Update on my 28 gallon ... (comments very welcome)

[Chromis]

One month ago today I added saltwater and 1-2" (1-2mm)aragonite gravel bed. It wasn't until 2.5 weeks ago that I added some live sand scoops from a couple different places. It has been 1.5 weeks since I added my liverock. And it has been a week since I've had my 2x55watt lighting system.

 

Just in the last few days my pod population has exploded! I'm also getting some brown diatoms on the substrate in certain places. Looks like I might have some green hair algae starting up and my rock closest to the light is turning brown. I regularly blow off my live rock and there is a ton of junk coming off.

 

Yesterday my readings were at:

 

Salinity: 1.023

Calcium: 280ppm

Phosphates: 0.02ppm

pH: 8.0

kH: 7

Nitrite: 0.02ppm

Nitrate: 2ppm

Amonnium: 0.05ppm

 

So far, seems good, no worries here ... just being patient. Some of my thoughts and questions at this point:

 

- Is a 3" long, 0.5" wide bristle worm a problem? He cruzes around and doesn't bug the bush coral that came on my rock. He did mow over a 1" aiptasia and I haven't seen that one since? Has anyone ever heard of this happening (bristle worm eating aiptasia?)

 

- Is the ton of junk on my liverocks when I blow them off something to be worried about? Should I get a couple hermits or just keep being patient?

 

- How long should I be runnung my lights at this point? I'm afraid I might be running them too much (about 5-6 hours a day) which may be contributing the beginning of an algae problem?

 

- I've just started dosing B-ionic so that will bring my Calcium and kH up some. Will it also help my pH? My RO/DI water source is pH 7.4 and kH 1, is this a problem? Should I use buffers or just keep dosing B-oinic?

 

- I've got a Maxi-Jet 400 in each corner - both pointed at the middle of the front of the tank; one points up at the suface and the other points at the top middle of the rock pile. I also have an AquaClear MINI running. I seemed to have convinced myself I need more water movement, like maybe a smaller powerhead pointing down into the back of the rock pile, what do you think?

 

That's all I've got for now. All thoughts, suggestions, and criticism welcome.

 

(Please, no "SLOW DOWN!!!" posts. I am being patient, and just want to talk about where I'm at, and where I'm going.)

[Chromis]

Wow! 35 views! No replies!

 

Anyone wanna at least comment on my bullet points near the bottom?

[MacnReef]

My set-up started the same way I added live sand to sand I purchased from a lfs and I pulled cured rock from my other tank. I would personally go ahead and get about 10 hermits, a variety of species would be good. Also, I would start off with about a dozen Astreas and work up to about 25, (out of the 25 snails I would get about 5 Margaritas.) You could even try a cleaner shrimp or peppermint shrimp.

 

Did you rinse off your rock when you first got it?

 

As far as your lights, if you have a good RO/DI filter you should not have a lot of algae growing unless you have been feeding the tank. I think that you should go ahead and turn your lights on for 12 hours a day and get a timer so that your creatures can get used to the light. I think a good clean-up crew should take care of your problem.

 

Bristleworms are never good, but if you wanted to wipe him out, you could get a wrasse but a wrasse will also take out your snails!!!!! There is probably a goby or blenny that may eat him but not sure of what species.

 

One more thing to try, get a larger power filter, and don't use any filter media but some carbon every once and a while, but when you blow off the rocks, make sure you have a good mechanical cartridge in your filter to remove the debris.

 

Hope this helps!

[Mnesarchus]

Calcium is low. The stuff you are 'blowing' off your rock sounds like the same stuff I have/had. Someone told me they are diatoms, get some live sand and it'll go away.

[hhasty79]

Bristleworms are NOT bad! They are good detrivores. Just don't go grabbing them like I did yesterday

 

It sounds like you're on track, just sit tight and enjoy the cycle and your LR hitchhikers. I went wit ha 10 hour lighting period in mine so as not to lose any cool photosynthetic hitchhikers. (And I have some cute little red algae to prove it...surreal looking area of tiny bubbles. Doesn't spread, looks neat on the rock.)

 

A cup of live sand from a fellow reefer or two might not be a bad idea. Diatoms will die off on their own, cyano will diminish with better flow, although it sounds like you should be fine there...so, queen conchs and tiger cowries eat it if it doesn't die off on its own.

 

Hope this helps.