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365 Day Challenge: First Coral- Pulsing Xenia


Chadicus Meridius

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Chadicus Meridius
5 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

What do you think about the rock? Is that the view you will be seeing the tank from? When is the salt due to arrive? Oh did you find a heater?

Yea I found a heater. My salt arrives on Tuesday. I will be getting the water next Saturday and will start cycling on Saturday aswell. That is not the tanks permanent position.  And what is your guys thoughts on the aquascape?

 

heater is the

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Chadicus Meridius

Light is in babies

 

we have salt 

and a heater

 

and all the hubs are mounted

 

tank

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Light

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Heater

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Salt instant oceans reef crystals

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Controller station

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is this looking good so far. And is the outlet to close?

 

 

one more picture of the front view of the tank.

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Looking good! I like your rock work. I would not worry to much about a skimmer with this size tank. Most skimmers won’t do much to compared to water changes. Just my 2 cents take it with a grain of salt 😝  (pun intended) 

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Chadicus Meridius
1 hour ago, Lorenz725 said:

Looking good! I like your rock work. I would not worry to much about a skimmer with this size tank. Most skimmers won’t do much to compared to water changes. Just my 2 cents take it with a grain of salt 😝  (pun intended) 

Thanks that pun makes me feel salty. And I will probably not get a skimmer for a while. I want to keep a small bio load.

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Chadicus Meridius

I get the water into the tank today, but my mom wanted to paint the room first so should I move the tank? 
 

cycling the tank with bio spira when I get it, if I were to just add a frozen shrimp would that produce enough ammonia for the nitrifying bacteria to cycle the tank?

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Chadicus Meridius

I was at my LFS yesterday and they were selling really small hammer corals for 15 dollars. I’m tempted to make this my first coral.

 

CUC suggestions:

 

I’m thinking for my CUC 

 

3 trochus snails

 

2 nassarius snails

 

6 cerith snails

 

1 tiger fighting conch

 

1 emerald crab

 

1 tuxedo urchin

 

3 scarlet hermit crabs

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On 3/14/2020 at 4:28 PM, Seea said:

I was at my LFS yesterday and they were selling really small hammer corals for 15 dollars. I’m tempted to make this my first coral.

 

CUC suggestions:

 

I’m thinking for my CUC 

 

3 trochus snails

 

2 nassarius snails

 

6 cerith snails

 

1 tiger fighting conch

 

1 emerald crab

 

1 tuxedo urchin

 

3 scarlet hermit crabs

You're not adding them all at once are you? I'd start with one of each and monitor algae growth and add more if needed

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Chadicus Meridius
11 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

You're not adding them all at once are you? I'd start with one of each and monitor algae growth and add more if needed

Ohh no I have not added any. This is just what I’m planning on. I haven’t added anything but live sand. I will post a picture later today.

 

that is if the algae I get is bad.

 

still needs to cycle first.

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Chadicus Meridius

image.thumb.jpeg.d5be2202911ec136d4347aaed84512fc.jpegwhat are those floating things?

 

bubbles

 

Please help

 

Problem solved: air was getting into return pump just had to top it off with Rodi water

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  • 2 weeks later...
Chadicus Meridius

image.thumb.jpeg.e161f72598a788dfa7d4483675917e88.jpeg

 

The tank has been cycling for 3 days and there is already 0 ammonia, however my nitrites o our either at 5ppm or 2ppm which means it’s going down because my nitrates are at  20-40 ppm. I have no algae, which makes me believe I’m doing it wrong.

 

test result pictures

 

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left:ammonia: 0.25 or 0. Middle:ph 7.9-8.2 right: nitrite 2ppm-5ppm

 

 

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Nitrate: 20-40 ppm

 

 

Cycling method shrimp= ammonia source

                             Biospira= ammonia water/nitrate converter

 

shrimp has been in 3 days  

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Chadicus Meridius

Big update: coming soon

 

my tank is cycled I have nitrates 5-10 ppm

 

ammonia and nitrite- 0

 

first fish- a peaceful damsel

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Chadicus Meridius

Have not decided what damsel

 

recommendations would be nice

 

 

stocking idea: 2 occelerasis clown fish and 1 damsel

 

Is this too much?

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Great news about the cycle. Any damsel can become territorial but some members here have had very good luck with a springer (spelling) damsel. I have never had one but they are a beautiful fish. Also stunning is the blue velvet damsel. I would add the single fish first and then the clowns. 3 fish should be fine.

 I have two clowns and a banggai cardinal in a 20L.

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Chadicus Meridius
On 4/8/2020 at 5:56 AM, debbeach13 said:

Great news about the cycle. Any damsel can become territorial but some members here have had very good luck with a springer (spelling) damsel. I have never had one but they are a beautiful fish. Also stunning is the blue velvet damsel. I would add the single fish first and then the clowns. 3 fish should be fine.

 I have two clowns and a banggai cardinal in a 20L.

Ok thank you very much I’m going to a LFS tomorrow to check for those damsels

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Chadicus Meridius

My long awaited update: 

 

I decided to go with the Azure Damselfish, could not find any other ones, but I’ve seen there more of the less aggressive ones.

 

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I let him settle in he has been in here for about 3 days and he has settled in well.

 

I feed him lightly twice a day.

 

Plan 1 for adding the two clowns 

Step 1) acclimate them

step 2) put them in a breeder box to let them adjust to my tank and see how the damsel reacts

step 3) if the damsel is not attacking them for 2-3 days than I release them for the breeder box and put a mirror on the tank . It will also be night time in the tank when I release them so they can establish territory.

step 4) only if I need to remove damsel and return to store

 

 

tests

 

KH-8

Phosphate- 0.03 how do I lower phosphate

I have seachem phosguard, but no mesh bags can someone give me a good media bag?

 

Calcium-490 is this high? If so how do I lower Calcium

 

dont have a magnesium test kit but would like recommendations for affordable test kits, however most of my corals are going to be softies that don’t take in much calcium

 

Ph:8.2

 

Nitrate- 3-5 ppm

Nitrite- 0 ppm

ammonia- 0ppm

 

first coral will be a pulsing Xenia and possibly a mushroom and maybe a frogspawn(saw one at the LFS for 25 dollars). but I want to get a magnesium test kit first before I get anything that uses a lot of calcium.

 

for a replacement for filter socks can I just use poly pads and then my media underneath it In the media basket.

 

Salinity- 1.027 I know it is high but I’m slowly lowering it to 1.024 because I can’t  keep up with evaporation and I’d rather it go to 1.026 instead of 1.027-1.028. In 40-50 days I’m getting an ATO. I have the resovoir 

 

I also got a RoDi water making kit just in case I need water and can’t get it from my buddy so I will probably be using it 

 

RO buddie plus DI

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I have 8 gallons of RODi water stored and some saltwater I can dilute.

 

I have a sludge on top of my aquarium can I just use a net or cup to scoop it out because I do not have a skimmer?

 

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Chadicus Meridius

I have two questions. 
 

when should I be able to pick up my first coral?

 

and is there any starfish that can be kept in a 20 gallon besides asterinas? I hear that a nano tank has to be well established for it to work out.

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In the past I have just used a paper towel to remove scum from the water surface. You can make a simple surface skimmer to cover the bottom of the in take grate forcing more of the surface water to be pulled in from the top. Then the scum will end up in your filter floss. When nano cubes first came out we used the covers from cassette tapes. I cut up the black cover of a Folgers coffee can and used a tiny bit of super glue to hold it in place. Once the tank has cycled you can try a coral. Pick some thing hardy like GSP, Xenia, mushroom or Kenya tree. I usually wait till nitrate hit 20 do a 50% WC and go for it. I have never tried any large display stars. I am always concerned they will slowly starve. Hopefully a member that has had success can answer that one for you. I do have some very entertaining micro brittles that hitched hiked in.

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Chadicus Meridius
3 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

In the past I have just used a paper towel to remove scum from the water surface. You can make a simple surface skimmer to cover the bottom of the in take grate forcing more of the surface water to be pulled in from the top. Then the scum will end up in your filter floss. When nano cubes first came out we used the covers from cassette tapes. I cut up the black cover of a Folgers coffee can and used a tiny bit of super glue to hold it in place. Once the tank has cycled you can try a coral. Pick some thing hardy like GSP, Xenia, mushroom or Kenya tree. I usually wait till nitrate hit 20 do a 50% WC and go for it. I have never tried any large display stars. I am always concerned they will slowly starve. Hopefully a member that has had success can answer that one for you. I do have some very entertaining micro brittles that hitched hiked in.

I will be doing a test after I finish my schoolwork today. The first coral I am going to pick is the Xenia coral. Thanks for the paper towel idea and surface skimmer.

 

I wanna do a nano refugium in my second chamber but I still need to place one more semi big amazon order 40-50 dollars. I can probably buy some chaeoto from a a fellow reefer. I’m starting to get diatoms so my first invertebrate I am gonna get is a few banded trochus snails and fighting conch.

 

im trying to find a light for 20-30 dollars

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Chadicus Meridius

Nitrate year for today is 5ppm or a little higher.

 

has anyone kept a fighting conch because I’m wondering what parameters my tank needs to be?

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Chadicus Meridius

I feel like I made a mistake. thanks @jservedio for opening my eyes. I got a damsel and my plan was to give the damsel back to the LFS but I am getting attached to that damsel. I wanted to see if two clowns and the damsel can coexist but it might be a recipe for disaster.

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