Q : How much Light do I need in my tank and why is it important?
A : Lighting is very important to the corals . It gives off photosynthesis to make the coral thrive, healthy and reproduce on their own . You need to
have about 3 to 7 watts per gallon for them to do good. Lighting is responsible for the vibrancy and myriad of colors which corals are endowed with.
The lighting is the key parameter to a sucessful reef
Very little light or no direct sunlight
The most intense lighting for regular flourescent lights
The most intense lighting using a VHO, A powercompact or T-5
Metal Halide
Q : Can you tell me why water movement is important in a tank ? Will it help my corals?
A : Water movement - there are only 3 settings for the proper water flow in the tank.This is important because it helps with the exposure on how much water
movement inside the tank . Is it enought to make them open or shut them down. A wave maker would help make the perfect wave setting at different points. I consider
that the best current condition should be natural and random. It helps with the detoxification of the corals .
Low- water that moves very slow ,no flows but is consistent
Medium - movement thatcan lift and blow polys, mushrooms,corals around but not forceful
Strong - Lots of water movement, but not damaging to corals
Q : Some corals are aggressive in nature, but can they sting and kill another coral?
A : Aggressiveness: Some of the corals and their genes belong to aggressive families.
The coral placement is important because the aggressor can kill, sting and hurt another
coral depending on the position and placement of the coral . THe strenght and the reach
of the stingers make it detremental to some . Rule of thumb: place your corals about 3-4
inches away from each other.
low - be cautious when placing beside other species
medium - If placed to close to another coral, they may inflict harm,nearby corals will not be affected
high- If it is placed closely together they can inflict damages or sometimes kill a coral nearby.
Q : I am a beginner and I love all the corals, Am I capable of handling them on my own?
A : Hardiness - It depends on the level of your expertise. Whether you are a beginner intermediate or advanced the difficulty of caring for the corals always remain challenging .
It depends on the actual water parameters your tank has.It also depends on the healthiness the handling and the tolerance the corals go through upon placement in the actual tank .
Every tank is different & everybody does thier best. The best tank I know is the healthiest.
1 - 4 Recommended for beginners, or in experienced hobbyist
5 -6 Recommended for advance beginners & Medium experienced hobbyist
7- 10 Extremely difficult to care for - for advance and most experienced hobbyist
Q : I am getting Red Algae all over my tank especially in the sand bed . What is it ?
A : The red algae that you are refering to is known as Cyano bacteria or Red slime.
Q : How do I get rid of it?
A : For the sand beds, I will get a clean up crew that will help move the sand.
Get some Nassarius snails, Red and blue hermits, some turbo snails and some olivia sand sifting snail.
Siphoin off the red lime first and do water regular water changes . It will be good for the tank
Q : What is the Ideal temperature for my tank?
A : The ideal temperature is between 75 to 78 degrees
Q : What is the ideal salinity for a fish tank and a reef tank?
A : The ideal salinity for a fish tank is 1.022- 1.023 ,The reef tank is 1.024- 1.025
Q : Is there any way to Reduce or Prevent Algae problems?
A : We at SWP have come up with 12 ways to prevent it.
1.Use Reverse Osmosis water or de- Ionized water as much as possible
2.Use fully cured live rock
3.At least 1 snail per 2 gallons - double if you need more
4.Frequent water changes 10% once a week
5.maintain your alkalinity above 8 dKH ( range 8-14)
6.Keep your calcium levels between 400 to 450 ppm
7.Use generous additions of Strontinum Chloride
8 Use as much Protien skimming as possible
9. Change your bulbs as often as possible
10.If rock is covered with algae, consider using several urchins
11. Algae blenny, Foxface tang & Kole Tangs are great algae eaters
12.Lastly, do regularly weekly maintennance
Q : What should you do for regular weekly maintennance?
A : Here is a list of activities you should carry out weekly
clean glass
blow rocks down
remove detrius
clean all mechanical filtrations
empty the skimmer cup collection out once a week
remove any micro algae groth from rocks with toothb rush
siphon and stir up the crushed coral or the sand bed
Q : My Fish are sick , what can I do?
A : If you have a curing tank, I suggest put him in there.
Turn the lights off and keep him well fed. If he is not eating
add garlic elixir to stimulate the fish to eat . A healthy fish
can fight off diseases and parasite if treated well .
Q : Is it true that some fish are better of left in the ocean ?
A : Yes ,because some of the fish have to rely on their natural foods
like sponges, polys, zooplantons and algae to survive . Their diets have a
lot of variety, therefore I would say it would be very hard or next to impossible
impossible to try duplicate their natural foods.
Q : Can fish grow too large in regular fish tanks ?
A : yes, many reef fish are purchased in the small or juvenile stages.
Some of them live to full adult hood and get bigger than the tanks they are in .
They end up either in a very large custom built tank, big public aquariums
or if they get way too big they get brought back in the ocean .
Q : With many fish diseases out there,hOw can I prevent my fish from getting them?
A : My number one answer is good or excellent water quality .BY making
sure that the fish you buy is healthy & eating . By putting your fish in
seperate tanks ( isolation or quarantine) and by adding a lot of hiding places.
Lastly,do not add anybody's tank water in your tank and Weekly water changes.
Q : what do I look for in buying fish ?
A : The first sign is that he should be eating . How long has the fish been there.
You must see the fish you are buying. It must be alert, clear of any wounds, disease.
Q : What is a species/ specimen aquarium?
A : An aquarium that is soley dedicated to one kind of species or individual.
Q : What is a protogynous/protandic hermaphrodite?
A : It is a species that can change sex from bieng a female to male/ male to female
Q : How would you categorize the size of my aquarium?
a Nano cube is 30 gallons and smaller
40 - 65 gallons is considered small
75 - 110 gallons is medium,
120 -150 is large
180 -265 is extra large
any custom build tank over 265 is Double Extra (xx) large.
Q : What are Aptasia?
A : Aptasia are the pesky glass anemones that grow on live rocks .
They look like a anemone. They have no base and they move around .
THey reproduce and they have stinging cells. They are brown and sometimes white.
Q : How do you get rid of Aptasia?
A : Copperband butterfly are know to devour the youngs and reject the old.
Peppermint shrimps eat them too, but sometimes carelessly knocks stuff of the rocks.
Aptasia removers are available and so are Joe's Juice .