New proud owner of C250 tank. Started 8-24-14 and have a few questions.
Tank is set up with chiller so temp is steady at 77-78 deg. Salinity with refractometer 1.024 to 1.025, just ordered Tunze ATO 3155 to automate RO/DI water replenishing. Planned on putting water container inside cabinet but my unit only has a cut out on one side, which is currently used by my chiller. Damn. Anyone else have this problem? May just drill and cut the back on the other side but likely messy!
Used Redsea reef maturation kit, live rock from LFS, Live sand from LFS, and they supplied initial salt water fill.
Added 10 cortez red tip hermits, 8 astrea snails, and 2 Mexican turbo grazers at about 7 days in, but really never had a big algae bloom. Tank room is pretty dark so most light is from tank hood set to run 8 hrs per day.
Most recent tests on 9-9-2014 ( Day 16) show ph 8.1, ammonia 0, Nitrate 15, Alkalinity 8 after a 5% water change.
On day 19, found lots of tiny little dots stuck on walls on tank (?copepods) with a very few strands of hair algae on tank walls. Mexican turbo grazer snails, although large, hide in live rock and are really never out and about, although I can occasionally find one hidden and it moves from day to day so must be alive. Astrea and hermits move around from place to place and I guess are doing there thing.
Redsea guide book seems to say Nitrate should be 5 or less when you add an herbivorous fish, which they say is ok at day 14.
Well, should I keep waiting it out for nitrates to drop before adding something or just do a water change and go for it?
I take it those little dots on the aquarium glass are fine, and something will eventually eat them?
At what point can I add an invertebrate or coral or feather duster or like?
I will add some photos as soon as I figure out how!
Thanks
Tank is set up with chiller so temp is steady at 77-78 deg. Salinity with refractometer 1.024 to 1.025, just ordered Tunze ATO 3155 to automate RO/DI water replenishing. Planned on putting water container inside cabinet but my unit only has a cut out on one side, which is currently used by my chiller. Damn. Anyone else have this problem? May just drill and cut the back on the other side but likely messy!
Used Redsea reef maturation kit, live rock from LFS, Live sand from LFS, and they supplied initial salt water fill.
Added 10 cortez red tip hermits, 8 astrea snails, and 2 Mexican turbo grazers at about 7 days in, but really never had a big algae bloom. Tank room is pretty dark so most light is from tank hood set to run 8 hrs per day.
Most recent tests on 9-9-2014 ( Day 16) show ph 8.1, ammonia 0, Nitrate 15, Alkalinity 8 after a 5% water change.
On day 19, found lots of tiny little dots stuck on walls on tank (?copepods) with a very few strands of hair algae on tank walls. Mexican turbo grazer snails, although large, hide in live rock and are really never out and about, although I can occasionally find one hidden and it moves from day to day so must be alive. Astrea and hermits move around from place to place and I guess are doing there thing.
Redsea guide book seems to say Nitrate should be 5 or less when you add an herbivorous fish, which they say is ok at day 14.
Well, should I keep waiting it out for nitrates to drop before adding something or just do a water change and go for it?
I take it those little dots on the aquarium glass are fine, and something will eventually eat them?
At what point can I add an invertebrate or coral or feather duster or like?
I will add some photos as soon as I figure out how!
Thanks