Let's watch my new tank grow

certainti420 · 04-23-2008, 03:58 AM

Hello my fellow aquarists,
I am bran spankin new to the hobby, in fact I don't have anything in my tank yet. Just live sand mixed with black Tahitian sand. I plan on running a reef tank. I have a 35 gallon bowfront glass aquarium, protien skimmer, 300w heater, 1 850 gph power head and a hang on back bio wheel filter for up to 75 gal ( i figure a little overkill never hurt anything) I have 25 lbs of live rock coming in tomorrow. My tank has been cycling for about 3 weeks. So my question is... the live rock I ordered is supposedly "pre-cured" but there is no way of knowing what kind of shape it will be in when it arrives. So, would it be ok to do any additional curing in my display tank? I would think that it would actually build a stronger biological filter, but that is why i am looking for advice from you. As of right now I don't have anything to cure it in.

As far as lighting goes... right now I only have the single bulb florescent hood that came with the tank could I put a T5 10,000k florescent or a blue actinic into this fixture? Or do I need to buy another fixture?? ( If you know of a good quality light fixture for cheap like under 100$ please let me know.)

Since this is my first tank I figure it would be fun to let all of you watch it grow with me as I learn more from your advice. What a better time to start then now while it is still in its "fetal" stages. I will post some pictures after I aquascape the LR but right now its kinda boring just some sand and a couple of conch shells i got from my grandmother from the 50's to add a little retro vibe (just kidding actually I was just tired of looking at only the sand).

By the way this is a little off subject but if you by chance have any old conch shells lying around and just don't know what to do with them they make great little plant holders. Just put a little water in the bottom and a couple bamboo stalks or philodendron and there you have a perfect little companion for your standalone nano.
~Jon

tbittner · 04-23-2008, 07:43 AM

Yes, you'll want to add the rock into your tank as soon as it arrives. Even if it's pre-cured, you'll get a cycle from it. Just test the water at least once a day so you can tell what stage of the cycle you're at and you'll know when it's complete.

I'm sure others will speak up about the lighting.

I'm anxious to see your tank grow too!

Welcome to RS!

BigAl07 · 04-23-2008, 08:48 AM

Hello

and welcome

I answered your lighting question (to some degree) over at
New to the Hobby

blue_eyes53813 · 04-23-2008, 09:18 AM

Hello Welcome to RS

AQTCJAK · 04-23-2008, 10:31 AM

Welcome ABoard

vdituri · 04-23-2008, 11:54 AM

Welcome aboard the board!

rmlevasseur · 04-23-2008, 11:59 AM

Welcome!

certainti420 · 04-23-2008, 08:00 PM

As promised Here are a few pics of the tank if anyone has other aquascapeing ideas please let me know. I'm open to suggestions and ideas.

By the when my LR came in today i cleaned it and noticed these little brown bugs or larvae they look like little brown grains of rice. What are they?

framerguy · 04-23-2008, 08:13 PM

Those little bugs sound like copepods. They are really good to have as they are food for most everything. Welcome to RS!!

Dentoid · 04-23-2008, 08:21 PM

Welcome to the Sanctuary! Watching it grow is the best part of this hobby!

tbittner · 04-23-2008, 10:03 PM

I wouldn't change a thing about the aquascaping. I think it looks great! Nice caves!

certainti420 · 04-24-2008, 01:42 PM

if you guys have any recommendation as far as my first addition after my LR cures let me know. Should I put any inverts and cleaning crew in first or should I start with fish?

certainti420 · 04-24-2008, 01:44 PM

ok so day one after LR was added

temp. 77.5
pH 8.0
nitrite 2.0
nitrate 0
Ammonia 8.0

Are these numbers pretty normal while curing LR?

lcstorc · 04-24-2008, 02:05 PM

Welcome to RS and great to see you starting your chronicle right at the beginning. Do you have anything other than the rock to start your cycle? If not that amonia reading is pretty high IMO. I suspect it is actually .8 which is an easy mistake to make.
Personally I like to be sure to get a good cycle going by adding a raw shrimp from the grocery. This provides a good amonia source to kick off the cycle. Then sit back and watch and test. You will see the amonia rise and fall, then the nitrites rise and fall and finally the nitrates rise. This is when you start doing water changes to reduce the nitrates. Once those go down, you are ready for your CUC. The biggest mistake many people make in this hobby is rushing. Take everything slow and you will have a much better tank.
As far as the lighting, that really depends on what you want to keep in the tank. If you just want fish then the light you have is fine. If you want to start getting into corals then the type of corals will determine how much and what kind of lighting you need.
As far as the scape goes what you have looks very nice. A couple of things to think about is leaving enough room between the rocks and the side of the tank to be able to get a mag float in there for cleaning.
Another very important component is a skimmer. They do wonders for your water quality so do some investigating on the right one for your needs.
Ok I think I said enough for one post. I really look forward to watching your progress.

koffee · 04-24-2008, 10:34 PM

I'm curing some rock right now, and my ammonia was past that the first time I checked. The chart shows shades of green, and my test was blue. Of course, that rock was out of water for 4 days.

AFAIK, you should do a WC if it really is that high. You want some ammonia for the bacteria, but not enough to kill off other life in the rock.

I don't think you can put a T5 in that fixture. You could get an actinic that would fit, but I think the tank would look dark and blue. If you really want corals, you will need more (and better) light, which means a new fixture. Chances are, the new fixture won't fit on that hood, so you'll have to change that as well. The current setup would be fine for FOWLR, though.

And welcome to RS.

04-23-2008, 03:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
certainti420 Fire Coral Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Fayettehell, NC Posts: 63 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Let's watch my new tank grow Hello my fellow aquarists, I am bran spankin new to the hobby, in fact I don't have anything in my tank yet. Just live sand mixed with black Tahitian sand. I plan on running a reef tank. I have a 35 gallon bowfront glass aquarium, protien skimmer, 300w heater, 1 850 gph power head and a hang on back bio wheel filter for up to 75 gal ( i figure a little overkill never hurt anything) I have 25 lbs of live rock coming in tomorrow. My tank has been cycling for about 3 weeks. So my question is... the live rock I ordered is supposedly "pre-cured" but there is no way of knowing what kind of shape it will be in when it arrives. So, would it be ok to do any additional curing in my display tank? I would think that it would actually build a stronger biological filter, but that is why i am looking for advice from you. As of right now I don't have anything to cure it in. As far as lighting goes... right now I only have the single bulb florescent hood that came with the tank could I put a T5 10,000k florescent or a blue actinic into this fixture? Or do I need to buy another fixture?? ( If you know of a good quality light fixture for cheap like under 100$ please let me know.) Since this is my first tank I figure it would be fun to let all of you watch it grow with me as I learn more from your advice. What a better time to start then now while it is still in its "fetal" stages. I will post some pictures after I aquascape the LR but right now its kinda boring just some sand and a couple of conch shells i got from my grandmother from the 50's to add a little retro vibe (just kidding actually I was just tired of looking at only the sand). By the way this is a little off subject but if you by chance have any old conch shells lying around and just don't know what to do with them they make great little plant holders. Just put a little water in the bottom and a couple bamboo stalks or philodendron and there you have a perfect little companion for your standalone nano. ~Jon

04-23-2008, 07:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,080 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Yes, you'll want to add the rock into your tank as soon as it arrives. Even if it's pre-cured, you'll get a cycle from it. Just test the water at least once a day so you can tell what stage of the cycle you're at and you'll know when it's complete. I'm sure others will speak up about the lighting. I'm anxious to see your tank grow too! Welcome to RS! __________________ Terry My chronicle 120g with 300g sump/refug, Outer Orbit HQI/T5HO 24-Hour Light System: : 48" 250W HQI 4x54W Lots of fish. 150g predator tank full of killers. 450g tank is IN the HOUSE!

04-23-2008, 08:48 AM	#3 (permalink)
BigAl07 Reef Addict (hopeless) Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 8,844 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Hello and welcome I answered your lighting question (to some degree) over at New to the Hobby __________________ Allen Allen's testimonial . . ."Let Me help you help YOURSELF" (Click Here) with a SW set up there is one basic fundamental rule that we ALL should follow *When in doubt... wait it out. This means take it slow and let the tank "develop" and don't rush it. Time is your friend Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Reef Balls & Cakes Debt Free & Change your Family Tree!!

04-23-2008, 09:18 AM	#4 (permalink)
blue_eyes53813 fully trained mod,,,its my fault~ Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lancaster, Wisconsin Posts: 5,852 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Hello Welcome to RS __________________ 265 Gallon Reef built into basement wall. Lighting = 6x250 watts MH, 2x96 watt PC ,and 2x140 watt VHO for a total watt of 1,972 watts . New addition on 4-14-07 of 100 gallon sump and 100 gallon refugium. I think I have lost my mind. Gotta love this hobby Vicki Life is like a pathway of untrodden snow. Be careful how you step in it for every mark will show Definition of FRIENDSHIP: All lives touch other lives to create something new and alive My tank chronicles. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...wall-reef.html

04-23-2008, 10:31 AM	#5 (permalink)
AQTCJAK Tiger Shark Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 6,235 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Welcome ABoard __________________ A Wiseman once said build a stage add a pole & they will dance - Jack 2007 www.aquaticaggression.com Projects & Chronicels http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...car-buffs.html http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...nts-tanks.html

04-23-2008, 11:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
rmlevasseur Neon dottyback Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 604 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Welcome! __________________ Robert http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ufas-tank.html

04-23-2008, 08:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
certainti420 Fire Coral Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Fayettehell, NC Posts: 63 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow As promised Here are a few pics of the tank if anyone has other aquascapeing ideas please let me know. I'm open to suggestions and ideas. By the when my LR came in today i cleaned it and noticed these little brown bugs or larvae they look like little brown grains of rice. What are they?

04-23-2008, 08:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
framerguy Golden Moray Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mount Airy, Ga Posts: 2,920 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Those little bugs sound like copepods. They are really good to have as they are food for most everything. Welcome to RS!! __________________ ___________________________________ Greg All time fav quote: "Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."-Guillaume Apollinaire "Being happy can be as easy as deciding to be!"-Greg Kimsey (framerguy) 75g Main, 55g Fuge w/DSB/+-25#LR, 25g Sump, turboflotor skimmer, 2x250w MH(9hrs/d), 4x65w PC(14h/d), 950gph mag drive/seaswirl return, 100# LR, 3" SB chronicles-akwareum (\___/) This is Bunny. (=O.o=) Copy and paste him into your signature (")__(") to help him gain world domination

04-23-2008, 08:21 PM	#10 (permalink)
Dentoid Over Achiever Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 9,587 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Welcome to the Sanctuary! Watching it grow is the best part of this hobby! __________________ Scott Dentoid's Reeforama

04-23-2008, 10:03 PM	#11 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,080 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow I wouldn't change a thing about the aquascaping. I think it looks great! Nice caves! __________________ Terry My chronicle 120g with 300g sump/refug, Outer Orbit HQI/T5HO 24-Hour Light System: : 48" 250W HQI 4x54W Lots of fish. 150g predator tank full of killers. 450g tank is IN the HOUSE!

04-24-2008, 01:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
certainti420 Fire Coral Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Fayettehell, NC Posts: 63 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow if you guys have any recommendation as far as my first addition after my LR cures let me know. Should I put any inverts and cleaning crew in first or should I start with fish?

04-24-2008, 01:44 PM	#13 (permalink)
certainti420 Fire Coral Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Fayettehell, NC Posts: 63 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow ok so day one after LR was added temp. 77.5 pH 8.0 nitrite 2.0 nitrate 0 Ammonia 8.0 Are these numbers pretty normal while curing LR?

04-24-2008, 02:05 PM	#14 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 16,449 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow Welcome to RS and great to see you starting your chronicle right at the beginning. Do you have anything other than the rock to start your cycle? If not that amonia reading is pretty high IMO. I suspect it is actually .8 which is an easy mistake to make. Personally I like to be sure to get a good cycle going by adding a raw shrimp from the grocery. This provides a good amonia source to kick off the cycle. Then sit back and watch and test. You will see the amonia rise and fall, then the nitrites rise and fall and finally the nitrates rise. This is when you start doing water changes to reduce the nitrates. Once those go down, you are ready for your CUC. The biggest mistake many people make in this hobby is rushing. Take everything slow and you will have a much better tank. As far as the lighting, that really depends on what you want to keep in the tank. If you just want fish then the light you have is fine. If you want to start getting into corals then the type of corals will determine how much and what kind of lighting you need. As far as the scape goes what you have looks very nice. A couple of things to think about is leaving enough room between the rocks and the side of the tank to be able to get a mag float in there for cleaning. Another very important component is a skimmer. They do wonders for your water quality so do some investigating on the right one for your needs. Ok I think I said enough for one post. I really look forward to watching your progress. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g Jawfish enjoyment ASM answer girl. Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

04-24-2008, 10:34 PM	#15 (permalink)
koffee Midas Blenny Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 119 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Let's watch my new tank grow I'm curing some rock right now, and my ammonia was past that the first time I checked. The chart shows shades of green, and my test was blue. Of course, that rock was out of water for 4 days. AFAIK, you should do a WC if it really is that high. You want some ammonia for the bacteria, but not enough to kill off other life in the rock. I don't think you can put a T5 in that fixture. You could get an actinic that would fit, but I think the tank would look dark and blue. If you really want corals, you will need more (and better) light, which means a new fixture. Chances are, the new fixture won't fit on that hood, so you'll have to change that as well. The current setup would be fine for FOWLR, though. And welcome to RS. __________________ An Alaskan Reef: 40G Tank + 38G Sump/Fuge with mushrooms, Xenia, GSP, some LPS, Coral Beauty, Lawnmower Blenny, Sea Hare, a pair of Ocellaris, Skunk Cleaner and Peppermint Shrimp, and various snails.

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