how it going my names Justin i just started a marine tank and just have a few questions and to post my levels to get some info how my tank is doing .....
i started last Friday the with this tank so today would be week 1 of my cycle
my questions are
1. sand getting cover by brown algae also the walls of my tank i know this is normal but can i clean tank walls(glass ect)
2.can i get a cuc or when can i get a cuc started
3.Ive read don't have skimmers on but ive had mine on since i started is this bad...

tank specs are as follows
28 gl nano cube hqi
started with tap water but used stress coat (recommended by local aquatics store)
3 live rocks
live sand

also i have
1 clown
2 crabs that came in the live rock

the levels are as follows

ph 8.2
nitrite 0
nitrate in the middle of 0 and 5.0
ammonia is 0

thanks in advance
justin

to nano-reef.com

1. Yes, you can clean the glass. This will be a regular maintenance procedure.
2. Add the CUC after the cycle is over.
3. A skimmer is nice but not necessary. Many stock skimmers are not very effective.

Don't listen to your local fish store for being completely reliable anymore. Tap water is an inconsistent freshwater source that often has excess nutrients (leading to algae blooms) and unwanted metals. Stress coat is not going to help with that. It's best to use filtered water like RO/DI or distilled water.

What do you mean by 3 live rocks? How many pounds are they? You should have roughly 1-1.5 lbs of rock per gallon.

What test kit brand are you using?

i have 3 rocks 1 is 9 lbs the other 2 equaled 7 lbs i plan to add more but ill build as i go... and the test kit is API master test kit

You need to add all the rock at once or separately cure (cycle) any new rocks before adding them to the tank. Otherwise, you risk stressing out the livestock with multiple mini cycles. 16 pounds of rock means you likely cannot stock your tank with the same numbers of fish as other 28 (JBJ nanocube?) gallon tanks. That's not a bad thing, but it is a limit to be aware of. You could add dry ("dead") rock to a set up tank without a significant cycle.

API is a good brand.

Also, go to the identification forum to see if your hitchhiker crabs are reef safe or not.

Welcome to nano-reef. Got any pics of your rock work? It's always fun to see others' setups. I'm cycling a 29 gallon right now.

here are some pictures of week 1
my rock work isn't the best i want to get more..but just pushed out alot of money for initial stuff to get started

this is my maroon clown

and one of the crabs
the other one is alot smaller then that guy... and ugly as crap.

Why exactly do you have a clown after only one week?.

The red crab is almost certainly a xanthid crab (having an oval shape and usually dark pincers), which is not reef safe.

Could it be a Neoliomera pubescens? or is this similar? I've heard this was reef safe, but I've also read hermits are reef safe lol. It looks very similar to wikipedia's Neoliomera pubescens

Strawberry Crab

is the Neoliomera pubescens in the xanthidae family? Sorry I know next to nothing about crabs and have to take any opportunity to educate myself

edit- I think the strawberry neoliomera pubescens is actually part of the Liomerinae subfamily... not sure if that makes any difference or even if thats what that is lol. looks like that is still part of Xanthidae though.

It could be that species, but that wikipedia article is extremely misleading. The "in aquaria" section sounds like it was lifted from some vendor's description.

If you want to learn about Xanthids, read this (scroll to the bottom):
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rs/index.php

i was told it could be in the tank during the cycle to help the cycle along was this information wrong?

two lfs told me it could be done

Well, if your not careful there is the possibilty the fish dies during the cycle. Just test the water every day and if you see a spike in Ammonia - do a water change to keep the fish healthy.

It is best to let a tank cycle without livestock.

you can put fish in the tank during the cycle, but it isnt recommended. the clownfish is basically being tortured (living in water with its own wastes).

it is better to wait until the tank has completely cycled to add fish, so there is enough beneficial bacteria on the rock and sand to break down animal waste into something less toxic.

most LFS employees dont give you reliable information just so they can make a quick buck

No fish should be in the tank during cycling, it's dangerous especially for a clown. If you insist on using a fish for cycling, try Damsel and Chromis, they're more hardy.

lol well to late now i guess and i was told don't do a damsel.....(lfs) and i was told a clown would be more sufficient then a damsel

Clowns are also damsels (family Pomacentridae). No fish should ever be used for a cycle because it's both pointless (all you need is live rock) and stressful on the fish. The main problem with maroon clowns is that they get large (up to 7") and often aggressive: not the best choices for nano tanks. Ocellaris and percula clowns are more peaceful and only get to around 3".

Learn first my friend, then do...

btw...find another LFS

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...227515&st=0