Need advices on my new picotope

[JackJack7]

Hi,

 

I started a Picotope, with the basic equipements that came with(9w light, pico filter)

The layer of live sand is 1.5 inches.

I had my aquarium running with a small piece of live rock for a week now.

I Plan on adding live rocks, and some livestock this week end ( 1 x fire shrimp, 1x hermit crab, 1x 3 stripes damsel)

I am ordering a aquaclear 20 from dr foster & smith and the hydor 25 watt heater.

 

After this, I'd like to add some green ricordea.

I need some advices from you guys on the lights. Do I need to change the actual one for one of those :

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod...p;N=2004+113345

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod...p;N=2004+113345

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod...p;N=2004+113345

 

Wich on is better for me?

 

 

Also I am not really sure about the right temperature I have to keep water.

The ambiant temperature of the water is between 76 at night time and 79-80 on sunny days...

 

Actually I think those are all the questions I have in mind.

Thank you guys in advance for taking time to read my topic and helping me.

 

Jack

 

 

 

 

Any advices on the dayly maintenance tasks would be gladly taken.

What kind of tasks do you guys do dayly? weekly?

How often do I have to check the ph nitrate nitrite level ?

 

Last question, what is the cheato that I see in sumps for?

 

Thanks!

[circusordie16]

i wouldnt put anything in your tank after only a week. your cycle probably wont be done for another couple weeks which means youll still have toxic ammonia and nitrites. id wait a couple more weeks til ammonia and nitrite read 0 and then add a hermit and a couple snails if you want and then from there add whatever else you want. if you want to though, id definitely add more live rock as soon as you can.

 

my daily maintenance is just topping off with ro water and checking on everything. weekly i do water chagnes and thats about it.

 

chaeto in the sumps is for absorbing nitrates which helps prevent algae.

 

good luck!

[JackJack7]

i wouldnt put anything in your tank after only a week. your cycle probably wont be done for another couple weeks which means youll still have toxic ammonia and nitrites. id wait a couple more weeks til ammonia and nitrite read 0 and then add a hermit and a couple snails if you want and then from there add whatever else you want. if you want to though, id definitely add more live rock as soon as you can.

 

my daily maintenance is just topping off with ro water and checking on everything. weekly i do water chagnes and thats about it.

 

chaeto in the sumps is for absorbing nitrates which helps prevent algae.

 

good luck!

 

I had cycled water from my lfs, do I still need to wait 3 weeks?

 

Thanks for your quick reply

[circusordie16]

its not so much about the water, your cycle comes from die off on your live rock. if your live rock is from an established aquarium then youre ok but otherwise itll have die off and a cycle. if youre testing your water then youll be able to see the ammonia spike when things start to die and then the nitrite spike and once both of those read 0 youre good to go after a water change to get rid of the nitrates.

[JackJack7]

its not so much about the water, your cycle comes from die off on your live rock. if your live rock is from an established aquarium then youre ok but otherwise itll have die off and a cycle. if youre testing your water then youll be able to see the ammonia spike when things start to die and then the nitrite spike and once both of those read 0 youre good to go after a water change to get rid of the nitrates.

 

Hi circusordie16,

 

The small piece of LR, I got it from my cousin's aquarium. It's been in heis aquarium for more than 3 month. Also, it was cured when he bought it.

I passed by my LFS earlier, couldn't resist stoping by to pick up some LR. I picked the LR in a sump, so I guess it's cured as the one I got from my cousin?

[JackJack7]

Here are some pictures that I took from the begining:

 

09/09/06:

 

Just got the Picotope unpacked, filled up ls.

 

Water fill up...

 

 

09/14/06

 

I removed the plant coz the bublles come off, it make my water dirty...

 

 

09/15/06

 

I just picked up two pieces of LR from my LFS. (I picked them myself from their sump)

I precleaned the LR before putting them in my picotope.

It smells... I guess it's a good sign

 

LR In the picotope! Looks better uh?

 

LR in the picotope 2

[shao-lin nano]

Is that all the live rock you're going to go with? Looks a little sparse unless you're aiming for the open look or getting corals attached to rock.

 

Did you ever consider coloring the background so that the equipment blends in better and makes it less visible?

[JackJack7]

Is that all the live rock you're going to go with? Looks a little sparse unless you're aiming for the open look or getting corals attached to rock.

 

Did you ever consider coloring the background so that the equipment blends in better and makes it less visible?

Well, I'm a newbie. You think I should get some more LR? I aim to have some green ricordea, and polyps. And maybe add other corals. Will I have to change my light?

I won't color the background, this way, I'll be able to see where the hermit crab is hiding LOL.

[JackJack7]

I have few questions on my mind right now...

I am wondering if my tank is ready for adding some livestock?

I plan to add as soon as I can : 1x fire shrimp

1x hermit crab(if I add more than one hermit crab like 2-3, will they end up starving?)

1x 3 stripes damsel

1x Nassarius Snail( but my question is, will it be able to come out of the tank since it is not covered...)

Same question for the cucumbers...

How should I choose the size of my livestock?

Is a small goby or blenny acceptable in my 3g?

[shao-lin nano]

you'll have to worry aobut fish jumping out...the ones you mentioned won't crawl out...at least not that i've heard of.

 

soft corals like ricordea won't need much light.

 

do you have any test kits? test your water params, then decide if you're ready for animals.

[JackJack7]

I just read this on a website :

 

How should I cure my live rock?

 

* Fill a new trashcan or large plastic tub with saltwater.

* Place the new live rock into the tub or trashcan.

* Place one or two powerheads into the tub or trashcan with the live rock to create water movement.

* Make sure the powerheads are submerged and cannot turn to where they could pump water out of the tub.

* After 4-6 days perform a 50% water change on the tub or trashcan.

* After 10-14 days you may remove the rock and place it in your aquarium.

* Dunk the rock in a clean bucket of saltwater to rinse it off one last time before placing it in your aquarium.

* Remember, cured live rock should not have the same pungent smell as uncured rock.

 

 

I remember, the LR I bought smelled, does it mean it is uncured, so I have to wait for 2 more month before doing anything?

[shao-lin nano]

That seems like advise for adding new live rock to an already established tank but you could follow it for a new setup as well. I would add light to the equation.

 

For new tanks you can just cure it in the tank itself.

 

 

The smell is the stuff that died during transit. When the smell goes away that means most of the die off will not affect your tank anymore as it has been decomposed and will no longer hurt sensitive tank inhabitants like corals.

 

You won't have to wait several weeks, just get your self some basic test kits and monitor when your tank will be ready for additions.

[JackJack7]

That seems like advise for adding new live rock to an already established tank but you could follow it for a new setup as well. I would add light to the equation.

 

For new tanks you can just cure it in the tank itself.

The smell is the stuff that died during transit. When the smell goes away that means most of the die off will not affect your tank anymore as it has been decomposed and will no longer hurt sensitive tank inhabitants like corals.

 

You won't have to wait several weeks, just get your self some basic test kits and monitor when your tank will be ready for additions.

 

Thank You for your replys shao-lin nano

I'll definitely make the water tests tonight.

I'm wondering why the LR I got from my cousin's tank, and the ones I bought from my LFS, are different color?

Does exposure to light give the rocks a geenish and redish color?

So I still have to turn on the lights even if there is no livestock in the tank yet?

[circusordie16]

The different colors on the live rock come from whatever organisms are covering it. The greens and reds are most likely coralline algae which is a good sign. Since your live rock is mostly cured I would leave the lights on. Your tests will let you know how far along your tank is.

[JackJack7]

I checked the water with the instant ocean kit.

 

Nitrite was 0.4

PH was 7.8

Amonia was not in the range of the test kit... was way over like crazy.

Nitrate was 10

 

So I guess the LR I bought from the LFS were not cured. And the thing is that if it is cured, it should not smell. Am I right?

I'm wondering how long will I have to wait for the rocks to be cured?

What are the next actions once my tank get back to the normal stage?

If I want to add 1 or 2 pieces of LR, is it the right time to do it?(But of course with cured rocks this time... )

 

Beside that, I received my pump today. I'm really happy with it. Tiny, but deliver a strong flow...

I could not take pictures yet. my camera ran out of battery.

[shao-lin nano]

anytime you add LR you'll have die off. Even if it is a quick move from an established tank to yours you'll have a little die off and the water chemistry difference can cause further die off.

 

if you want to add anymore LR just do it now...but remember that some corals you get will come attached to LR so don't over fill now.

[JackJack7]

After 1 week of patience,

 

Water tests with Instant ocean. Results are:

 

Amonia 0.2(The lowest color)

Nitrite 0.2(The lowest color)

Nitrate 10(The lowest color)

PH 8.0

SG 1.022

 

I saw the spike of amonia and nitrite, but no trace of nitrate after nitrite went back to the lowest level. Is it normal?

Do I have to perform a water change? If yes how much, and with what water? Salt water or drinking water?

I noticed the one of my LR that was first white is almost brown now.

Does it mean I'm ready to add the cleaning crew?

Do I have to wait for adding shrimp and starfish?

 

Thanks for all your help guys!

[supernareg]

I saw the spike of amonia and nitrite, but no trace of nitrate after nitrite went back to the lowest level. Is it normal?

 

yes ur cycle is completing, let it finish.

 

Do I have to perform a water change? If yes how much, and with what water? Salt water or drinking water?

 

everyday, because of the heat and open top, water will evaporate (cooling ur tank too, because evaporation/vaporization is an endothermic process) and will leave salt behind. salt doesnt evap, just water. this will increase ur salinity. u'll need to top-off daily or every other day with fresh RO/DI water (drinking water)

 

what i did for my 1 gal pico was i put a piece of tape at the water line and checked it 24 hrs later to see how much evap i get daily. then just replace that either everyday or every other day. If you get for example 30ml evap per day then add 30ml RO/DI water daily or 60ml RO/DI every other day. its better to add daily so ur salinity doesnt change drastically and affect your fish.

 

I noticed the one of my LR that was first white is almost brown now.

Does it mean I'm ready to add the cleaning crew?

Do I have to wait for adding shrimp and starfish?

 

The brown stuff is most likely a diatom algae outbreak, most new tanks that have completed a cycle will have this. dont worry they will go away on their own. cleaning crew you can add will help (i'm not sure which animal eats diatoms, but i know snails do) and i wouldnt add more than 2 hermits max. get about 2 snails too because u wont have that much algae.

 

u can add a shrimp, but i'd ditch the starfish. not only too small of a tank, but if u get a linkia starfish, it'll starve to death. they need atleast a 75+ gal to survive. their diet is uknown so u need a very large ecosystem to constantly provide them with with. you can add a chocolate chip starfish but these are big and are NOT reef safe but u may feed them squid/shrimp/meat to keep them alive. again i wouldnt suggest this as it'll eat anything u put in ur tank and its too big.

 

 

so for ur livestock just add

 

either 1 big shrimp ( coral banded shrimp, cleaner skunk shrimp)

or 3 sexy shrimps ( i'd go with these as these are much nicer and more fun to watch)

no more than 2 hermits

no more than 2 snails

 

and just add coral and u'll be fine. i'd skip the damsel fish, because it's a little aggressive and it'll be stressed in ur little tank and will create too high of a bio-load. try getting a small clown goby (the beautiful bright yellow ones) or another very small inactive fish. dont get clowns, tangs, mandarin gobies (because u gotta feed them live pods and have like 100lbs of LR to provide them with constant supply).

fish i would recommend which is beautiful and wont grow large = orange firefish, or pay more and get a nicer purple firefish.

 

thats my advice its 3:30am and i got class at 8am so you BETTER FREAKIN' TAKE MY ADVICE !!!! loll

 

just helping a newb out cause i was in ur position once. PM me and let me know how it goes.

[JackJack7]

First of all,

Thanks a lot for your input Supernareg. Your help is much appreciated.

 

I thought my cycle was aldredy finished... So I am not ready yet to add the CUC?

 

You told me that I just add drinking water daily, to keep the same level of water and Salt Gravity.

When I change the water, I should put salt water in my tank, then check SG?

I'm afraid of a big swing of the SG during water changes... It could be harmful to the livestock?

 

This is the list of livestock I decided ti have in my 3G picotope.

1 small goby (either neon or yellow)

1 Orange firefish

1 electric blue hermit crab

1 normal hermit crab

1 nassarius snails

another snail, have not decided yet wich one.

I followed your advices from there.

 

Now I'm thinking of:

1 Nudis branch

1 Harlequin shrimp (will be fed 1 times a week with a chocolate starfish from my cousin's tank)

 

Am I overstocking?

I am open to any suggestions and advices

 

The main problem of my tank, was that It is not covered. So I am going to cover it with egg crate that has half inch square space. Will it be enough to keep the firefish and goby to jump out?

 

Thank You again Supernareg for your time and your help.

[Dallassask]

Yes your overstocking, The only thing I would put in a tank that size is a clown goby as far as fish go, halaquin shrimp are nice but are a pain in the a$$ so skip that. For your cleanup crew you should probly just stick to snail, in a tank that small hermits will fight over shells and kill each other, they will also kill snails, Id say go with 2 nassarius snails, and one astrea snail, if you want a starfish get a sand sifting one, they stay quite small and there not as sensitive as linkia starfish, cool to watch though. I cleaner shrimp should be fine or two peppermint shrimp, as for corals im not really the guy to ask but take your sweet time, dont rush it, your water can fluctuate really quickly in a small tank so add one thing per week or so at lease, like add two snails, one more, the fish a few weeks later and then your shrimp, and then starfish. Remember the key to this hobby is patience.

[JackJack7]

Yes your overstocking, The only thing I would put in a tank that size is a clown goby as far as fish go, halaquin shrimp are nice but are a pain in the a$$ so skip that. For your cleanup crew you should probly just stick to snail, in a tank that small hermits will fight over shells and kill each other, they will also kill snails, Id say go with 2 nassarius snails, and one astrea snail, if you want a starfish get a sand sifting one, they stay quite small and there not as sensitive as linkia starfish, cool to watch though. I cleaner shrimp should be fine or two peppermint shrimp, as for corals im not really the guy to ask but take your sweet time, dont rush it, your water can fluctuate really quickly in a small tank so add one thing per week or so at lease, like add two snails, one more, the fish a few weeks later and then your shrimp, and then starfish. Remember the key to this hobby is patience.

 

Thank You for your input Dallassask.

I added some live stock this week end. Check out the pictures !

[JackJack7]

 

Here are some updates about my picotope.

I added two hermit crabs and a harlequin shrimp last week.

Here are the pictures of this week's addition:

 

2 nassarius snails

 

Frogspawn

 

Orange firefish. I like him. He is curious and shy. I move slowly when close to the tank so he won't be scared.

I noticed that he is quite picky on the food. What should I feed him?

 

This is where he likes to hide and sleep.

 

Also added a frag of Polyps and Zoas.

 

 

I have some questions. I spotted a worm on the tank's glass yesterday night. I removed it.

There are also some tiny white bugs sticking on the tank's glass, are they baby worms? What should I do about it?

 

Thank You!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JackJack7]

Hi everyone!

 

Thanks for dropping by my post.

I am really enjoying my 3G pico.

Here are my current listock:

 

3Lbs of LS

3Lbs of LR

1 turbo snail

2 nassarius snails

1 hermit crab

1 Electric blue hermit crab

1 harlequin shrimp

1 orange firefish

1 frogspawn

and a frag with some small yellow polyps and tiny zoos.

 

So far, the tank is doing great, Zoos and polyps are wide open during daytime. The frog span had spread out as in the lf's tank.

The firefish seems to be happy. He is shy but at the same time curious. He like to swim against the flow, provided by the microjet.

He was quite picky on food at first, but now is ok and eats pods.

 

When I picked up my frag of polyps and zoos, A small mantis shrimp was in the rock.

I took it out and kept it in a bottle in my cousin's bigger tank.

I'd like to know if it will be harmful towards my tank's livestock?

I know there are many kinds of mantis so here is the picture of the little guy( he is about 1.25 inch):

 

I also want to add some green plants, I am thinking about shaver brush, or anything that likes strong flow, so I can put it in front of my power head.

Definitly some colorful zoos(blue & red)

Pumping xenia?( the ones that open up and close)

1 small orange spotted goby.

sexy shrimp, but which anemone should I get them?

Will my tank be able to handle all this?

[circusordie16]

the mantis shrimp will eventually become big enough to eat your hermits and snails and maybe fish. i imagine hed eat the harlequin shrimp too. in my opinion your tank is already fully stocked and maybe overstocked with a fish and a harlequin shrimp plus your clean up crew especially with the difficulties of feeding the harlequin. id add some more coral but not more shrimp and definitely not another fish.

[JackJack7]

Hi,

 

It's been awhile I didn't input any update of my 3G.

I am running out of picture space on my account...

 

I was observing my tank at night time for the first time(30 min after the lights were turned off)

I saw brown pods running on my LR, they like to hang arround my zoos too. they are the size of a rice, looks like small shrimp, but they are not.

They are fast too, I tried to kill 1 or 2 but they aren't that dumb...

 

I noticed that some of my yellow polyps looks like they are dying. Someone was taking about brownish pods being harmful to his yellow polyps...

Are they harmful? How can I get rid of it? My fire fish eats the tiny white pods, that hang on the glass, but I doubt he eats those bigger ones...

Will a peppermint shrimp take care of it? My cleaner shrimp is not fast enought to catch'em.

I could not get any good picture of the pods...

Hope smobody can help me...