Question
Sailfin
Hey Nick! I've got plenty of questions but I'll start out with the things I know. 29 gallon FOWLR, about 25 pounds of live rock, 12 pounds of base rock. 2 inch sand bed. 40 gallon tetra whisper filter (I know its not necessary, I just like it for some reason), up to 100 gallon Prizm hang on back skimmer, 100 watt heater, and a powerhead (not sure how many gph). Stock list:
2 firefish gobies
1 lawnmower blenny
2 pajama cardinals
1 sailfin tang
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
3 hermit crabs
5 turbo snails
1 strawberry conch
1 marbled fromia star
Temp: 80 F
Specific gravity: 1.021
I have one of those worthless test strip kit things, but I hate using it because it is confusing and strange colors appear. So I just take my water to the LFS. About a week ago, they said everything was good. I do a 15% water change EVERY Sunday.
I know your wondering about the sailfin tang in a 29g! Don't worry. He is about 2 1/2 inches and I already have a 90 gallon in my storage unit, which is going to be set up when I move to a house in less than a year.
Category 1: My specific gravity is 1.021, but I would like it to be at 1.024, for the benefit of the fish and the inverts (rumored to enjoy 1.025). Over what amount of time should I raise it? Obviously not all at once. Days? Weeks? How much at one time, and then how long before I raise it again? I've got a five gallon bucket I premix water in for water changes, how much of this bucket should I be using to raise the SG?
Category 2: I think my fromia star is dying. I drip acclimated him for about 4 hours, about a month ago. Six days ago three of his legs went limp and just hang there. He is still very active. Are the legs going to fall off? Is he going to die? If you think he is going to die, should I put him in the QT? I honestly thought he would be gone by now, but he still makes multiple trips daily around the tank, which is why I'm led to believe he is going to make it. Anything I can do for him?
Category 3: How often to blue-legged hermits molt? What about cleaner shrimp? Should I leave the molt in the tank, or take it out?
Category 4: My strawberry conch buried himself for a month (yes...a month!). Since his resurrection, he has started climbing the glass. Is this normal?
Category 5: I would like to turn one of my 10 gallon tanks into a nano reef. What lights do you recommend? I was looking at the Nova Extreme T5 HO for $159.99. Are these lights any good? Can I get similar quality for cheaper elsewhere? I was hoping to spend about $100 on lights. How many watts do I need? What bulb combo should I use? And I was wondering if you knew why lights were so expensive? I was just going to have LPS and softies.
Category 6: Can I add anything else to my tank? What do you think about my stock list? I was thinking that after I set up the 90 and moved the sailfin, it would be nice to have a dwarf angel.
Thank you so much for reading all of this!
Emily
AnswerWow, lots of questions! Ok, I'll try my best to answer them all!
1) I would raise it by .001 every water change until at the desired salinity. You are right, 1.024 or 1.025 is preferred. It really helps the inverts.
2)I wouldn't QT the star, but you can if you want to. It may not make too much difference. Just keep the water clean (like you are now) and he may recover. Raising the salinity should help.
3)That depends a lot on the age of the specimen. You can take the molted skin out if it is an easy to get to place.
4)Not that normal, but not bad really. Keep an eye on him.
5) Yes those are beautiful lights. Reef lights aren't cheap, not much we can do. You can use CF lights, but your corals are not going to grow as fast or have as much color. The only downside to CFs is the lights need t be replaced more, so even though the set-up is cheaper, over time T-5's are the least expensive option.
I would get at least 35watts of light, but again, put as much as you can afford. Even 100watts wouldn't be overdoing it. But for softies you really only need between 35-60 watts in a 10g.
6) I would not add anything else until you take the tang out.
It's a good stock list, except firefish like to be kept singly unless they are a mated pair. Keep an eye on them and watch for agression.
Dwarf angel would be a great idea. I like the coral beauty and flame angel myself.
-Nick
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