Heather's New RSM130

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Bites

New Member
I am in the same situation as you. No indications of a cycle. I was using LR from a established tank but didnt really know how long it was out of the water. I took the safe approach and added the deli shrimp. I got the ammonia spike but no nitrites but I do have nitrates.

BTW Welcome to RC!
 
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hjh1105

New Member
Thanks Guys!! :)

what about a cuc and/or coral? I know I should...and I want to go very slowly, so that I know I it's done right.
Thanks for your help!
 
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hjh1105

New Member
Picture since the brown has taken over...not a great picture.

RSM001.jpg


I think this is red bubble algae..is it bad? Will a cuc or fish take care of it?

RSM004.jpg


Picture of a starfish...I've seen like 5 of these.

RSM009.jpg


Something yellow growing in a hole in a piece of LR...any ideas?

RSM006.jpg


I dont know if you can see it really good, but there is some sort of reddish brown flowery looking thing on this rock. ??

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Should I take the little piece of LR out that has all the red bubbles on it. It's the little rock on the bottom right. Also I have seen 1 little red bubble on the huge rock on the right. What should I do about that, if anything?
Thank you all so much for your input!!!
Heather
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
It does look to be red bubble algae, but I'm not sure. Glenn (nanoreefing4fun) has had them - maybe he can confirm it. Emerald crabs will often eat bubble algae, but I'm not sure if any fish do. I'd take that little piece of rock out and use a toothbrush or similar to scrub them off in a bucket of saltwater. You might be able to siphon them off but sometimes they don't come off easily. I'd try to scrape off that green algae too - it looks like it might be a Caulerpa type, which can spread.

The star is a little Asterina star - most are OK to have. I have mostly white ones.

The yellow object is a sponge - OK & no problem. I used to have some of the same color.

I'm almost 100% positive that the flowery thing is a Majano anemone - a pest and I'd recommend killing it asap with Aiptasia-X. I didn't deal with mine early (thought they were cool looking) and I've been fighting them ever since. They multiply quickly and can sting other corals. They come in greens and browns and I've had both colors. (I see another little Asterina star in that picture too._

Melevsreef.com - Anemonia Majano *PEST*

The brown diatom algae doesn't look too bad - it may get worse before it gets better. It's a phase that we all had and will start to disappear as it consumes the silicates on the rock and substrate.

Lots of life on the rock, some good, some not so good, but it's always fun watching the life appear on the rocks. :)
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
+1 to Terry's advise above & id's

as Victor said in his post... "I took the safe approach and added the deli shrimp" I think this is a good way to proceed, when there is some question as to has the tank cycled, at worst, you waste one deli shrimp & one more week in time (which when the tank is young, waiting one more week never hurts, as it will be building the good bacteria for months) to make sure the LiveRock can handle the decay - that would be like a fish that died or the waste they produce - better safe than sorry.

If you can remove the little rock with red bubbles, that would be good. I got a frag from lsf, with a coco worm attached to it & it had some of these pop-up, I removed them successfully, but after research, it I could lose a small rock to remove them, I would.

Little starfish is cool & I have a yellow sponge like that too :)

Your on your way and off to a good start ... have fun !
 
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hjh1105

New Member
Thanks for the help guys!
I put the deli shrimp in 9 days ago, the ammonia only spiked as high as .5 and that was last Sunday..and then I took the deli shrimp out. the nitrites and nitrates have always read 0 everytime I've tested them. Again, I have tested about every other day. I just tested again this morning and the ammonia and nitrites and nitrates are all zero. Ive never done a water change. I took the little rock out with the read bubble algae and was able to remove the one little bubble on the bigger rock without making it burst. The brown algae on the back of the glass where I never scraped it off is almost all gone. There is some bright green algae growing on the rocks that looks like it's spreading a bit.
Anyway, today I was going to head to the lfs to get some of the Aiptasia-X. I was hoping I could get a cuc and maybe a pair of clowns, and maybe even some coral, but obviously want to wait to be sure the tank has cycled. I'm just confused on why I've never seen any nitrates. I'm using the API test which I thougt was one of the good ones. Any thoughts on getting the fish today, or if my tank has cycled??
thanks!!
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
I would have expected to see some nitrates too, but since you had the deli shrimp in, and did get at least some ammonia, I'd guess that you rock was good enough to take care of the nitrate conversion as well. Unusual in a new tank but not impossible. It could also be that the green algae has consumed all of the nitrates, resulting in that zero reading. Maybe you're good to go ahead with one fish or a pair of clowns! If you get them start tracking the ammonia, nitrites & nitrates again and wait a few weeks before any more fish.
 
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hjh1105

New Member
Thanks Terry! Should I do a water change first? I havent done one at all since I set it up a little over 3 weeks ago. Is there any need since all my readings are zero?
Thanks!
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Heather - is kind of a hard call... I think how I would proceed is conservatively - you seem to have patience :) - I would add my cuc & enjoy them & maybe my 1st coral.

Then give it another week... then my 1st fish or pair.

I think I would do a water change & start doing them weekly, if you are adding Livestock.

You might be safe as Terry suggested to add your 1st fish or pair too, I just always err a bit on the safe side, any tank less then a few months old is still a very new tank.

All the best !
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
I'd probably do at least a 4-5 gallon change even if the readings are all zero - just to be safe.
 
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hjh1105

New Member
Hello again everyone! I finally got my first fish...2 clowns :) Everything seems to be going great. The cuc has cleaned everything and everyone seems happy. Thanks for all the advice.
I was going to wait a couple of weeks before I went out and got my first coral. Is that best? All of my water test have come back pefect. I just tested today - 4 days after adding the fish and cuc and ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates all are 0. I tested my calcium with the reefmaster test...which I found confusing...and it I THINK it's somewhere around 600.??
I was looking at some of the posts on the media chamber "chamber of death" and just to be clear, that is the chamber the pumps are in right? Should it be completely empty? I still have the bioballs in mine. I'm about to place an order for intank and was wondering about getting CPE, media stand and filter floss. Doesn't the CPE replace the bioballs? I've been reading about slowly removing the bioballs...is this right? Any thoughts on other things I need from intank? I have of course seen all the rsm skimmer complaints, but mine seems to be ok, is there something I should be looking for to see if I need to replace it?
I know this is a lot of questions :) but only 1 more... My temp in the tank is always reading btw 80 & 82. I know that it's hotter than it's supposed to be but my heater has been completely off for the past week and it's still high. I think it might be bc of the koralia 3 I have in there...the lfs I went to didn't have any 2's but they told me the 3 would be fine. Any suggestions? Is 80 too hot for corals when I put them in?
THANKS so much in advance for putting up with my 1000's of questions! I just want to get it right ;)
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
+1 to the above advise

and +++ to - Post some pictures when you get a chance. Would love to see the new additions!

Once cycle is finished...

Fish = bio-load (go slow, one per month is a good rate)
Coral = bio-neutral (you can add them faster, even maybe one a week)
CUC = bio-good (add when cycle finishes)
 
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hjh1105

New Member
Thanks guys!
Ok here are some pictures...
The new additions :)
RSM053.jpg


This is the top rock..the picture is kinda blury but i think you'll be able to see the green.. it's the only one that has all of this neon green looking algae. Is this algae ok? Hopefully all the snails and hermits will take care of it.
RSM057.jpg
 
Dweezil

Dweezil

Well-Known Member
Gotta love those Clowns...so cute! Nice to have some movement in the tank now eh? The algae is fine. Expect to see more, then in time the purple will take over.
 
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