i checked out this sand u have and from the pics IMO it looks like crushed coral. there is something on this thread no one has mentioned yet: a cleaner species. kick off the YWG and replace it with a neon goby. cleaner shrimps are really expensive while cleaner wrasses ONLY eat by cleaning. neon gobies are colorful, cheap, and hardy. i recommend u get one of these first, as it will top off your clean-up crew, and once it is established, add the clowns. be sure to get 1 big one and 1 small one. and last, a female royal gramma. remember what i said about how to tell if its a female.

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I'm so sorry I haven't been on the forum in so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this lovely website! I moved to a different county back in May 2011 and started high school in a totally different school district. So I'm still adjusting and studying hard, and don't presently have any aquariums. But once I do, I'll be right back on this forum!

I've thought about the neon goby as well. My only concern has been that I've read that they're short lived. But I'm thinking cheap and hardy might make a good combination to start off with until I gain some experience.

I've been testing my nitrates, nitrites, ammonia & ph. Should I be testing anything else? I'm not planning on adding any type of corals or anything at this point.

Thanks,
Greg

cleaner wrasses are even more short-lived while cleaner shrimps are sensitive and at 25$ may be a little past your budget. for your testing, u might also want to test carbonate hardness.

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I'm so sorry I haven't been on the forum in so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this lovely website! I moved to a different county back in May 2011 and started high school in a totally different school district. So I'm still adjusting and studying hard, and don't presently have any aquariums. But once I do, I'll be right back on this forum!

the smallest saltwater tank should be a 75 gallon. this way the hobbyist can enjoy is tank as a hobby and not a constant, expensive job. smaller tanks are harder to maintain because of constant fish and crustacean defication. saltwater fish urinate in ppm, but they urinate constantly, changing the chemical levels in a smaller tank, at least a larger tank provides some kind of natural biological filteration. clams are also a natural filteration system and need 2 dig which helps u stir up the substrate. u will spend all the money to get a small tank while u will just find out u want a bigger tank. it looks like i am a little too late to warn u, though.

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dr. shark hugger

Yeah, lol. I already want a bigger one and I haven't even started yet. Unfortunately extra space is somewhat of an issue right now. One day maybe. =)

Thanks. I'll check that out.

carbonate hardness, if i am correct, is the amount of various different particles in the water. Carbonate hardness is measured in dKH. The dKH of a SW tank should always remain in between 8 and 12 degrees.

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I'm so sorry I haven't been on the forum in so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this lovely website! I moved to a different county back in May 2011 and started high school in a totally different school district. So I'm still adjusting and studying hard, and don't presently have any aquariums. But once I do, I'll be right back on this forum!

o and just for a little info in case u try a reef tank in the future, the dKH of a reef tank should always remain between 7 and 10 degrees

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I'm so sorry I haven't been on the forum in so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this lovely website! I moved to a different county back in May 2011 and started high school in a totally different school district. So I'm still adjusting and studying hard, and don't presently have any aquariums. But once I do, I'll be right back on this forum!

Don't forget to check specific gravity if not checking salinity directly.

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Men In Nursing- A Few Good Men

"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960

Oh yeah. I'm checking that too. =)

Thanks,
Greg

I figured out that I have what I believe is a aiptasia anemone. =( I hate to kill it because it's kind of neat, but I guess I'll be getting a peppermint shrimp tomorrow because apparently they are evil. =P hehe.

uh-oh that aint good. Hurry up and kill it before your tank looks like an ataipsia reef.

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I'm so sorry I haven't been on the forum in so long! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this lovely website! I moved to a different county back in May 2011 and started high school in a totally different school district. So I'm still adjusting and studying hard, and don't presently have any aquariums. But once I do, I'll be right back on this forum!

lol. that's what i've heard. hopefully there aren't any more!!