hey guys just updating you on my tank. !0 lbs of live rock and 15 lbs of deadrockand a inch of crushed coral.I also have a green chromis and a blue damsel for fish. I have done 1 water change at 15% and my nitrites are back down to0.25 from 5.0. Amonia is almost at zero as well. Some of my questions are should I run the protien skimmer or wait a few weeks,and I am getting brown hairy algea.Is this common during the cycle. What should be my next step. Also i got in s%$t from my lfs for buying stuff on the enetand not supporting the lfs. Even though his prices are 150 times higher
Thanks for any help in the past buy the way
update and questions
4 posts
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schigara - Posts: 468
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:42 pm
Hey Jeff, Welcome to the salty side.
You'll most likely kick yourself later on for using crushed coral as a substrate. Any large particle sand and especially crushed coral tends to trap detritus or any particulate waste and will lead to elevated nitrates. Fine aragonite sand or bare bottom is preferred over crushed coral.
A marine tank with fine grain sand, cleanup crew, adequate flow and a skimmer is all that is needed to keep a clean substrate. Most marine tanks setup this way never need the substrate to be cleaned or vacuumed.
How long has the tank been setup and cycling? Not many cycle using fish anymore and usually a water change is not done until ammonia and nitrite hit zero and nitrates become detectable.
Yes. Go ahead and start your skimmer. It won't hinder the cycle and it needs to be broken in, especially if it's brand new. If the skimmer is new, thoroughly clean it with warm soapy water and rinse very well with cold water to remove any oily film from the manufacturing process.
The brown algae is most likely diatoms and is normal and will go away on it's own in a few days.
We need some more info to help you much more.
1. What size tank?
2. What water are you using? Tap, RO, RO/DI?
3. What salt mix are you using?
4. What brand and type test kits do you have?
5. How are you measuring salinity? Hydrometer or refractometer?
6. Do you have powerheads in the tank and what are they?
7. What will be your primary biological filtration? Rock, sand and skimmer? Canister?....etc.
8. What is the goal for this tank? Fish only with live rock, Coral Reef?
9. If you plan to keep coral, what coral interests you?
You'll most likely kick yourself later on for using crushed coral as a substrate. Any large particle sand and especially crushed coral tends to trap detritus or any particulate waste and will lead to elevated nitrates. Fine aragonite sand or bare bottom is preferred over crushed coral.
A marine tank with fine grain sand, cleanup crew, adequate flow and a skimmer is all that is needed to keep a clean substrate. Most marine tanks setup this way never need the substrate to be cleaned or vacuumed.
How long has the tank been setup and cycling? Not many cycle using fish anymore and usually a water change is not done until ammonia and nitrite hit zero and nitrates become detectable.
Yes. Go ahead and start your skimmer. It won't hinder the cycle and it needs to be broken in, especially if it's brand new. If the skimmer is new, thoroughly clean it with warm soapy water and rinse very well with cold water to remove any oily film from the manufacturing process.
The brown algae is most likely diatoms and is normal and will go away on it's own in a few days.
We need some more info to help you much more.
1. What size tank?
2. What water are you using? Tap, RO, RO/DI?
3. What salt mix are you using?
4. What brand and type test kits do you have?
5. How are you measuring salinity? Hydrometer or refractometer?
6. Do you have powerheads in the tank and what are they?
7. What will be your primary biological filtration? Rock, sand and skimmer? Canister?....etc.
8. What is the goal for this tank? Fish only with live rock, Coral Reef?
9. If you plan to keep coral, what coral interests you?
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Snowboss4492 - Posts: 2098
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:24 pm
I will second Schigara on the crushed coral........I crashed a tank fighting aldae and bactieria because it holds syuff deep down in it that cant be cleaned...........if you have a huge filter you can "stir" it every few days and let the filter get the crap out of the water .....but stay on top of it............
The LFS getting mad at you really pisses me off.....................I own my own business and I am in the business of making money, just like an LFS............that being said I expect the prices at my LFS to be higher...........BUT not crazy higher.......so tell your LFS, as I have told mine............" I don't mind paying a little more so you can make some money too but don't try to charge me 100% or 200% markup......................." on a few things they have helped me out on others they havn't .............I took the rice of a skimmer into them online at 100 + 40 shipping...they had the same exact skimmer on the shelf for 249 bucks.......i tld them i'd give them 170 for it and they said no..........so i got it online........but i gave them the chance to make some first..........now my light fixture I got at the internet price from them at 1/2 of their listed price {but it was sitting there for a long time, so it's hit and miss.....................but they know I'm not going to be ripped off and I will support them if they will allow it .............
lets hear the specs on your tank bud, Snowboss
The LFS getting mad at you really pisses me off.....................I own my own business and I am in the business of making money, just like an LFS............that being said I expect the prices at my LFS to be higher...........BUT not crazy higher.......so tell your LFS, as I have told mine............" I don't mind paying a little more so you can make some money too but don't try to charge me 100% or 200% markup......................." on a few things they have helped me out on others they havn't .............I took the rice of a skimmer into them online at 100 + 40 shipping...they had the same exact skimmer on the shelf for 249 bucks.......i tld them i'd give them 170 for it and they said no..........so i got it online........but i gave them the chance to make some first..........now my light fixture I got at the internet price from them at 1/2 of their listed price {but it was sitting there for a long time, so it's hit and miss.....................but they know I'm not going to be ripped off and I will support them if they will allow it .............
lets hear the specs on your tank bud, Snowboss
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jeff - Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:16 pm
30 gal tank with 2 300 gph powerheads penguin 350 bio filterseaclone 100 protien skimmer,and I don't have enough light for any corals. this is a temp tank for now,Iplan on getting a 100 gal later i'm also using ro water and red sea salt