12 Gallon Eclipse with 96w retro

[Icebox1230]

I thouht that the proper way to cycle a new tank is too add a couple of hardy fish like damels to create enough waste to begin the nitrogen cycle. Am I correct or did I waste time and money buying damels when I set my tank up?

[alexmurovec]

I thouht that the proper way to cycle a new tank is too add a couple of hardy fish like damels to create enough waste to begin the nitrogen cycle. Am I correct or did I waste time and money buying damels when I set my tank up?

 

alot of people are against that method. damsels can be territorial and a pain in the neck once you want to add other fish. if you can catch them out, then fine, but who are you gonna give them too? i gues you could have a all damsel tank as well.

 

the die off from the live rock is suppose to start the cycle, its the same thing as fish waste. overtime your tank will cycle with that die off being the cause.

[NanoCube-boy]

Alexmurevec, ah hah.. You only mixing synthetic salt in RO water? That's MIGHT be why. RO water doesn't filter everything out, only toxin, chlorine, and etc... DI filters everything out, so it have nothing to feed the algae. I use DI water and it's great...

 

Emerald Crabs to get fast hungry and eat a lot, but if you have a lot of algae why worry. I never seen my crabs harass my fish or corals. They may fight with another Emerald, but I doubted they can mess with fish. Fish do swim you know, and crabs can't. They are STUCK. Try adding one for now, maybe you might add another one. Introducing them slowly, IF you want.

 

For cycling, adding fish is a great way to kick start your tank. Since you have creatures in there, I don't think you will need to add fish now, but it's a good idea. Damsel getting aggressive and territory? I don't know about that, maybe. If you are uncomfortable with Damsels, then go for clown fish, except Maroon and Tomato Clown, they maybe aggressive and territory. You might want to get False or True Percula Clown, they are so peaceful.

[alexmurovec]

Alexmurevec, ah hah.. You only mixing synthetic salt in RO water? That's MIGHT be why. RO water doesn't filter everything out, only toxin, chlorine, and etc... DI filters everything out, so it have nothing to feed the algae. I use DI water and it's great...

 

Emerald Crabs to get fast hungry and eat a lot, but if you have a lot of algae why worry. I never seen my crabs harass my fish or corals. They may fight with another Emerald, but I doubted they can mess with fish. Fish do swim you know, and crabs can't. They are STUCK. Try adding one for now, maybe you might add another one. Introducing them slowly, IF you want.

 

well its RO/DI water, i was just too lazy to say. my top off water is from our home system, and my water change water is the same stuff but from the purified water store.

 

i found that a turbo snail will do just as good job on hair algae as an emerald, so i'm gonna try that out first. thanks for your help.

[NanoCube-boy]

Alexmurovec, Well lazyto type out, might make me MISunderstood you. hehe

 

Do you top off with tap water? Like straight out the faucet?

[alexmurovec]

Alexmurovec, Well lazyto type out, might make me MISunderstood you. hehe

 

Do you top off with tap water? Like straight out the faucet?

 

no, like i said previously, i top off with RO/DI water.

[NanoCube-boy]

ok. How much hours lighting do you turn on? How many what is your lighting tank?

[alexmurovec]

i believe i just need more CUC power in order to get rid of this algae. i think i am still in the cycle, although all my tests say i'm not, but, there are things that you cannot test for. for the record, i have a 65W CF light strip that is on for 8 hours a day, then, for the other 16 hours i have a little screw in flouresant bulb over my fuge. there is a little spill over, but not too much. yesterday i bought one turbo snail, as i heard lots of good about them. he seems to be eating some of the hair algae, so i'll give him some time yet and see how the algae problem does.

[PrettyEyesSCT]

serious thread hijacking

[alexmurovec]

serious thread hijacking

 

i thought nano-cube-boy was the one who made this thread, and was just going along with my questions. now that i realize its not even his thread, than ya, we are hijacking

[NanoCube-boy]

Alexmurovec, haha if you want to see my tank thread, here is the link. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...mp;pagenumber=2

 

I think you might consider reducing your main lighting to 6hours. my tank is only running 4 hours right now because I do i have algae problem as well, but they are declining, and my corals still looking good in 4 hours. If you have SPS and clams, then i don't know about reducing lighting, but polyps and softcorals are okay.

[alexmurovec]

Alexmurovec, haha if you want to see my tank thread, here is the link. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...mp;pagenumber=2

 

I think you might consider reducing your main lighting to 6hours. my tank is only running 4 hours right now because I do i have algae problem as well, but they are declining, and my corals still looking good in 4 hours. If you have SPS and clams, then i don't know about reducing lighting, but polyps and softcorals are okay.

 

i reduced my main light to 4 hours as of today, and my fuge light is on for the other 20 hours. i dont see there being a problem with the fuge light being on for so long, because its only cheato and lr rubble in there, so no hurt in letting it thrive. there is a little spillover into the main tank for those 20 hours, but i'm not too worried. i also keep my window closed, but a little light seeks through. actually, i checked out my tank right now, and only the fuge light are on, and some sun poking through the blinds, and its enough to make my button polyps hitchhiker open. right now i do not have any other corals, so a shortage on light shouldn't be a problem until i get the algae deal figured out. thanks for the help, and i'll check out your tank link now...

[Primeval]

Decided to get rid of the toadstool leather but it seems to have attached its stalk to 2 pieces of live rock in the crevice that it sits in. Any ideas on removing it without damaging it or taking my rock out?

 

I think I'm going to replace it with a smaller yellow leather. The toadstool just got too big too fast.

[Primeval]

up

[Primeval]

ttt

[Primeval]

Moving in 25 days. Its going to be really sad to have to tear it down temporarily for the move. And such a pain

[alexmurovec]

Moving in 25 days. Its going to be really sad to have to tear it down temporarily for the move. And such a pain

 

unfortunately it will be, but best of luck.

[PrettyEyesSCT]

I'm thinking of using small tupperware containers for the fish and putting my live rock in a larger 10gal container. The problem is most of my coral has attached to the LR.

[Primeval]

up

[PrettyEyesSCT]

moved and unpacked. the bubble hasn't come out at all though.

[PrettyEyesSCT]

up

[Pickle010]

Great job with the Eclipse system - My kid has one in his room wth fresh water - it's been a guppy breeding ground for last couple of years. I'm thinking it may have to go SW.

 

Any updates? New pics? How did the move go? Did the bubble survive?

[Primeval]

the bubble made it. I don't think it has opened up as large as it had in the past but it is in an entirely different aquascape now so that might have a lot to do with it.

 

Pics coming soon.

 

We've held off posting updated pics for so long because of a bubble algae problem, but with the addition of 2 emerald crabs it seems like its never going away.

[Primeval]

Alright guys, its finally time for an update. The move was completed in June 2007 so the tank has been running steady for about 6 months now. The tank itself is almost 2 years old now (this April). Everything survived the move and as stated above the Toadstool mushroom had to go because of its size and rate of growth.

 

After purchasing 2 emerald crabs the bubble algae is almost completely gone and so far none of them have been picking at any polyps.

 

There seem to be no problems with the tank other than the propensity to have annoying green dots on the glass that are hell trying to get off. Since the tank is acrylic we had to get a special acrylic mag-float and it doesn't clean the dots off very well.

 

Aside from that, the tank is looking great.

 

Now on to the pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tubatime1010]

Here's what I did with my Eclipse12:

 

 

I never got too far off the ground with it though and all the stock is now in my 29g in my sig. The tank will soon be used as the 12g Zoa farm in my sig.