heifinator Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 I double tested each time to make sure the results were right. ammonia spiked to almost 2ppm then crashed. now my nitrates are going up. I did buy really nice live rock but I am very aware that its odd to have algae bloom and dissipating ammonia this fast =) Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 looks great....i am not doubting just suprised.... looks good yeah at first it will flucuate a lot...but looks great Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 npnp appreciate the help Link to comment
jojoe972 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 mine cycled pretty quick on my 20g tall and my biocube. Id say it was probably two weeks and then I started adding my CUC. Then by 4 weeks the first fish. Of course I probably could have waited another week for the fish but I got inpatient b/c my parameters were fine. if you want to double check your readings take it your LFS for a check. Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 jojo aren't we all impatient.... I add my cuc pretty early on to stay on top of the blooms...i get some loss but seems to keep the sand pretty clean...heres what i hate and did last night...so on my jbj29 i noticed my used korallia wasnt running ... second one...thought to my self damn it i am pissed...so i take down as little rock work as possible to get to it.. give it a thump thinking the prop shaft is bound up.. nothing...go to t e old stand by...check the plug.... dammmmmmnnnnnnn... it was unplugged ... spend the next hour trying to get my rocks back were they were then another ten minutes trying to convoince my slef that it looks good evne though its not the same...then went in side and did the same thing to my daughters 14 tried to add a mj 900 dissambled the rock work hated the pump in there way to big and obtrusive ... spent the next hour trying to get my rocks back to no avail... so now the 14 has a new aquascpe that i am not in love with but finally came to terms with....I think the 14 needs a wee bit more sand to stablize my rock work...used old and new to populate my sand bed.. gonna buy another bag to add...or i guess i could pull it out of my 29 snce i think its a little on the deep side... ps what are you using for testing strips or a kit? Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 I am starting to see some other life come out of my live rock today. Trying to figure out what this is. I think it may be a mushroom?! Link to comment
jojoe972 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Well that is no fun!!! I use API Test Kit and its seems to be fine. Others say to go with salifert or another. It could be a mushroom or a button polyp Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Thats what I thought. Should I be concerned that all the algae growth seems to be hair algae. Its all getting long and stringy. Link to comment
jojoe972 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I wouldnt be too concerned till after the cycle has been completed. Link to comment
bhskicker18 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Don't use a starfish to get the algae off the sand because it will be more of a hassle than a benefit. Just use snails and crabs when the time comes. I also like the rock work! Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Alright so your thinking some of it will die off. I was just told that its really hard to get rid of so I wanted to make sure =) Link to comment
bhskicker18 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Some of it will, yes, but you should also invest in a good cuc. Try reefcleaners.org. John is a great guy to deal with and they have "Quick Crews" that are shipped free. I ordered a quick crew along with some extra snails and a few hermits and they should arrive Thursday. But I would avoid the starfish. Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Yea thats where I already plan to get it. I'm gonna wait for my parameters to get a little better. Probably early next week. I just tested my dKH / Calcium and got Calcium: 300 - 400ppm (couldn't tell) dKH: 10 Are those acceptable? Also, my temperature fluxuates some. Early in the morning when I go to work its 78.5F. At its hottest (usually near the end of the light cycle) its about 80F. Thats the biggest fluctuation I have seen. Is that to much? Normally it doesn't change that much but a couple days it has. Link to comment
Squared Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 looks great....i am not doubting just suprised.... looks good yeah at first it will flucuate a lot...but looks great I waited about a month before I added some CUC. But I also didn't do a water change for that month. Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Questions =) Clacium at 380ppm Hardness is 11 (170 something) These ok? Also, what would be the best thing to feed once I have my CuC and stocking started? Just brine shrimp cubes? Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 if you do brine feed ...do it sparingly... with so little live stock you could be feeding a bloom or affect your parameters...looking good though...as long as u used "live" sand then you shouldnt have to feed but might not hurt to supplement at first.. you just dont want you cuc thinking feeding of the brine is there primary food source... no one wants a lazy cuc...hahahaha Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 The sand I used was technically live but im not sure I buy it. Doesn't seem like it. I just dont want to starve my CuC considering some of the things I am getting are for fish waste and I have no fish =). I'll order some brine and maybe drop a little in once a week as long as my parameters stay good! Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 It had been a couple weeks since I added my LR and all my levels were stable and I was getting a pretty major bloom. So I added my CuC I ordered it from reef cleaners. I ordered: 10 Dwarf Cerith 2 Blue Leg Hermit Crab 4 Florida Cerith 4 Nerite Snails 3 Nassarius Vibex When I received it he actually sent me about 50 Dwarf Ceriths not sure why but oh well. I had no where else to put them so I put them all in the tank so its a little crazy. Been watching the ammonia levels and its stayed at zero. I plan on plucking most of them out and taking them to my LFS in a week or so. For now I don't mind having them =) I have one question. Its been over a week since I added my CuC and they have controlled the algae pretty well except on one rock near the top of the tank. Its completely covered, and there is some hair algae growing on the glass. Is this something that will start to die down over the next couple weeks? Or is it something I should be actively doing something about. I hate the stuff! Notice how clean the bottom rocks are. Why are the snails cleaning the bottom rocks but not the top. Same type of algae was on both! Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Anyone got any insight to the questions asked in my previous post? =) Link to comment
qwiksilver711 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Anyone got any insight to the questions asked in my previous post? =) i'm interested as well, actually seeing the same exact thing in my bc14, set up around the same time. actually looking in this thread here, i have the exact same setup, except i dont yet have a ro/di filter, working on that though. Also I have crushed coral for a substrate rather than actual sand... i think i'm moving to sand here in early feb though, do you like the sand? i just dont like how coarse the cc is that i currently have. Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 I like my sand. I will say though it stirs up really easy. Have to be careful when cleaning. My major question is about the algae i want to take care of it before it gets to bad if it is a problem! Link to comment
qwiksilver711 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I like my sand. I will say though it stirs up really easy. Have to be careful when cleaning. My major question is about the algae i want to take care of it before it gets to bad if it is a problem! i've heard pulling the rock and giving it a quick run over with a torch works. also I have read that some guy did peroxide dipping on a zoa frag for gha issues. With no coral in the tank, you could easily pull the rocks out and peroxide dip them. As for my tank with the same issue, i'm just sticking to the water changes, and trying to figure out what exactly is causing the problem, rather than band aiding the issue, Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thats why I posted the question. I want the real answer. All my parameters are well within the proper range and i used RO/DI. Link to comment
qwiksilver711 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Maybe it is because its a new tank Link to comment
heifinator Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thats what I am hoping but my levels have all stabilized completely and its still growing. Ive reduced my light cycle and done small water changes. I am completely at odds with it. Its almost 2 inches long is some areas. Link to comment
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