New 29g tank – Questions

[design1stcode2n]

My 29g has cycled and I’m continuing to ghost feed while my fish go through TTM and then into quarantine. I have not been using the tank light much maybe an hour a day but I’m wondering if I should?

I believe I’m starting to get some diatoms, light brown spots on some of my LR (I’ll post a picture when I can). The tank is BB so I’m not seeing anything on the glass or bottom so far.

My second question is about a CUC, not what to get but how long to quarantine? I’m only one transfer in on my new fish so they will go to QT on April 24th.

I can begin a quarantine of the inverts on the 24th-25th using one of the TT tubs but there seems to be a wide variety of opinions on length of inverts QT.

I don’t’ want to go through all the effort of TTM and QT for the fish just to bring something in with the inverts (snails and shrimp).

Last question since the DT has nothing in it is it necessary to do weekly or bi-week water changes?

[coralsnaked]

No to water changes
If you take the time to QT inverts then it would be for 6 weeks
No light is needed at this time but san hour a day won't hurt

[design1stcode2n]

Originally Posted by coralsnaked

If you take the time to QT inverts then it would be for 6 weeks

Thanks.

What specifically do you look for on inverts? For fish there are a number of signs for the various diseases. If it's just to make sure an Ick cyst doesn't transfer then isn't it going to be a min of 72 days?

I'm not expecting anything on the fish TBO, my LFS runs hypo-salinity, copper and prazipro. I'm still taking precautions obviously.

I doubt they do anything for snails and shrimp though.

[Neebles]

Personally, I dont qt inverts (snails etc). Is that wrong? Possibly, but I just don't understand why I would...you can't really treat them with meds so basically you would just be observing them in another tank... Fish, definitely, coral a good medicated dip then maybe observation, but never with inverts. Maybe someone can hop in and enlighten me on why to qt inverts....

[BigCountry74]

when you start to see diatoms put the inverts in. mostly snails and a few hermits. you do not need to QT them. just put them straight into the tank. make sure your salt is 1.025-26 and temp is stable. i like the 1 snail per 5 gallon rule. so for 29 gallons your looking at 6 margarita snails and 2 hermits. cheap and easy

[design1stcode2n]

Originally Posted by BigCountry74

when you start to see diatoms put the inverts in. mostly snails and a few hermits. you do not need to QT them. just put them straight into the tank. make sure your salt is 1.025-26 and temp is stable. i like the 1 snail per 5 gallon rule. so for 29 gallons your looking at 6 margarita snails and 2 hermits. cheap and easy

Thanks, would you then still add a pinch of food daily or would the CUC process the diatoms and continue to feed the bacteria on the tank?

At what point would a cleaner shrimp or sexy anemone shrimp be added?

[BigCountry74]

CUC will eat the diatoms. no need to put food in. you will see green algae next (thats the next phase). they will eat that too. but snails love the brown stuff the most

i would wait a few before adding anything $ (cleaner shrimp). just my .02

[design1stcode2n]

I was moving my powerheads a bit and I'm getting a lot of stuff blowing off the LR (light brown). Is that diatoms or just some detritus?

also can anyone recommend a putty for live rock that can be applied to wet rock in the tank? I've got a rock or two that isn't as stable as I'd like.

[cmcoker]

I used JB Waterweld and super glue. Make a ball of the epoxy and put a bit of superglue where it will contact the rocks. Have done it in tank with fish, can make skimmer go crazy for a bit

[design1stcode2n]

I've kept a variety of FW fish for 5 or more years and while some would always hide when you approached the tank and some would just hang out an look at you none have the personality of my two ocellaris.

They are like little puppies coming up to the surface to wiggle and look at me; almost feels like you could pet them.

[design1stcode2n]

Finally uploaded a picture


Going to pick up some snails and hermits tomorrow. Guessing Cerith's would be best for BB?

[design1stcode2n]

Edit - looks like I'll have to wait until next week for snails.

[design1stcode2n]

My LFS was having a 50% off inverts sale so I went this weekend, got a number of Certiths and a few hermit crabs (and empty shells).

I ended up picking up a cleaner shrimp. Normally I would have waited a bit but you know, half off.

It molted after a few hours in the tank, not sure if that means anything? I assume I should leave the molting in the tank?

[scooter31707]

I was told that shrimp molting can be a good thing and a bad thing. If they molt on a regular basis then that's a good thing as they are growing. I was told if they molt every now and then, it could be stress. Simply continue to check parameters making sure they fall in-line. Iodine also helps the aid of the molting of the shrimp.

[design1stcode2n]

Anyone else have issues matching temperatures? I have two identical Eheim heaters but set to the same temp and yet they won't keep the same water temperature (water volume is the same in both containers although now that I think of it they may be different wattages, 150 and 125 perhaps). I'm constantly fiddling with them to try to get them to within 1 degree of each other.

This is to make TTM easier. I'm using two identical, digital, new thermometers as well.

[design1stcode2n]

My fish seem to be picky eaters. They won't eat NLS pellets or flake, Rods, only eat Mysid if it's just been thawed and occasionally eat LFS Reef frenzy. Didn't thing tank raised loans would be so picky. Otherwise they seem fine.

Temp is consistent, topping off, dosing Prime daily... Removing any uneaten food.

[design1stcode2n]

I moved my fish to QT on the 24th and put in my "seeded" ceramic media (its been in my DT for 3-4 weeks).

I tested for ammonia and got a .25 reading so I've dosed Prime. i was getting ammonia during TTM so I daily dosed Prime.

As of right now I'll be monitoring and dosing daily with weekly 20% water changes. Hopefully it's that there just wasn't enough bacteria on the media and it will ramp up over the next 6 weeks.

Otherwise everyone is eating and seems fine. Still wish my clowns would eat some flake or pellets...currently subsisting on Mysid and LRS Reef Frenzy.

[design1stcode2n]

My fish have been in QT for a little over two weeks, they seem to look fine and are eating frozen food well. My Banggai cardinal seems to hide a bit but does pal around with the clowns.

The question I have as QT goes on Is what am I looking for? I know some of the symptoms of Ick, flukes and so forth but is there anything in particular I should be looking for as I watch the fish?

Not eating or listlessness of course and rubbing themselves on the glass or surfaces in the tank would be another I know to look for.

The cardinal seems to move in short bursts but otherwise just hangs out in various spots of the tank (sometimes hiding if I'm near). The clowns seem to constantly swim or wiggle but I think that is normal behavior.

Perhaps I should video the cardinal for some feedback?

[scooter31707]

Cardinals do not really swim at all during the day. They are really night creatures. Clowns are perfectly fine. For as what to look for, usually most LFS use copper or hypo-salinity to treat their fish, so copper can masked alot different illness which will expose themselves when they are not being treated with copper. Most of the time illness usually take 3-4 weeks to expose themselves. Thats what I was told and thats why the experts recommend 6-8 week quarantine process.

[design1stcode2n]

Agreed (I know my store uses copper, hypo-salinity and prazipro), they have 4 more weeks of QT to go and had 12-14 days of TTM. I was just wondering what symptoms that the more experienced reefers watch for while the fish is on QT?

Ich seems pretty straight forward, various dots on the fish. Flukes can have a number of symptoms.

Maybe I should ask other than Ich, Brooklynella, Flukes and Velvet which I can google symptoms of is there anything else I should be looking for?

I can then make a list and see if my fish display any of them.

[design1stcode2n]

Providing an update and have a question. The Cardinal did not make it and I have not added any new fish after the two clowns and probably won't until January. The clowns are doing well, I have added a Photon 24 and have had a few corals for about a month, frogspawn, hammer, acan lord and trumpet (small frags or small colonies).

They all seem to be doing well, coraline is everywhere.

I did and do have a small outbreak of dino's (could be wrong on which algae it is) I think but my hermit crabs and snails seem to be handling it and I'm cleaning everything else.

Now on to my question. I tested my water prior to adding corals and my parameters seemed good. I tested this weekend and prior to my WWC my kh was 5.7 and CA was 330, KH was 6.7 after the 15-20% WC.

I can't imagine that the handful of frags are using it up and I need to start dosing already.

Any ideas? I plan to test each week for a couple of weeks and make sure my readings and testing procedure is correct.

These are all new Salifert test kits.

Could it be the coraline? It started going gangbusters after I got the new light (max power I'm using is 30% and that is only for 2 hours, it ramps up and down from blue to blue and white and back to blue during the day.

[homer1475]

I did not read the entire thread, but what salt mix are you using?

A decent reef salt should bring your levels up to where they should be. You don't have enough in the tank to be using trace elements like your posting.

[design1stcode2n]

Instant ocean and I recent bought a 200g box so that's what I'll be using for quite a while.

I agree I don't think the stocking I have would use up the Kh and Ca. I figured I'd be good with just doing 15% WC's weekly for quite a while and then eventually adding kalkwasser and so forth.

[homer1475]

Regular IO or reef crystals? If its regular IO, thats why your levels are so low and not being pushed up with a WC. You can use regular IO, just need to dose it up to reach reef levels.

[e048]

Please don't do margerita snails or hermits
The snails will die and the hermits will kill other snails for shells

Go with some cerinths, astreas, and a small brittle star that should be enough for your tank