New to Can Reef and SW
 

Hi everyone, new to site, just checking things out. New to hobby, have a 55gl reef tank up and running since April this year. Have had some newbie problems but tank is running well now! Was at red corals frag swap and grand opening, good turn out but too shy to chat with anyone. We only picked up some live rock and a couple of pumps that day. Look forward to chatting with anyone willing to answer my newb questions...lol. Cheers!

welcome great site alot of friendly peeps with alot of professional knowlege:) any questions just shoot and im sure youll get lots of responces:)

Welcome to Canreef.....and good to to see you made your way to the site..... like Denny said......lots of good advice and people here.....dont hesitate to ask:wink:

welcome to Canreef
Like everyone will tell you never be shy just ask away and you will receive not one but many answers...
Remember this

Thanks! No questions today....lol. I try to read first then ask...find some forums have same questions asked over and over so will try to avoid this! But will ask if it's allowed, good lfs in Calgary? I've been to all of them and good and not so great...bought some pretty pricey corals, hoping to find something more reasonable, big ones are stressful!!

tell us a bit about your tank what you have what your going for kinda thing:):) starting a tank journal is a great way to meet new people and show off the goods;);)

Well, right now I love this hobby, I've taken over the tank...lol so here goes...
55 gl, 59 lbs rock-started with 20 lbs lr, added 10.5 and 29.5 dry rock 2 weeks ago,
skimmer, tunzal filter (no sump yet), vortech mp 10 and 40, koralia 750.

Livestock-1 of each bangaii cardinal, purple dotty back,blue green chromis and yellow tang(yes I know about the tang got him for algae), had a false percent clown but he jumped on sept long weekend.

Have a lrg frogspawn, green bubble, button, fox and pink goniopora coral. I liked the goniopora but read about it after so I'm worried, but so far is doing well.

Tank parameters are salinity 1.026. Ph 8.3, calcium 460, kh 8, phosphate 0.25, nitrate 0.
Lights - 2 t5s and LEDs.
I think the phosphates are up due to live rock, coraline algae is showing up, dry rock is flourescent yellow green right now.

Oh nd great clean up crew and unknown red crab, not sure what it is, no one has been able to I'd yet.
I will post pics later.
Thoughts?
Thanks

Oops ... Tunze skimmer, fluval filter...

Oh my the "T" word in a 55G :neutral:

Better watch out who you tell that to there are a lot of expressive individuals who like to decide whats right and whats wrong.

Welcome to Canreef! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask on the board (or pm). This site has lots of questions beat to death, but its still alright to ask them. This site is about people helping people in this very beautiful and rewarding hobby.

As for the gonipora I had good sucess with reef roids, but many of them only last a year in captivity (some last much much longer though, so cross your fingers)

WELCOME!!!!

Watch out for the dreaded Tang Police!!! haha

I know, I've already heard from the tang police and know I will have to find him a new home eventually, he's awesome though, cheecky guy! I've just come through a rough patch with the tank and I'm by no means willing or meaning to stress or harm anything! Unfortunatley, we jumped in without much research, have made all the newbie mistakes but we've learned. I definitely appreciate all feedback, good and bad! Looking forward to chatting and meeting others, I don't know anyone with a sw tank so we've been on our own here. Like 2 lfs here, really helpful!

Welcome to Canreef. :welcome:

Just take there advice with a grain of salt, they (he if its who I think it is) are only looking out for fish that they themselves cherish and respect. Its good advice but sometimes its thrust upon you like a pot of boiling water :mrgreen:

Thank you for all the welcomes!!:biggrin:

No tang police yet and I won't disagree anyway, I do understand. I've done so much reading, my bf has become a reef widow, and I know there are many who are passionate about fish! I've got a thing for corals right now but the fish crack me up. Our chromis and clown used to race in the flow, back and forth across the tank, they were great buds! My chromis and tang always come to the glass, the tang says what the hell are you looking at and the chromis says feed me, feed me! Lol

Oh yeah... these guys... They're also the "everything"-police. Like Wayne said, take them with a grain of salt... don't get dragged into the Debby Downer bickering battles. You've done your homework, you are aware, you understand. If the T-word isn't showing signs of stress, you're OK for now. It's actually more about swimming space for the tang rather than the actual tank volume. I see these guys who have tanks packed to the nuts with rock and coral to the point where there is little room to swim. It's not much better than a 55G at that point.

Now... I'm sorry to say... but you are in trouble here. You come on here and tell us of an alleged reef tank.. without pictures? Egad! :razz: Come on! Let's see that Beauty!

Don't stress too much about the goniopora. They are tricky to keep but the fact that a lot of people ignore is that they actually have short lifespans in nature (currently unknown but estimated to be less than 3 years on average), so who knows how old yours was before it was collected. Do your best, love it like your only child.

Glad to have you on board. Feel free to hit us up with some questions!

Ouch, trouble already, will post pics tonight. Have to take new ones anyway bec the tank looks different from a week ago.

The goniopora looks good, just added him and the fox coral weekend and have waited for them to settle in the tank. They both look good except one of the heads on the fox hasn't opened yet.....sigh

i wouldnt worry about your tang for now people speak of long term for fish as it stands right now consider it quaranteeing.......if you have any questions or concerns you would like to address in person i would gladly come over any time to help or answer questions or give advice...completely my pleasure:) all you gotta do is say the word:) cheers:):)

Welcome to Canreef! Nice to have another Coral-keeping girl.
Lots to learn but well worth the trip.
Lenny. (Also a female, can't say girl anymore:sad:). Have fun.

Welcome to this incredible, frustrating, wonderful, hair pulling hobby!

Welcome to Canreef and yes you will have to find him a new home eventually. In the meantime fed him well with nori and spirulina pellets.
Tangs are my favourite fish

Unfortuneately goniopora has no chance of success. That is why it a good idea to check here in the forum before you buy. You can improve the quality of life of her by placing her high in the tank where it is easy to feed her daily with lots of phtoplankton and zooplankton. Close all the pumps and powerheads off for thrity minutes and let the food drop slowly on top of her.

Oh ya guys please quite using the T-word. My spider can't pick it up.

Keep an eye out in the buy/sell section for something you want in Calgary. Then give yourself a couple of hours to buy the item because I have found that canreefers love to talk about their tanks! It's a great way to meet fellow reefers and get lots of one on one info about things that have and have not worked for people in their own tanks. My wife won't come along with me anymore to buy stuff because she gets bored and yells at me all the way home for taking so long.:sad:

I've been exploring the forum and have checked a few buy sell things! Frags intimidate me to be honest! Not sure how to attach and I still need more rock in my tank, have learned more rock means reaquascaping, attached means......?? Will figure it out. No pics tonight, sorry, tired, tomorrow.

ive posted a couple of pics on my profile of my tank. I think I've managed to add a couple here in this message as well. One more try, then too frustrated to keep at it today....

ahhh, it worked!! Just some of my corals and overall tank. Dry rock has turned flourescent yellow with green algae showing up. Anyone else have this? Tried to get my new buddy as well, but system says I've exceeded my limit....starry blenny - hes awesome!! Tank info posted in earlier post.

Cheers

Yeah a little algea on your new rock is normal to start with. I always found my shiny new rock would start green like that then as long as your levels are right purple will take over no problem :lol:

Nice pics. Welcome to the hobby and canreef. As a noob myself I find this site full of knowledge. It's also nice to see more female reefers.

Nice looking start to the tank!

Keep an eye on that coraline on the back glass otherwise you'll need to pickup an easy blade :biggrin:

Thanks for the welcome! We converted our fw to sw, I had no real interest in the tank before, had a huge Oscar that didn't like me so I had fun tormenting him...jk. When he died last year we just had a huge plecko left so didn't do much. We set up the sw, once I added the corals I was hooked and have taken over! I love it but wow, has it tormented me already!! Everyone here has been great!

Thanks! I just rescaped the tank after trying to get a fish out, looks better, pics to come. I thought the coraline on the glass was ok, keep it off the front of the tank..:surprise:

If you don't mind it then no problem. Some do not like it and clean it off. Totally up to you. :biggrin:

My tank sits in a corner so really only two sides viewable. I let the back glass do it's thing, coralline even hair algae on there. My mandarin dragonets appreciate it since that area harbours additional pods as a food source. It hides the hoses from the canister filter back there. Also have a wad of chaeto hanging on a bracket off the back rim. Without a sump you make do. I've let the one side glass go as well now, used try to keep that one clean but it became a pain with limited clearance to the wall so I figured why bother. More surface area for microscopic critters.

That's a nice looking tank. I'd like to say welcome as well, but I'm even fresher to this site than you. I am looking to jump from FW to SW and still reading up on info and trying to find the right setup. It is nice to see so many gurl fish enthusiasts on here. It's nice know you are not alone.

Welcome, not sure if i want to see pictures of you or your tank.

I just noticed some on the front glass this morning that I will remove but on the back and sides, I don't mind it at all. I find my blenny is picking at the algae on the back glass as well.

Here's a noob question - what's chaeto?

Welcome to you too then!! Keep reading and learning! I've read a zillion times, go to the biggest tank you can - we've got a 55 gl going and already talking about bigger, only because we are somewhat limited with space in the tank. We jumped in first then when our mistakes started causing problems, started to learn more. Unfortuately, it's been a little costly! I'm getting better with touching things and exploring when needed. I'm surprised at how many women are involved but think its so cool as well! You are not alone! Everyone here has been great and friendly and helpful! I'll look for your tank build when you get going! Can't offer much advise though....except invest in quality equipment, especially lights!
Cheers,

?????