Teacher needs help!

[Guest seafan]

I am a high school teacher with a 75 gallon tank that needs some help. With a limited budget I have a piece-meal system and could use some advice on how to improve my set up. I currently have a homemade skimmer and sump which needs to be replaced. Any suggestions?

 

My students test the water quality weekly and the pH is around 7.8, and ammonia, nitrate and nitrate are all zero. I have good lighting and the temperature is around 80 degrees, but have had awful problems with keeping corals for any length of time. Currently this tank has 4 chromis fish, 2 pj cardinals

1 regal tang, 1 aggressor, 1 algae blenny, 1 sea cucumber and 1 sea urchin and various turbo snails and crabs.

 

If anyone live close to Chantilly High School and would be willing to stop by and give me any advice I would be most appreciative. I have 3 other marine tanks but they are 30 gallons or less and basically just have fish due to poor lighting and not much equipment.

:scholar:

[Guest KidCNU]

I do not know for sure but i do have a few guesses, I like to keep my PH at 8.0-8.2 as many reefers seem to. Also that seems like a Huge bioload for the tank. and can you define good lighting? do you know your calc levels? Also are all the crabs and the urchin coral safe, i know some like to eat coral. these are just somethings i thought of off the top of my head. i am home for spring vacation from college and i might be able to stop in and look at your tanks monday the 6th see if there is any visual things i might be able to see, also how far in advance do you mix your saltwater as freshly mixed saltwater will burn corals. Also what is your Alk and Iodine and what type of Salt. And what kind of coral?

John Sica

Edited March 5, 2006 by KidCNU

[Charlie97L]

you can use a ph buffer mix to help keep your PH up... usually abotu 8.00 from the LFS.

 

i think your temp is a bit high, but that's just me... ideal reef temps are 76-78F. also, on the new saltwater issue, i mix mine and let it cure for about 5 days before putting it in, with a heater and powerhead in the bucket.

 

also, i'd get that sea nukecumber out of there, if i were you. if it decides to die, or if something tears it open seeing if they like to eat it, it could nuke your tank and kill everything.

 

what exactly happens to the coral? do the bleach? do they look eaten? do they just droop over?

[Caribbean Jake]

SeaFan

I live in Herndon across from Floris Elementary. I may be able to swing by tomorrow afternoon after 4:30 or so. or we can do it over the weekend, just give me a time frame and directions please. I been keeping reef systems for three years now, I do not know everything there is to reefs but will like to give it a try and help you out, if not I can always point you in the right direction..

 

 

------> Chip "flowerseller"

-----> Erik "ErikS"

--------->Lee "LeeStearn"

-----> Craig "Gatortailale"

:D