When to add Chaeto & Pod combo

[dcNano]

Hey all-- I'm just got back into the reefing hobby. I had a IM 30L that was cleaned and shutdown 2-3 years ago and was just sitting there empty so decided I wanted to start it back up and get back into the hobby.

 

I ordered new RO/DI filters, a bucket of Red Sea blue salt, Matrix bio media and made 1.026 saltwater in the tank. I let it run for 2 days for mix to clear up and get up to temperature and then added two baby clowns (1.3 - 1.4 inch), a bottle of Bio-spira, and 12lbs of Caribsea life rock. Three days later I got a bacteria bloom that lasted 7 days and have had crystal clear water since then. Im going to hit the 1 month mark this Friday.

 

My tank has very low bioload, I am running 2 Radion G2's at 35% on the coral radiance setting and I am not getting any type of algae and the glass is not getting anything either. I had a light white dusting which I cleaned once after 2 weeks but since then the glass doesn't look like it needs cleaning at all. When i test for nitrate I am not getting any reading either (but the API dip strip test I have right now has its lowest reading at 20ppm).

 

I want to add Chaeto & Pods to the tank so that they can help add some variety to the system, as well as serving the purpose of a microscopic cleaning crew and a method of removing nitrate/phosphate down the road.

 

My question is:

• Is it too early?
• Will the chaeto die and pods starve because the tank is kind of sterile?
• When is it a good time to add the chaeto + pod combo?  

 

Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[Clown79]

I would wait to ensure your cycle is done. Did you test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate through the cycling process?

 

The pod condo and chaeto will take time to build pods, you may need to seed it but that should be done after the cycle

[dcNano]

Thanks Clown79, I did not test ammonia since my API 5 in 1 strips didn't have ammonia on it. I did test for Nitrite and Nitrate but never got any readings on those according to the strips. I did get a bacteria bloom (slight cloudly haze in water) and as of now things in the tank feel kinda slick slippery feel so I think I do have something going. Here are some of the notes i've kept since i've started.

 

WEEK 1	Friday	5/10/2019
rodi	new sediment / carbon / ro membrane / di resin	5/10/2019
tds reading	5-8 ppm after RO membrane, 0 ppm out	5/10/2019
main display	new saltwater 1.027 @ 72F, too high, made adjustments to lower	5/11/2019
livestock	added 2 clowns + bio spira	5/11/2019
salinity test	1.025 @ 80F	5/12/2019
observation	bacterial bloom start, water is cloudy	5/13/2019
api water test	Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0, PH: 8.0, KH: 120, GH: 180	5/13/2019
filter floss	new filter floss	5/13/2019
rodi	3 ppm after RO membrane, 0 ppm out	5/13/2019
api water test	Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0, PH: 7.5, KH: 120, GH: 180	5/14/2019
WEEK 2	Friday	5/17/2019
api water test	Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0, PH: 7.5, KH: 120, GH: 180	5/17/2019
salinity test	35.5 PPT @ 79.2F	5/18/2019
observation	bacterial bloom done. Water is crystal clear	5/20/2019
api water test	Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0, PH: 7.5, KH: 120, GH: 180	5/21/2019
WEEK 3	Friday	5/24/2019
api water test	Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0, PH: 7.5, KH: 120, GH: 180	5/24/2019
observation	white dusting buildup on glass	5/25/2019
maintenance	cleaned glass	5/25/2019
WEEK 4	Friday	5/31/2019
api water test	Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0, PH: 7.5, KH: 120, GH: 180	5/31/2019

 

 

I can definitely wait longer before adding anything, I'm in no rush and just cruising along enjoying the tank again. Right now i've just been feeding a tiny pinch of crushed up reef prime flakes every day. I wish the Nitrate reading would give me something besides just a white square which means 0ppm. 

[Clown79]

The only way to know if a cycle has occurred was testing ammonia. Ammonia and nitrate are the important tests during cycling.

 

In order to know if the cycle started, you needed to see ammonia rise and process to 0. Then nitrite develops which converts to nitrate.

 

0 nitrate is suspect. 

 

Those strip tests are not reliable. 

[dcNano]

3 hours ago, Clown79 said:

The only way to know if a cycle has occurred was testing ammonia. Ammonia and nitrate are the important tests during cycling.

 

In order to know if the cycle started, you needed to see ammonia rise and process to 0. Then nitrite develops which converts to nitrate.

 

0 nitrate is suspect. 

 

Those strip tests are not reliable. 

They definitely aren't -- i thought I would get some cheap strips to help track the cycle but they didn't help any. Just tried another strip and both nitrite and nitrate on the test look white, meaning its reading too low or not reading at all.  Not sure if i can test for ammonia anymore but I am going to try a Salifert Nitrate test or look for one that gives more accurate numbers in the low range. I'm going to give my tank another month just to be sure and let the biomedia marinate so I can eventually use that to start my quarantine tank

[Txplicit]

Because our systems require pretty precise water parameters, I'd suggest staying away from strips.  I don't know what your future plans are livestock wise, but those strips are inaccurate and a lucky guess at best.  Even with the api master reef system, it's a guess trying to match colors.  I'm saving up for the hanna master test.

 

To answer your question about pods, micro organisms are more suceptible to water parameters so I'd definitively wait till you know for sure the water is ammonia/nitrate/phosphate are as close to 0 as possible.

 

[Pod Your Reef]

Pods are a lot hardier than you think, once the rock goes in the pods go in for me.