Tumbleweed

If it is on the LR and it is cured LR from a store it is probably coraline algea and it probably faded do to die off from removal of the other tank. This is ok, it will grow back.
hydrometer while cheap and easy to use can be misleading. If it is a swing arm stlye you need to tap it on a flat service after you put the water in it to remove the air bubbles from it. If there are any air bubbles on the swing arm, it can give you an incorrect reading. If you plan on sticking with having a SW tank I highly recomend a refractometer, for checking your salinity level. They are more acurate and very easy to use. They range in price from anywhere between $40-$120. If you get one make sure it is a auto temperature adjusting. Some of the cheaper ones are not and require the water temp be at around 68F to give an acurate reading.
When you do a water change you are going to mix salt and new clean water, "RO/DI or Distilled" in a bucket with a heater and get this new water to as close to the same as the water temp and salinity level that you have in your tank. The only time you put fresh water into your tank is if you get evaporation and you need to add a small amout of water to the tank. The water is what evaporates not the salt.
Hope that answers your questions

fishrule101

Yes thank you!!!!!

fishrule101

Will 1.022 be ok or is 1.025 better??

Tumbleweed

For a FOWLR tank 1.022 will be fine for now. When you start adding corals, they tend to want it around 1.026

fishrule101

What would be good corals for a begnnier? I'm thinking about getting a fether duster and xenian.

mastercave

my first coral was a xenia. my tank's only a month old and it seems to be growing nicely. you can also try some mushrooms - ricordea and rhodactis seem to be hardy.

feather dusters are suppose to be hardy, but i decided against it since it looks like i got some with my LR.

fishrule101

I just spotted two white corals on my LR. I know there dead and my question is if they will become alive or be dead? If they are comming back to life how do I know that??Will it start to change color??

fishrule101

Is this any good?



http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...57&pcatid=9957

Tumbleweed

No they most likely are dead.
Yes that refracometer will be fine.

ray

the Salinity test will change when the temp changes... so if you checked it and then the temp changed then the reading will be different... also with those little hydrometers you have to test them a few times sometime... they like to lie to you sometimes... you can check the ammonia and nitrates to watch the levels do their thing...
i haven't heard that LS pushes the pH down... but 1.022 is too low... and 7.8 isnt hight enough... i think you want to be more around 8.2-8.4ish range...
give it some time and check it again later to see if the results are still the same... do you have a heater on it keeping it a steady temp?

fishrule101

Yes, I have a heater ,but it broke and it only does temp. rangeing from 80-84. I think thats to high and I'm working on getting a new heater.

ray

yeah thats higher than i'd be comfortable with...

fishrule101

If I get a lionfish what would be some good tank mates??

fishrule101

Never mind, I'm not getting a lionfish. Sure there pretty but they don't have any tankmates that I want. I'll stick on getting two ocellaris clownfish, a royal gramma basslet, a zebra barred dartfish, maybe a half black dwarf angelfish, 9-7 snails, 5-7 crabs, two hawiian fetherdusters, toadstool mushroom leather coral, and one sea star. I'm not sure what kind. Maybe a sandrifter. Well what do you think about my list??

fishrule101

Well since on one has siad any thing i guess my list is ok. I went to my LFS and saw the hermint crabs. I'm most getting blue legged is that ok or do I need to mix it up a bit?? Their shells are really small in the internet pics they look big well all the fish do! How do I give them extra shells to encourge growth?? All the shells I have are like 10 times there height.

Tumbleweed

Your list looks ok except for the angel. Your tank is a little small for it.
As for the hermit crabs all blue legs or a mix that is up to you. Just make sure you just have some extra shells of different sizes for them to go to when they waht, and they will be just fine

fishrule101

Well can I get a dwarf angelfish??

Tumbleweed

Most places say you need a minimum of 30gal for a dwarf angel. I see you have a 28gal. Not saying that the 2gal difference is a lot. But when it comes to minimum tank size I generally go a little larger then they say. It probably would do ok, just remember that they like to beable to swim and after you put in all the live rock and other inhabitants, you a greatly decreasing the room in the tank. In my expierence angels and tangs are highly subseptible to ICH casued by stress. This may occur with your angel in this size tank. If you do get it, just keep an eye on it. It will probably be ok as a juvinell, but as it grows it might start to stress out from the tank size.

fishrule101

Is 45lbs enough?? Cause thats how much I have in it but it looks like its 22lbs. I'll try to get a pic of it soon. I think its perfect but i plan on have like 10 lbs more to cover some lonely spots.

fishrule101

O heres an update on my parameters. I just ordered a refratometer and I was wondering if those needed any special care or needs. Why are my parameters so low?? Is my tank cured?? I only had it for about two weeks. Most of the LR was covered with coralline alage up to 70%. Did that make the tank cure faster?? My Ammonia was at 50 PPM max for about the first week and then dropped to 0 ppm and stayed. I check the water every three days. Now some LR is coverd with green and other red stuff. The nitrite and nitrate are the only ones the move but they too are going down. Does anyone know any Ph buffer that work?? I readed many and they all seem to work or claim they work.

SG: 1.025
Ammonia:0 ppm
Ph:7.8( I'm planning on getting a buffer and putting it to 8.3)
Nitrite:0 ppm
Natrate:0 ppm

fishrule101

How many watts is enough to poperly have monderate to easy corals and anemones?? And can someone please answer my question about my tank curing. I can't find an answer on the net.

Tumbleweed

If your ammonia nitrite and nitrat all went up then started going down and are now at 0 then your tank is cycled. This can happen quickly in a tank with live rock.
As for lighting this is a tricky subject. I would recomend something like 2-3 T5 lights with individual reflectors. This should be suffecent enough to handle more soft corals and anemones if they are kept high in the tank.

fishrule101

Thanks!!! I think my tank is cycled but will cont. to check it and if by the end of the week are still at zero than i'll start stocking it. I was wondering if i can start with two ocellaris clowns and 3 hermint crabs or one zebra barred dartfish and 3 hermint crabs. O, I'm getting mostly all blue legged crabs.Thank You everyone that has help me though my first FOWLR !!!!!! Thanks to tumbleweed, ray, the jonathan, mastercave, sirdarksol,This Guy, and agsansoo!!!!!!!!Thank you very much!!!!! And many all your tanks be healthy forever!!!

Tumbleweed

It depends on what you ultimetly want in your tank. If you plan on getting ocellaris clowns for the tank I would get those first on your fish list. They are hardy fish and should do good being the first fish inhabitants in the tank.
You should be fine if you want to get the crabs and the clowns at theis the same time.
Good Luck

Your Welcome

fishrule101

Hey tommorrow i'm getting my new fish!!!! I'm getting just one ocellaris clown and 3 crabs. I'm only getting one to leave more room for the angel. Any tips on how to acclimante them??

fishrule101

Hey I ended up getting two tree striped damsel fish and the three crabs. I know that they are mean but the beauty took over me and there were not any clowns in all the pet stores!!Boy do they sell quick. If I see that they are not getting along with my other fish no matter what i do I'll trade them for something.

fishrule101

This is my new fish list. One maroon clownfish, half-black dwarf angelfish or coral beauty, 5-7 blue leg crabs( just have three), 5-9 snails(not sure what kind), two three striped damsels( already have), two feather dusters, one toadstool mushroom leather coral, a royal gramma basselt, hopefully a hawkfish( here they cost $62!!!), maybe a choclate chip star( i've readed they will eat inverbrates), and hopefully an anemone( maybe a cody or bubble tip). I plan getting the anemone in about a year. Which is better the tank raised maroon or the yellow striped??

fishrule101

One of my damsels got sucked into one of my powerheads.!!!! I didn't put on those things that go onto the sucking end. I'm so sad!!!!!!! He was one of my first fish.

fishrule101

I'm planning on getting 50/50 antanic bulbs for a bubble tip anemone i'm planning on getting. Is this too little or can I aid in feeding shrimp

fishrule101

Well I guess the light amount is ok.