Oh that sounds like fun. Hmm I wonder where I can find a grass flat in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area. Sounds like a breeze to find on the west coast area but around here may be hard, maybe on the intercoastal..? I wonder if I can google it LOL.
HELP! Starting a nano reef in my 8 gallon cube
- Thread starter Flaka26
- Start date
Oh that sounds like fun. Hmm I wonder where I can find a grass flat in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area. Sounds like a breeze to find on the west coast area but around here may be hard, maybe on the intercoastal..? I wonder if I can google it LOL.
Once the tank cycles... and you add anything alive, cuc (clean up crew), corals, fish
you want to start your water changes, weekly 10-15% , but in an 8 gallon tank, with a fish, you might up that to 25% or 2 gallons - or even a bit more... see what others think
you want to start your water changes, weekly 10-15% , but in an 8 gallon tank, with a fish, you might up that to 25% or 2 gallons - or even a bit more... see what others think
Once the tank cycles... and you add anything alive, cuc (clean up crew), corals, fish
you want to start your water changes, weekly 10-15% , but in an 8 gallon tank, with a fish, you might up that to 25% or 2 gallons - or even a bit more... see what others think
Hmm so in this case that this tank is a redo when or how would I know the cycle is complete?
lolDo the 8 hermit crabs that are in there with the caulerpa count? lol
sirrealism
Well-Known Member
As I said before i do 3g per week just because its so easy. If your buying water I would get 5g at a time then I would do half 1 week then the other half the next week so 2.5g changes. I would think your tank is pretty close to cycled if your testing and it shows all good but still wait a few weeks before putting anything else in. Better safe then sorry. And yes the hermits count LOL
+1 ^
when you start cycling... here is ideally what you want to see
start testing & watch for the ammonia to raise then drop, followed by the Nitrites raising and then dropping, then the Nitrates will soar - once the ammonia & nitrites are gone, then do water changes to reduce nitrates.
Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
Tank Cycled - add cuc, 1st coral, 1st fish
when you start cycling... here is ideally what you want to see
start testing & watch for the ammonia to raise then drop, followed by the Nitrites raising and then dropping, then the Nitrates will soar - once the ammonia & nitrites are gone, then do water changes to reduce nitrates.
Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
Tank Cycled - add cuc, 1st coral, 1st fish
Yea I have the 5 gallon containers so I'd do 2.5 gallons per water change so I don't have to go every week to buy water. I think I may want to mix my own water to save myself trips to the LFS but I'm scared to mess up somehow lol. Is it something simple and hard to mess up?
Pat24601
Well-Known Member
Simple and hard to mess up, but mildly tedious to make sure you have correct SG etc. in my opinion. Whether or not it's worth it depends on your pocketbook.
+1 ^
when you start cycling... here is ideally what you want to see
start testing & watch for the ammonia to raise then drop, followed by the Nitrites raising and then dropping, then the Nitrates will soar - once the ammonia & nitrites are gone, then do water changes to reduce nitrates.
Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
Tank Cycled - add cuc, 1st coral, 1st fish
Thank you for that! I knew that the levels should be 0 for all of these but I didn't know in what order they happened lol. Yay! cant wait to get home to test it and see where it is in the process now that I understand +1 ^
when you start cycling... here is ideally what you want to see
start testing & watch for the ammonia to raise then drop, followed by the Nitrites raising and then dropping, then the Nitrates will soar - once the ammonia & nitrites are gone, then do water changes to reduce nitrates.
Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
Tank Cycled - add cuc, 1st coral, 1st fish
Ok so I just tested the water and the instructions say to read the test tube against the white area of the color chart; I feel silly asking but does the tube need to be held against/touching flat on the white area or just in front of the card but not touching? I'm having a hard time reading the PH, ammonia and nitrate because the colors look different if I hold against the card or I front of it.
newo11
Well-Known Member
There are no silly questions.
What test kit are you using? I am going to assume it's an API kit. Once you get your tank cycled and you no longer are testing ammonia, nitrite or even PH, you will likely want to invest in a good test kit. Red Sea makes excellent kits and they are much easier to read.
To help answer your question - usually in front is easiest. But if you are testing ammonia and nitrite and you get any color that does not look like zero - this means your tank is not cycled yet. You will know when you have nitrates - there's a big change in color lol.
Once your cycle is complete, and if you plan on keeping a reef tank, you will want to monitor your alkalinity, calcium and magnesium levels as well as your phosphates and nitrates. A lot of people use the Hannah checkers for phosphates or nitrates.
Test kits are expensive and about the least exciting purchase you will make, but they are worth it
Right now everything is new, but after a couple of tests, you will be able to judge better the change in the colors and how they line up to the API color bars. And don't panic over test results. (Which is easier said than done at the beginning!).
Post your results up here including pics of the test results if you want - you will get some good advice and help that way.
Thank you
. I am using the API kit that you assumed. I have seen quite a few digital tests online while searching that seem pretty cool since you aren't trying to match up colors lol they are just on the pricier end so yea I agree it isn't the most exciting purchase lol.The ammonia looks like it could be 0 and the nitrate looks like it could be 5 or 10ppm and the PH 7.8 or 8.0. I took picks and will post them
Hi there! I have a question for you. I'm getting a bag of chemipure elite today and will be doing a water change also today. Now my question is: I still have bioballs in there and a bag of something lol I cant remember what it is. Could be carbon, could be anything really lol. So should I remove this mystery bag and all the bioballs and put in the new chemipure elite bag or should I only remove some bioballs? I will be doing approximately 2.5-3 gallon water change. I put a few coral frags in there but I have a small amount of phosphates in the tank which I hope the chemipure and water change will help. Am I on the right track? Any other suggestions are welcome. I don't want to make a mistake now that I have those coral frags in there. I have a mushroom, xenia and 2 different button polyps (I think that's what they are called) I also have 2 tiny clownfish that my son just had to have lol.
sirrealism
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have the right idea. I would only take out half of the balls on this WC and then the rest on the next WC. Also take out the mystery bag. What ever it is I am pretty sure its spent.
Great, thank you! I was thinking to just take all of them out but figured let me ask before I mess it all up lol. I will definitely toss the mystery bag too.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Small local mantis shrimp tank?
sirrealism
Well-Known Member
It probable would be just fine to take them all out but safer to take out half at a time
sirrealism
Well-Known Member
Squatch You have it bad for mantis dont ya ? LOL Its all good. I have had them and they are very cool.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
8 gallons can hold at most one fish OR other critter....And a big yes to answer your question.
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