Starting up new tank for my GSPs

[Maggiec]

So what happened to the wrasse?

It's base rock.

[bertie 83]

If it's base rock (never live) you can add it without fear, just soak it first to get rid of any dust/dirt

[Maggiec]

Ok great, that sounds easy. I think I'll re-do the rock-scaping a bit, do a water change & set up the new skimmer this weekend. I guess I can take down the AC110 for now until I figure out what to do with it. Do you think it would be useful down the road if I tried to make a DIY refugium out of it? Would that be too much or beneficial to my tank?

Once the skimmer is on, should I have something more in the tank besides the CUC? Is it a good ideal at that point to add fish? I kind of fell for a yellow watchman goby at the LFS but wonder if I should exercise restraint. They are so-o cool. My puffers seem so nice with each other but the truth is they have never been with other fish before so I don't know how they will react. From reading various stories, I know it's really hard to know until you try and see what the personality of your puffer is like.

What do you all think of macro algae inside the display tank? I do miss the greenery of my FW tanks and I've seen some interesting macro algae out there. I think some of them will run amuck but there are some nice ones too?

[Pufferpunk]

I have used my AC filters for adding good flow to a SW tank & add LR rubble in there for extra biological filtration.

[Maggiec]

So I added some base rock & hope it gets seeded as time goes on. I added a couple of hermits & they crawled into the rock somewhere - hope I see them again at some point. I just did a 30% WC and the readings are:

S: 1.22 PH: 8 A: 0 NO2: O NO3: 20

Kinda worried about nitrate as it hasn't come down. Suggestions?

The LF has been doing well, no smell & I didn't see any ammonia readings at all. Hairy mushroom colony had no casualties & is doing great. Here's the rock layout. I left a sort of labrinth inside the two piles so there's room for smaller guys to navigate in between & also formed lots of caves, archways for fish to swim thru. What do you all think?

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I just noticed there are tons of tiny white things (like specks of lint/fluff) on glass. At first I thought they were air bubbles. They're all over the glass. White not green like algae. What is it?

LFS is having big Boxing Day Sale so hope to add a couple of fish then. Maybe a wrasse & clownfish. I'm thinking after a few more days of new fish settling in & establishing territory, I'll finally move puffers in. Good plan?

[Pufferpunk]

Looks great! How many gallons?

[Maggiec]

75 gallons. 55 lbs live rock, 30 lbs base rock.

So should I be concerned about this white fluff? You can actually see it in thd 3rd pic, like white specks.

I'm worried about thd mushrooms. First I googled re clownfish & was like, yay they sometimes host clownfish. Then I read a few more threads & then it was Omg, they ate someone's clownfish!
I can't tell if these are killer Audrey II mushrooms or not.

[Pufferpunk]

LOL, those shrooms won't eat your clownfish! I wouldn't worry about the white specks. Most reefers keep a Magfloat on the back side of their tanks, to clean the front glass daily.

[Maggiec]

Whew, ok good to know. SW is so fascinating. The diversity of life is just crazy & there is so much to learn/discover. My husband is complaining that my face is stuck in my phone, as I'm googling one thing or another. I did WC on my daughter's guppy tank yesterday & it seemed so simple,haha.

So I wonder what this white stuff is? It's like a bloom of some kind of life form.

Ok, the mag float is something I need to add to my Amazon cart.

[bertie 83]

Don't know what the white stuff is. Had it in my tank when I started it as s/w but it soon goes. Get a mag float they are a great tool.

[Maggiec]

I think it might be copepods? If so they are a good thing I think - an indication of a healthy tank. Except I don't have a mandarin in there to enjoy them
The glass is covered, especially the front. They are stuck on the glass despite the good water flow & seem really light/fluffy. I've stared at them at length & tho I can't be 100% sure, I swear I see some teeny filaments or antennae.

I can't wait for Boxing Day!! Not shoes or boots this year - fish!

[bertie 83]

Pods will be running round. If it's static it's likely some sort of diatom or similar, it will soon pass.

[sgtmyers88]

Do they look like little pinepples? If so that's just normal and expected.

[Maggiec]

I don't think so. More like shrimps? But fluffy, and white. I don't think it's diatoms either.
Rock & sand look clean too. There are lots of amphipods running around when lights are out.
There are little orange starfish but only with three arms?

[Maggiec]

Hope you all had a great Christmas!

I went on my Boxing Day trip to the LFS. Huge lineup! I totally under-estimated how crazy these fish people are
Anyway, I came home with a pair of Nemos, a yellow watchman goby and a pistol shrimp (fine-stripe). I know I know. I am really hoping the puffers are as nice to them as they are to each other. The goby seems eccentric but wily. He loved all the hidden paths & caves I set up & I would catch glimpses of him as he darted around inside. The pistol started digging a cave & disappeared but I see little mounds of sand around the area. I hope they all settle in. The clowns are really cute, so goofy & sweet. I'll give them a couple of weeks before the puffers move in. Dun dun dun.

The Remora skimmer is pretty good - so quiet. The pre filter box works great & hides the pump too. It's really sleek. ( I took the AC110 off & think I have enough movement without it. I'll keep it & read up on uses for it. Macrolagae?) There is a chamber in the pre filter box for media - would this be a good place for a bag of Purigen? What do you think of this product?

Here are the new guys