Few random questions, new tank

[RedFC]

Recently picked up a 75gal bowfront with live rock, a puffer, and a clown fish. The liverock was not cured (or so I was told), but eventually started to gain color after about a month. The past two weeks however, a green algae type grass started forming on top of the rock. I leave my light on most of the day, if not all day, which I'm sure that has alot to do with it. I'm not too sure if this is bad, the tank seems to be keeping itself clean, and it doesn't look *that* bad, especially on the top of the rock where it is getting the longest.

Is this algae bad/good?

Basically, I'm new to all of this, so I'd like any advice on that algae, or if I should get some livestock that would live off of that. Also like advice on what to do with the light, or what other species would work well in the tank with the puffer and clown.

Thanks guys :dance2:

[skippy2]

Sounds like hair algae which is bad. What type of light do you have on the tank? You aren't using tap water, I hope. What kind of cleanup crew do you have? List your water parameters, please.

[RedFC]

Sounds like hair algae which is bad. What type of light do you have on the tank? You aren't using tap water, I hope. What kind of cleanup crew do you have? List your water parameters, please.

In all honesty, I am in over my head right now. I was given this whole setup, and I don't really know what I have, or how to make it work.

I know for a fact that I am going to need better filtration in the tank, it is starting to build up some sort of brown algae? on the inside of the tank.

So guys, help me out, I would LOVE any and all advice, and will actually listen and learn with you guys.

What sort of livestock would you recommend me get to maintain the tank? Basically, what will keep my tank clean, what do I *need* to have? I have a clown and a puffer now, what will go with them well, and maintain a good ecosystem?

Now for filtration, I don't need too much advice on that, as I'm sure its been covered 11ty billion times on this forum, so thats something I can research on my own (of course I would still love any advice you all could give me.)

So knowing a little more background, help me make my tank healthy! You all know way more about this then I do, I just need a little bosst in the right direction. Once I have it up and running better, I'll post a few pics up, thanks!

[Magpen]

Ok. If you don't have a saltwater test kit you need to pick one up. Before anyone can give you good advice we need to know what your water parameters are. Parameters are salinity/specific gravity, ammonia, nitrites, ph, and nitrates. These are the basic things that need to be tested for in saltwater aquariums. Salinity/specific gravity is tested by a refractometer or a hydrometer. What kind of puffer do you have? What kind of clown fish do you have? How long ago did you acquire this setup? Did you have to move it when you acquired it? What kind of substrate is in the tank? This is the kind of info that helps us to answer you questions.

[RedFC]

Ok. If you don't have a saltwater test kit you need to pick one up. Before anyone can give you good advice we need to know what your water parameters are. Parameters are salinity/specific gravity, ammonia, nitrites, ph, and nitrates. These are the basic things that need to be tested for in saltwater aquariums. Salinity/specific gravity is tested by a refractometer or a hydrometer. What kind of puffer do you have? What kind of clown fish do you have? How long ago did you acquire this setup? Did you have to move it when you acquired it? What kind of substrate is in the tank? This is the kind of info that helps us to answer you questions.
Salinity/specific gravity- 1.024? I'm at work now, so I can't tell you exactly
ammonia
nitrites
ph
nitrates

Haven't checked any of that at all, what are the standards? I know I could find this out with a little research, so I'm not expecting you guys to do it all for me, but I'm not going to ignore the advice if you all wanna make it easier on me :)


What kind of puffer do you have? What kind of clown fish do you have?
From searching online, it looks like I have a porcupine puffer and a percula clownfish (percula is the orange and white?)


How long ago did you acquire this setup?

I acquired this whole setup about two weeks ago from a friend, who had it setup in her living room. I had never seen it prior to picking it up, so I didn't have alot of info to go off of. She needed it gone, and I recieved it all for free. Ive been wanting to purchase a tank, but this fell in to my lap earlier then expected, so I hadn't had enough time to research it fully before taking on the tank.


Did you have to move it when you acquired it?
Moved it about 20 miles pretty much empty. As far as the liverock goes, we placed it in cardboard boxes and left it damp, then put it back in the tank once the water settled. Used water from my bathroom, mixed with some sea salt from the local aquarium store, and let it settle, then added the two fish and live rock back in.


What kind of substrate is in the tank?
Crushed coral from the local aquarium store


This is the kind of info that helps us to answer you questions.

And these are the responses I like to hear. I am really interested in this tank, and making it something crazy, so please keep any comments or advice coming, good or bad, I have thick skin :)

[RedFC]

Before I start adding livestock, I'd like to have my water and filtration perfect. I'm not ready to drop a grand on fish just to watch them die, heh. But, once I get that all straighted up, I'm thinking a good variety of livestock that would help keep the tank clean, from what I've read on some other threads...

Turbo snails should take care of the hair algae, and I'm guessing that I should leave the light off longer as well?

Astrea snails should get rid of the browning on the glass that I was talking about.

Maybe a Cerith for the algae/sand/etc?

Maybe a few Red-Legged crabs?

[RedFC]

As far as feeding, I've been dropping in bits of frozen krill shrimp whenever my puffer looks hungry, maybe twice a day. He'll eat it, then the clown will eat its leftovers. I keep telling myself that they are just animals and are survivalists in nature, so that seems to be keeping him alive, but I still want it to be better, so food advice would be nice too.

[skippy2]

Do you have any test kits? I recommend Salifert. A little more expensive but they give spot on numbers. You will need: ammonia. 2) nitrite. 3) nitrate
4) ph 5) phosphate. You don't necessarily need alkilinaty or calcium tests right away (unless you are plalnning on going with corals). You also need a refractometer to test the salinity of your water.

[5xevy]

And do you know about water changes?

[Cichlid Nutz]

You said back at the beginning about leaving light on pretty much all the time. Put them on timers. This is a big part to the green hair algae. Also, the "brown" algae bloom coming on strong is probably a diatom bloom from the recent reset of the tank. I'm assuming you put lots of new water with new salt in the tank. If this is it, it will go away on its own in a few weeks. They have a very short life span. Biggest thing, don't panic. Take it one thing at a time.

[Magpen]

Another cause of nuisance algae(hair, cyano, etc.) is too much nutrients in the water. One of the ways to fix that is with water changes. You need to do water changes once a week. Taking out 40-50% of the water and replacing it with clean premixed salt water. This will help lower your nutrient level and also help lower the bad stuff in your water. You will need to do consistent water changes with a SW tank. It will keep your tank healthy. With your fish you can feed them once per day. I would keep going with the krill but also you may try some other foods like silversides, mysis shrimp. Your fish like variety in their diets too. You need to make sure the clown is getting his share of food instead of just getting what the puffer doesn't get to. Also, if any krill drops to the bottom and doesn't get eaten within a few minutes then it needs to be removed. Don't let it sit there to rot. Not good for your water parameters. Your tank doesn't need to be lit more than 10 hours a day. Now your substrate is crushed coral. How fine is the coral crushed? Does it still have large pieces of shell in it. If it does you may want to investigate a different substrate. Crushed Coral are notorious for trapping uneaten food and deitrius and causing high nitrates in your tank. You need to read the sticky at the top of this forum entitled Crushed Coral is a Problem waiting to Happen.