Anemone,leather and mushroom coral

[Doc]

it's true. BTAs are easier to keep, but can still be a challenge. Here are my :twocents:. If your tank has been set up for between 6-9 months WITH stable and consistent high quality (meaning your parameters are ideal), go ahead with the BTA. If you are not quite there yet, you are taking a risk adding it, especially if your parameters are all over the place.

Smaller weekly water changes are better than one larger monthly water change. You run more of a risk of shocking your tank with a big change that if you do smaller ones. that way, the bacteria has a chance to keep mutiplying rather than getting a huge water change, remove so many of them.

Here is the thing I have learned over time. You already know what you are going to do. This is your tank and your money. You make the decisions. We cannot change that one bit. If you are dead-set, go for it. Experience is the best teacher for anything. No one can tell you if it will work for you or not. We have our own experience, but few of us are experts (hope I didn't hurt your feelings Yote and reeffreak....:bounce:). I certainly am not one. Best of luck to you.

-Dr Marco :sfish:

 

[yote]

Not at all Doc.
The only thing I'm an expert at is being a redneck:mrgreen:

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

i agree with doc about experance being the best teacher as for the water changes i disagree..... Im a believer in bigger water changes, you water is the sewer system of your tank. I do 40-50% water change once a month. I have never "shocked my tank" if anything everyone is happier afterwards....... heres a little something i ulled off SeaHorse Aquarium Supply
WHY LARGER WATER CHANGES
When it comes to do a water change, 1 large change per month is much more effective than many smaller changes over a month's time. The temperature doesn't need to be the same - plus or minus 15 degrees is fine. Salt concentration plus or minus 0.002 is fine also. Use the opportunity to adjust your salt level in the tank. If your tank is lower than you want, add slightly more salty new water. The logic is like this:
Let's say we have a 100 gallon tank and there are 100 nitrates to be removed. If you change 10 gallons you remove 10 nitrates. Adding new water dilutes the nitrates and there are 90 left. Changing 10 more gallons removes 9 nitrates. the next 10 gallon change removes 8.1 nitrates. 3 water changes removes 27.1 nitrates.
Now do a 50 gallon change. 50 nitrates are gone. Replace with new water and do another 50 gallon change which removes 25 nitrates. 2 water changes removes 75 nitrates. Get the idea

 

[Lanzo]

DAMN!!!!!!
DID YOU DO SOME RESEACH?

I'LL TRY A 30%

I got two leathers and purple mush and some kind of sponge thing i'll take some picks tom...
I didn't take the anemone, i'll waite i bit.

 

[yote]

I think you'll be happy that you waited on the anemone.
But the leathers and shrooms should do fine.
Now get a pic up.

 

[reeffreak]

i agree with doc about experance being the best teacher as for the water changes i disagree..... Im a believer in bigger water changes, you water is the sewer system of your tank. I do 40-50% water change once a month. I have never "shocked my tank" if anything everyone is happier afterwards....... heres a little something i ulled off SeaHorse Aquarium Supply
WHY LARGER WATER CHANGES
When it comes to do a water change, 1 large change per month is much more effective than many smaller changes over a month's time. The temperature doesn't need to be the same - plus or minus 15 degrees is fine. Salt concentration plus or minus 0.002 is fine also. Use the opportunity to adjust your salt level in the tank. If your tank is lower than you want, add slightly more salty new water. The logic is like this:
Let's say we have a 100 gallon tank and there are 100 nitrates to be removed. If you change 10 gallons you remove 10 nitrates. Adding new water dilutes the nitrates and there are 90 left. Changing 10 more gallons removes 9 nitrates. the next 10 gallon change removes 8.1 nitrates. 3 water changes removes 27.1 nitrates.
Now do a 50 gallon change. 50 nitrates are gone. Replace with new water and do another 50 gallon change which removes 25 nitrates. 2 water changes removes 75 nitrates. Get the ideaNope...can you explain it again(JK)

I've had zero nitrates since setting up my system back in January.I still don't understand why but I'll take it.I find it less stressful to do smaller weekly water changes than one large monthly water change.My only reason for doing water changes at all right now is to replace trace elements.

 

[Lanzo]

HEY HEY I'm back!!!

I got a virus on my pc!!!It took me 1week to get back online.

O.K BACK TO MARINES!!!
I did a 10% WC last week and a 10% WC today.
MY ligths is on for 5-6 hours a day.
Algae on my glass is less,but ithe algae on my live rock is still alot.
I promised that i would paste a pic,i'll try doing it tom...

I got a good deal on a new phosphate reactor(incl a uv light),will this be good for my tank if i get it or must i spend that money on something else?
I'm getting new test kits on saterday.

 

[Bifferwine]

A phosphate reactor will help A LOT to cut back on the algae. If you are having algae problems, then definitely get the phosphate reactor.

 

[yote]

I think the phos reacter will help.