what to do while waiting

glassman · 02-24-2002, 07:54 PM

in a tank full of only LR and LS, is it fine to just leave the lights off? is there anything i can do to help the LR and LS develop? im pretty sure the LR experienced considerable loss throughout my initial setup and resetup, etc.

hooked · 02-24-2002, 08:07 PM

Hello Glassman,

Is this a new setup I take it? I would put a fish or 2 in the system. I would also get your lighting up and going. I have my lighting setup to run for 12 hours a day. Others will post more information as I am new to reefing

Jim

glassman · 02-24-2002, 08:24 PM

jim (hooked)
yes, it is a new system. i don't plan on having any fish in there for quite some time. in 4 weeks i will add the last of the LR and probably a little more LS to deepen the bed a tad. a couple of weeks later, ill start adding the cleanup crew of snails shrimp and hermit crabs. a couple of more weeks and THEN ill add a couple of damsels. the idea is to end up with a clown/anenome tank with clams and (6 line) wrasse to keep the clam parasites in check.

FishDaddy · 02-24-2002, 08:29 PM

Glassman,
Your LR will benefit from lighting, though not as much or as intense as if you have corals. What lights do you have?
An 8 hour photoperiod should be fine for now. I wouldn't run MH's at this time but NO's, VHO's or PC's will be fine. This is the time for the expected algae blooms and moderate light will keep the LR going but not overfeed the photosynthetic algas.
Otherwise, If the tank is fully cycled, you can add some snails to help with the algae.
Dick)

FishDaddy · 02-24-2002, 08:33 PM

Glassman,
One other thing that I would highly rexommend while your tank is simmering is to get Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals, if you don't already have it, and read it thoroughly. This is an invaluable resource for anyone keeping corals.
Dick

tdwyatt · 02-24-2002, 08:45 PM

Quote:

? I would put a fish or 2 in the system

Skip the fish for now, the live rock will cycle the tank. Without fish, the rest of the algal cycles will complete without interference from the fishes, and they (the fish) will not have to go through the stress of the cycles, both chemical and biological. If you need a source of ammonia, you can bury a piece of shrimp in the substrate surrounded by a piece of old womens stockings (this is to make removal easier). The live rock will supply everything your substrate needs to reach a moderate level of maturation (bugs, ammonia, bacteria) while you finish cycling. In addition, this will give you time to research what type of fish will best fit your biotope while avoiding the use of ****sels or similar unsuitable spp. for an established reef.

glassman · 02-24-2002, 10:06 PM

thanks for the tip fishdaddy. i've just finished natural reef aquariums by john tullock, so i'll need a good reading assignment anyway. i'll get some lights on the LR asap. i hope they're okay, it's been several weeks without direct lighting. i was out of the country several weeks and my LFS advised me to leave them off while away.