1st SW Tank RSM250. Need Advice

[godzen]

This is my first SW tank. No previous experience. So, started my RSM250 with 75lb of live rocks full of coralline from a local. After two weeks, there were some die-off but for the most part, things of settled down a bit. I put in 30lb of new aragonite sand. The previous owner was slacking off and uses tap water for his tank so naturally the rocks were full of GHA. We manually brushed them off before making the transfer.

Here's a photo of the tank that is a day old.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/godzen/DSC_0121.jpg



Well, after two weeks, it seems the GHA is beginning to take over the tank along with what I think are bubble algae and brown algae on the sand. Please help me identify.


http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/godzen/DSC_0133.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/godzen/DSC_0130.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/godzen/DSC_0126.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/godzen/DSC_0125.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/godzen/DSC_0124.jpg

Now, my question is, is this part of the normal "new tank progression?" Keep in mind I do have two fishes in there (that came with the purchase and 75lbs of live rocks). Ammonia is currently between 0 & 0.25, nitrite at 0.1, nitrate 0....Feeding the fishes once every other day. I currently run this at default with included skimmer, ceramic media, black sponge and fine filter that I clean out every couple of days. I'm thinking of getting chem pure elite and purigen and maybe upgrade to the intank RSM250 media basket so I can grow some macro. My biggest concern is dealing with hair algae. From my current setup, how should I proceed? I am ready to take this slow, slow and slow. I'm willing to be patient and do this right the first time. Plan on keeping this hobby for a long time. Here's my plan


1. Will not add any addition livestocks until everything completely at 0
2. Once all test at 0, will add CUC to deal with nuisance algae. Please recommend to me where and what to get here. I read that we start out 1/2 cuc per gallon and build up from there. I read alot about how to get rid of the GHA but not
the bubble algae.
3. use chemi-pure elite and purigen. Grow some macro cheato
4. Once algae taken care of and test all at 0, start to add in corals. Please recommend some nice corals here. I will definitely buy a pair of clowns and anemone down the road
5. My lights is currently set at 10hrs/day from 8 to 6pm. Is this too much w/o corals? Should I go down to 4 hrs/day until everything is established and I start adding corals? After adding corals, how long should I keep the light on? 10hrs?

[dunc101]

1. Will not add any addition livestocks until everything completely at 0.
Sounds good.
2. Once all test at 0, will add CUC to deal with nuisance algae. Please recommend to me where and what to get here. I read that we start out 1/2 cuc per gallon and build up from there. I read alot about how to get rid of the GHA but not.
John from reefcleaners.org is great! I'd recommend him.... go to his website and submit a request and he'll give you a recommendation.
3. use chemi-pure elite and purigen. Grow some macro cheato.
OK.
4. Once algae taken care of and test all at 0, start to add in corals. Please recommend some nice corals here. I will definitely buy a pair of clowns and anemone down the road.
I would wait a minimum of 6 months for the nem. Most would probably recommend a year old. There are a ton of nice corals, I prefer SPS, but you need a very clean tank and good lights. If you want to add some SPS, I would not add any until your tank is established at least 6 months or so. You can add a few softies as soon as your cycle is done (I personally love Zoas).

5. My lights is currently set at 10hrs/day from 8 to 6pm. Is this too much w/o corals? Should I go down to 4 hrs/day until everything is established and I start adding corals? After adding corals, how long should I keep the light on? 10hrs?
- What type of lights do you have? T5's? 10 hrs should be fine with T5's after it is established, but if you start having some algae outbreaks, I would go "dark" for a few days. As a matter of fact, in the cycle, you don't need your lights on at all (the fish you have will be fine and it will keep down on the algae).
After the cycle, I would do 1 hour of just actinics, main lights on for 8 hours, then actinics only for last hour.

Hope this helps.

[Cubeman]

Your Blue Faced Angelfish is not compatible with your future plans for the aquarium and in my opinion your tank will be too small to support its adult size. If you are sure you are going to keep invertebrates in the future then this beautiful fish may become your worst nightmare.

You will learn in this hobby that you will receive a lot of seemingly contradictory advice. There is no absolute, what works for some doesn't work for others. I started with saltwater tanks in the very late 70's; if this were my tank and I planned to add easy to keep corals and the like later on this is what I would do:

1) Sell the angelfish. Then;
2) Take out the worst rocks and scrub them again with a stiff brush in waste tank water. Then use a turkey baster to blow all of the detritus out of the holes in the rocks. Place back in tank, then;
3) Start adding a clean up crew. I find most people new to the hobby buy way to many "clean up critters" which once the tank is cleaner slowly die off from starvation. The 1 snail per gallon rule that you often see is ridiculous. Start with 1/10 of that and see how they handle it. Slowly add more if necessary.
4) Plan what you want the end state of your aquarium to be, and don't add anything (regardless of how pretty/fascinating it is) that isn't compatible in size or temperment.


Be patient and good luck.

[godzen]

Your Blue Faced Angelfish is not compatible with your future plans for the aquarium and in my opinion your tank will be too small to support its adult size. If you are sure you are going to keep invertebrates in the future then this beautiful fish may become your worst nightmare.

You will learn in this hobby that you will receive a lot of seemingly contradictory advice. There is no absolute, what works for some doesn't work for others. I started with saltwater tanks in the very late 70's; if this were my tank and I planned to add easy to keep corals and the like later on this is what I would do:

1) Sell the angelfish. Then;
2) Take out the worst rocks and scrub them again with a stiff brush in waste tank water. Then use a turkey baster to blow all of the detritus out of the holes in the rocks. Place back in tank, then;
3) Start adding a clean up crew. I find most people new to the hobby buy way to many "clean up critters" which once the tank is cleaner slowly die off from starvation. The 1 snail per gallon rule that you often see is ridiculous. Start with 1/10 of that and see how they handle it. Slowly add more if necessary.
4) Plan what you want the end state of your aquarium to be, and don't add anything (regardless of how pretty/fascinating it is) that isn't compatible in size or temperment.


Be patient and good luck.

Yeah, plan to trade the angels once I go coral. Okay, will go dark for a couple of days to help decrease the algae. John recommend an assort array of dwarf ceriths, nassarius, florida ceriths, hermits and emerald crabs and nitrites. About 70 snails and 20 crabs...do you think it's too much? I plan on buying some tomorrow

[mikmac]

Yeah, plan to trade the angels once I go coral. Okay, will go dark for a couple of days to help decrease the algae. John recommend an assort array of dwarf ceriths, nassarius, florida ceriths, hermits and emerald crabs and nitrites. About 70 snails and 20 crabs...do you think it's too much? I plan on buying some tomorrow

70 and 20 is way to much. Go 10 and 10. Grab 5 nassarius as well.

[saltysailor2329]

Yeah I think that blue faced angel needs a 220g minimum. They always recommend that you have fish that can grow to full size in the tank you currently have. Any who...

That seems like way too many CUC. I have 30 snails and 15 crabs in my 125g and they do just fine. I also have a chocolate starfish in my sump and a green bristle star in my DT.

I would definitely pull those rocks and scrub them as well.

HTH and Good luck.