My new nano reef - day 5

[TriggerHappy]

Here's 2 pic's from day 5. S.G. 1023 and temp 78 degrees.

I added one Green Chromis that is doing well so far... hopefully he'll help me cycle the tank without dying.

20 lb Fiji LR whereas ~10 lb was uncured.

http://www.ontariorvators.org/reef/day5_1.jpg

I have to learn taking better pictures... This is my entire 20 gallon tank however. It is not lit with any proper lighting - just 2 regular 60 watt lights. I will add 4 URI VHO tubes shortly.

http://www.ontariorvators.org/reef/day5_2.jpg

This picture is of my last rock - a 7 lb uncured Fiji rock. At least one small starfish hitchhiked and is doing well.

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"Half the people I know are below average"

[Daniel Schubert]

Triggerhappy

You shouldn't be using live fish to help your tank cycle (IMO). It will cycle by itself with all that live rock, it would just take some time. Other then that, Nice start to a tank

[afss]

I agree with Daniel. If you end up setting up other tanks please look into alternative methods of cycling the tank. Chances are the damsel will live, but it maynot.

BTW tank looks like its of to a good start as far as rockwork goes.

[ajx22]

TriggerHappy,

Check out this thread:

beginning reef keeper!! (http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86)


...You will want to start off the cycle with something. Please don't use fish...as the tank is not suitable for a fish to live properly yet. Get a raw shrimp from your local supermarket, and add this to the tank to rot. Yup...I said rot. The dead animal will introduce ammonia to the tank, and this will be the start of your cycle. If you're going to add live rock...you can cycle with that too. There will always be some die-off with live rock, and this will start your cycle too. With everything circulating and the ammonia introduced...the helpful bacteria will start to develop in the filter media and the substrate and cause the ammonia to be consumed. Once this starts...you will see the Nitrite levels start to climb. You will need to keep testing the water until the cycle has completed and your water parameters are stable in the proper ranges.
SG=0.021 - 0.028
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Ph = 8.2


While the fish may indeed live through the cycle...it will likely suffer from burnt gills from the high ammonia levels present during the cycle. The live rock will have enough die-off to start the cycle without the use of the above mentioned shrimp.

As a concerned aquarist...you may want to consider removing the fish until you have a fully cycled tank. If you have any questions about the cycle process...just look over the above post link...or post the question to the many knowledged aquarists here on the forums.

JMO...

Tank is looking good though! Congrat's on your new set-up.

Best regards,

[TriggerHappy]

Thanks for your input and kind words about my setup. As always, I respect your opinions and I know that they are coming from people that have experience and respect for the animals we are keeping.

This is only my fourth tank that I have setup ( I spent 6 years with marine tanks but had a 3 year break due to work and moves...) so I'm not by any means speaking from expert experience but I have used damsels in all 4 BUT... done 30-40% water changes throughout the cycling period. This has not allowed the ammonia and nitrite levels to reach unacceptable levels. I always do my changes accoring to the numbers. You may not think the tank wil cycle properly this way but it has in my cases. All my damsels has survived this method. I can't speak for the damsels but I don't have reason to think that they were hurt in the process. They might have though without me knowing it.

I may be wrong but I think I should be able to maintain this again and not cause the Chromis any harm.

I don't cycle my tank like this only to protect fish but also to protect live rock and it's many habitants.

I do agree though... a fish should not be used if the tank is being cycled as most aquarists cycle them. And... it was not necessary for me to use a fish either... it was mostly pressure from my other half (I'm sticking to that! :rolleyes: ).

Also... I am using some uncured rock this time which I did not before. This is of a concern obviously and should have prompted me to NOT use a fish... I will however try to be on top of it and maintain the best possible water qualities.

Thanks again for your input. I don't have another tank unfortunately that I can transfer him to and I think the stress of moving him to the LFS will outweigh the stress of him being in my tank.

[ajx22]

TriggerHappy,

Your tank will actually cycle better and faster if you let nature take its course without water-changes until the full cycle has occurred.

If this was a large tank (100Gal +), then you might be able to keep up with the ammonia spike - but due to the tank being small - the damage to the fish will occur before you can intervien with a water change. Believe it or not...a short trip back to the fish store will be MUCH less stressful on the fish then residing in a cycling tank (assuming that the fish store has good conditions in their tanks).

Also, in doing the water changes during the cycle...you are actually slowing down the cycle.

Hope that this info helps, and Good luck with your new venture.

[Chrismo]

Ideally you cycle the tank with no fish. But it's hard to resist a fish when your all excited and have a big empty tank!

I cycled 1 of my tanks with a damsel too. and I knew I wasnt supposed to and he's still fine.

For some reason I never got big spikes of amonia or nitrite though. Maybe my cured live rock was working overtime...

Anyway goodluck!

Chris

[afss]

Hows the tank coming along?

Scott

[TriggerHappy]

Thanks for asking Scott.

The tank looks great. There hasn't been any changes so no new pictures.

I'm trying this with LR only - no other filters for the time being and so far so good... the only issue I have is with the water surface having a 'film' on it from lack of surface skimming.

I will fix it - maybe with an overflow box/refugium. I'll see what I can make myself. For now however I aimed a power head a little up to break the surface.
The evaporation rate was high before but is even higer now... about 1.25%/day (1 liter/day/20g) I have no lid/glass on top of this tank since I like promote as much gas exchange as possible.

Miller time!!! :dance:

[TriggerHappy]

My tank is now at 2 months... still going and fluorishing... I'm very pleased with it and it's a thrill to see new life emerge almost daily.

Here are some pictures:

http://www.norlogic.com/reef/month2.jpg
http://www.norlogic.com/reef/month2_mush.jpg
http://www.norlogic.com/reef/month2_polyp.jpg
http://www.norlogic.com/reef/month2_xenia.jpg

[afss]

Nice pics. Tank really lloks like it is coming along:D

congrats:cheers:

Scott

[Mitchell]

um just curious... is that a harliquin shrimp I see in pic #1 ???

[TriggerHappy]

Nope... I know what you're looking at, but it's just a small rock with caleurpa.