just a simple question

[john90009]

hello im new to this site and so far it seems to be very helpful and its nice you dont have to pay for it like other sites. i have a 55 gallon saltwater tank tht has been running for about 3 months so far i have mostly all mushrooms, zooas, and green star polyps, and galaxia coral. i have 260 watt of pc lighting i know its not alot but its the only thing i can afford for 100 bucks and also MH would run my electricity bill up to much however i was wondering if i would be able to have any kind of sps coral, and also if i was to get a deresa clam would it be able to live? i want my tank to look good and i dont know what other corals there are that would make it look relle nice. thanks

[Reef_Angel]

Thanks for joining us here at CR! Sounds like you have some great plans for your tank. You have a nice start with your 55g. It will be a raving beauty before you know it!

First I will say to you....take your time in adding new coral and fish to your tank. I've heard more people including ourselves cry over the loss of wonderful coral because we wanted that "complete reef" look! Ask lots of questions here, and you'll get a wealth of knowledge.

You have mostly soft coral in your tank right now, so you may want to lean in that direction. If you choose to add stony coral, make sure there is adequate distance between all coral. Good husbandry is a key to success when reefing. If you see a coral stressing, do your homework, and see if it possibly is in conflict with another piece in your tank. Move one piece to another area of your tank that suits it well.

I'm sure you'll get a good response to your questions, so I'll leave this open for the rest of the board to post on. Enjoy the site, and visit us often! :D
Happy Holidays! ....Angel

[graphixx]

JOHN, glad to see you made your way over here. there are a lot of good people here. like I said before. you might be able to get away with like a digitata and make sure its high in the tank to get the best light. and with the clams deresa will be the best clam for your light. the more vibrant clams need alot better lighting. but if your like the rest of us you will be upgrading that light. welcome aboard buddy.

[Reptoreef]

Squamosa and Durasa may be ok in the lower light... I prefer squamosa due to the fact that Durasa get much larger. As Greg said, lower light sps high on the rock, may be successful. For those lower light corals, I agree with the monti digitata, as well as some deeper water acros. However, water quality is a serious issue... especially in a smaller system with a highly mixed reef. As Angel mentioned, there is alot of things happening in the system without even apperantly having any contact... it is called chemical warfare between corals. Try a google on that and research until your eyes bleed, then take everything, opinion, etc with a grain of salt because just because it works for me or another reefer, doesn't mean it will work for you. Good luck and welcome to CR!!!

[graphixx]

aaahhh repto, your are correct sir. especially the softies are notorious for alleopathy (chemical warfare) and the smaller the tank the quicker the parameters shift.

[greg97527]

this is my 55 so no worries bud, you will have a alot more room than you think in a 55 gallon.

[Reptoreef]

BTW, make sure after you have a grasp on your water quality, to keep up on those levels that seem to be the essential side of SPS corals:Alkalinity, Calcium, and NEVER FORGET... Magnesium.

[john90009]

i have a buffer and stabalizer that keeps them at the levls they should be i hhink i dose twice aweek. im also gonan try to get a frogspawn head is there any tips how to make it thrive and not die?

[melev]

The best way is to maintain stability. Keep your reef parameters within goal ranges around the clock, and that also requires maintaining water quality with a good skimmer and water changes. Water changes are debated, but it is usually the cheapest solution to most problems our tanks encounter.

If your frogspawn isn't doing well, it could be:

lack of adequate lighting
too much direct flow
too high nitrates
too high phosphate
predation by something in the tank

It is one of the easier corals, provided you are doing everything you should to keep the tank running as it should.

[Sparky]

How do you control Magnesium levels. Haven't test MAG yet I paln on getting a Salifert test kit in the morning. I am having problems raising my calcium and Alalinity, I am adding B-Ionic 2 part Cal, and Alk, I do 10-15% WC bi weekly, and have a new 6 stag RODI just installed 3 months ago.

[john90009]

umm im also concerned about my galaxia coral which idk if it dieing yet theres to much polpys to notice anyhting however on lie 2 polpls it seems like the tentacles arnt coming out as much i guess its dieing: /.but i use this liquid doser called reef code-a and reef code-b twice weekly which is suposed to keep calcium and magnesiuma nd evything at the proper level. has anyone used this before and know if it relle works.

[melev]

How do you control Magnesium levels. Haven't test MAG yet I paln on getting a Salifert test kit in the morning. I am having problems raising my calcium and Alalinity, I am adding B-Ionic 2 part Cal, and Alk, I do 10-15% WC bi weekly, and have a new 6 stag RODI just installed 3 months ago.

Magnesium is a big topic. In a nutshell, it takes a lot to bring it up, but once it is there it stays there a while.

I use an online calculator to determine what I need:
http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

First, test the water for the current level. Then enter that in the spreadsheet. Next enter the level you want to achieve. Enter the total water volume of your system. Pick the Magnesium additive you'll use, and click calculate.

I use Mag Flake and Epsons Salt (Recipe #2 on this page (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php)), mixed with RO water. Then I dose what the tank needs. I wait a few days before I test to see what the level is.

You should only dose enough to raise Magnesium 100ppm per day.

[Sparky]

Thanks for the info I will get a MAG test kit and get started, Can I run My calcium reactor will I bring the MAG level?

[melev]

Your question is missing some key words, I think. ;)

Can you run the calcium reactor now? If you know how it works, and know what your current Calcium and Alkalinity levels are. This is something you need to test for virtually daily to make sure that the reactor is working properly, dialing it in to match the tank's needs. I don't know if this page was linked already, but in case you've not read it and want more input on Calcium Reactors, here's my write up. At the base of the page is a much more detailed article from Reefkeeping Online.
http://www.melevsreef.com/calcium_reactor.html

I run a Calcium Reactor on my system, and dose Magnesium as necessary. Usually that is every two to three weeks.

[Sparky]

I have been testing Calcium and Alkalinity daily and dosing with B-ionic and not having any success thats were the MAG came into the picture. I have a Korallin C-1502 reactor and Pine Point PH controller, My question is do I need to adress the MAG first or can I run the reactor while I raise the MAG?

[Reptoreef]

You can run the reactor , but there is going to be a somewhat fruitless out put as the Mag is an essential part of the process in the desired natural effects between the calcium and alkalinity needs by your corals, coraline algae, etc. IMO, get those mag levels up above 1280(I keep mine closer to 1350-1400) first and then work on the reactor.

[Sparky]

What test kit do you use for MAG and what do you dose with?

[Reptoreef]

I use Saliferts and dose with Epsom Salts(cheap and effective) or Commercial Mag suppliments like Kents(pretty pricey). Either way, be sure not to just go out and get a suppliment and dose without testing... or researching it further as there are some out there that believe using epsom salts only can be harmful in the long run. Personally, I use Epsom Salt and have seen no negative effects. However, I do advise a 10 to 20% water change with a salt higher than or equal to the 1280 PPM reading for Magnesium. I am under the impression that with the prolonged use of Esome Salts that there is a build up of sulfer that can be harmful.

[melev]

Often times, the best way to get things in line is to do a 25% water change. Then turn on your calcium reactor, stop dosing B-Ionic, and dose Magnesium to get it to a good level.

Magnesium only needs to be 3x the calcium level; 1300ppm or higher works for most. For my tank 1400 is what I need to keep montipora happy.

[Sparky]

Thanks for the help guys, I will do a 25% WC this weekend and keep testing and hopefully it will straighten out soon THANKS AGAIN!!!!