Chris' Nano Journal

[chr15_8]

The live rock has been added. Will get some pictures tonight and post them

SG is a 1.024 atm. im assuming this is ok for the LR unill i get back from holiday? (as with the evaporation the saltinity will graduly rise.) Then i will get it to 1.026 before i and any form of livestock.

I only quickly put the rock in and looking at it now can see bits i want to move already.

ive got the coral sand or whatever it is i bought and it says to rinse it. is it ok to rinse with normal tapwater and leave it to dry before adding it to the tank or should i use RO?

Thanks
chris

 

[Anguilla82]

i'd use RO.

no chance of adding extra phosphates etc. then

 

[chr15_8]

ok cheers. I just got some anway.

So far on the LR ive seen
some small thing which look like starfish. biggest one ive seen is about 7mm.
Some small what look like feather dusters. I like the look of the bigger one in the lfs, will these ones get just as big? (tubey thing about 6/7 inches)
Quite a few what i think are bristle stars. ill try get some picuturs later.

 

[chr15_8]

When i got back with the rock

This he said was from a toadstool. probably a really stupid question but should i pull it off or is there a chance something will happen with it (which i doubt)

A type of algae. Should i get it off or will it be ok? (im sure it will probably die while the light are kept off (so hard to do this at the moment with all the new things in)

whats this? Im sure he said it was bristle star or something. There's a fair few in there.

Another type of starfish? Any proper/real name for it?

when i 1st put the rock into the tank

After i messed about with the rock and added the substrate.

There's already a fair amount of algae on the front panel as well as around the weir. so really need to get a blue light/moon light. Ive got an old t8 control unit could i just get a cheap blue light so i can veiw without bringing on the algea?

Thanks
chris

 

[TigerIssey]

The toadstool may expand nicely. give it a go. The starfish with the long bristles are brittle stars and the little startfish are asterinas.

Looking good.

EDIT Yes you can use a T8 actinic tube to view, should cut down on the algae.

 

[chr15_8]

The toadstool may expand nicely. give it a go. The starfish with the long bristles are brittle stars and the little startfish are asterinas.

Looking good.

EDIT Yes you can use a T8 actinic tube to view, should cut down on the algae.

Im assuming the toadstool would need the light on then? As mentoind before i was to keep the lights on the algea would kick off. If i was to put it in the sump where the light for the cheato is i assume it would beok for it?

Thanks

will look for one when im next at the LFS

 

[TigerIssey]

Put the white light on for 5 hrs a day, this will sort the light for the toadstool but should not be too much for algae.

The diatom stage will happen anyway and sometimes quickly if the rock has only a mini or no cycle.

Use the actinic or some Moonlight LED's (may be cheaper of ebay than actinic tube) for viewing the rock.

 

[chr15_8]

Would any blue leds work? Think i might even have some from an old car magizine.

The only light ive got atm is a 55w PC daylight tbe. will this be ok (you will probably see the other topic where ive said i avent read up on corals yets, that my holiday job lol)

 

[TigerIssey]

55w compact is fine for the leather with your depth of tank.

Any blue LEDs will be ok as you don't want a high PAR if you just want them to view. Those you have should be perfect.

 

[chr15_8]

Thanks again. You've been a great help though the 1st stage of my salty experience

 

[TigerIssey]

No problem, glad I could help

 

[ben1987]

Looking good Chris, nice to see it coming together

 

[chr15_8]

cheers ben.



Im going to be testing daily so will be logging that here too.

You might of seen earlier in my journal that im using salifert for the 4 main test

Todays result
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - <0.25
NitrAte - 5ppm
NitrIte - 0ppm

i thought there would be at least a hint of Ammoia after 24hours but its reading the lowest on the chart. Should there be some ammonia in there or wllit appear later?

thanks
chris

 

[TigerIssey]

You may not get any at all if there is little die off. You only get a lot of die off if it has been out of water for a while.

 

[Buddyboy67]

Check on big c's live food cupboard on his cupboard killis thread on the , you guessed it, killi section,lol..
This set up could be easily converted for phyto, rotifers, brine shrimp etc...very tidy set up indeed !
Oops..just noticed i missed a few pages here,lol...this is still a good idea to culture food for a mandy, etc though,lol..