My First Nano-Reef (Picture Included)

[mattdog]

Hey,

 

  I just set up my nano-reef last night.  Here are the specs:

 

       Equipment:

 

          AGA Mini-Bow 7g

          32w CSL Smartlamp 50/50 Retro

          50w Ebo-Jager Heater

          AquaClear 150 HOB (Running Floss w/o carbon)

          Rio 90 Powerhead

          Magnetic Algae Scraper

 

     Inhabitants (So Far):

 

                10.5 lbs of fully cured Fiji Live Rock

                10 lbs of Southdown Playsand

                4 lbs of Live Sand

                Literally hundreds of bugs

                Used RO/DI Water

 

    I've checked all of my parameters several times over the last 36 hours and everything has remained the same.   Temperature is right at 80, Ammonia is .5, Nitrate and Nitrites are at 0, pH is at 8.3, S.G. is at 1.023.  I thought that maybe my test kits were off because of the consistent readings but my friend came over with his test kits and got the same readings.  

 

   My question is, do I need to do anything to kick off my cycle.  I plan to let this tank run for about 2 weeks at these stable levels before adding a cleanup crew.

 

   Any and all suggestions on my setup or anything else is very welcome.  SO GET TO THE PICTURE ALREADY, WOULD YA?!?!?!?!

 

[eferna]

nice job. I added my  bluleg hermits a few days later and they are doing good. There is no real point in have you tank just sit there doing nothing cause it is nto going to build up any ammonia and no cycle will get started.

Nice selection of equipment and nice live rock BTW.

[mattdog]

Thanks eferna!  Anyone else think I should go ahead and get some hermits?  Please make any and all suggestions.

[BustytheSnowMaam]

Hi Matt,

 

It looks great- I like the way you have the rocks set up.  Personally I don't think you need anything to kick off the cycle, it will do fine on its own. Very pretty.  Keep us posted when you add the critters.  

Tasha

[BustytheSnowMaam]

Matt-

 

I did a real stupid when I set my tank up- I misinterpreted something I read and added the cleanup crew (hermits) right away- without letting the tank cycle.  Everything did fine.  I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but I think Eferna's probably right.  Hermits are very hardy.  

 

Snails I would wait for however- and I would put more snails in than crabs, they work harder and crabs don't keep the glass clean.

Tasha

[mattdog]

Well I guess I'll get about 5 blue-legs tomorrow and see what happens.  My LFS sells these guys for like $0.50 a piece.  

[My Alife 7]

Congrats on the new setup!! I personally would wait a couple days to add some hermits...

[Sahin]

Unless the rock is cured already, I wouldnt add the critters to the tank just yet.

 

You have a slight reading for ammonia. This is most likely the start of the cycle.

 

I would wait at least two weeks before adding the snails.

The Hermits you can add after a week or so.  

You can add them now and they would survive a cycle, but theres no point in stressing them out due to a cycle.

 

The tank will cycle whether you have critters in there or not.  This is not like a freshwater setup.

 

The rocks unless cured already will have a lot of decaying crap that will cause the cycle to start and die down.

That is what is meant by cycling/curing in this case.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Good luck with your setup.  I like the aquascaping.

[Pele]

It looks gorgeous!  I can't wait to get my crap together and do this myself.  I just have sooooo much more reading to do first!

 

Please post periodic pictures on your tank's progress.  

 

How long does it take for live rock to 'bloom' anyway?  Is coral generally fast growing?

 

Pele

[mattdog]

The rocks came from my friends tank that's been established for several years.  He lives about 5 minutes from me so I don't think there would be that much die off.  

 

   But, I will wait and see if the levels change in a week and then add some hermits.  I just don't really think there will be much of a cycle if any.

 

Thanks for the replies.

[Sahin]

Mattdog: Since you got the rocks from an established tank, you wont get any cycle.  The rock is cured.

 

When can add the critters etc.  But just wait about a week or more before you add any corals.

 

Good luck.

[eferna]

Okay a lot of people say that you have to wait a week to let the tank cycle. How will the tank cycle if no bacteria is added( either naturally or artifically) to start the cycle. If you have live rock in there does it not filter the bacteria if anything else rather than give it out. It has always been thought that cycling an aquarium is the same regardless whether you have a saltwater or a freshwater. Correct me if I am wrong guys.  But this is my own opinion.

[jay2k2]

hey mattdog what do you have planned in the way of livestock?

[Kapelakin]

Eferna, the live rock has populations of all the nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in it.  If the rock is cured and there is little to no die-off, it basically has a bacterial colony setup already, which will be sufficient to handly a bioload.  The only cycling that Matt's tank has left to do is for the live rock to seed the sand and any other media with nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria.  Remember, on good live rock there are plenty of various organisms producing and processing waste.  This is what a cycle is.

 

In a freshwater tank, there's no equivalent to live rock, but what Matt's done would be the equivalent of adding all the filter media from an established, cycled freshwater tank.  All the bacteria is present immediately.

 

HTH

[eferna]

Aaah!!! Okay so it like having a little substrate from a old tank and putting it into a new one. THe old substrate will have the bacteria in there to start the cycle.  Got it thanks.

[mattdog]

Hey,

 

   As far as livestock, my plans are as follows:

 

  1 False Percula

  1 Cleaner Shrimp

  5 Hermits

  7 Assorted Snails (Margaritas and Ceriths most likely)

  After tank is setup and "stable" for a while I'll start adding hardy softies.

 

   Tank readings are still the same.  .5 ammonia, 8.3 pH, 0 trates and trites, and 1.023 S.G.  Going pretty well I think.  

[mattdog]

Boy!  Did I get a surprise today or what?  I had two hitchhiker hermits that decided to come out this afternoon.  Since then they have been very busy.  I didn't know live rock could be this much fun.

 

Oh...Params still the same.

[byrself]

you need the ammonia to start the cycle.  the bacteria grows to combat the ammonia.  a good non fish way to cycle is to take some raw shrimp, leave it in there for a couple days, and you should see a spike.  this will start the cycle, without fish.  bacteria will not start a cycle.  the bacteria is a result of the cycle.  if you add any fish now, you will likely start another cycle, unless your rock is that much "cured".  adding more bioload than bacteria will always start a cycle, even if the tank is a year old.  jmo, i just like the idea of a cycle with no fish.  saves on your choices later.  damsels are still good imo though because they allow for a better cycle, providing more waste to convert.  you could always take the damsels back to the fish store after the cycle.  

[mattdog]

I refuse to use a fish to cycle a tank.  IMO it's just mean.  You take this fish from sub-standard levels (for the most part) at the LFS and then you put it in a tank that is going to build up deadly ammonia, nitrates and nitrites and expect it to be happy.  That's rediculous.  I really don't think that this tank will cycle though.  My buddy had his tank setup for at least 5 years before he had to break it down to move.  This rock was moved directly from his tank to mine.  It'll take a while longer for me to think that this tank is ready for a fish.  

 

  The hitchhikers are all thriving.  They are all runnning amuck in the tank and they seem to be innummerable.  Amphipods, copepods and baby bristleworms are everywhere at night.  I also have seen a lot of really thin worms that I have assumed to be spaghetti worms.

 

    Tank parameters still at the same levels.  I have a feeling that little bit of ammonia will be decimated by my scheduled weekly water change.  I'll keep everyone up to date.

[mattdog]

Well, this is the fourth day of my tank's life and all the levels are still the same.  I will do a partial tomorrow afternoon and hopefully that little bit of ammonia will vanish.  

 

    I went ahead and got 3 more bluelegs (brings my total up to 5 now) and they look like they are doing very well.  Acclimated them for over an hour and as soon as they hit the sand they started to head for the rocks and have been working very hard ever since.

 

    I'm really surprised that things are going so well so far (knock on wood).  So, if I don't get a spike by next week, would it be safe to resume with stocking the tank?  What should come first;  the snails or the false perc.?  

 

  Any replies would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

   Matt

[Kapelakin]

I wouldn't be relying on water changes to export ammonia.  If your tank is properly cycled, it will process ammona and nitrite faste enough that they'll be at indetectable levels.  Hold off on any more livestock until that happens.

[mattdog]

I got to thinking about it Kap, and all the research I have done has said exactly the same thing.  If the water change that I do tomorrow knocks out the ammonia, though, and it is undetectable for a week or more, wouldn't it be safe to at least add some snails?  

 

   In my experience with the big reef that my mom's friend setup a few years ago, he had a huge ammonia spike on like the 3rd day it was setup and then it continually went down from there.  I'm not getting that.  No where close.  All my levels are at 0 except for the .5 ammonia that I have.  

 

   Thanks for all the help guys.  BTW, the hermit crabs are doing great.  They are out all the time.  It's like they never rest.  LOL!

 

Thanks,

 

   Matt

[SaltyDog]

Mattdog - Great looking tank!

 

Please keep us updated with pics!

[mattdog]

Thanks people!

[diffeq]

Yes, as long as it is cured and there isnt an excessive die off, your NO2 and NO3 levels shouldnt rise that much,  If at all.  If there is a lot of die off, you get the break-down products of proteins (NH3) which is very hazardous.  But even if that happens, you will not have to wait for microbial succession to take place as all of the different microbial species are already there and will make short work of any excess ammonia.  

 

(Edited by diffeq at 9:11 pm on June 3, 2002)