need help with my tank

[williampruitt240sx]

i have a few questions about if i should add or dose anything on my tank. I have a 20L with a 8" to 9" kenya tree coral a rock with 8 to 12 shrooms on it. another frag of zoas on it dont know what kind. i had some yellow poyps on a rock but they have died back now. i also have another solf coral but dont know the name and cant idenfie it. there is about 30lbs of LR and 30LBS of LS im running a coralife 65 skimmer and 2 HOB pumps also running a smaller powerhead for flow. i change 5gallons of water every two to three weeks this is my first tank and i have had it about 6 months there is one clown fish and a pistle shrimp "come off the LR" what else should i do to get the best out of my tank? running the skimmer at night and 4 36" t5 bulbs about 8 hrs a day

 

[brianjfinn]

I also have a 20L. What are your intentions? If you're just keeping softies, you should be just fine. Any stony corals will require more regular water changes and/or dosing chemicals. Your lighting is great, you could even keep SPS with those bulbs.

I just added an EcoSystem Pro 60 refugium to the back of my 20L (thanks Mike!) and, next to my lighting, I think it's one of the best equipment purchases I've made. Refugiums and sumps always improve water quality and increase your possibilities.

 

[williampruitt240sx]

I just added an EcoSystem Pro 60 refugium to the back of my 20L (thanks Mike!) and, next to my lighting, I think it's one of the best equipment purchases I've made. Refugiums and sumps always improve water quality and increase your possibilities.[/QUOTE]


could u post a pic of the refugium and how u did it.

and im not testing for anything right now. dont really know how to or what to test

 

[williampruitt240sx]

ok i will. what should the test kit have in it i looked alittle online and some have different things in them.

 

[cr500_af]

Good advice from Brett there. The majority of tests in the kit he described will test for the things that could... well, kill your fish (as well as your corals). As you get more into corals (moving into LPS and SPS more than soft corals) you'll want to keep tabs on your calcium and magnesium. You can buy these test kits all by themselves and just add them to what you already use. You're doing good with your water change schedule now, so those parameters are probably just fine. The corals you have in your tank at this point don't consume large amounts of trace elements so there is no reason to worry about them as long as you are doing water changes.

 

[williampruitt240sx]

ok thanks i ending up buying the seachem basic kit andd tested the water all the test look to be in the right parameters. thanks again. anyother helpful hints would be great

 

[cr500_af]

Also, forgive me if I cover something you already know, but since you asked about dosing additives:
The statement was made "Don't dose anything you aren't testing for". Very good advice. BUT... The test kits Brett listed test for harmful things, not things you would dose in any event. Only when you start to test for calcium, magnesium, alkalinity would you start adding stuff to your tank depending on the results.
This may have been obvious to you, or you may have already known it, but I just wanted to make sure you were straight on it.