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First post, First tank, End of week 2


xhavok

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so as the title says this is my first post but I wanted to share my tank with you guys at the end of its 2nd week and see what you guys think.

 

This has been the most interesting week so far link for pics near the bottom
my tank is a biocube 29 and I have 8 assorted hermits, mostly red and blue tips I believe. I also have 8 snails, 1 turbo, 4 astrea, and 3 trochus that I added this week to help control the algae outbreak I had. I don't think adding them was the correct thing to do but its too late now.
Parameters are mostly all good, I am having a little bit of a green algae problem on my glass and sand right now which coincided with a nitrate and phosphate spike. The tank seems to be leveling out now parameter wise, but the algae doesn't seem to be going anywhere, I read this is a good sign as far as my cycle is concerned, can anyone confirm this for me?
> 5-10-2016
> Nitrate: 4.0
> Phosphate 0.36
> 5-16-2016
> Nitrate 2.0
> Phosphate 016
Now for the fun stuff, pics and analysis =D
So life exploded in my tank this week. I've seen so many little worms and fans and sponges come to life its been amazing.
First is a FTS. You can see the algae on the bottom of the glass and on the sand. It was covering the glass but I picked up a mag float and cleaned most of it off, the snails were barely making a dent so I took matters into my own hands.
The next 2 are of my stomatella! I love it, he is pretty shy but has been going in and out of the top rock of the cave all day, I hope more of them show up because they are seriously the coolest thing to me. Definitely my favorite hitchhiker so far.
the last 2 are of what I believe to be an asterina starfish, which I've read pretty conflicting things about. I personally don't think they are worth panicking over and am going to let them do their thing. They aren't anywhere near the zoos in my tank and don't seem to be bothering them, so why lose sleep over it? plus if their population explodes then I can get a harlequin to handle it haha.
All in all I've had a lot of fun with this tank this week. looking forward to adding my first fish in a few weeks, I'm thinking either a sailfin blenny or a clown, thoughts and ideas?
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First is a FTS. You can see the algae on the bottom of the glass and on the sand. It was covering the glass but I picked up a mag float and cleaned most of it off, the snails were barely making a dent so I took matters into my own hands.

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Nice tank. Welcome to N-R.com!

 

Yeah, we all have to scrape algae every now and then. Getting phosphate into the 0.01 to 0.03 ppm range will help.

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Welcome! Buocubes are great! Don't worry about algae, things will settle and it should go away. Just make sure to use RODI water when doing changes and topping off. Can't wait to see how this turns out!

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Welcome!, You might want to yank out that "Lace" Rock on the left there (The tall pointy grey one). That could be the source of your phosphate issues; And I would say you plenty enough of real Live rock without it. Otherwise, I'd say you're off to a great start!

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msparklym13

Looks great! My Biocube 29 is 6 months old and I have had so much fun! As for CUC it sounds like a lot. The great thing about CUC is they even themselves out. If you lose a few no big deal- I found my CUC was light in the beginning months and then they got lazy because food was so plentiful. I added more crabs and a Conch and everyone upped their clean up game! :-) Funny side note- My 3 original snails are still my oldest tank members!

My only advice (And now what should be my profile pic) is to get a QT tank now. I have a long thread going called "ICH Ugh" I wish I would have known the importance of a QT tank and have been dealing with ramifications for weeks.

I can tell you I thought others were paranoid when they said to QT a fish and corals before ever putting them in your tank. I ignored the advice and now have two sick clowns a firefish and lost my Bengaii. Trust me it is worth it to QT every living friend going into your community- We devote so much time, money and love to our reef tanks it is a shame to lose it.

Congratulations on your great set up and joining the amazing reef world! Best to you - looking forward to updates!

P.S. Listen to Seabass- Gives great advice!

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Welcome!, You might want to yank out that "Lace" Rock on the left there (The tall pointy grey one). That could be the source of your phosphate issues; And I would say you plenty enough of real Live rock without it. Otherwise, I'd say you're off to a great start!

The grey rock was dry rock when I bought it, I'm not sure what you mean by lace though since it hasn't had anything grow on it yet

 

 

Looks great! My Biocube 29 is 6 months old and I have had so much fun! As for CUC it sounds like a lot. The great thing about CUC is they even.....

thank you for the advice! I'm trying to add to my CUC as issues come up, I originally thought the algae problem was diatom since it was brown at first but after adding the snails it turned almost neon green. The next CUC member I want to add is a peppermint shrimp, I have noticed a few majano anemones and I read the peppermint might deal with them, and if not it'll deal with anything that dies for me.

 

 

Nice tank. Welcome to N-R.com!

 

Yeah, we all have to scrape algae every now and then. Getting phosphate into the 0.01 to 0.03 ppm range will help.

I added some phosguard day before yesterday and it says to wait 4 days before testing again, so I'm waiting till Saturday to test it. my other parameters seem to be pretty good though, just that nitrate and phosphate spike beginning of week 2.

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The grey rock was dry rock when I bought it, I'm not sure what you mean by lace though since it hasn't had anything grow on it yet

 

 

thank you for the advice! I'm trying to add to my CUC as issues come up, I originally thought the algae problem was diatom since it was brown at first but after adding the snails it turned almost neon green. The next CUC member I want to add is a peppermint shrimp, I have noticed a few majano anemones and I read the peppermint might deal with them, and if not it'll deal with anything that dies for me.

 

 

I added some phosguard day before yesterday and it says to wait 4 days before testing again, so I'm waiting till Saturday to test it. my other parameters seem to be pretty good though, just that nitrate and phosphate spike beginning of week 2.

 

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound critical. Lace rock is the common name of that particular type of lava rock. The problem with it is that it's been collected out in the desert and, after sitting out there for a few eons, has collected a lot of phosphates along the way. These phosphates will leech back into your aquarium of the course of 3-6mos... maybe more. I made this same mistake and had a huge GHA (green hair algae) bloom after the 4th month.

 

But also... To me, It looks out of place next to the true Live Rock. <---- Me being critical :P

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msparklym13

The grey rock was dry rock when I bought it, I'm not sure what you mean by lace though since it hasn't had anything grow on it yet

 

 

thank you for the advice! I'm trying to add to my CUC as issues come up, I originally thought the algae problem was diatom since it was brown at first but after adding the snails it turned almost neon green. The next CUC member I want to add is a peppermint shrimp, I have noticed a few majano anemones and I read the peppermint might deal with them, and if not it'll deal with anything that dies for me.

 

 

I added some phosguard day before yesterday and it says to wait 4 days before testing again, so I'm waiting till Saturday to test it. my other parameters seem to be pretty good though, just that nitrate and phosphate spike beginning of week 2.

My rock turned neon green the first month too! I couldn't figure it out- is it easily removed? Mine would not budge even with my nail. My LFS told me it was coralline but just green. Then it turned to an ugly brown- Then cleared up- Attached are pics of month one, and month 5. Big difference! If you can't scrape it with a nail I would guess Coralline- otherwise, algae

 

I have a Skunk cleaner(aka Mr. Probz). He is so interesting and fun to watch. I have had him for three months and he has molted twice. He is by far the biggest food hog in the tank. Honestly I don't know if he actually cleans anything or is just a busy body. Regardless he is hilarious and might be the Mayor of my tank ;-)

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Sorry, I didn't mean to sound critical. Lace rock is the common name of that particular type of lava rock. The problem with it is that it's been collected out in the desert and, after sitting out there for a few eons, has collected a lot of phosphates along the way. These phosphates will leech back into your aquarium of the course of 3-6mos... maybe more. I made this same mistake and had a huge GHA (green hair algae) bloom after the 4th month.

 

But also... To me, It looks out of place next to the true Live Rock. <---- Me being critical :P

ohhhhh! okay, I get what you're saying, I like the big flat side and how the inside is kind of bubbly. The color is a bit off though. I'm hoping it gets covered in coraline algae eventually, maybe that will help it blend in a bit better. I wanted another super porous piece like the top piece but the guy I bought my rock from didn't have any. that is actually th only piece of dry rock I bought. The shop I bought it from said it was seeded dry rock though, I guess it was live rock that dried out? I'm not sure if that makes the phosphate leeching less likely though.

 

I kind of want to put something like green star polyps all over the big flat side to give it some character but that is a bit down the road, I'm thinking about adding some more coral after my first fish.

 

My phosphate has been going steadily down all week, but I added some phosguard anyway to help it out a bit. The nitrate and phosphate and iodine tests I run saturday will determine if I can add anything else soon or if I have to wait

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My rock turned neon green the first month too! I couldn't figure it out- is it easily removed? Mine would not budge even with my nail. My LFS told me it was coralline but just green. Then it turned to an ugly brown- Then cleared up- Attached are pics of month one, and month 5. Big difference! If you can't scrape it with a nail I would guess Coralline- otherwise, algae

 

I have a Skunk cleaner(aka Mr. Probz). He is so interesting and fun to watch. I have had him for three months and he has molted twice. He is by far the biggest food hog in the tank. Honestly I don't know if he actually cleans anything or is just a busy body. Regardless he is hilarious and might be the Mayor of my tank ;-)

I love it! I am currently debating on either a skunk cleaner or a fire shrimp. My LFS has both and they both seem to provide similar services in the tank, and are the exact same price. I love how social all the skunks I've seen are, everyone I know with one says they are hilarious to watch and super friendly, but I don't know anyone with a fire shrimp. I would prefer mine to be friendly and social personally.

 

Also some of my rocks have purple coraline on them but the light green is just on my glass. I kind of love the green coraline I've seen and I'm a bit jealous of it honestly.

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msparklym13

I love it! I am currently debating on either a skunk cleaner or a fire shrimp. My LFS has both and they both seem to provide similar services in the tank, and are the exact same price. I love how social all the skunks I've seen are, everyone I know with one says they are hilarious to watch and super friendly, but I don't know anyone with a fire shrimp. I would prefer mine to be friendly and social personally.

 

Also some of my rocks have purple coraline on them but the light green is just on my glass. I kind of love the green coraline I've seen and I'm a bit jealous of it honestly.

I honestly don't know anything about Fire Shrimp but my skunk is hilarious! Like I said, he is a busy body and in everyone's business whether they like it or not. He is overly social and the overzealous friend no one wants but reluctantly accepts :-)

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Cencalfishguy56

I love it! I am currently debating on either a skunk cleaner or a fire shrimp. My LFS has both and they both seem to provide similar services in the tank, and are the exact same price. I love how social all the skunks I've seen are, everyone I know with one says they are hilarious to watch and super friendly, but I don't know anyone with a fire shrimp. I would prefer mine to be friendly and social personally.

 

Also some of my rocks have purple coraline on them but the light green is just on my glass. I kind of love the green coraline I've seen and I'm a bit jealous of it honestly.

skunk cleaners are your best bet! Fire shrimp are gorgeous but they definitely are not sociable lol
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So with the advice I've been given if my parameters are in check tomorrow I will get a skunk cleaner shrimp. Any advice on when I would be able to add a fish? I suppose I'm getting closer and closer to that date and I think I want either a sailfin blenny or a clown fish any thoughts on which would be better to start with? do blenny's eat this green powder algae?

 

The Phosguard is definitely working, there was hardly any algae buildup when I got home from work today. I think I will eventually set up my second chamber as a refugium with a media rack and a refugium rack with some chaeto and LR rubble. After that I'll buy a bottle of pods to kick-start that system. I have also been look at HOB refugiums but they just don't seem worth the price for them.

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I assume that ammonia is undetectable. If so, your tank is ready for livestock (just go slow). If you add a shrimp, I'd wait a week before you add a fish (monitoring ammonia as you go).

 

With fish, you generally add the most aggressive ones last. So if you wanted a sailfin blenny and a clownfish, I'd add the blenny, wait a week, then add the clownfish.

 

I'd probably skip the rubble in the fuge. It just makes it harder to keep clean.

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I assume that ammonia is undetectable....

Yep ammonia has been undetectable for about a week and a half. Provided the tests I run in the morning go well, I've been testing every 3 days during my cycle, which is what my LFS recommended to me. I keep all the results set up in this nifty little excel spreadsheet so I can track any trends that develop, so far there'e just been a general trend downward except the phosphate and nitrate spike I had a week ago, still not sure where that came from, but that's been going down as well and I'm going to guess its going to be very low tomorrow with how my tank has been looking.

 

so should I add the shrimp or the fish first? Also, I know this is totally going to be a newbie question but how many fish can I add to this tank? Ideally I'd like 2 clowns, sailfin blenny, and a watchman goby/ pistol shrimp combo. I would also love a mandarin but I don't think it would be feasible to keep it alive unless it was trained on prepared foods or I had a tank to farm pods from.

 

my plan for the fuge is to use some egg crate to make a foundation with some acrylic sides that I can lower into the second chamber of my biocube so the rubble would be on that and then I would just lift it all out at once to clean under it.

 

sorry for all the questions, I was told you give great advice haha

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so should I add the shrimp or the fish first?

I usually add fish to a new tank before a shrimp, just because they tend to be a little more sensitive. However, it would work either way.

 

... how many fish can I add to this tank? Ideally I'd like 2 clowns, sailfin blenny, and a watchman goby/ pistol shrimp combo.

I'd consider shrimp more like a fish than part of your cleanup crew (at least when it comes to determining bio-load). But how many fish can be a difficult question to answer, as there are so many variables besides water volume (like bio-filter, protein skimmer, water change frequency/percent, how or if you clean the sand bed, cleanup crew, water flow, filter media, etc).

 

That said, your list looks fine to me. However, the blenny might have an issue with like shaped fish (like the goby).

 

my plan for the fuge is to use some egg crate to make a foundation with some acrylic sides that I can lower into the second chamber of my biocube so the rubble would be on that and then I would just lift it all out at once to clean under it.

That should work. I'd probably still occasionally rinse the rubble in saltwater. With live rock in the display, you won't need the extra bio-filtration; but the pods might enjoy the digs (although they should be fine in just the chaeto).

 

I was told you give great advice haha

It depends a on the topic, but I've been around for awhile. I mostly try to respond to unanswered questions.

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Alright so, My parameter check is done, here are the results

 

temp: 77.9

Specific gravity: 1.024

PH: 8.0

Alk: 9.8

Ammonia: 0.00

Nitrite: 0.00

Nitrate: 2.00 before a 5g (20%) water change waiting to test it again

Phosphate: 0.08

Iodine: 0.06

Ca: 430

Mg: 1400

 

Everything looks to be good to me, nitrates could be better but water change should take care of that, am I on track to add my blenny?

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I got him yesterday and even though he's been hiding a lot he decided to come out just a few minutes ago =D

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I got him yesterday and even though he's been hiding a lot he decided to come out just a few minutes ago =D

Congrats on your first fish!! My tank has been set up 3 weeks-finished cycling and I just finished water changes to get nitrate <5.0.

 

I can get my first fish any time, just waiting for the time!! (I work too much)

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Congrats on your first fish!! My tank has been set up 3 weeks-finished cycling and I just finished water changes to get nitrate <5.0.

 

I can get my first fish any time, just waiting for the time!! (I work too much)

I know how that is, I work full time and I'm in college so I never have any free time. What are you thinking about getting?

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I know how that is, I work full time and I'm in college so I never have any free time. What are you thinking about getting?

I worked full time and went to college full time, now that I've graduated I work full time plus too much overtime (in a hospital).

 

I will be getting one regular ocellaris and one black and white ocellaris for my first fish. But, I will wait another week and a half so that I can be home when they arrive for acclimation.

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