Bye Bye nano-reef... hello FO?

[AndyL]

Hey folks,

 

Wanted some expert opinions... My nano-reef got screwed by a shipping problem (6 days late, LR covered in a layer of ice). Between the price of shipping and the cost of more live rock, my nano-reef is dead for now... Will have to wait until I can afford to go pick up some LR from the city (I'm in too remote a locale)

 

But I'm not ready to give up, even though I'm obviously not going to have a reef just yet... I'd still like to be able to keep a clown or two.

 

My tank is a 10g currently setup with 3" of white aragonite sand, 5 13w PC lights (all can be controlled individually) 50w heater, 2 powerheads (aquaclear 201s).

 

What do I need to do, to keep a couple clowns in the tank? I was thinking of building a DIY Skimmer, adding a hob or cannister filter. The question is though, how do I cycle the tank? Add a piece of shrimp? Mollies (yuk, can I use guppies instead?)?

 

Also lastly, any suggestions on how to make my expensive now base-rock tank safe? It would be a shame to throw out 15 lbs of tonga...

 

Andy

[Raise]

I would buy an HOB.

Then I would add the rock ....presuming there is water in the tank.

Youd probably be safe after letting it run like that for a couple weeks max. I dont think youll really need a skimmer. Your rock will cure allong with your tanks cycle.

[chele]

Umm. You can't use guppies to cycle a salt water tank.. The guppies would die almost instantly. And your now dead live rock won't cure in fresh water.

Keep the tonga rock in the tank and next time you go into town buy one or two cured LR to add to your tank to re-seed your tonga. The die off from your frozen tonga will provide enough to cause your tank to cycle in regular time.

If your sand is Live Sand your tank will have cycle help and will be ready in about 6wks and if your lucky it might have a touch of coralline algae in it to start seeding your rocks.

 

HTH,

CheleB)

[AndyL]

I doubt the guppies would die instantly, I was reading some literature about asian guppy breeders having seawater ponds filled with guppies... (Would just take proper acclimitization)

 

I'll toss the tonga rock in the tank, the sand is just plain old aragonite sand. (Would aragalive have anything of benefit in it? I saw some at the pet store yesterday). I hate to do it though, the rock is pretty nasty currently (sitting in a tub of saltwater out on the balcony stinking up the joint).

 

Andy

[onthefly]

Andy, there is probably plenty of viable bacteria still in the rock. They take cold much better than heat!! I realize the rest of the life on the rock proly dead and smells like butt, however, if you get some carbon (alot of it) and a skimmer going...it should clean up pretty quick!