Too much rock? - Page 2

Avi · 04/22/2007, 09:34 PM

Just keep it running, yes. Make sure that you just continue to do that until the ammonia reading is Zero. You should have no ammonia reading at all...even traces. Once that's arrived at....test everything else.

I find this to be a useful reference regarding the readings to achieve:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Once the ammonia is at zero, if necessary, adjust the other issues to proper levels with supplements. If you don't know how to do that, ask here, luxo.

hmello@bermexin · 04/23/2007, 06:13 AM

Go to Ammonia=0, Nitrites=0. Then do a water change to bring down Nitrites. Then add the cleanup guys and gals.

luxo1 · 04/23/2007, 11:53 AM

Henry: Even if that happens in less then 4 weeks???

reefshadow · 04/23/2007, 01:40 PM

Those hitchhikers look like some kind of nudibranch or slug. Many are predatory or have very specific diets; I would get rid of the one left.

Tank looks nice!

hndakd · 04/23/2007, 02:10 PM

dont worry about it it will go away after awhile. like avi said if it persists for awhile (like a couple of weeks) and seems to be getting worse then do a water change and siphon it out. what kind of skimmer are you running?

luxo1 · 04/23/2007, 02:36 PM

Hey reefshadow, take the slug and flush it down the toilet? (Ouch)! I don't think my LFS will want it.

luxo1 · 04/23/2007, 10:29 PM

I don't have a protein skimmer -- yet. What would be the best kind for a biocube 29g?

ludwig9393 · 04/23/2007, 11:05 PM

Hi,
I'm just new to this hobby and have little idea on what pros and cons to set up a tank.

As I put the LR to my 29 gal tank, I saw 3 hitchhikers (crabs) on it. Please help me identify what kind of crab is this. Is it safe for my future LS?..there were 3 of them the biggest is half an inch in length.

I'm planning to put on yellow tang, clown fish and blue tang.

Many thanks!

ludwig

(pls click the gallery to view the pic)

reefshadow · 04/23/2007, 11:05 PM

Yeah, luxo, I would flush it. I know it's cool to have something to look at but I think that's probably a bad HH.

BTW, I think your tank looks very nice. Once you get some corals it will kick!

luxo1 · 04/23/2007, 11:18 PM

Thanks.....now I am reading about protein skimmers, whether or not I need one, and what might work with my biocube.

onecrzyboi4u · 04/23/2007, 11:19 PM

umm take the unwanted hitchhiker to the petstore.

Avi · 04/24/2007, 08:10 AM

luxo...there's a difference of opinion on whether or not you do need one on a small tank. But, I'd bet that your tank would benefit from one.

There are some very small ones available now....

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...1&N=2004&Nty=1

Look around...there are others, too.

squeezix · 04/24/2007, 08:26 AM

IME if your live rock is well cured when you buy it and your sand is live sand, you may never get an ammonia or nitrite reading. If you got your rock in the mail, disregard the above statement. I'm cycling a new tank right now and there was a smell for one day (my nose is my die-off test) and I have 10ppm nitrates as of two days ago.

luxo1 · 04/24/2007, 09:14 AM

Squeezix: Does that mean that your tank is cycled, and you are ready to add life to it? Maybe with the readings that I am getting, my tank is cycled, and ready to go with a clean-up crew?

---Chip

Gobie74 · 04/24/2007, 10:31 AM

I'm surprised the Tang Police haven't shown up already, but a yellow tang and a blue tang in a 29 is definitely NOT a good thing. Most people I've seen recommend at least a 55 at the minimum for one tang, never mind two. I'd rethink what you plan to keep in there.

Quote:

Originally posted by ludwig9393
Hi,
I'm just new to this hobby and have little idea on what pros and cons to set up a tank.

As I put the LR to my 29 gal tank, I saw 3 hitchhikers (crabs) on it. Please help me identify what kind of crab is this. Is it safe for my future LS?..there were 3 of them the biggest is half an inch in length.

I'm planning to put on yellow tang, clown fish and blue tang.

Many thanks!

ludwig

(pls click the gallery to view the pic)

ludwig9393 · 04/24/2007, 11:38 AM

thanks gobie...i'll take note of that.

Quote:

Originally posted by Gobie74
I'm surprised the Tang Police haven't shown up already, but a yellow tang and a blue tang in a 29 is definitely NOT a good thing. Most people I've seen recommend at least a 55 at the minimum for one tang, never mind two. I'd rethink what you plan to keep in there.

luxo1 · 05/19/2007, 06:16 PM

Ok.....Update time.

I bought the tank on 4/6 -- it is Saturday, May 19th....so the tank has been running about six weeks.

Week one.....ran with everything installed and the sand.
Week two, and since.....been running with roughly 25 lbs of live rock from Bali.

Weeks three, four and five: Bought five corals, (small ones) -- one didn't make it, and the LFS replaced it. One was doing fine, I went away for four days, I came home, and it's gone! I found the shell it was glued on -- either someone ate it, or it somehow got blown around, and it died and rotted off. 40 bucks down the drain.

Week four: Bought a clean-up crew, six snails and six hermit crabs. They are all still living. Feed the corals once a week half a cyclop cube using the turkey baster....the clean-up crew goes crazy.

Have bought various odds and ends -- buckets for water changes, gloves, a net, two timers for the lights, special fish friendly glass cleaner, a turkey baster, etc. Also bought a Maxijet for mixing salt and water for water changes for five bucks! I also use the Maxijet to blast the live rock before a water change. I also have been using the B-Ionic calcium buffer system: Component number one: Alkalinity and Component Number two: Calcium

Ammonia, PH, nitrite and nitrate, calcium tests have been coming out good. My LFS checks them for me every Friday when I stop in.

One of the LFSs that I visit gave me a freebie of chemi-pure elite. It's only a half unit, my tank really needs a full unit. It has not done much to make the water clear. I've had it for about two weeks. That has been frustrating. I have done two water changes in the six weeks.....one about 2 1/2 gallons, one for four gallons, and one tomorrow, another four gallons. No matter what, the water has never been crystal clear. I bought some Purigen, though my LFS store does not like the stuff. Picked up a box while out of town. So tomorrow, after the water change I will have purigen, and the chemi-pure elite stuff in the back chambers......probably the chemipure on top of the grid in chamber two, and the purigen in chamber one or three.

I went out of town for four days.....came home to find the tank glass covered with algae. Scraped it off....the snails don't seem interested in eating it. LFS told me that heat and light will cause algae to grow. The tank got really hot, (84) when I was away.....when I got home, removed the cover and threw in some RO/DI ice cubes to make the temperature come down.

The rock seems to be doing well. Sometimes in the morning, chunks will have broken off, as if something burst off of the rock and caused it to break off. The live sand is white, and then gets full of gunk, (I think it is the good kind of gunk) and then gets white again. Do my best to not disturb it, but kinda hard not to do when doing a water change.

The Biocube filter pads suck..they are a joke. I plan on making my own following this thread:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/ind...T&f=35&t=107890

Researching the new CPR skimmer and the new Sapphire skimmer, will probably get one in a few months.

So, have four corals, one is missing......Liverock doing well, algae problem on the glass, and no fish yet. I tell myself the tank is new and still cycling and to take my time. Hope to buy some fish midweek, after the water change has had a few days to settle in.

And yeah, everyone is telling me to get a QT tank, but I don't have the room or the money for that just yet.

Pics to come!

04/22/2007, 09:34 PM	#26
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	Just keep it running, yes. Make sure that you just continue to do that until the ammonia reading is Zero. You should have no ammonia reading at all...even traces. Once that's arrived at....test everything else. I find this to be a useful reference regarding the readings to achieve: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php Once the ammonia is at zero, if necessary, adjust the other issues to proper levels with supplements. If you don't know how to do that, ask here, luxo. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

04/23/2007, 06:13 AM	#27
hmello@bermexin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,205	Go to Ammonia=0, Nitrites=0. Then do a water change to bring down Nitrites. Then add the cleanup guys and gals. __________________ Henry Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known. Current Tank Info: 29g BioCube, AI SOL 12" Super Blue

04/23/2007, 01:40 PM	#29
reefshadow Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Washington Posts: 1,786	Those hitchhikers look like some kind of nudibranch or slug. Many are predatory or have very specific diets; I would get rid of the one left. Tank looks nice! __________________ All Your Coral Are Belong To Us Current Tank Info: 30 Deep Blue shallow mixed rimless, MP10, Ecoxotic LED's, SCA 301 skimmer.

04/23/2007, 11:05 PM	#33
ludwig9393 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Edmonton, AB Posts: 3	crab? Hi, I'm just new to this hobby and have little idea on what pros and cons to set up a tank. As I put the LR to my 29 gal tank, I saw 3 hitchhikers (crabs) on it. Please help me identify what kind of crab is this. Is it safe for my future LS?..there were 3 of them the biggest is half an inch in length. I'm planning to put on yellow tang, clown fish and blue tang. Many thanks! ludwig (pls click the gallery to view the pic) Last edited by ludwig9393; 04/23/2007 at 11:21 PM.

04/23/2007, 11:05 PM	#34
reefshadow Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Washington Posts: 1,786	Yeah, luxo, I would flush it. I know it's cool to have something to look at but I think that's probably a bad HH. BTW, I think your tank looks very nice. Once you get some corals it will kick! __________________ All Your Coral Are Belong To Us Current Tank Info: 30 Deep Blue shallow mixed rimless, MP10, Ecoxotic LED's, SCA 301 skimmer.

04/23/2007, 11:53 AM	#28
luxo1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 418	Henry: Even if that happens in less then 4 weeks???

04/23/2007, 02:10 PM	#30
hndakd Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 313	dont worry about it it will go away after awhile. like avi said if it persists for awhile (like a couple of weeks) and seems to be getting worse then do a water change and siphon it out. what kind of skimmer are you running?

04/23/2007, 02:36 PM	#31
luxo1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 418	Hey reefshadow, take the slug and flush it down the toilet? (Ouch)! I don't think my LFS will want it.

04/23/2007, 10:29 PM	#32
luxo1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 418	I don't have a protein skimmer -- yet. What would be the best kind for a biocube 29g?

04/23/2007, 11:18 PM	#35
luxo1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 418	Thanks.....now I am reading about protein skimmers, whether or not I need one, and what might work with my biocube.

04/23/2007, 11:19 PM	#36
onecrzyboi4u Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Lexington VA Posts: 1,893	umm take the unwanted hitchhiker to the petstore.

04/24/2007, 08:10 AM	#37
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	luxo...there's a difference of opinion on whether or not you do need one on a small tank. But, I'd bet that your tank would benefit from one. There are some very small ones available now.... http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...1&N=2004&Nty=1 Look around...there are others, too. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

04/24/2007, 08:26 AM	#38
squeezix Premium Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 338	IME if your live rock is well cured when you buy it and your sand is live sand, you may never get an ammonia or nitrite reading. If you got your rock in the mail, disregard the above statement. I'm cycling a new tank right now and there was a smell for one day (my nose is my die-off test) and I have 10ppm nitrates as of two days ago. __________________ Necessity is the Mother of Invention; Frustration is the Father Current Tank Info: 25 Tall lit by 250 DE, Moonlights. 10 gallon sump with CPR Bak Pak. New Tank 4/23/2007

04/24/2007, 09:14 AM	#39
luxo1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 418	Squeezix: Does that mean that your tank is cycled, and you are ready to add life to it? Maybe with the readings that I am getting, my tank is cycled, and ready to go with a clean-up crew? ---Chip

05/19/2007, 06:16 PM	#42
luxo1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 418	Ok.....Update time. I bought the tank on 4/6 -- it is Saturday, May 19th....so the tank has been running about six weeks. Week one.....ran with everything installed and the sand. Week two, and since.....been running with roughly 25 lbs of live rock from Bali. Weeks three, four and five: Bought five corals, (small ones) -- one didn't make it, and the LFS replaced it. One was doing fine, I went away for four days, I came home, and it's gone! I found the shell it was glued on -- either someone ate it, or it somehow got blown around, and it died and rotted off. 40 bucks down the drain. Week four: Bought a clean-up crew, six snails and six hermit crabs. They are all still living. Feed the corals once a week half a cyclop cube using the turkey baster....the clean-up crew goes crazy. Have bought various odds and ends -- buckets for water changes, gloves, a net, two timers for the lights, special fish friendly glass cleaner, a turkey baster, etc. Also bought a Maxijet for mixing salt and water for water changes for five bucks! I also use the Maxijet to blast the live rock before a water change. I also have been using the B-Ionic calcium buffer system: Component number one: Alkalinity and Component Number two: Calcium Ammonia, PH, nitrite and nitrate, calcium tests have been coming out good. My LFS checks them for me every Friday when I stop in. One of the LFSs that I visit gave me a freebie of chemi-pure elite. It's only a half unit, my tank really needs a full unit. It has not done much to make the water clear. I've had it for about two weeks. That has been frustrating. I have done two water changes in the six weeks.....one about 2 1/2 gallons, one for four gallons, and one tomorrow, another four gallons. No matter what, the water has never been crystal clear. I bought some Purigen, though my LFS store does not like the stuff. Picked up a box while out of town. So tomorrow, after the water change I will have purigen, and the chemi-pure elite stuff in the back chambers......probably the chemipure on top of the grid in chamber two, and the purigen in chamber one or three. I went out of town for four days.....came home to find the tank glass covered with algae. Scraped it off....the snails don't seem interested in eating it. LFS told me that heat and light will cause algae to grow. The tank got really hot, (84) when I was away.....when I got home, removed the cover and threw in some RO/DI ice cubes to make the temperature come down. The rock seems to be doing well. Sometimes in the morning, chunks will have broken off, as if something burst off of the rock and caused it to break off. The live sand is white, and then gets full of gunk, (I think it is the good kind of gunk) and then gets white again. Do my best to not disturb it, but kinda hard not to do when doing a water change. The Biocube filter pads suck..they are a joke. I plan on making my own following this thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/ind...T&f=35&t=107890 Researching the new CPR skimmer and the new Sapphire skimmer, will probably get one in a few months. So, have four corals, one is missing......Liverock doing well, algae problem on the glass, and no fish yet. I tell myself the tank is new and still cycling and to take my time. Hope to buy some fish midweek, after the water change has had a few days to settle in. And yeah, everyone is telling me to get a QT tank, but I don't have the room or the money for that just yet. Pics to come!