My 15 gallons of the ocean!

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Looks good! I like the cave!

Thank you, I appreciate it! It took a lot of courage for me to stick my hands back in the tank after realizing I touched a bristle worm... I got lucky that it didn't bite me or the bristles didn't get into me.

I am going to be honest, it took me half an hour for me to finally suck it up and rearrange the rocks... Lol...

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

  Ok, so this morning, I think I have found out what those antenna things are in my tank, that I have been wondering about. I believe they are spaghetti worms, which is cool! I have a lot of them all over my tank, and it says that it will out-compete bristle worms for food.


 One question: 

My rocks are just stacked on top of each other. Is that ok? They are stable, but I can also very easily make them fall with my hand if I want to.

 

[Ollie67]

Yes, your rocks should be fine. Some people glue them and some don't. If you think they can easily fall with stronger water flow, I would consider gluing them with reef safe glue (or Cyanoacrylate). If they only fall with the push of your hand and they are in a good spot (don't wiggle/move too much), I wouldn't glue them- there's no need as all the fish in that size tank won't have enough force to move them.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Yes, your rocks should be fine. Some people glue them and some don't. If you think they can easily fall with stronger water flow, I would consider gluing them with reef safe glue (or Cyanoacrylate). If they only fall with the push of your hand and they are in a good spot (don't wiggle/move too much), I wouldn't glue them- there's no need as all the fish in that size tank won't have enough force to move them.

Ok, then I think it is fine!

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Alright, so this is going to be a quick update.

I am going on a skiing trip, so I won't be home tonight, and tomorrow night, so I probably won't update the thread until I get back home.

I tested nitrites before I left, and they are down to .25ppm! I definitely think I will be able to get fish when I get home!

 

[Ollie67]

Alright, so this is going to be a quick update.

I am going on a skiing trip, so I won't be home tonight, and tomorrow night, so I probably won't update the thread until I get back home.

I tested nitrites before I left, and they are down to .25ppm! I definitely think I will be able to get fish when I get home!

Sounds good! I hope the trip is fun!

I got fish the next day when my nitrites were 0.25, the should be zero when you get home! That's exciting news, keep us posted!

Also, do you remember what type of fish your LFS had when you went? Did any catch your eye?

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Sounds good! I hope the trip is fun!

I got fish the next day when my nitrites were 0.25, the should be zero when you get home! That's exciting news, keep us posted!

Also, do you remember what type of fish your LFS had when you went? Did any catch your eye?

Thanks! I am already enjoying it, the AirBNB is really nice! It's on a lake so its really pretty!

My LFS had ALOT of baby clowns that I liked. They had more black then the normal basic clowns. They also had one yellow watchman goby, but he might be gone, but if he's still there I might have to get him, he was really cute, only of I can though, I don't really know though.

 

[Ollie67]

Thanks! I am already enjoying it, the AirBNB is really nice! It's on a lake so its really pretty!

My LFS had ALOT of baby clowns that I liked. They had more black then the normal basic clowns. They also had one yellow watchman goby, but he might be gone, but if he's still there I might have to get him, he was really cute, only of I can though, I don't really know though.

Yeah you could definitely start with the watchman goby, he's on my list. My LFS said they get one or two every week usually, they are pretty common/popular. You could also get a clown or two if you'd like, whether that's before or after the goby.

Do you like the black clowns? That's good that they have a variety.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Yeah you could definitely start with the watchman goby, he's on my list. My LFS said they get one or two every week usually, they are pretty common/popular. You could also get a clown or two if you'd like, whether that's before or after the goby.

Do you like the black clowns? That's good that they have a variety.

They look somewhat like this. They have more thick black banding on parts of them, which I like. Some clowns have little to no black banding around them, which I don't really like.


They are also not paired, because there is maybe 20 of then in the tank. They are very small.

 

[Ollie67]

They look somewhat like this. They have more thick black banding on parts of them, which I like. Some clowns have little to no black banding around them, which I don't really like.


They are also not paired, because there is maybe 20 of then in the tank. They are very small.

That looks pretty nice! Those could be an option for you! I think it's good they're small, it means they could be juveniles and will grow into your tank.

 

[Fishy888]

The fish store said I have 5ppm nitrates, as well as 5ppm nitrites.

Probably because they use API to test with! I’m glad they actually care more for the welfare of the animals than the welfare of their wallets. Nonetheless nitrites can cause nitrate test kits to read too high.

 

[Fishy888]

This is not all of it, but it's the best picture I could get before it went into the rock.

It’s a bristle worm. Some of the best clean up crew members you could ever hope for!

 

[Fishy888]

You can do large water changes as bacteria lives on surface and not in water column so 100 percent change if they wanted, which I do, is no issue at any point. If there is nitrates, you have the bacteria needed on the surfaces. If he adds the live rock or even bacteria in a bottle back at start, he would be good to go. Its more about stocking balance. Any increase or decrease in nutrients will effect bacteria but this is always constant.

But as you stated nothing wrong with waiting and letting levels go down either.

You wouldn’t want to do a 100% water change in a tank full of SPS unless you are 100% sure your new water is at the exact temperature, salinity and pH. I personally would only do huge water changes if it were an emergency.

 

[Fishy888]

Yeah, I am doing a 1.045 dip.

If you can’t tolerate them I get it but you’d be losing out on probably the second best clean up crew members you could ever hope to get.

 

[Fishy888]

Looks like asterina starfish. Majority are good. But there are a few species that have been said to go after coral. But majority are ok. Just watch. Sometimes they will eat around dying flesh of coral like a few other critters so they get bad rap at times. But some will take a bite.

Asterina starfish, an introduction to this common reef aquarium critter | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Have you ever wondered what that itsy bitsy starfish is doing in your tank? The sneaky starfish probably hitchhiked its way in on some live rock or new coral, but now there are dozens of small grayish…

reefbuilders.com

Thankfully the coral eaters are rare.

 

[Fishy888]

My brother really likes them, and so do I, but should I worry?

No worries. The coral eaters are quite rare thankfully.

 

[Fishy888]

Are these bad?

Nope. I love asterina starfish. I’m trying to grow them purposely. They also help clean the rocks.

 

[Fishy888]

Anyone know what this is? Looks like a tiny shrimp to me, but I don't know. Maybe a brine shrimp? It looks dead, but it's not.

That’s an amphipod. Copepods and amphipods IMO are THE best CUC members. They can get into spaces so tiny as to boggle the mind. There are people who say they only eat phyto but that’s just not true. They’re omnivores. Sure they’ll eat phyto but they also eat fish food, pieces of fish and shrimp, etc.

Hitchhikers are far more beneficial than harmful. They’re a sign of a healthy ecosystem. From microscopic to the largest, they serve to balance water quality and to help keep the pores in live rock open. I’m a believer in diversity. The healthiest tanks have these creatures in them.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

That’s an amphipod. Copepods and amphipods IMO are THE best CUC members. They can get into spaces so tiny as to boggle the mind. There are people who say they only eat phyto but that’s just not true. They’re omnivores. Sure they’ll eat phyto but they also eat fish food, pieces of fish and shrimp, etc.

Hitchhikers are far more beneficial than harmful. They’re a sign of a healthy ecosystem. From microscopic to the largest, they serve to balance water quality and to help keep the pores in live rock open. I’m a believer in diversity. The healthiest tanks have these creatures in them.

Wow, @Fishy888, you helped a lot, thanks!

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

You wouldn’t want to do a 100% water change in a tank full of SPS unless you are 100% sure your new water is at the exact temperature, salinity and pH. I personally would only do huge water changes if it were an emergency.

why wouldnt it be. If its off a few its not going to hurt. Salinity should be and temperature roughly the same but still can be off some. There is nothing with a 100 percent water change that would hurt anything except changing salt type, only time I had issue. This will temporary lower nutrient levels and replenish all trace elements. It doesnt hurt any bacteria as they live on surface areas. Corals can handle sudden changes and are alot hardier than we think but this wouldnt be any sudden change.. Doesnt mean we cant slip up time to time lol.

Not saying you have to do 100 percent but not sure why hobbyist keep saying you cant when it is not true with coral.

In fact if people could do 100 percent water changes daily and was feasable i would think most would over dosing, or even have constant water exchange. Now if you want high nutrients phosphates and nitrates, then the water change will lower this temporarily but most people doing this dose anyways.

There isnt anything wrong with not doing water change if everything is good, but its a myth you cant do 100 percent. This sps has been done tgis way for a few years before I shutdown the tank. Fragged several times.