[samsreef]

My new tank has been up and running for 2 months now and the sump was recently installed. All the standard water conditions are perfect (nitrite, ammonia and nitrate)

Today I moved my lighting over to the new tank and some of the live rock from my old display tank. Tomorrow I'm going to be moving the fish and inverts across (excluding anemone, that went when I moved the lights)

I have some questions, I haven't tested for phosphate yet (I have a kit and will test tomorrow). If it is high should I get phosphate remover and can you use it if you have a refugium? (algae lives off phosphate??)

Th tank is 65 gallons with a 20 gallon sump/refugium.

(Also I got my bits for the durso standpipe today, cheers for the advice on that one guys! Sleeping with the sound of a toilet flushing every minute isn't a good idea )

When I go to the LFS tomorrow I'm getting to get some more cleanup crew (currently have 5 turbo snails, 4 red leg hermits, 5 cerith snails + a few turbos and red legs from my old tank)

I was thinking of getting 5 more turbo's and 5 nasserious? snails now (the ones that do a good job with the sand bed). What do you think?

Also I'm going to be buying some macro algae as well, what's the best/easiest to keep for a newbie refugium owner? (I'm using aragamax sand with miracle mud on top in the fuge)

Going to post pics after the move tomorrow, I hope you will like my aquascaping, I'm not sure my inhabitants will like me moving things around whene they are in there!

[Samper]

I'll answer the questions I can but someone else will have to chime in.

For a cleanup crew I'd contact this guy and chat with him about it. He put mine together months ago and I'm still happy with what was sent my way. Would definately be cheaper than buying them from the lfs.
www.ricksreefs.com


For macroalgaes I'd definately use chaetomorpha but I've also been using Caulerpa sertulariodes in my 75 gallon and it's also a very fast growing macro.

From what I've read macroalgaes do remove phosphates and nitrogen. My phosphate is 0 in my nano and I've never used a phosphate sponge or anything like that...I feed a variety of foods that I'm sure contribute to some buildup but my macroalgaes grow like crazy and seem to be doing the job.

[samsreef]

Cheers for the info Samper.

I don't think www.ricksreefs.com will ship to the UK so I will have to do it the expensive way. I brought 4 turbo snails and 2 tiger nassurius snails.

With regards to the macro algae I spoke to the guy at the lfs and he gave me some bits of different types of algae from his refugium for free which I thought was quite nice.

The move went very well, the fish didn't like the transfer but they are now swimming around very happily grazing on the untouched live rock
(Actually I swear my purple tang looks a lot more happier and a deeper colour than it did in my other tank)

The only inhabitant that is still hiding is my bicolor anthia. I was thinking of getting some friends for it now it is in a bigger tank, what is a good number of anthias to keep together (I have heard you should only keep the same species)

I am also thinking of getting a goby or blenny, can anyone recommend one (I'm saving a yellow watchman goby for my nano.)

The standpipe is working a treat! I'm tank is looking very nice and there was a lot more cleanup critters than I remember in my old tank!

(sorry no pictures until I get new batteries for the camera, turned it on and it switched right off again! )