - I want to first get a feel for the tank and the first fish I add.

Alk has nothing to do with cycle. Rather it is the ability of water to buffer against an acid. Virtually all good marine aquarium salts have a kH between about 8 and 11. You won't consume much buffer until you have corals and/or coraline algae. Until then, your water changes will more than keep up with demand.

I was considering one panel of LED lighting for where I would put the anemone- I assume clowns are less stressed with one available to them.

Clowns don't really care one way or another if they have an anemone. That said, anemone's are a challenging organism. They often don't stay where you put them, will kill just about any other coral they touch, require excellent stable water quality, and benefit from some target feeding of meaty foods. The tank won't look right with just one LED panel and the anemone won't necessarily park under the single panel. You can get two Chinese black box LED's for a pretty reasonable price. Lots of threads on this here in Lighting and Filtration.

I really appreciate it.

Do you happen to know what fish it is that sucks up sand and spits it out often? I thought that fish was kind of cool

You are looking for a sand sifting gobie. Very cool fish to watch with a couple of caveats. First, it really needs a mature sandbed with lots of life or it can starve. Second, it can make a real mess. Picks up a mouthful of sand and drops it in the last place you want it. You also need pretty fine sand.

Finally, I'd be very careful about taking advice from a single source, particularly if its an LFS that wants to sell you things. Just because a store has a beautiful display, it does not necessarily mean they know what they're doing. Of course, the same is true on the forums. If you see a really high post count under a user's name, it at least means that they have experience. If you see the name Sk8tr, Mcgyver, or ca1ore, listen and learn. They're great teachers for newbies.

[Stolireef]

You also don't state what equipment you are using. It will have a big impact on what you can keep. Is your tank drilled? What kind of overflow? Do you have a sump? Skimmer? Fuge? ATO?

[gjustinj]

Yeah I did not expect to add the tang for another month or two. I just got back from the store and my salt was a little low they asked me to fix it before adding fish and cuc. I bought a refratometer there that's nicer and will give me more accurate reading. So I'm fixing that it was 4 points too low.

First I'll pr0b add a pair of clowns and some inverts.

Here is my setup.

125 gallon tank
2 24inch hl lights
Fluval fx4 filter *no room for a sump*
Octo classic 2000 protein filter
2 power heads
2 heaters
3 inch live sand bed
120lb live rock

[nereefpat]

Glad you found a refractometer. Getting your hands on a 35ppt standard for it will be critical. you use this to calibrate and as a check standard. Check the LFS and foster and smith / bulk reef supply. It should be about 7$.

There is a clown and anemone forum here. Spend some time reading the stickies and other threads there if you are thinking of getting an anemone. Like stated, they need a mature, stable tank with strong lighting.