Belac Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Looks like you are on your way now. Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 I love that scape! Thank you! I actually worked on it for so long that my roomie made me sit down, eat, and rest before I finished it lol. How sad is that? Looks like you are on your way now. I am! And I am so excited! I'm literally dreaming about my tank at this point. Link to comment
xiaoxiy Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Thank you! I actually worked on it for so long that my roomie made me sit down, eat, and rest before I finished it lol. How sad is that? I know that feeling all to well. Whenever I have to do a major overhaul of my tank, whether it be to rescape or to move, I always end up forgetting to even stay hydrated. Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 So it's been 2 weeks and 5 days since I added water to the tank. After taking readings for a week and a half and seeing no change in any of my parameters, I threw in part of a piece of shrimp to get the cycle going. It only took the shrimp about 6 days to melt? away. There's no trace of shrimp left today. I checked my levels and my parameters were Ammonia- 0.03 Nitrites- less than 0.01 Nitrates- 2 Is it possible my tank cycled in 6 days? I didn't test while the shrimp was in because I figured I'd test right before it got done decomposing. Should I throw another piece of shrimp in and see how long it takes to decompose? I'm not sure what's going on since I never saw a spike in the nitrites. There was a typo to the water levels I posted last time, Ammonia should have been -0.01. Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Yeah I figured I'd wait some more. I think I might go to the LFS and pick up some sand and rubble from one of their tanks and get some chaeto. Should I continue to add something as a source of ammonia? Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Let there be Light! Finally! Little Red Sponge What's left of the Orange Sponge Unknown type of White Algae? Link to comment
Belac Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hurray light!That "sponge" looks like it might be something cool with time.The white things are just some filter feeders most likely not an algae. Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Well I'm still cycling, waiting on ammonia to go back down to 0. There has been some major algae growth in the tank over the last 3 days. I believe I have diatoms, maybe some turf algae, and possibly brown cyano or gha. I also added some chaeto and sand from the lfs about 3 days ago so now I have a few pods, some kind of stringy worms, a tiny feather duster thing poking out of the sand, and 2 micro-brittle stars. I'm hoping the cycle will be done in the next week or two so I can place an order with reef cleaners. As it is even though I don't have any livestock, I still sit and stare at my tank with my nose pretty much up against the glass haha. Link to comment
Rehype Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Looks great so far love your scape.. Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Hurray light! That "sponge" looks like it might be something cool with time. The white things are just some filter feeders most likely not an algae. I hope the sponge continues to grow! It is in a spot that's close to where I want to place mushrooms and ricordea though. The white stuff was all over almost every rock in the tank, and since my tank sat without food or light for about a year, I don't imagine anything really survived? Looks great so far love your scape.. Thank you I actually drew it out in a notebook and colored it with colored pencils and everything, I had a vision haha! It was hard getting the shape just right with the bio-cubes dimensions. I ended up taking a hammer to quite a few of the rocks and scaping for about 2 hours. Link to comment
Rehype Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Thank you I actually drew it out in a notebook and colored it with colored pencils and everything, I had a vision haha! It was hard getting the shape just right with the bio-cubes dimensions. I ended up taking a hammer to quite a few of the rocks and scaping for about 2 hours. Your welcome I do the exact same thing(minus the color) when starting a new scape..draw up a couple of ideas and it literally takes a few weeks before i decide on one. Then even after i finish the hardscape it takes a few days before i commit...lol Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Your welcome I do the exact same thing(minus the color) when starting a new scape..draw up a couple of ideas and it literally takes a few weeks before i decide on one. Then even after i finish the hardscape it takes a few days before i commit...lol I've noticed how much thought you put into your tanks by looking at the scapes from your new tank and your older ones. Those weeks were well spent, you build amazing tanks! I've been going back and forth wondering if I wanted to leave the one side of my tank bare, add more live rock, create a gorg forest of sorts, or put a beautiful maxi mini or brain alone on that side as a showpiece. Decisions decisions! I imagine I'll change my mind a million times before I'm done cycling. Link to comment
Rehype Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I've noticed how much thought you put into your tanks by looking at the scapes from your new tank and your older ones. Those weeks were well spent, you build amazing tanks! I've been going back and forth wondering if I wanted to leave the one side of my tank bare, add more live rock, create a gorg forest of sorts, or put a beautiful maxi mini or brain alone on that side as a showpiece. Decisions decisions! I imagine I'll change my mind a million times before I'm done cycling. Thanks so much! Dont worry whatever you choose in the end will look great...that scape is the perfect canvas. Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Thanks so much! Dont worry whatever you choose in the end will look great...that scape is the perfect canvas. You're welcome! I like that, it makes me feel like what I am creating is a work of art. Hoppy Easter everyone! Well the tank is still cycling. Nitrites are nearly zero, ammonia has gone down but is still not at zero yet. The Easter Bunny has sent my tank a few presents- Underwater Light with a cute little Swedish Fish from InTank What I believe is the beginning of Bryopsis More of the feathery algae Now for some of the unidentified critters and algae in my tank Some kind of worm? It's bright green and I like it, so I really hope it's not bad Since I have my underwater light now, the chaeto has been moved into it's permanent residence in chamber 2. To combat the bryopsis I am no longer running the lights in the display, I plan on manual removal, and I have ordered a Mg test and some Kent Tech-M that should be here some time next week. If it isn't bryopsis then I figure I probably would have bought a mag test eventually so it's not money lost. The reason I chose this method over peroxide treatment is that my rock is sitting on the glass and arranged exactly how I want it, I really don't want to remove it all and possibly restart my cycle as well as kill any microfauna I recently introduced. It's my hope that by the time the bryopsis dies off, my cycle will be over and I can do my water change to get the Mag levels back to normal and add my CUC. I keep seeing people say to bring your Mag up by 200ppm a day, yet others say you need to shock the system. To me that sounds like bringing it up a lot more quickly and pretty much getting it straight up to 1800-20000ppm? Link to comment
Belac Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Happy Easter to you too.I wouldn't worry about nuking the tank with mag just yet. Keep the main tank lights off for a few days and let that chato grow and see what happens. You normally get a small amount of algae when the tank does its initial cycle.That long whip like thing looks sort of like a whip snail to me. Harmless and very odd little things. Link to comment
Pancetta Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Nice scape! Never thought of doing a color drawing of a tank an I'm an architect. My Biocube 14 that has been up and running for a month. Been dealing with algae growth too. A couple of LFS people have advised me to cut my lights timing back from 12 hours to 8. Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Happy Easter to you too. I wouldn't worry about nuking the tank with mag just yet. Keep the main tank lights off for a few days and let that chato grow and see what happens. You normally get a small amount of algae when the tank does its initial cycle. That long whip like thing looks sort of like a whip snail to me. Harmless and very odd little things. The lights have been off for 3 days now, and the algae that I believe is bryopsis hasn't grown, spread, or died yet. I haven't tested the water yet today, but I'm predicting ammonia should hit zero today or later this week. Should I add some NLS pellets after the Ammonia hits zero to see how quickly my tank converts them into nitrates? Or just do a water change and say the cycle is over? Also if the bryopsis hasn't died off by then, should I go ahead and add the CUC and see if they deal with it before I dose anything? I've heard that the mag treatment can kill snails. Nice scape! Never thought of doing a color drawing of a tank an I'm an architect. My Biocube 14 that has been up and running for a month. Been dealing with algae growth too. A couple of LFS people have advised me to cut my lights timing back from 12 hours to 8. I even make drawings of my scape with coral on it now, I credit it to coloring time with almost 2 year old though. I have reefing on the brain! What kind of algae are you fighting? Do you have a tank thread? It would be fun to follow each others progress since we started at the same time and have the same kind of tanks! Link to comment
Pancetta Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 It seems to be typical green algae on the tank glass. My LFS guy told me to draw the blinds in the room and that seems to have helped.There are 3 hermit crabs in ther and they have cleaned up my rock. No tank thread yet. Might wait to start one after I get more corals. The tank looks rather bleak now. I also need to figure out work my wife's camera?! Link to comment
Belac Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 I wouldn't' drop in many snails, maybe a few larger things like asterias (don't put in turbos they will bulldoze that tank.) I suspect some small hermits might be a good thing to add and as soon as the tank's ammonia drops to near 0. I have had good luck with blue legged hermits eating most algae. I would turn the lights back on for a day at least. Just so any thing that needs the light can get some. (Yes the green algae will get a little but so will other things) Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 It seems to be typical green algae on the tank glass. My LFS guy told me to draw the blinds in the room and that seems to have helped.There are 3 hermit crabs in ther and they have cleaned up my rock. No tank thread yet. Might wait to start one after I get more corals. The tank looks rather bleak now. I also need to figure out work my wife's camera?! I didn't even think about closing my curtains! How long was your cycle? I wouldn't' drop in many snails, maybe a few larger things like asterias (don't put in turbos they will bulldoze that tank.) I suspect some small hermits might be a good thing to add and as soon as the tank's ammonia drops to near 0. I have had good luck with blue legged hermits eating most algae. I would turn the lights back on for a day at least. Just so any thing that needs the light can get some. (Yes the green algae will get a little but so will other things) Are they the ones you have to flip over if they fall lol? I've been thinking about using some putty to secure some of my more precarious rocks to the more stable ones. I had only planned on one blue leg hermit, I really dislike them, they used to eat my snails and piss off the corals in my last tank. So ammonia doesn't have to be zero to add a hermit? What would be considered near zero? Lights are back on, do you think 4 hours a day would enough? Tank is looking great Thank you! I was looking at your thread envying all of your zoa frags earlier today! I like the Blondies and utter chaos's! Link to comment
Lilies & Lace Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Well ammonia is higher today I have pods all over the glass, all kinds of algae and diatoms growing, and the orange sponge looks better than it has in a year. All of these signs of life and yet my cycle still isn't over? I changed the filter floss today, and rinsed out the sponge in chamber 3 even though I had replaced the floss a few days ago, I hope that helps. How often should I be doing both of those things? Also I've had the sponge in chamber 3 since I got the biocube in 2011. I imagine I need a new one and can't believe I made that kind of oversight when I was replacing everything. Can I just toss it without having an immediate replacement? Is it really even necessary to have one since I'm already using filter floss, chemi pure, and chaeto? I'm so ready to add a CuC and get my fish and some mushrooms in there. Link to comment
Pancetta Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 My cycle was about a month. Added my first fish a couple weeks ago. I have the InTank media basket with floss in the top compartment. I change that floss once a week after I do a water change (2 gallons). Every 2 weeks or so I pull out the sponge in the return pump chamber and rinse it out. This week I did two water changes 2 gallons each to help cut the algae growth. Have you done any water changes? Sorry cannot recall reading of any in your thread. David Link to comment
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