# How does my tank look?



## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

Name:	54 Corner Bowfront
Owner:	toonyace316
Type	: Saltwater
Substrate: Live	Sand
Size:	54 Gallons
Live Rock:	65+ Lbs.
Power Head:	1 Koralia? brand
Protein Skimmer:	Aqua C Remora Pro
Inhabitants:	12 Dwarf Hermit Crabs, 3 ? Snails, 3 Mexican Turbo Snails, 1 Sand Sifting Star, A few Tube Anemones, A small colony of Zoas or Polyps, some Xenia, a Feather Duster, 1 Large Female Clown, 1 Small Yellow Tang, 1 Small Chromis, 1 Small Longnosed Hawkfish, 1 Scarlet Hawk, 1 Male Psychedelic Mandarin (Very large and fat), and 1 Chalk Basslet
Filtration:	Marineland C-220 Canister Filter
Lighting:	17" 150 M.H. Pendant with 2 14 W Actinic T5's
Temperature:	About 76*F
Decor:	Live rock lined on back walls and live sand on bottom
Accessories:	Wooden Stand
Food:	Frozen Brine, Flake, and occasionally live brine

It is a year old, and it doesn't look bad at all. I use Tropic Marin, and I do 5 gallon water changes weekly BTW.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

Upload some pics and I'll let you know... ;-)

All your specs look good. Do you have a sump? How long has that Mandarin been in there? I am not a fan of that canister filter; how often do you clean it?


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

I don't have a sump, and I just got the Mandarin. I know the person at my LFS, Dallas North Aquarium, and he said it was a very healthy looking one, and by my research I agree. I change the floss once a month and carbon bi-monthly.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

This thread is useless without pictures. ;-) (pretty please??)


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

toonyace316 said:


> I don't have a sump, and I just got the Mandarin. I know the person at my LFS, Dallas North Aquarium, and he said it was a very healthy looking one, and by my research I agree. I change the floss once a month and carbon bi-monthly.


The Psychadelic Mandarin is also called the "Bullseye" Mandarin as far as I know. That would be yours, the one with all the bullseyes on it? It is tough to get these to eat prepared food, so keep a good supply of live food in your tank. These animals can wipe out a copepod population in a week. You might need to supplement with Reef Nutrition's "Tigger Pods" if he doesn't accept pellets or frozen (which is likely). I have the Green Mandarin, and he eats nothing but pods. 

I think that you should be cleaning out the filter more often, but the true tell will be your Calcium, Alkalnity and Nitrate tests. Can you post the results of these?


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

Here are some pics:
























































This is a portrait shot. Sorry for him hiding, he is new.


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

wake49 said:


> The Psychadelic Mandarin is also called the "Bullseye" Mandarin as far as I know. That would be yours, the one with all the bullseyes on it? It is tough to get these to eat prepared food, so keep a good supply of live food in your tank. These animals can wipe out a copepod population in a week. You might need to supplement with Reef Nutrition's "Tigger Pods" if he doesn't accept pellets or frozen (which is likely). I have the Green Mandarin, and he eats nothing but pods.
> 
> I think that you should be cleaning out the filter more often, but the true tell will be your Calcium, Alkalnity and Nitrate tests. Can you post the results of these?


Mine is the Striped and non-bulls-eye. The scientific name is Synchiropus splendidus. I have live brine shrimp to feed him with my pods until I can wean him on to frozen HUFA enriched brine, which I have. I will do the tests soon and post results. I might have low calcium, but I have supplements for that and Alk. Also, I am doing a W.C. tomorrow, so Nitrate won't be a problem.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

I can't see the pic. Can you try tinypic.com?


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

toonyace316 said:


> Mine is the Striped and non-bulls-eye. The scientific name is Synchiropus splendidus.


 I have the same one. He is a finnicky eater, I'll tell you that. 

You might be supplementing pods for his entire stay in your tank. Do you have a sump?


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

Nitrate: <5 
Calcium: 420
Alkalinity: 8

Added supplements for Calcium and Alk.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

toonyace316 said:


> Nitrate: <5
> Calcium: 420
> Alkalinity: 8
> 
> Added supplements for Calcium and Alk.


These results look good. The Alkalinity is at the bottom of the acceptable range, but Calcium is still in a good range. What dosing system do you use? That Nitrate reading is probably insignificant. DOC's can mess with the Alkalinity, so if you were to have a Nitrate problem, falling Alkalinity would be a precursor to this. Does your Calcium stay around 420pp, while Alklinity needs heavier dosing?


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

Not really. I don't supplement either much, but nothing in my tank takes a lot of 'em.

EDIT: Here are the Pics, on Tinypic this time


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

Ok. Try to get that Alkalinity up to 9-10 dKH. But go slowly. Only increase the dose by .5 ml over the next few days. It is better to have that number in the higher range, as you have more time to see a problem coming.


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

Thanks for all this help. All in all, does my tank look good?


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

It does. Good luck ever trying to get a pic of that Mandarin. I have had one in my 150 for a year and he's still camera shy. 

That Yellow Tang might not do so well in an aquarium stocked like yours. He might show signs of being stressed and sickly as he grows. I would reccommend nothing shy of a 75 for an experienced hobbyist housing a Yellow Tang, or anything from the Zebrasoma genus specifically. They can be territorial and need a good amount of swimming room. Just keep an eye on him...

Everything else looks real nice. If you read through the saltwater section here, you will notice that we do not really rely on canister filters or HOT fiilters of any sort. We mainly use the Berlin Method of fitration as outlined in the article: Saltwater Filtration 101, How it Differs from Freshwater


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

I am planning on trading in the tang before it can be stunted. Before, I had a Fiji Foxface and Blueline Rabbit (small ones) and the Fiji got ich and died in quarantine, but the Tang didn't. The death of the Blueline is another story. I thought it was dead when it got caught in my skimmer pump, and I waited to take it out. Soon after I got him out, he peacefully passed. I think the tang is relatively hardy. I also know I probably shouldn't have gotten those Rabbitfish.


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## marine666 (Dec 7, 2009)

supplements for Calcium and Alk will work better if you add them on alternate day's and if you have to add them together leave it at least 30 between them. i'm personally battling with alk should be between 12-14 kh


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

Yeah, Rabbitfish are definitely for larger tanks, like over 6' in length.

Zebrasoma genus of tangs are a hardier bunch than other genera, but you are probably better off like you said. 

I am glad to hear you quaratine your fish.


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Wow! Spectacular tank!


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## toonyace316 (Mar 19, 2010)

Thank you! It was my best B-Day present ever. I am glad I'm still a kid and don't have to pay the $3,500 that has probably been invested into this.


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