# Recommendations for new Marine.



## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

Hi guys,
so a few weeks ago i began my new project and finally set up my marine tank,



Now after adding some live rock and a few Crabs, 





I Dont know what fish to get, I want coral in my tank so what fish would be best.

Many thanks! :-D


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*fish*

what size is the aquarium....if it is small...reef safe....percula or ocelaris clowns...scooter blennies...fire fish...shrimp gobies....small damsels...chromis...psuedochromis....banghai cardinals...to name a few...


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Another observation, given the height of your reef structure, which is small, you will be more limited than normal on how many fish you can keep before you begin to see aggressive behaviors. If you were to say, double the height of that live rock structure, then you would have a much easier time mixing fish.

It really depends on your goal. What fish are you interested in?


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

Pasfur said:


> Another observation, given the height of your reef structure, which is small, you will be more limited than normal on how many fish you can keep before you begin to see aggressive behaviors. If you were to say, double the height of that live rock structure, then you would have a much easier time mixing fish.
> 
> It really depends on your goal. What fish are you interested in?


Thanks for reply, im looking on getting loads more live rock because i want a nice reef.

i want really bright colorful fish.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

badxgillen said:


> what size is the aquarium....if it is small...reef safe....percula or ocelaris clowns...scooter blennies...fire fish...shrimp gobies....small damsels...chromis...psuedochromis....banghai cardinals...to name a few...


120 litres


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*fishy*

royal gramas are cool too...gramma loreto has a purple front half with a bright yellow rear portion...and they stay small...


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

badxgillen said:


> royal gramas are cool too...gramma loreto has a purple front half with a bright yellow rear portion...and they stay small...


great fish... don't confuse with the BiColor Pseudochromis, which is the same color but very territorial.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

look nice, i like tangs aswell, are they agressive or ok?


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

120 litres according to the Google calculator is 31 gallons... WAY too small for a tang.

Also we generally go by the rule of 1 pound per gallon of live rock... that would be around 14 kilos. Nothing wrong with having more though!


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

trukgirl said:


> 120 litres according to the Google calculator is 31 gallons... WAY too small for a tang.
> 
> Also we generally go by the rule of 1 pound per gallon of live rock... that would be around 14 kilos. Nothing wrong with having more though!


+1
+1 the more the merrier!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## reefsahoy (Jul 16, 2010)

suggestion, i like to keep my LR away from the glass so it's easier to clean and gives space for corals to grow.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

cheers for info mate, ive also noticed there is a brown substance building up on the LR and the substrate. what is this??


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

I agree. I wouldn't even consider a Tang in any tank under 6' in length, with the exception of a Kohl Tang, and even then a 55 gallon would be my absolute limit. They are just so active and need so much swimming space to stay healthy long term.


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

MrBishop said:


> cheers for info mate, ive also noticed there is a brown substance building up on the LR and the substrate. what is this??


sounds like your Diatom bloom.. its part of the cycle and nothing to worry about.. it looks really bad for a few days then starts to recede at this point i would add the CUC


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

bearwithfish said:


> sounds like your Diatom bloom.. its part of the cycle and nothing to worry about.. it looks really bad for a few days then starts to recede at this point i would add the CUC


Also, pay close attention to alkalinity and calcium levels at this point to encourage coraline growth.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

bearwithfish said:


> sounds like your Diatom bloom.. its part of the cycle and nothing to worry about.. it looks really bad for a few days then starts to recede at this point i would add the CUC


What is CUC



Pasfur said:


> Also, pay close attention to alkalinity and calcium levels at this point to encourage coraline growth.


thanks, How do i check this? and what do i need to look for?


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

CUC = Clean Up Crew. Hermits, snails, etc.

Calcium and alkalinity, in my opinion, are the 2 most important aspects of maintaining a marine aquarium long term. Unfortunately they are not discussed a lot at the pet shops, probably for fear of intimidating customers. Instead, the customer is told to do water changes. Water changes are beneficial, yes, but are not a reliable method of keeping calcium and alkalinity in balance.

The topic can get long and confusing. I hope I made it easier to understand in this article:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...calcium-testing-important-every-marine-33079/


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

Cheers pasfur,

I just got back from LFS and have returned with 2 clown fish and a fire shrimp,  they all seem very happy but the clowns keep swimming sideways just below the surface of the water, is this normal?


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## thefishboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Ive heard that the |Clownfish do swim sideways and things like that so.. Anyhow your tank is looking really cool!!


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

at the risk of sounding rude 
did you drip acclimate them? and as you were just getting the diatom bloom i thin kit may have been a touch to early.. keep up with your testing and if things start to climb (No2 and Nh3) do a partial water change...


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

yes i did,


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

bearwithfish said:


> at the risk of sounding rude
> did you drip acclimate them? and as you were just getting the diatom bloom i thin kit may have been a touch to early.. keep up with your testing and if things start to climb (No2 and Nh3) do a partial water change...


Great point. Swimming at the surface is common for newly acclimated Clownfish, but can also be a sign of problems. You really need to keep a close eye on them for the next 24 to 36 hours. And give that Nitrite another test tomorrow morning to be safe.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

So what is the Diatom bloom (apart from the brown substance at the bottom of my tank).? I it leathal to the clowns?

They seem to be ok but ill do a water test today just to check the levels, You guys got me gettin worried now :-(


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## thefishboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Dont be to worried, just keep an eye on things and do that test!!!
It said this on another website....
A http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/tags.php?tag=diatom+bloom(diatom bloom) is a normal part of a new tank. It is an indicator of high Nitrates and/or Phosphates.
It just says make sure you nItrites ans ammonia are at zero........ before adding anything else..


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

thefishboy said:


> Dont be to worried, just keep an eye on things and do that test!!!
> It said this on another website....
> A diatom bloom is a normal part of a new tank. It is an indicator of high Nitrates and/or Phosphates.
> It just says make sure you nItrites ans ammonia are at zero........ before adding anything else..


+1
the diatom bloom is an indicator that your system is starting to find balance. the issue with adding live stock at this point is that this is also an indicator that you system has not fully achieved this balance yet. by this i mean simply all of the bacteria and micro organisms have not fully developed yet. this in turn means that you need to keep a very close eye on your testing over the next few weeks (personally would recommend testing every other day is not every day for now). if any fluctuation in results shows an increase of nitrITEs or nitrATEs i would do a partial water change right away and continue to do them daily untill the number falls back into a good or unreadable level. 
this is not to say all hope is lost and that you are a bad person in any way every one who gets in to salt tanks gets excited and makes at least one mistake (at least every one i have learned from and i knowi certainly have!!!! only my mistake was BIG). 

on a side note a good Clean Up Crew will help get rid of the diatoms.. a number of floks will say snials only and a veriety is good but i am also a fan of crabs (hermits in particular) and while some have major issues with them i like a mix of snails and hermits to clean up the tank.. they do a good job... one tip on this get your snails way bigger than the crabs as the crabs may try to remove the snails shells but a larger snail has better odds of not falling prey...


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

bearwithfish said:


> +1
> the diatom bloom is an indicator that your system is starting to find balance. the issue with adding live stock at this point is that this is also an indicator that you system has not fully achieved this balance yet. by this i mean simply all of the bacteria and micro organisms have not fully developed yet. this in turn means that you need to keep a very close eye on your testing over the next few weeks (personally would recommend testing every other day is not every day for now). if any fluctuation in results shows an increase of nitrITEs or nitrATEs i would do a partial water change right away and continue to do them daily untill the number falls back into a good or unreadable level.
> this is not to say all hope is lost and that you are a bad person in any way every one who gets in to salt tanks gets excited and makes at least one mistake (at least every one i have learned from and i knowi certainly have!!!! only my mistake was BIG).
> 
> on a side note a good Clean Up Crew will help get rid of the diatoms.. a number of floks will say snials only and a veriety is good but i am also a fan of crabs (hermits in particular) and while some have major issues with them i like a mix of snails and hermits to clean up the tank.. they do a good job... one tip on this get your snails way bigger than the crabs as the crabs may try to remove the snails shells but a larger snail has better odds of not falling prey...


Thanks,

I done a test today and the results were fine, what is the differants between nitrites & nitrates?


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

badxgillen said:


> royal gramas are cool too...gramma loreto has a purple front half with a bright yellow rear portion...and they stay small...





Pasfur said:


> great fish... don't confuse with the BiColor Pseudochromis, which is the same color but very territorial.


Aren't Royal Grammas highly territorial and somewhat aggressive in a small tank!?

Nitrites are more poisonous at once, after the cycle they convert to nitrates. Nitrates are not as big of a problem at once, but overtime concentrations of Nitrates can harm your fish.

Nitrites are best kept at 0ppm after the cycle.
Nitrates are best kept 20ppm and under.


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## Mattcot (Nov 10, 2010)

how do you know when your cycle is finished?


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## thefishboy (Aug 20, 2010)

You test your water and when the ammonia and one of the nitrates nitrites are 0 then you know i think....


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Royal Gramma's are defensive, but not aggressive. The BiColor Pseudochromis will pursue other fish which it sees as a thread, attacking them and nipping aggressively at fins. The Royal Gramma, in comparison, behaves more like a Kribensis which is not spawning. It protects its area, but rarely leaves from its den.

Your tank is cycled when it no longer has ammonia or nitrite present. However, this concept is not really important in marine aquariums. The live rock will have all the bacteria necessary to process waste, assuming the rock is pre cured. The live sand contributes as well. Given that you will be adding fish slowly and running a protein skimmer, the bacteria have plenty of time to spread and adjust to new waste loads. 

The real concern is how "mature" the tank is. This process takes a couple of months. The longer you wait, the better, and the more successful you will likely be long term. You want a tank flourishing with microfauna, such as copepods and amphipods. You want the diatom bloom to have come and passed. You want coraline algae to be spreading over rocks and glass. These are signs of maturity, and should occur many weeks after the cycle is complete.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

Hey guys, after the tanks being setup for a few weeks now, ive noticed small pieces of green moss growing over everything in the tank, is this good?

cheers 

Danny:-D


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Green moss? I hate to ask, but can you post a pic?


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## jwalker314 (Jul 27, 2009)

sounds like possibly hair algae, which can also be part of the cycling process or the sign that there are high levels of nitrates in the water. Doing a test is pointless as the nitrates will read zero since the algae is consuming all of them. Do some water changes and scrub the rock with an old tooth brush and siphon out the algae. Also post some pics, that will help in an ID


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

Yeah guys heres some pics, (best i could get)









Thanks guys!


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## jwalker314 (Jul 27, 2009)

looks like Green Hair Algae (GHA) forming....if you are still in the early stages of your tank it should go away with regular water changes and a decent clean up crew.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

jwalker314 said:


> looks like Green Hair Algae (GHA) forming....if you are still in the early stages of your tank it should go away with regular water changes and a decent clean up crew.


cheers pal,

How ive got 5 hermits and a fire shrimp, do you reckon i need to add more to my Clean up Crew?


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

snails !!! about 6 or so and i would do a mix.. mexican turbos , nasserus,,,, and another good algae eater


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

bearwithfish said:


> snails !!! about 6 or so and i would do a mix.. mexican turbos , nasserus,,,, and another good algae eater


Just got back fro LFS and got 5 Turbo snails, and some NO3 PO4 - X to help get rid of that algae 
:-D


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

hi guys

so i have finally got rid of the algae :-D and today have got some more live rock and another 2 pieces if coral my tank is really starting to look great,

My LFS manager done me a really good deal on a mimic tang so i ended up coming back with one of them as well.... it looks very nice,


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*nice*

i love mimic tangs...what kinds of coral did you get?


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## thefishboy (Aug 20, 2010)

We need pics!


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

Im not sure what its called but heres a few pics for ya:-D








This is the what the tank looks like now:




So far i am very happy with the new project lol:-D oh yeah i also brought that live rock branch today (on the right). Looking forward to getting some more coral next weekend:-D:-D:-D


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## thefishboy (Aug 20, 2010)

That is so coming alive so to speak! Lovely new additions(s)!


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

thefishboy said:


> That is so coming alive so to speak! Lovely new additions(s)!


Cheers pal, ill make sure i keep the photos of the new additions


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## Mattcot (Nov 10, 2010)

they look good Bishop


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

MrBishop said:


> Im not sure what its called but heres a few pics for ya:-D


That is a Mimic Tang, aka Chocolate Tang, Acanthurus pyroferus. As Juveniles they will mimic the color pattern of Centropyge Angelfish, in your case the Lemon Peel Angel, Centroypge flavissimus. As adults, they are a deep brown/purple color, as you might expect from their other common name of Chocolate Tang.

This is a reasonably easy fish to care for in the aquarium, although it is an Acanthurus Tang and you will have some serious growth issues to deal with. When kept in smaller tank sizes, such as your tank, their aggression is much more of a problem and your Tang will probably make life difficult for future fish additions. I would play it safe and not add any other open water species, sticking only with rock dwellers from this point forward.

Also, be certain to feed algae sheets daily. You will not keep this fish successfully simply feeding flake and frozen foods alone. Their metabolism is crazy high and they require an abundance of algae to remain fat and healthy. I personally use the San Francisco Bay brand of algae sheets, which you can order online in bulk. 
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=7368


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*cool*

for my mimic i like to give him some caluarpa as a treat once or twice a week...proflifera or the grape works great.as far as the coral those are some nice green zoanthids onthat rock next to that red discasoma.and be carful of those gold palythoas as they spread and they have a reasonably powerful sting twords other corals...but not palythoas...looks great...oh and look up what your mimic will ultimatly look like...


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*hmmm*

and for the record now that i think about it many books wont have a proper name for the gold polyps so sorry about calling them palythoas...they act and can be treated like them...but dont have paly toxins..and sting.


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

badxgillen said:


> for my mimic i like to give him some caluarpa as a treat once or twice a week...proflifera or the grape works great.as far as the coral those are some nice green zoanthids onthat rock next to that red discasoma.and be carful of those gold palythoas as they spread and they have a reasonably powerful sting twords other corals...but not palythoas...looks great...oh and look up what your mimic will ultimatly look like...


Thanks mate,:-D


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