Will anyone help a newbie start her first reef? Frags wanted

[Gluestick]

In a couple weeks, I am going to start adding my first corals EVER! I'm so excited, and first of all I want to thank all of you for helping me get this far. What I'm looking for is a few very inexpensive, or even better, free frags of some beginner corals. If you're nearby and would like to help a newbiegirl start her first reef (I'M SO EXCITED!), please let me know! :rollface:

[redvipe2010]

Wow, your tank has only been up for two months and your already looking for corals. What are you looking for? I have a few, but mostly softies.

[epon]

remind me via pm or e-mail for HCS's meeting and I can bring a starter frag pack of zoas, anthellia, shroom or two ( Bill ? ) maybe some pink pompom, or a monti cap.... will have to be careful not to burn them under the mh ( place off to the side at first )

[Gluestick]

Yeah I know it's kind of soon, maybe I should wait a while.

[Gluestick]

Although it's actually been more like 4 months

[seldon]

when is HCS's meeting going to be now, it's changed too much for me to keep up with it?

[Benny Z]

2010

[Michelle L]

Well by 2010 I ought to have some frags to bring along.

[redvipe2010]

Val,

Your post on 4/16/06 said your tank was just going up. If it's only a little over two months old you may want to wait. I could be wrong though. Anyway, I'll PM my phone number, call me if you are interested in some softies.

[epon]

What are the tank parameters ?

redvipe2010
What should she wait for ?

[Gluestick]

I'll admit that I don't test. I've only tested once since the tank went up. I kind of feel like the tank will tell me if there is something wrong, and since I have little to no algae, lots of coralline, and no deaths, I don't feel there's any need to waste the expensive salifert tests. I do a 5 gallon water change every week. However, now that I am wanting to start corals, I will be testing a little more regularly.

[matt the fiddler]

""I'll admit that I don't test. I've only tested once since the tank went up. I kind of feel like the tank will tell me if there is something wrong, and since I have little to no algae, lots of coralline, and no deaths, I don't feel there's any need to waste the expensive salifert tests""

looks can be very misleading, even to people who have been in the hobby for a while.. don't neglect testing, adn one test kit now could save $100s of dollars in corals and livestock. Algae only indicates a few of the many problems that can arise in a young tank..

The big problem is that even though things may be in ballance now, the adittion of any bioload can quickly offset that in a young tank. Also, assuming your tank has "cycled" it will still have a lot of swings untill it starts to mature a bit more, and get the bio/chemical ballance up. that said, i would reccomend a FEW zoos or xenia to test out what is happening.. If they are growing well after a month or so.. you might be fine adding more... just do it slowly.

[Gluestick]

Thanks for the response fiddler. Like I said, now that I want to add corals I will be testing regularly. I do a 5 gal water change once a week. Should I test right before a water change, between changes, probably not right after... When do you test in relation to your changes?

[Benny Z]

if you don't have macro algae and/or a dsb for nutrient export then testing for nitrates will tell you when to do your changes.

you can't really test for most trace elements that wcs put back into the water. if you aren't keeping stony corals than you really don't need to test calc/alk/mag. softies like dirty water and don't require stable params like stonies do.

imho the g1x is a bit little for a system of your size. you aren't going to want to put a big bioload on your system until you upgrade the skimmer. again, imo.