My first reef tank

[anizato]

let it be, until ammonia reaches 0... read your nitrites and if they are zero, read your nitrates.

before livestock add more ammonia until it reaches 2ppm a second time, then wait for it to drop to 0 again... once this happens within 24hrs... from you adding 2ppm to 0ppm... then you should start adding livestock after a solid water change that can bring your nitrates down to around 10ppm.

 

As suggested before, don't add lights until you have coral that requires it.

 

off to a good start

[Staticmoves]

6 hours ago, Ianc77 said:

Do you mean for two months after adding the livestock?

From the time you start the cycle, and add your first fish. 2-3 months no lights gives the bacteria and bio films the head start, instead of the algae’s.

my 2 cents…(possibly 2 bucks even).

may help avoid the worst of the dry rock blues………

[anizato]

18 minutes ago, Staticmoves said:

From the time you start the cycle, and add your first fish. 2-3 months no lights gives the bacteria and bio films the head start, instead of the algae’s.

my 2 cents…(possibly 2 bucks even).

may help avoid the worst of the dry rock blues………

i second this.... but with 2 billion dollars 🤣

[Ianc77]

Will do

Worth the wait

[Ianc77]

While the tank is cycling I've been thinking about how I want to stock the tank..

 

This is my planned list.

 

Clownfish

Banggai Cardinal

Royal Gramma

Hi Fin Red Banded Goby or a Yellow Watchman Goby.

 

What do you think of the lineup?

Ideas for utility fish?

Ideas for cuc?

 

A few months down the line I'll add soft corals and LPS.

 

Looking to buy pre quarantined fish..any recommendations?

 

[Rhetoric]

Utility fish are hard to come by in the nano world.  I've leaned into a good mix CUC.

 

My 20gallon CuC

1- Conch For sand bed

1- Emerald crab for bubble algae

2 - Nassarius snails for sand bed

3 - Trochus snails

1 - Urchin

2 - tiny hermit crabs.

 

I'd recommend adding some of these when it's needed.  No need for Emerald or urchin until you have a lot of algea/bubbles.  Start small add more as you go.  Im always worried the cuc won't have enough food.

[Staticmoves]

Blue Tuxedo Urchin are great for the nano

[ReefGoat]

5 hours ago, Ianc77 said:

While the tank is cycling I've been thinking about how I want to stock the tank..

 

This is my planned list.

 

Clownfish

Banggai Cardinal

Royal Gramma

Hi Fin Red Banded Goby or a Yellow Watchman Goby.

 

What do you think of the lineup?

Ideas for utility fish?

Ideas for cuc?

 

A few months down the line I'll add soft corals and LPS.

 

Looking to buy pre quarantined fish..any recommendations?

 

I only know of one place that sells what they’ve branded as “pre quarantine” fish. Dr. Reefs Quarantined fish. 
 

supposedly the are already quarantined and ready to go into tank. But…..they come at a premium price. It’s a risky cost for something that may not survive shipping. I’d just setup a simple 10g and quarantine yourself. BRS had an awesome and informative video series about how to. 

[Ianc77]

When I finish the cycle should I only put 1 fish in the tank or can I do 2 or maybe all 4? (Small fish)

Shipping costs each time...

 

 

[Staticmoves]

1 hour ago, Ianc77 said:

When I finish the cycle should I only put 1 fish in the tank or can I do 2 or maybe all 4? (Small fish)

Shipping costs each time...

 

 

Generally in a smaller tank you would add 1 fish, wait 2-3 weeks before adding a second then 2-3 weeks before adding the third.

[Ianc77]

When the cycle ends how much % of the water should I change?

 

From then on how often and how much water should I change?

[anizato]

you basically want to bring your nitrates down to below 20ppm, ideally below 10ppm and above 3ppm or so. can't exactly tell you how much volume to change as it depends on how much NO3 you have.

[Uncle Jed]

You could do as Staicmoves suggests but I was taught (by experienced reef keepers) when I was starting out to add 2 fish at a time otherwise the single fish may claim the whole tank especially if it is a smaller tank, then adding more fish later may cause serious territorial disputes.

[Ianc77]

A!ccoding to the Hanna tracker this morning, Nitrite 0.118 ppm.

[Ianc77]

So cycle is finished..

 

I ordered today galaxy pods and phytoplankton.

 

One Occelaris and one Banggai Cardinal coming next Wednesday or Thursday.

 

What food should I feed them with?

[Ianc77]

So the fish came today, quarantined from Dr Reef. The fish look healthy and good.. But he sent me two Banggai Cardinals which was very nice of him but i'm a little nervous putting 3 fish in a newly cycled tank.. on the other hand they are very small..  

 

 

[anizato]

very cool! nice that you got a pair, what a cool thing to do for you! that is a good problem to have my friend. only more food for the bacteria. if you have enough ceramic media (aka surface area) it shouldn't be an issue. If you start noticing Nitrates rising beyond your  water changes then add some more ceramic biomedia and wait about a week or so, but don't stop doing water changes or testing often. 

just make sure to stay on top of your water changes. don't feed heavily. turn the pump off so they eat as much of the food, if not 100% of what you throw in there. 
Do you have a filter sock or floss?

[Ianc77]

Fish are doing well..

Added more bio media.

 

The fish are still getting used to the new food and I see on the sand uneaten food. 

 

What snails or shrimps should i put in the tank to clean up the food.. I don't have any algea in the tank at the moment (not turning lights on for another 3 months) so I don't want anything that may starve.. and of course how many?

 

So snails need to be quarantined?

[Staticmoves]

52 minutes ago, Ianc77 said:

Fish are doing well..

Added more bio media.

 

The fish are still getting used to the new food and I see on the sand uneaten food. 

 

What snails or shrimps should i put in the tank to clean up the food.. I don't have any algea in the tank at the moment (not turning lights on for another 3 months) so I don't want anything that may starve.. and of course how many?

 

So snails need to be quarantined?

you really can't beat the personality of a skunk cleaner shrimp. just make sure your salinity is spot on and stable.

 

[3rd Coast Reefer]

In your planned stocking list you mentioned a Hi Fin Red Banded Goby or a Yellow Watchman Goby, if you want a shrimp you could one of these paired with a pistol shrimp. They will scavenge for food that settles on the sad bed and are fun to watch. For snails Cerith, Nassarius and Astrea a couple of each and a few hermits should do well here.

[Ianc77]

31 minutes ago, 3rd Coast Reefer said:

In your planned stocking list you mentioned a Hi Fin Red Banded Goby or a Yellow Watchman Goby, if you want a shrimp you could one of these paired with a pistol shrimp. They will scavenge for food that settles on the sad bed and are fun to watch. For snails Cerith, Nassarius and Astrea a couple of each and a few hermits should do well here.

Would love to add a goby now, but just finished cycling two weeks ago and already have 3 fish.. 1 small clown and 2 banggai cardinals.

[Ianc77]

Yesterday another two fish arrived. An Exquisite Firefish and a Royal Gramma.. also some inverts this time. A Cleaner shrimp and 10 Nassarius snails.. I ordered 5! Anyways someone is coming today to take 5 from me, scared that I may have some starving to death since there's so mamy of them.. Tank has been up for 2 months now and all looks good. Doing 15% - 20% water changes weekly.

 

Lights go on in 2 months and then the Corals 🪸

 

[Staticmoves]

looking good.

before those lights go on, have a peek at No3 and Po4 levels, ensure they are not to high, as not to have an algae issue. if they are, WC is your friend.

also ensure they are not bottomed out either, as that can cause other issues.

What light are you jamming with.

[Ianc77]

3 minutes ago, Staticmoves said:

looking good.

before those lights go on, have a peek at No3 and Po4 levels, ensure they are not to high, as not to have an algae issue. if they are, WC is your friend.

also ensure they are not bottomed out either, as that can cause other issues.

What light are you jamming with.

Nitrates are between 7-10 ppm at the moment. Phosphates I haven't started monitoring yet even though I have the Hanna checker ready and waiting.  I have an AI prime light..

Was thinking of getting a mangrove after the lights go on.. thoughts?

[Staticmoves]

Nice light!

I have not done mangrove.