Cody & KCs Newbie Reef Tank!

[cynicechoes]

This is our very first tank & we are very excited & nervous too! We are learning so many new things each day, but still have a lot of questions we'll probably be running into on a frequent basis, so be prepared... haha! Suggestions will be warmly accepted! And thanks for the warm welcome to ya'lls community guys!

Tank parameters:
Type: Aquapod
Size: 24 Gallon
Lighting: Standard (LED, Dual Actinic, Dual Daylight)
Pump/filter: Also Standard (290 gph w/ only sponge in filter chamber)
LR: 26-27 lbs live fiji (i believe?)
Substrate: about 30-35 lbs LS


Stocking Plan: Not completely sure yet (suggestions!???)
1. Cleaner Crew (snails, cleaner shrimp, maybe a sea cucumber?)
2. Percula Clown Fish (maybe a pair)
3. Watchman Goby & Pistol Shrimp pair
4. Bubble-tip Anemone (hopefully!? )
5. Some other corals (need to study up don't know anything about em to even try and choose! Any suggestion on some hardy ones for a begginer? )


Saturday 8/11/07: We started the tank with only 20lbs of LS and 10lbs of LR.

The very next day!: We realized our mistake after jacking with it alot in adding the rest of our LR & LS we officially kicked it off!

Monday: We added 2 cocktail shrimp upon advice to kick off the cycle instead of using live fish! I hope that's not too much!?

Tuesday: After taking out the trash and thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, upon testing water levels we realized it is our fish tank that smells!!! I hope nothing is wrong! Our levels don't seem to be doing much as of yet. We are going to have to work on getting our temp down its running high & not quite stable, our LFS suggested propping the lid open somewhat so it's not completely enclosed, so we're gunna try that for a while.

The camera is charging so I will post pics soon!

[Anselth]

The smell is probably a result of the cycling process. From what I understand, most people remove the sponges from the filter compartments of biocubes and aquapods and replace them with live rock rubble. Filter sponges, if not cleaned religiously, will trap a lot of detritus and lead to high nitrate levels. If you want an anemone, you'll want to upgrade the lighting on the tank. I think Nanotuners makes hoods for the aquapod. Wait until the tank is mature (at least a year) before attempting to keep an anemone. Otherwise sounds like you are off to a good start!

[Melanie]

Yes, it sounds like you are off to a good start. I had to remove the cover from my 72 gallon to keep the temp down. Of course, this makes for more frequent top-offs.

If you really love the anemone, I suggest you read many resources before you buy one. Not just on-line, but if you can get a book (on-line or from the library) that will help.

Your tank shouldn't smell with the shrimp fully submerged. Was your LR (live rock) fully cured? Rotting sponges on LR DO smell bad. This isn't a problem right now because you don't have livestock. But pull each piece of LR out of your tank and smell it. If anything smells fishy (ha ha ha) then tank a soft toothbrush and a bucket of salt water and gently scrub off any dead things. Especially look for things that are mushy, slimy, and/or white. Put your rock back in the tank and keep checking it. You may have to scrub it a few times like this to get all of the dying matter off.

[blue_eyes53813]

The tank may smell for a bit. It is ok and normal. It is part of the die off and cycling process. I remember when I set up my 125 a few years ago. it stunk up the whole house. It will pass.. I wouldnt worry about cleaning anything right now. Let it cycle and than start to do small water changes (after the cycle). For now a few air fresheners and fans in the room will help.

[Dentoid]

I agree with Melanie about the LR. If it was not cured when you got it, then the shrimp is not necessary. If the LR was fully cured, then the shrimp will provide the ammonia necessary to kick off the cycle. Also, one piece of shrimp is probably enough in that volumn of water. Ask the LFS if the rock was cured or uncured. BTW, did the LR smell before you put it in the tank? Did the LR come from a tank of water at the LFS? IF it came from a tank at the LFS, was that tanks water clean and clear, or dingy and icky?

[cynicechoes]

Thanks for your suggestions guys! The rock we pruchased was in a large tank with clear water, but it was uncured (or least the second half of it was, I am not sure about the first half)!

I did hear that anemones are somewhat hard to keep, actually got mixed opinions on how hard though. You say that my lighting won't be sufficient, what would I need to upgrade to?

I'll be posting pics later today, I have an interview to go to now though!

Happy Reefing everyone!

[cynicechoes]

So here's the pics I promised... the aquascaping kinda sucks...

Full Tank Shot


Shot w/ Night Lights - I just think it looks cool!


My Culprits who are stinking up the house! Uncured LR & shrimp!


CloseUp on our crudy aquascaping with the sunset/rise lights!


We purchased too much of the branch-like LR, in my opinion, because we didn't have a clue about it when we bought it & realized it only after we started trying to construct!

But hey it's stable & there are lots of places for fish to swim around & through & hiding & digging places for the goby & pistol shrimp we hope to get! Plus I figure it will look better when we start adding coral, I hope!

[blue_eyes53813]

Looks great and smelly, lol Jk.. It does look nice.

[cynicechoes]

Haha Thanks Blueeyes!

We ran our water tests last night & I'm a little confused. We need to get a test kit for Ammonia & Nitrites today because the one that we purchased only has KH, calcium, Phosphate, & nitrate... but I think maybe we got a bad test yesterday on the nitrate. To the best of my knowledge the nitrates start rising as the last step in the cycle right? But our test read that nitrate was higher than before. So I dunno, we'll probably take a sample to the LFS when we go to get our test kit just to get a good reading.

We're still working on getting our temp down, its running 82-85 degrees. It also seems to fluctuate a little too much when we switch between the different lights, about 2 or 3 degrees! That is too much for fish right? Any suggestions???

Oh also, our salinity is reading at about 1.027, since the tank is still cycling what can we do to reduce it, or should we just leave it alone until its done cycling?

[kathywithbirds]

Cool!! My husband's got the 12g version with the 70w metal halide light. We really like it, it's a nice setup. He did change out the stock pump for a maxijet 900 and got that rotating flow doohickey for it. He's got at least 14 lbs LR, just put in aragonite sand, not live. He also pitched the sponge and put in a bag of carbon, and later a small plastic container of chaeto.

His was the only one that went through cycling "right" -- my 37 g was all over the place for the first week, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, it did finally get to the point it was 0 on ammonia and trItes, just recently got down to 0 on trAtes.

[cynicechoes]

We are finally figuring out our temp control problem! But we are a bit worried about the apparent algae takeover! It's a golden brownish colored algae that is growing on our LR especially the pieces closer to the top/lights & it's even on the LS! I hope it's not going to be a problem!

[Melanie]

Algae is common and normal during the cycling process. It's best to leave the lights off during the cycle to help minimize the algae. Once you have finished the cycle (and it sounds like you have already read up on that so I won't elaborate) you can add a CUC (or clean up crew) to rid yourself of the algae the natural way. **Don't use any kind of chemicals to kill the algae.** You will be surprised at how quickly they will devour the algae.

I recommend Astraea and Banded Trochus snails because they will eat the brown algae (and more!) and are more tolerant of the higher temps you seem to be running. And then when you get some livestock, you will want a detritus eater like the cerith or nassarius.

Based on some bad experiences I'm having right now, I would hesitate to recommend any crabs for the CUC. There are differing opinions on this so if you do decide to add crabs, I suggest only adding one or two of the allegedly reef-safe variety at a time (scarlet and blue-legged). Then you can pull them out easily if they are a problem.

[Melanie]

By the way, I think your aquascaping is pretty and you are being too hard on yourself! Your tank looks very nice, especially in the "moon" light.

It will probably be about a month or two before you can add corals, but here are some beginner-friendly species to look at for your first ones: Button Polyp (Protopalythoa sp.), Colony Polyp (zoanthus sp.) , Mushroom & Hairy Mushroom (Actinodiscus & Rhodactis sp.) Some sites even sell beginner nano-packs that have small, hardy corals that are just right for a smaller aquarium.

You are starting out great and I can tell you are researching and and reading and I think you are going to be very successful and will have a beautiful little reef before you know it.

[lcstorc]

Great new tank. Looks like you are well on your way to an awesome nano. I agree that you just do not have enough light for an anemone. If you really want one get MH or at least T5 lighting and wait a year. Ny then your tank should be stable enough to keep one healthy One other warning though. They can get really big.

[Frankie]

I personally love the Tonga branch and think you did an awesome job with placement. It's not about how the rock look so much as the future coral growth on it. And small fish are going to love swimming in and out of that maze you have. Pod's will have a safe haven deep inside also.