Newbie: Intro + Questions

mitb_3000 · 01-11-2005, 02:06 PM

As this is my first post (and suspect the first of many) I would like to introduce myself, hello all!, and ask a couple questions. This place is an almost canonical like store of reef info...

So, my roommate and I decided to start a reef a few weeks ago and are totally new to SW/reef tanks. We've got a 29 gallon tank, Remora Aqua-C skimmer, compact floresenct lighting, 40 pounds of coral sand and about 20 pounds of LR. First we added the water, sand and a bacteria additive (forgot what it was called). A couple days later the LR was introduced.

We've been sitting on it for a couple weeks and there hasn't been any sort of spike. The nitrate is little hight but the nitrite and ammonia have been flat. Shouldn't the additive have stimulated/accelated things and we'd some sort of spike? Also, a lot of red algea and brown hairs are appearing on the rocks. I'm thinking this is bad...? Since nitrite and ammonia are flat is it wise to get a couple creatures to start on the algea or is this algea indicitive of a red tide type situation?

If this is all covered in some other thread can anyone point me to them?

Thanks,
Tim

Wierd fish girl · 01-11-2005, 03:37 PM

Welcome mitb 3000! Hope you enjoy the site as much as I've been. I'm no expert, I just got my tank started about three months ago, but we added a couple blue yellow tailed damsels to hurry the cycle on a little faster, with the idea of getting rid of them later, they will be extremly aggressive to anything else you put in the tank. They're cheap and beautiful to watch, and there was something to look at besides rocks! Our LFS took ours back when we were ready for more fish.
Jen

reefBoyDc · 01-11-2005, 05:19 PM

Welcome to TRT mitb!

Was the LR cured? If so, that's probably why you didn;t see a big nitrite spike. However, the fact that you have nitrates, shows that you had nitrites and ammonia at one point.

Hard to tell for sure, but I would let it sit for another week or two (with the lights off to reduce algae buildup)... just to make sure everything is ok. Then, if you still don;t have a spike, do a large water change and start introducing creatures SLOWLY.

HTH.

mitb_3000 · 01-11-2005, 05:56 PM

Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure if the rock was purchased cured however, I suspect that it was. If it was bought cured, do I need to do anything besides wait? Should I buy a couple damsels to try and force a spike? Should I be concerned w/ the algea at this point?

Emphasis on the SLOWLY noted

Not only would I hate to waste money due to impatience but I would hate to waste life more.

Also, regarding current: is there a general rule when creating current? I know the current will need to bring nutrients to the coral however, it's not too clear about how to set one up (a perfunctory search yeilded no results). Should the jets cancel each other out? Should they form a sort of circuit? Is it good to put a powerhead next to the skimmer and push out the new water?

Let me know if I'm asking too many questions...

-Tim

Klubacca · 01-11-2005, 05:59 PM

i think you should try sitting in the tank yourself for another week. allow your natural essences to permeate the sand bed, and don't forget reading material!

TrojanScott · 01-11-2005, 06:22 PM

If I can chime in.... the little blue damsels are great, but ****, hard to get rid of later, and they are TERRORS in your tank! (hence the nickname, devil)

I'd sit on it a few weeks as the others have suggested... be a little more patient, seems normal and just needs a little more time.

reefBoyDc · 01-11-2005, 07:34 PM

Quote:

If it was bought cured, do I need to do anything besides wait?

No, just wait, and test.

Quote:

Should I be concerned w/ the algea at this point?

No, that's quite normal. You can turn the lights off to limit it. They are not needed during cycling.

Quote:

Also, regarding current: is there a general rule when creating current?

Not really. If you're going to keep a variety of corals, you'll need areas with different current. Most softies like low to moderate current, whereas SPS like swift current. Erratic current is best, menaing that you want the current to change as often as possible. If it's always coming from the same direction, the corals will tend to grow according to that. it's also healthier to have current from many directions. You can get a SCWD or wavemaker to accomplish this.

Klubacca · 01-11-2005, 07:49 PM

will the algae be hard to deal with after the tank has been properly cycled? i know there are a variety of algaes that show up, but even with the lights off, they grow quite rapidly...

reefBoyDc · 01-11-2005, 07:53 PM

A clean up crew of snails and crabs will quickly take care of it once water conditions are good.

Algae that grows without light?? I have never encountered that type, so I don't know.

Klubacca · 01-11-2005, 08:05 PM

haha, sorry, there is light from the nearby windows, with the tank lights on maybe for an hour or so, just to check progress.

dkling · 01-11-2005, 08:22 PM

Brother, u dont need to put any fish in ur tank to cycle it if u have LR, just let it run with the lights off. after a week or 2 u should see high readings in ur water tests then they will drop off, if ur seeing low to zero reading this may have already happend, when u start to add the fish ,add them very slowly, just one or two at a time, to many at once will overload the system.

everything affects everthing just b patient.

WilyGuy · 01-11-2005, 09:06 PM

To add another voice to the choir...
Snails and hermits. Suggest Astrea and Nassarius (more of the first) Cheap Blue Legged Hermits.

DO NOT ADD DAMSELS. They are cute, but unless you are prepared to remove ALL of the LR to remove the fish (and you WILL want to remove them)....don't do it.

I had a damsel that killed 2 clownfish and was last seen "intimidating" a snail in the corner of the tank.

Good luck with the new tank!

btang · 01-11-2005, 10:20 PM

Welcome mitb 3000,

Sounds like you are off to a good start. How about some pictures of the tank.

ballvice · 01-11-2005, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilyGuy

To add another voice to the choir...
Snails and hermits. Suggest Astrea and Nassarius (more of the first) Cheap Blue Legged Hermits.

DO NOT ADD DAMSELS. They are cute, but unless you are prepared to remove ALL of the LR to remove the fish (and you WILL want to remove them)....don't do it.

I had a damsel that killed 2 clownfish and was last seen "intimidating" a snail in the corner of the tank.

Good luck with the new tank!

Ditto Ditto and Ditto...

I added a few Damsiels to my first tank and I still regret it. Give it another week. Do a good water change and see if the Nitrates drop.

Another alternative to the fishys...add a piece of NASTY LR to your tank...it will help generate an ammonia spike and let you watch a cycle...take readings the day after putting the rock in and each day after to see the effects.

Frank

wanareef · 01-12-2005, 04:36 AM

welcome to the madness

So, my roommate and I decided to start a reef a few weeks ago and are totally new to SW/reef tanks. We've got a 29 gallon tank, Remora Aqua-C skimmer, compact floresenct lighting, 40 pounds of coral sand and about 20 pounds of LR. First we added the water, sand and a bacteria additive (forgot what it was called). A couple days later the LR was introduced

First of all have you and your roommate gotten any books to read up on the subject? Have you been surfing the boards to read up on all you can about reefs?

Usually the bacteria additive is for "fresh water" tanks and even then it's questionable. If you did some reading, you would have found out that eventualy the sand bed would be seeded by your LR. Another way is to get a cup of sand from fellow reefers to "seed" the sand bed as well or even from a LFS.

As stated - adding any fish to help with the bacteria is cruel and you now know about the damsels. Slow is the best way to go and I would suggest more reading on this and other boards.

I lurked around all the boards about 6 months before I even put a drop of water in the tank.

Good luck