CDMSeaLife
Active Member
I think that's the perfect method Pat. My 250 C has been up and running since May 18 and that's pretty much what I did.
Adrienne's Red Sea Max C-250
- Thread starter Adrienne
- Start date
I think that's the perfect method Pat. My 250 C has been up and running since May 18 and that's pretty much what I did.
Adrienne
Well-Known Member
I have reduced the number of bubbles, I just need to tweak the nozzle a bit more to fill the collection cup a bit higher.
I am getting a lot of sand movement, instructions said to point the nozzles right down and I haven't really moved them as yet.
Roy - I have black sponges in the tank, one on each side. I do not have anything in the media rack as yet.
I can see very minor changes on the rock when I am right up at the tank glass.
Todays readings -
Temp 25.5
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0.1
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8.0
I have re-calibrated the Jager heater so it should be 26 by this evening. I find it very difficult to distinguish between 0 ammonia and 0.1 - its been nearly 48 hours since I added the mushed up prawns but both ammonia and nitrate have reduced since yesterday. The prawns had been frozen - would this make a difference?
Should I be testing anything else? Should I be doing a water-change tomorrow - it will be a week since I set the tank up?
I am getting a lot of sand movement, instructions said to point the nozzles right down and I haven't really moved them as yet.
Roy - I have black sponges in the tank, one on each side. I do not have anything in the media rack as yet.
I can see very minor changes on the rock when I am right up at the tank glass.
Todays readings -
Temp 25.5
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0.1
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8.0
I have re-calibrated the Jager heater so it should be 26 by this evening. I find it very difficult to distinguish between 0 ammonia and 0.1 - its been nearly 48 hours since I added the mushed up prawns but both ammonia and nitrate have reduced since yesterday. The prawns had been frozen - would this make a difference?
Should I be testing anything else? Should I be doing a water-change tomorrow - it will be a week since I set the tank up?
Pat24601
Well-Known Member
This is what I do. It seems to work quite well for me. I bought a wave maker and haven't even installed it because my flow feels fine. (I'm sure more would be better, but right now I'm in "ain't broke don't fix it" mode.)
Cheryl, thanks.
. Glad to see that method of setting the skimmer worked for someone else too. Actually, I may have got that idea from reading your tank thread. I don't remember.Adrienne, I think you are testing the right things. Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are the big deal right now. Just takes a bit.
Adrienne
Well-Known Member
I guess it would have helped more if I had taken readings of the rock while it was cycling in the barrel in the garage prior to adding to the tank. I was expecting a bigger ammonia spike than I have gotten in the last two days after adding the prawns.
Thanks for the info on the nozzles, I have adjusted them as Roy suggested and the sand seems to be pretty much staying where it should be instead of creating sandhills.
I also think I may have sorted the skimmer for now.
Thanks for the info on the nozzles, I have adjusted them as Roy suggested and the sand seems to be pretty much staying where it should be instead of creating sandhills.
I also think I may have sorted the skimmer for now.
frozen prawn should not make a difference...
here a couple good reads... it will help you know to go slow, but sounds like your lr handling the shrimp, more than one way to proceed, one way & what I would do is let the shrimp rot for a week, keep testing every day & if ammonia & nitrites are zero in a another week, do a 25% wc, add cuc, 1st coral, 1st fish or pair - then wait a month before the next fish, you could add maybe a coral a week though... do weekly wc 10-15% & when the livestock goes in, run some chemical filtration - cpe & purigen
seems your on your way & doing fine... and have been going slow... you are getting close
keep up the good work !
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/29836-mature-aquarium.html
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...something-cycling-breaking-new-reef-tank.html
here a couple good reads... it will help you know to go slow, but sounds like your lr handling the shrimp, more than one way to proceed, one way & what I would do is let the shrimp rot for a week, keep testing every day & if ammonia & nitrites are zero in a another week, do a 25% wc, add cuc, 1st coral, 1st fish or pair - then wait a month before the next fish, you could add maybe a coral a week though... do weekly wc 10-15% & when the livestock goes in, run some chemical filtration - cpe & purigen
seems your on your way & doing fine... and have been going slow... you are getting close
keep up the good work ! http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/29836-mature-aquarium.html
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...something-cycling-breaking-new-reef-tank.html
Adrienne
Well-Known Member
This morning the tank has had a bit of a rock re-structure as I was a bit nervous that the largest piece of rock on the top might topple. I decided it was best to do it now rather than later but it took me well over an hour to then get all the rock back in (did try to keep most of it in the tank while shifting it around).
Todays readings -
Temp not taken as lid was open for so long
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0 - 0.1
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5 or less
pH8
I did see some bits of prawn still there so will wait out this week and see what happens. I will also chart the pH, nitrite and nitrate to give a better idea of the cycling progress and hopefully post that here later today or tomorrow.
Todays readings -
Temp not taken as lid was open for so long
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0 - 0.1
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5 or less
pH8
I did see some bits of prawn still there so will wait out this week and see what happens. I will also chart the pH, nitrite and nitrate to give a better idea of the cycling progress and hopefully post that here later today or tomorrow.
Adrienne
Well-Known Member
Today is Day 11. I have added some pics today.
Readings are
Temp 26.3
Salinity 1.024
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH8
I popped into my LFS this morning to return the Red Sea Heater so I could get a replacement one. They have an astra? snail in the shop and some pretty small or very large pieces of live rock. I am intending to do 20% water change of the tank on Sunday morning and then go and pick up a small amount of live rock and the snail (if it is still there), or 2 -3 should I be so lucky. Does this sound like the right thing to do.
The ammonia was at 0 six days ago when I added 1 1/2 small (about an inch) prawns which I squished between my fingers before placing in the tank. The next day Ammonia was between 0.1 - 0.3, then 0.1, 0 - 0.1 and the last two days it has been 0. Nitrites have remained at 0 and Nitrate has not exceeded 5 for the last 4 days.
Full tank shot - no micro bubbles any more
Close up of rock - with a slight pink tinge on some of it. It was suggested to me locally that it might be cyan but I am pretty certain it is not. The photos make it look more purple than pink.
Readings are
Temp 26.3
Salinity 1.024
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH8
I popped into my LFS this morning to return the Red Sea Heater so I could get a replacement one. They have an astra? snail in the shop and some pretty small or very large pieces of live rock. I am intending to do 20% water change of the tank on Sunday morning and then go and pick up a small amount of live rock and the snail (if it is still there), or 2 -3 should I be so lucky. Does this sound like the right thing to do.
The ammonia was at 0 six days ago when I added 1 1/2 small (about an inch) prawns which I squished between my fingers before placing in the tank. The next day Ammonia was between 0.1 - 0.3, then 0.1, 0 - 0.1 and the last two days it has been 0. Nitrites have remained at 0 and Nitrate has not exceeded 5 for the last 4 days.
Full tank shot - no micro bubbles any more
Close up of rock - with a slight pink tinge on some of it. It was suggested to me locally that it might be cyan but I am pretty certain it is not. The photos make it look more purple than pink.
all looking good !
If you add more LR, you will want to test some more... if it has any die off, it will be like adding another shrimp & you will want to watch it...
If you add more LR, you will want to test some more... if it has any die off, it will be like adding another shrimp & you will want to watch it...
Adrienne
Well-Known Member
What I was wanting to add it for was to ensure that I got some critters into the tank. Theres none in the rock I have as it was not live when I purchased it and theres very little available in NZ.
So perhaps some live rock and then wait another week before adding a snail or two? In that case I would be best to hold off water changing until after I add the live rock?
So perhaps some live rock and then wait another week before adding a snail or two? In that case I would be best to hold off water changing until after I add the live rock?
You can wait on the wc, if your are going to add the LR and you will be waiting another week or do one... it really won't hurt either way... imo
Adrienne
Well-Known Member
Todays tests are all the same as yesterdays.
If I understand correctly from the comments above, I don't need to add live rock to my tank? I have read it increases the chances of nasty hitchhikers like apistasia coming in with it.
If I don't need to add it then I won't. So what stage am I at, the sit and wait stage to see what grows on the rocks and if so do I need to add anything while I wait? I am patient, don't get me wrong but I like things in an orderly fashion and the results my tank is producing look nothing like the charts I have seen on links, so while I have read up on threads on here, I am not really sure where I am at.
As I previously have referred to my rock sat in a barrel with salt water, heater, chiller and lots of smaller powerheads cycling for around 5 months. The first three months I just water changed monthly, no tests, then I added a prawn every few weeks to it.
If I understand correctly from the comments above, I don't need to add live rock to my tank? I have read it increases the chances of nasty hitchhikers like apistasia coming in with it.
If I don't need to add it then I won't. So what stage am I at, the sit and wait stage to see what grows on the rocks and if so do I need to add anything while I wait? I am patient, don't get me wrong but I like things in an orderly fashion and the results my tank is producing look nothing like the charts I have seen on links, so while I have read up on threads on here, I am not really sure where I am at.
As I previously have referred to my rock sat in a barrel with salt water, heater, chiller and lots of smaller powerheads cycling for around 5 months. The first three months I just water changed monthly, no tests, then I added a prawn every few weeks to it.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
I would do a 20% WC then... when you add corals, bring home one small piece lr that looks pretty clean of any pest, a piece that has some nice coralline algae on it, keep it wet, when you get home... take a knife and scrape on it, letting the scrapping fall into the tank, then add it, if it pretty pest free... how I think I would proceed - hope this helps
I think you are good to go... add a small cuc (clean up crew) maybe like 6 snails & your 1st coral and 1st fish or pair - then wait a month before adding another fish, you can add another coral, maybe one a week or so...
start weekly wc 10-15% & run some chemical filtration like purigen & cpe or what you can get there...
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
I would do a 20% WC then... when you add corals, bring home one small piece lr that looks pretty clean of any pest, a piece that has some nice coralline algae on it, keep it wet, when you get home... take a knife and scrape on it, letting the scrapping fall into the tank, then add it, if it pretty pest free... how I think I would proceed - hope this helps
I think you are good to go... add a small cuc (clean up crew) maybe like 6 snails & your 1st coral and 1st fish or pair - then wait a month before adding another fish, you can add another coral, maybe one a week or so...
start weekly wc 10-15% & run some chemical filtration like purigen & cpe or what you can get there...
Adrienne
Well-Known Member
Thanks so much
I will go to my LFS when the most experienced marine person is working.
Now for the black sponges over the circulation pumps. From reading my understanding is that it is a case of the sponges increasing the chance of nitrates in the tank so remove them versus leaving them in to stop any critters from being mushed up by the pumps and instead rinse them thoroughly every week when I water change. I will be popping a small corner sponge into the sump sometime over the next few weeks to see for the QT tank which I need to buy this weekend.
I have carbon and siliphos here to add to the media rack which currently has nothing in it but I do like purigen having used it on my discus tank in the past.
I know I need to add the carbon when I water change but the siliphos would be best held off until after the tank begins to grow algae I guess.
What is the optimum reading for nitrate - 5 or less?
I will go to my LFS when the most experienced marine person is working.
Now for the black sponges over the circulation pumps. From reading my understanding is that it is a case of the sponges increasing the chance of nitrates in the tank so remove them versus leaving them in to stop any critters from being mushed up by the pumps and instead rinse them thoroughly every week when I water change. I will be popping a small corner sponge into the sump sometime over the next few weeks to see for the QT tank which I need to buy this weekend.
I have carbon and siliphos here to add to the media rack which currently has nothing in it but I do like purigen having used it on my discus tank in the past.
I know I need to add the carbon when I water change but the siliphos would be best held off until after the tank begins to grow algae I guess.
What is the optimum reading for nitrate - 5 or less?
Pat24601
Well-Known Member
The opinions on the sponges are literally all over the place...which tells me you can do just about anything and be OK.
I leave mine in and clean them once a week, which I think it closest to Red Seas recommendation. I just do a fairly quick rinse under the faucet and put them back in.
Many others just take them out.
I believe Daniel (?) said he leaves his in but cleans them every 2 or 3 months and it's hard to argue with his results.
Basically, choose a philosophy and stick with it (or don't) and you'll probably be fine.
I leave mine in and clean them once a week, which I think it closest to Red Seas recommendation. I just do a fairly quick rinse under the faucet and put them back in.
Many others just take them out.
I believe Daniel (?) said he leaves his in but cleans them every 2 or 3 months and it's hard to argue with his results.
Basically, choose a philosophy and stick with it (or don't) and you'll probably be fine.
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+1 ^ remove them or maintain them weekly rinse at sink under tap water, shake dry & replace
weekly rinse at sink under tap water, shake dry & replace