AboutNick Expertise I can help with most saltwater questions, relating to stocking levels, fish care, corals, technical, lighting, set-up and maintenence in both large and small saltwater tanks. Specializing in the care of saltwater fish, I can answer nearly all questions relating to stocking, feeding, acclimating, caring for saltwater fish, as well as compatibility with other fish and invertebrate as well as a bit on corals.
Experience I have kept fish since I was 6. I care for many saltwater fish tanks and I also work in a local pet store as the manager of the fish section.
Expert: Nick Date: 7/23/2008 Subject: testkits and corals
Question QUESTION: hi im a beginner and im from the philippines and its very difficult here to acquire a testkit... salt water hobbyist here are very rare and i dont have anybody to turn on to except the petshop owners that are only interested in sales... i have a 50 gallon tank, almost two inches of white seashore sand and piled lava rocks in the landscape, the water is almost 2 weeks now and the the hydrometer is on the green, ive put one clownfish as a test. i plan non setting up corals and i dont have any idea if the water in the tank is good enough for the corals. thank you very much.
ANSWER: No.
You still need to cycle your tank with the clownfish. Also, how much light do you have over the tank?
I will be impossible to tell how good your water is and what you can put in without test kits.
You may be able to put in very easy to care for things like zoanthids or shrooms, but not much else.
What is your salinity?
-Nick
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QUESTION: the hydrometer shows its between 1.024-1.025 and the temperature is slightly higher than 28 degrees celcius this noon, i built a Dual 24 inch T5ho lamp attached to an aluminium frame with one Daylight bulb and 1 UV and made it compact and well ventilated, i plan on putting on cured live rocks first, a venturi skimmer and maybe a shrimp to eat the algae (green stuff)on the glass. thank you very much nick... i truly appreciate your help.
Answer Sounds like you are doing well.
The only other advice I have is do not leave the UV on long-term.
It should only ever be on when new fish are added to the tank, and turned off 2 or 3 days afterwards.
The best thing for eating algae on the glass would be turbo or even trochus snails. Shrimp don't really eat that stuff too much.
