And is my tank ready,too?

[9fishers]

Mine has been going about 3 weeks, too. Although I had already had some sand and live rock in it for 1 1/2 months. Here are my specs and parameters:

10g w/ 16lbs LR and maybe 8 lbs LS
32w PC + microfan in hood
hang on back filter with no media, mostly for circulation. took the top off and mounted a 7w nightlight over it....make a mini refugium
heavy duty PH (dont remember gph)
small heater

Amm:0
Nitrites:0
Nitrates:0
PH hard to tell....match to color card...somewhere between 7.8 and 8.2
SG:1.026

Last week I put in a few hermits. They lived. Next I added a snail(3 or 4) days ago. And its still alive. So I went out on a limb and 3 days ago, put in a scrap of aphelia(xenia look alike) It did well so I mounted a frag of GSP. Since all seems well, I took the leap and put in a bunch of frags Ive been holding in my main....finger leather, blastomusso, ricordea and dont yell...a piece of cauliflower coral. The tank is loaded with mysis shrimp babies so the tank is being fed with DT's.

I know its a little late to ask if the tank was ready, but if you see any BIG no no's, please LMK. I can always take things out.

Thanks guys!!!!

[MsReeReee]

wowwww ...........and i thought u were suppose to go slow.........lol...........

[mnreefgeek]

I think that you should be alright. The rock and sand spent 1 1/2 months in the tank, plenty of cycle time.

I reason I advised MsReeReee to wait is, I read her post as she was only 3 weeks into the cycle. Correct me if I was wrong on this.

[9fishers]

Of the items I posted above, which would be the first indicater that something was amiss? Would snails die first? Or baby shrimp?

Are the softies adding to the bioload or helping it? I know to go slow when adding fish, but once everythings good, do you have to go slow adding softies?

[ckreef]

I did the slam it full method also.

Saltwater and sand and small piece of established LR.
Waited a day or two for the SD sand to settle.
Add all the rest of the LR straight from my main tank.
Wait a day or so then added a hole boat load of corals.

Since the LR was fully cycled from my main tank there was no really big problems.

Nicole check out my Minibow blog in my signature --- go to the archive section --- first month. It'll give a detailed account of just how quick you can fill a tank if using totally cycled everything.

Chad you are correct --- Maria's tank has only been going for three weeks and waiting is the safer aproach.

But since her parameters are reading OK I thought the Xenia was a good gamble. Around Atlanta there are many people who literly flush Xenia down the toilet every couple of weeks. If something went wrong w/ the Xenia it is no real problem to get it replaced for free.

[9fishers]

Wow, Charles! I dont feel so bad now.

[ckreef]

I havn't given my blog the latest update.

I just went out to the tank and gave a quick count --- approx 30 different types of corals in my Minibow 7 --- over 35 for total count (I have a few duplicates). Granted most are really small in order to fit that many in a Minibow 7 but they don't look that small in the small tank.

Tank has been up and running for only two months Now

Charles