ABC Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 About a year ago I shutdown my tank since I've gotten married and moved. Now I'm setting up a new tank. So far I've got a 7.5 gallon cube with a hydor koralia 240 powerhead and for live stock a reef saver rocked my wife call Jaxx. My wife doesn't really understand cycle in a tank so she believes this is a high maintenance rock. So far I'm feeding my rock ammonia to cycle the tank. First time I've used ammonia and nothing we will post results as they occur, any questions please ask.
ABC Posted October 19, 2015 Author Posted October 19, 2015 So Far it has been eight days and still no cycle, I did add more ammonium Saturday because the levels were low.
Gary.F Posted October 19, 2015 Posted October 19, 2015 "My wife doesn't really understand cycle in a tank so she believes this is a high maintenance rock."
ABC Posted October 26, 2015 Author Posted October 26, 2015 Update: the tank is still cycling I have added ammonia a couple of times. Today Nitrites were at 4or 5 ppm and nitrates were about 30 ppm. I did use Fluval bio start to help the cycle and I think it is helping, but not enough to add livestock. First time I have done a fish less cycle it does take more patience but a lot easier then testing water twice a day and doing multiple water changes daily.
ABC Posted November 1, 2015 Author Posted November 1, 2015 Yesterday I tested my water and The nitrates were off the charts on an API test kit, and nitrites have gone down its time for 100% water change. But I'm a little worried about the temp it has been in the mid 80's the last couple days I ordered a fan from Amazon I might have to wait until it shows up before I can get live stock.
Learn It Posted November 1, 2015 Posted November 1, 2015 Mid 80's? What is that light and where do you live
ABC Posted November 4, 2015 Author Posted November 4, 2015 Mid 80's? What is that light and where do you liveThe light is the 6" wave-point.I live in Hawaii it should be cooling down to the low 80's any day and usually stays like that until June. Added some items and diatoms have started. I guess the brown algae means the tank is progressing.
ABC Posted November 16, 2015 Author Posted November 16, 2015 Did a water change today changed 5 gallons in a 7.5. The water gets dirty without a filter and carbon. I kinda pissed my Zoa's off when I moved the plugg the Zoas were on, one was starting to attach to the Rock and it tore it. This is the Zoas after the water change. The purple star polyps are doing good, And also added a trochus snail. I will monitor the Zoas if they don't improve I will post more pictures and ask for opinions.
PieMan2k Posted November 16, 2015 Posted November 16, 2015 They are probably just pissed off you touched and moved them. Mounted my corals yesterday and the zoas closed up for a good 6-8 hours. Now they are open and happy eating their spotted food.
ABC Posted November 21, 2015 Author Posted November 21, 2015 They are probably just pissed off you touched and moved them. Mounted my corals yesterday and the zoas closed up for a good 6-8 hours. Now they are open and happy eating their spotted food. You are probely right they are opening now, but I get home from work right when the lights go off so I haven't had the chance to see how they are doing. Because they close as soon as the lights go off but it doesn't look like zoa pox or anything.
ABC Posted November 21, 2015 Author Posted November 21, 2015 I added another rock to the tank and six feeder shrimp they kinda act as part of the cleanup crew. They are cheap and they are pretty hardy, but you don't see them much but only $0.15 a piece so if they hide all day not a big deal. Also started seeing pods on the glass which is neat becouse all the rock was dry and corals were dipped. I'll take some update pictures this weekend after the water change.
ABC Posted November 23, 2015 Author Posted November 23, 2015 My zoos have been looking this for about a week Ammonium=o Nitrite=o Nitrate= less than 5 PH = 7.8 - 8 Temp 80.5- 82.5 No fish One snail 5 small feeder shrimp. Weekly 75% water change Currently using ocean water it is pumped out of the ocean through a filter into a jug. My zoos have been looking this for about a week Ammonium=o Nitrite=o Nitrate= less than 5 PH = 7.8 - 8 Temp 80.5- 82.5 No fish One snail 5 small feeder shrimp. Weekly 75% water change Currently using ocean water it is pumped out of the ocean through a filter into a jug.
Elizabeth94 Posted November 23, 2015 Posted November 23, 2015 In my experience, 82 is a bit too warm. Try more like 79-80. Not sure if that is what's bothering your zoas but it may help.
ABC Posted November 23, 2015 Author Posted November 23, 2015 In my experience, 82 is a bit too warm. Try more like 79-80. Not sure if that is what's bothering your zoas but it may help.I have a fan ordered it should arrive tomorrow or Tuesday from Amazon. thanks for the suggestion although I do not think it is temp related.
ABC Posted November 23, 2015 Author Posted November 23, 2015 I dipped the Zoas in coral RX for 10 min, we will see if that helps. The star polyps are doing great
ABC Posted November 28, 2015 Author Posted November 28, 2015 Just an update, I think the zoas are not doing well becouse of the lighting. I'm using an all white wave point it's like 6 or 8 watts, I believe it either does not have the right color spectrum or not enough intensity or both. Yesterday I added the cool blue wave point to the tank and ran both lights the Zoas did look a little better today, but still not out of the woods. I also ordered a new Kesssil a160 from Bulk Reef Supply today, I took advantage of there Black Friday sale. It did occur to me that every tank I have ever had that was successful had an expensive light. Kinda sucks but I guess it's part of the hobby.
Nanofreak79 Posted November 28, 2015 Posted November 28, 2015 I had the blue and white wave point at one time over a small tank, things did fine. Better lighting can help as well as either more or less water movement. Try not to move the frag around constantly as well. Zoas can stay closed for weeks as well, and tHen open up like nothing happened, lol.
ABC Posted November 28, 2015 Author Posted November 28, 2015 I had the blue and white wave point at one time over a small tank, things did fine. Better lighting can help as well as either more or less water movement. Try not to move the frag around constantly as well. Zoas can stay closed for weeks as well, and tHen open up like nothing happened, lol.I think better lighting will help if I had been running the blue and white I thknks things would have been better.But like you say it could be anything.
ABC Posted November 30, 2015 Author Posted November 30, 2015 The Zoas are looking a little better under the both the white and blue wave point. Also put a fan on top of the aquarium and have it hooked up to my Apex so the temp should be a lot more steady.
Reefkid88 Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Just going to throw this out there,for such a small system with just 2 frags of softies,75% is kind of a ridiculous amount for a water change. I do a gallon to almost a gallon and a half a week on my 7 gallon,and everything is fine.
ABC Posted November 30, 2015 Author Posted November 30, 2015 Just going to throw this out there,for such a small system with just 2 frags of softies,75% is kind of a ridiculous amount for a water change. I do a gallon to almost a gallon and a half a week on my 7 gallon,and everything is fine.I see your point, the diatom algae is disappearing so I will try maybe 1 or 1.5 gallon changes per week. It just seems like without a filter and carbon a 5 gallon change is as easy as a one gallon and does a better job cleaning the water, even with a small bio load the water turns yellow quickly and starts to smell then the wife starts to complain.
Reefkid88 Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Without chemical filtration,even with big water changes,water quality is going to deminish much faster. As I'm sure you know. Like you said too,the water is going to smell and turn yellow eventually,carbon will stop all of that which will result in happy wife,happy life lol. Why not just spend $30 and get a Aquaclear 20 filter and get a few extra bags of the Hagen carbon ?
ABC Posted December 1, 2015 Author Posted December 1, 2015 Without chemical filtration,even with big water changes,water quality is going to deminish much faster. As I'm sure you know. Like you said too,the water is going to smell and turn yellow eventually,carbon will stop all of that which will result in happy wife,happy life lol. Why not just spend $30 and get a Aquaclear 20 filter and get a few extra bags of the Hagen carbon ? An aqua clear 20 is probably the most economic way to use carbon in a small tank. I happen to have one but my wife does not want any filtration on it she can see.I have a few ideas of running carbon inside the tank will update if use one. My wife is taking s trip to Japan this spring so I think that is going to be a great Tim to instal a glass holes over flow and a sump. Then all equipment would be hidden and that will be a win win.
Reefkid88 Posted December 1, 2015 Posted December 1, 2015 If you're going to spend the money in doing that,why don't you just get a IM 10g all in one or the one from Petco ?
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