Tulips.

[jedimasterben]

Yeah i have some ammonia, and some nitrate.. but NO nitrite, im 100 pos of that lol.. i dont know how i skipped that level? lol. Well i put food in there, to start it because otherwise it'd start say like 3 weeks from now, and then id have to wait foreverrrr. I can wait a while, just not forever

The bacteria that convert nitrite into nitrate reproduce at an almost alarming rate - I have never seen a nitrite spike in my reef, ever. Plenty of ammonia (those bacteria reproduce very slowly, they need to absorb a large amount of ammonia before reproducing), but never nitrite. I know it's not typical, but at least I have some sort of explanation for it.

[Deleted User 3]

The bacteria that convert nitrite into nitrate reproduce at an almost alarming rate - I have never seen a nitrite spike in my reef, ever. Plenty of ammonia (those bacteria reproduce very slowly, they need to absorb a large amount of ammonia before reproducing), but never nitrite. I know it's not typical, but at least I have some sort of explanation for it.

 

Good, makes me feel better. lol I'm like thinkin.. how can i have 2/3 steps and not the middle one!? haha. i wish the ammonia one was easier to read... I might do it on Distilled water just to see what the 0 is, compared to the chart, the chart sucks on my API kit for ammonia. lol

[jedimasterben]

Good, makes me feel better. lol I'm like thinkin.. how can i have 2/3 steps and not the middle one!? haha. i wish the ammonia one was easier to read... I might do it on Distilled water just to see what the 0 is, compared to the chart, the chart sucks on my API kit for ammonia. lol

Yeah, it isn't the best (and hell, I don't even have the printout, I have to use the online one!), but it's good for giving a general idea.

[Deleted User 3]

Yeah, it isn't the best (and hell, I don't even have the printout, I have to use the online one!), but it's good for giving a general idea.

 

Yeah, well.. It seems like my color doesn't match any of them close enough lol. I'd have to upload a pic once. Its like a neon yellow ... like a yellowgreen of a highlighter neon color lol. Ill test now (because it gives me something to do and id like to see if anything changes in 12-18 hrs). and upload a pic I always have trouble with the ammonia!

[Deleted User 3]

.....

 

ammonia is clearly 0 .. now... WTF. It hates me lol.

 

nitrite 0, ph still a bit lower than what it was ... 7.8

nitrate 20 ppm still.

[patback]

Throw a cuc in there.

 

AFTER a large water change.

[Deleted User 3]

Throw a cuc in there.

 

AFTER a large water change.

 

I'm afraid to do it now, tanks only like 5 days old. In a couple weeks I could get a spike. I don't have diatoms even yet. =\ don't wanna kill my cuc!

[patback]

I'm afraid to do it now, tanks only like 5 days old. In a couple weeks I could get a spike. I don't have diatoms even yet. =\ don't wanna kill my cuc!

The thing is it was delivered from a mature tank submerged in water and put directly into your tank. There is a very very good chance you will see no spikes. If you are still wary, I suggest buying just 2 or 3 snails.

 

I'm an advocate of adding snails right when the cycle ends. People insisted I wait 2 weeks after my cycle ended and the only thing that changed was the massive amount of algae that my clean up crew couldn't catch up to. ( had to use 4 turbo snails ontop of reefcleaners suggested cuc just to catch up, then find new homes for the turbos since my tank was only a 10)

[Deleted User 3]

The thing is it was delivered from a mature tank submerged in water and put directly into your tank. There is a very very good chance you will see no spikes. If you are still wary, I suggest buying just 2 or 3 snails.

 

I'm an advocate of adding snails right when the cycle ends. People insisted I wait 2 weeks after my cycle ended and the only thing that changed was the massive amount of algae that my clean up crew couldn't catch up to. ( had to use 4 turbo snails ontop of reefcleaners suggested cuc just to catch up, then find new homes for the turbos since my tank was only a 10)

 

Well, let me wait like a week... and then if everything looks okay still ill order the cuc. I just dont wanna risk losing 17$ or cute snails!

[patback]

I understand the money issue completely. I HATE ordering online if shipping is any more than 5 bucks because I just think " that could have been a frag at the lfs" or money saved up for an upgrade.

[jedimasterben]

Order from Reef Cleaners. Trust me, even if half of them die because of a spike, you'll still have more left than you originally purchased!!

[Deleted User 3]

Order from Reef Cleaners. Trust me, even if half of them die because of a spike, you'll still have more left than you originally purchased!!

 

Yeah thats where i'm goin, free shipping too. Whats your opinion on putting my cuc in now?

 

 

And i have to stop lusting .. i have been looking up new aquariums because I wanna upgrade... I like the length of mine, but i want it taller... and i like the nano cube... :S but the intermediate lighting at like 29 gal is $$$ lol. And then the pain of switchin everything over and screwing something up... but its a kit so i don't have to buy too much. I like the 24g nano cube but the lighting looks like it sucks so i'd have to upgrade anyway.

 

I understand the money issue completely. I HATE ordering online if shipping is any more than 5 bucks because I just think " that could have been a frag at the lfs" or money saved up for an upgrade.

 

Exactly! But my LFS doubles/triples every price... so.... not going there. But for fish/coral im not gonna ship either because it's ####in redik! Just gonna have my grandparents take me along when they go to Sam's club n stop at cheapco (petco lol).

[jedimasterben]

Yeah thats where i'm goin, free shipping too. Whats your opinion on putting my cuc in now?

I would put a pinch of food into the tank and test the water again on Monday. If ammonia and nitrite are still at 0, I would order it.

 

Exactly! But my LFS doubles/triples every price... so.... not going there. But for fish/coral im not gonna ship either because it's ####in redik! Just gonna have my grandparents take me along when they go to Sam's club n stop at cheapco (petco lol).

Just be careful doing this. Petcos typically aren't known for quality livestock. If yours has a lot of sick and dying fish, I would not purchase any from them.

[Deleted User 3]

I would put a pinch of food into the tank and test the water again on Monday. If ammonia and nitrite are still at 0, I would order it.

 

 

Just be careful doing this. Petcos typically aren't known for quality livestock. If yours has a lot of sick and dying fish, I would not purchase any from them.

 

These are the readings with the pinch i did um 2 days ago? My petco has great looking fish, there tanks are always clean too. Petsmart on the other hand......

 

http://www.jbjnanocube.com/contents/en-us/p10900.html.... love this! <3 I wanna buy it nooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwww. lol

[jedimasterben]

These are the readings with the pinch i did um 2 days ago? My petco has great looking fish, there tanks are always clean too. Petsmart on the other hand......

A clean tank doesn't necessarily mean a healthy tank. My Petco's tank racks usually have a lot of diatoms (elevated nitrate level, the norm for such a system, though).

 

The only reason I am comfortable purchasing livestock from them, though, is that they take care of their stuff - they have both a frag tank and a discus tank, and that takes a lot more dedication than your typical setup does.

[Deleted User 3]

A clean tank doesn't necessarily mean a healthy tank. My Petco's tank racks usually have a lot of diatoms (elevated nitrate level, the norm for such a system, though).

 

The only reason I am comfortable purchasing livestock from them, though, is that they take care of their stuff - they have both a frag tank and a discus tank, and that takes a lot more dedication than your typical setup does.

 

I haven't seen any algae, diatoms, ich, nothing in the tanks when i've been there, but I sure will look before I buy... I really wanna put in the fish & the shrimp.. saves me a trip... or the extra 7$ from the LFS >< like i said, double the price there.... but I dont wanna jeopardize aything...

[Deleted User 3]

Those stick on thermometers are better at testing ambient room temperature than anything in the tank. Might a suggest a coralife temp probe? It's around 7-10 bucks, depending where you buy it

From.

 

 

PS Just to fill ya in, my floating thermom attached to the opposite side of the heater is the exact same temp of the stick on on the side of the heater and i know my house isn't 77 degrees!

[msscha]

Just to add to the advice on CUC , my experience using freshly harvested LR was different. I had diatom and great green algae growth within a few days. I was so entertained watching what emerged out of the LR that other than doing weekly water changes, I added nothing for three weeks. Then it occurred to me that the green carpet waving so invitingly probably meant it was time to add a few snails -- and the back of my tank was covered top to bottom with a lush green algae mat, like green shag carpet on the walls! I only added a few snails after reading Ron Shimek's take on over-populating the cuc. I chose to go with no hermit crabs. My turbo and astreas dined like kings for a couple of weeks. The nassarius got so much food they laid eggs almost daily. Gradually, all the algae disappeared and one of the nassarius and a cerith died. I used to have a bunch of hitchhiking limpets, too, but they were killed by something (probably hh whelks! I now take them out of the tank if I see them). I still have one yellow limpet hh, but I miss the others. However, the limpets also seemed to eat some of the sponges (I am pretty sure it was a limpet that ate all the cool black sponge I started with), so maybe their decreased numbers are a good thing.

 

Now, I only have a few snails left. My fave is the turbo with its gorgeous burgundy-purple body, one astrea, and a few hh ceriths. I worry that there is not enough algae to keep them alive...I have nori, but it wasn't clear to me that the snails were eating it.

[jedimasterben]

Just to add to the advice on CUC , my experience using freshly harvested LR was different. I had diatom and great green algae growth within a few days. I was so entertained watching what emerged out of the LR that other than doing weekly water changes, I added nothing for three weeks. Then it occurred to me that the green carpet waving so invitingly probably meant it was time to add a few snails -- and the back of my tank was covered top to bottom with a lush green algae mat, like green shag carpet on the walls! I only added a few snails after reading Ron Shimek's take on over-populating the cuc. I chose to go with no hermit crabs. My turbo and astreas dined like kings for a couple of weeks. The nassarius got so much food they laid eggs almost daily. Gradually, all the algae disappeared and one of the nassarius and a cerith died. I used to have a bunch of hitchhiking limpets, too, but they were killed by something (probably hh whelks! I now take them out of the tank if I see them). I still have one yellow limpet hh, but I miss the others. However, the limpets also seemed to eat some of the sponges (I am pretty sure it was a limpet that ate all the cool black sponge I started with), so maybe their decreased numbers are a good thing.

 

Now, I only have a few snails left. My fave is the turbo with its gorgeous burgundy-purple body, one astrea, and a few hh ceriths. I worry that there is not enough algae to keep them alive...I have nori, but it wasn't clear to me that the snails were eating it.

Unfortunately, astrea and turbo snails aren't the best to have if you're going to start with small frags, they will easily knock them over constantly. If you purchase large frags or colonies, they do a wonderful job, but man, are they bulldozers!

[msscha]

Unfortunately, astrea and turbo snails aren't the best to have if you're going to start with small frags, they will easily knock them over constantly. If you purchase large frags or colonies, they do a wonderful job, but man, are they bulldozers!

Yes, I'm always curious to see what new arrangement they've managed when I come back in on Monday! Nothing bulldozed the tank like a sea urchin I had briefly. It was given to me free and was tiny when I got it. Within two weeks, it had grown 300% -- I swear, it went from being the size of my fingernail to a freaking golf ball in a matter of days. And it knocked down everything!

[jedimasterben]

Yes, I'm always curious to see what new arrangement they've managed when I come back in on Monday! Nothing bulldozed the tank like a sea urchin I had briefly. It was given to me free and was tiny when I got it. Within two weeks, it had grown 300% -- I swear, it went from being the size of my fingernail to a freaking golf ball in a matter of days. And it knocked down everything!

Did it carry anything around? I saw one at an LFS that was carrying two more urchins on it's back!!!

[msscha]

Did it carry anything around? I saw one at an LFS that was carrying two more urchins on it's back!!!

No, mine was a plain-jane black sea urchin. I loved the ones carrying stuff around and might have kept that for the entertainment factor!

[Formula462]

Fe=

 

Male=

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I see it as Fe+Male=iron my clothes

[patback]

Msscha, incase you were wondering reefcleaners sells reef safe limpets. Being a noob, I looked up "triangle shaped snails" and read all about pyramid snails and limpets that were ravenous. This scared me and I tore all my hitchhikers out. A week later I saw on reefcleaners that they sold them and I bought a few. Never touched anything but algae and seemed to breed a slight bit, somthing I was told they couldn't do in aquariums. I also have a video of one actually releasing itself into my water column.

[Deleted User 3]

Fe=

 

Male=

 

Good luck with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I see it as Fe+Male=iron my clothes

 

 

Did it carry anything around? I saw one at an LFS that was carrying two more urchins on it's back!!!

 

COOOL Taxiiii