Jump to content
Cultivated Reef

willyboy's 20H (now extinct)


willyboy

Recommended Posts

Finally after months of planning and gathering funds :D I finally have my first saltwater tank ever up and running. I have had FW tanks for 5 years and I finally took the plunge. I am

so exited! :happydance: I got 16 pounds of live rock (I know It doesn't sound like much but it has lots of holes and is not very dense) on Saturday. I have already found some crazy creatures in my tank. I am doing a cycle with fish. No NOT damsels, dead fish cause I didn't have any shrimp at home. I haven't had much ammonia yet (unmeasurable). Without futher adue(sp?) here are some pictures. I probably won't put much more pics up except for hitchikers till I add any creatures after cycle(keep watching). The last pic I've learned is a Turkey Wing clam, cool hitchiker! I have seen several asterina stars and some chitins. I also saw some brittle stars the other night under the moon lights.

 

Thanks NanoGuy!

post-21766-1159320482_thumb.jpg

post-21766-1159320699_thumb.jpg

post-21766-1159320749_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
  • Replies 274
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Sounds like a good start willyboy. You can establish your nitrogen cycle with LR alone (without putting anything dead in your tank). Your hitchhikers won’t appreciate the extra ammonia, so I’d take out the dead fish and wait until ammonia and nitrites are zero. Then get your nitrates down to 10ppm or less with water changes (I actually prefer to do water changes while the cycle is still being established, but others will tell you not to).

 

Then you are ready for livestock, start with some Blue Leg Hermit Crabs and feed them very lightly. If ammonia and nitrites remain at zero, add some snails. If still looking good, you should be ready for a live fish. It is exciting, thanks for sharing.

Link to comment

I've had the fish in there since Saturday and I haven't seen any ammonia yet. I am pretty certain I am testing it right. I've also seen some aiptasia and most of them are too small to joe's juice. Is there anything I can get that will eat aiptasia and survive the cycle, as I think they will be at plague proportions if I wait.

Link to comment

I take that back. I had been doing the ammonia tests wrong. I did all the tests I have.

 

PH 8.1

Ammonia 1.0

Nitrite .5-1.0

Nitrate 10-15

SG 1.024

 

I have some diatom on my sand and rocks. Are diatoms any idication of the cycle's progression. I think since I have LR and LS I frontloaded enough bacteria that it converted the ammonia fast enough so that it wouldn't build up. Temperature is a steady 78

Link to comment
I've had the fish in there since Saturday and I haven't seen any ammonia yet. I am pretty certain I am testing it right. I've also seen some aiptasia and most of them are too small to joe's juice. Is there anything I can get that will eat aiptasia and survive the cycle, as I think they will be at plague proportions if I wait.
It’s been almost a week and no ammonia; that's good. Did you get the LR from a LFS? It sounds like it might have been already cured. If so, you might be able to add a couple of Peppermint shrimp (of not, wait until ammonia and nitrites are zero, and nitrates are down to 10 before getting them). Peppermints may or may not take care of your problem.
Link to comment

Yes, I got the LR from a LFS. It is very good cured LR, good price too!

willyboy Posted Today, 08:38 PM

I take that back. I had been doing the ammonia tests wrong. I did all the tests I have.

 

PH 8.1

Ammonia 1.0

Nitrite .5-1.0

Nitrate 10-15

SG 1.024

 

I have some diatom on my sand and rocks. Are diatoms any idication of the cycle's progression. I think since I have LR and LS I frontloaded enough bacteria that it converted the ammonia fast enough so that it wouldn't build up. Temperature is a steady 78

Link to comment

I had some Aiptasia that was tryiing to kill some corals in my tank. I bought a $7 Peppermint shrimp and the pest was gone the next day. As a bonus, the shrimp has a great personality and will climb on any arm that's in the tank!

 

Robb

Link to comment
PH 8.1

Ammonia 1.0

Nitrite .5-1.0

Nitrate 10-15

The fish must have spiked the ammonia; if you haven’t already, take it out. You have a bit of waiting before you can add shrimp or anything else. You are well on your way.
Link to comment

The clam died so that probably had an effect on the ammonia. I took the fish out. The tank looks really bad from the diatoms. Can they kill the coraline? What is the best way to get rid of diatoms?

Link to comment

hi,

 

do you know where i can find the pulsing xenia???i looked at local pet stores,but they do not have it.any help would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanks,

 

 

 

JOHN fingerscrossed

Link to comment

Hey nano boy, post that somewhere else pls. NO thread-jacking!

 

Anyways my cycle is almost through. Tested today and Ammonia and Nitrite are zero, nitrate 5-10. Diatoms are mostly gone but major hair algae problem. Will any snails and hermits eat hair algae. Now for fish, I plan to have a ocellaris clown and a bicolor blenny, and maybe one more fish. Do bicolors eat hair algae. I think I have some kind of cup coral and maybe a fish-eating anemone. Both are too small for a picture. I need a light timer, recommendation pls!

Link to comment

I am having a hair algea problem as well. Some of it is at least 3 inches long it seems. I just added my CUC today, so we will see if any of the snails or hermits do a job on the hair algea.

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

Sorry it's been so long since I updated

 

My tank is done cycling and two weeks ago I added 4 nass. snails and 2 turbo snails. I have a hair aglae bloom but I am getting it under control. I manually remove as much as I can when I do water changes (25% once a week), and one of my turbo snails has a taste for hair algae. Today I went to my LFS to get some more nass snails but they had rearanged their store and took out the small tanks that housed the snails. They must have done something wrong when they acclimated (or lack there of) cause all the snails were dead where they fell. If any of the nass snails survived they would have been impossible to find buried under the sand. What is the best snail or other invert best for eating detritus and turbo snail poo? The other morning when I turned on the lights I saw a brittle star (I think) on the glass. It was tiny!

 

I have researched a lot of fish and choosen some good candidates but I keep considering new possibilities. I want to lick the hair algea before I get any fish though. I do want a ocellaris clown and a bicolor blenny but I don't know about a third fish. I think I might like to have a courtjester goby. I read they like to sift the sand bed and eat hair algae, both good things. If they are good hair algae eaters should I consider adding one before the other two fish to lick the hair algae? Will a bicolor blenny and a courtjester goby get along okay?

 

After a fish or two I will then start thinking about corals. With my lights (130w compact flourescent, 65w 10000K white and Actinic) I think shrooms, zoas and other soft corals would work.

Link to comment

OK, you get my 1000th post. :rolleyes:

 

Your hair algae problem should be temporary, so I wouldn’t base fish selection on controlling it (instead, I’d let the cleanup crew deal with it). Manual removal has always assisted my crew; I use flexible tubing to scrape and siphon out as much I can.

 

Blennies and Gobies might not get along in a true nano tank. Personally, I’d get a mate for your clownfish instead (watching them interact is pretty cool). I like the thought of controlling the algae before you add your fish; they will add more nutrients into the water and make it more difficult to control the algae growth.

 

In addition, you might also cut down your light cycle to 8 hours (if it is longer) to help slow the algae growth. However, the corals that you mention will be happy with that lighting (but again, I’d wait until your algae is under control before stocking corals).

 

Everything sounds like it’s coming along pretty well.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

The first skimmer I got was the fission nano skimmer, it sucks. Today I got the seaclone 100 protein skimmer. Hopefully it will work. I am still getting a better hold on the algae. Hopefully (if my parents will take me) I can get some more snails, and some hermits. I will definately need a pep shrimp to eat my aiptasia. I am practilly broke right now so it could be a while (Christmas) till I get any fish/coral.

 

adios

Link to comment

Since my LFS doesn't really have any snails/hermits, I will have to go about an hour 1/2 just to get more criters for my CUC. I wasn't able to go on Sat. so I am shooting for next Sat.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

My new skimmer is working excellently. I got 3 hermits a week or two ago. I think they are scarlet reef hermit crabs but I'm not sure. They are doing a good job on the hair algae, just the short peices. I manually remove the long pieces and they get the rest. The also get the diatoms on the live rock. They like to move in a group. I was out of town for two days and I left the lights off. Alot of the algae died. I may get a fish sooner than I thought.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

I have gotten rid of the hair algae on most of the rocks. There seems to be two rocks that the hermit crabs don't like to be on. I am getting coraline on the glass and rocks. I think I will let the coraline on the front and side glass spread till it looks bad cuase I like the look of it. It makes me think about the progress I have had. My skimmer is still doing great! I think I will get a pair of ocellaris clowns and a bicolor blenny. Money for Christmas! I appreciate everyones help!

 

Merry Christmas and happy New Year nano-reefers!

 

WB

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...

I finally got some fish. I got two ocellaris clowns last Thursday. They are very healthy. They fought of a bout of ick. I am so proud of them! :D It is so good to have something other than hermits and snails to look at. The day after I got the clowns I bought a Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp. It is so cool B)

 

post-21766-1168649185_thumb.jpgpost-21766-1168649217_thumb.jpgpost-21766-1168649292_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
  • 5 weeks later...

I went to a LFS (1 hour away) and got three sm shrooms and three sm zoas for 35$. My first corals. Clownfish and cleaner shrimp are still doing fine. I also got a peppermint shrimp 4 9$. My tank is cookin' with gas now! Heres some pics.

 

FTS

post-21766-1171169764_thumb.jpg

 

pep shrimp

post-21766-1171169928_thumb.jpg

 

shrooms and zoas

post-21766-1171170398_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

Looks good willyboy; I like the clownfish and your new corals. Plus the coralline is taking hold nicely and there are signs of worms in your sandbed. Is the Peppermint taking care of the Aiptasia?

Link to comment

Nice tank! :)

 

Do you have to add anything to the tank for the cleaner shrimp? Are they sensitive, and do they really clean the fish? Thanks! :)

 

Flick

Link to comment

I don't have much time to type cause I am at school and class is fixin to start. Seabass, so far the peppermint has not eaten any aiptasias. They say that shrimp are sensitive but I have not added anything (iodine for molting) but the cleaner shrimp has molted successfully twice. Usually the cleaner shrimp will only clean big fish cause it scares the smaller fish because the fish thinks the shrimp is attacking it. I am ready to get more corals. The LFS had a bunch of small xenia frags on Saturday.

 

Thanks for the comments\

 

WB

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions


×
×
  • Create New...