DCAquatics
New Member
Hello,
So bit of background. I have been keeping fish in live planted tanks (fresh water) for coming up to 6 years now, still very much a beginner in my own eyes, as I keep learning new things everyday. I use this hobby to destress for work and to help keep myself mentally stable at times. I have a huge passion for puffer fish with keeping pygmy pufferfish for most of the years that I have been in the hobby. I love keeping my Bette and have been able to bread them and have raised them ready to give to my LFS seen as I got the mum and Dad from there, giving back makes it a complete cycle.
So, I made the plunge into salt water, went to my LFS and got myself a 120 litre tank, with rear sump. Been running stable and I have added two corals a GSP (Green Star Polyp) and Pulsing Xenia, both are doing well and seem to be healthy. I have added first part of my Clean up crew. I did hours of research before buying but most have basic coverage and don't seem to provide much help on the mistakes to ovoid.
So far I had started to get an outbreak of green hair algae forming on the rocks, after the addition of the CUC seen a huge improvement on the algae front, defiantly better and not many tufts of algae left, so I think we are doing ok. The outbreak of diatoms has been a shock and has continues to get worse, but it is funny to see where the hermits have been leaving a clear path behind them. Anyone got any advice for someone who has started in the salt water hobby?
My main questions and probably basic issues are?
So bit of background. I have been keeping fish in live planted tanks (fresh water) for coming up to 6 years now, still very much a beginner in my own eyes, as I keep learning new things everyday. I use this hobby to destress for work and to help keep myself mentally stable at times. I have a huge passion for puffer fish with keeping pygmy pufferfish for most of the years that I have been in the hobby. I love keeping my Bette and have been able to bread them and have raised them ready to give to my LFS seen as I got the mum and Dad from there, giving back makes it a complete cycle.
So, I made the plunge into salt water, went to my LFS and got myself a 120 litre tank, with rear sump. Been running stable and I have added two corals a GSP (Green Star Polyp) and Pulsing Xenia, both are doing well and seem to be healthy. I have added first part of my Clean up crew. I did hours of research before buying but most have basic coverage and don't seem to provide much help on the mistakes to ovoid.
- Tuxedo Urchin x1
- Rock hermit crabs x3
- Turbo Snails x3
So far I had started to get an outbreak of green hair algae forming on the rocks, after the addition of the CUC seen a huge improvement on the algae front, defiantly better and not many tufts of algae left, so I think we are doing ok. The outbreak of diatoms has been a shock and has continues to get worse, but it is funny to see where the hermits have been leaving a clear path behind them. Anyone got any advice for someone who has started in the salt water hobby?
My main questions and probably basic issues are?
- Should I use a magnetic algae scraper on the tank or will the fact that I have coral based substrate scratch the heck out of it?
- Any advice on how to better manage the diatom phase?
- Feeding a tuxedo urchin, what is the best food for it other then natural algae and food it finds in the tank?
- What are people having there lights on and is it worth investing in a light with a time/App function rather then switching on and off at set times of the day?