There is an awful lot of die off (loose stuff flapping attached to rock) really should have cleaned it first but LFS advised to plop it straight in. Looking at it Ammonia is going to be a problem for the forseeable future. Soooo frustrating.
Dawn On The Reef
- Thread starter BigC
- Start date
No need to clean off dead rock unless there is a lot of dirt/silt. Cleaning it removes good stuff. Don't sweat it....In fact, many think uncured is better because you can pick up good (as well as bad) hitchhikers. On of the best and least purchased pieces of nano equipment is....is...is...
....a turkey baster.
Use it periodically (and gently) to flush detritus/silt from the LR. You'd be shocked at how much stuff comes out.
SH
....a turkey baster.
Use it periodically (and gently) to flush detritus/silt from the LR. You'd be shocked at how much stuff comes out.
SH
newbie1981
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Hi BigC, have been following your progress on this for a while with great interest, as I am at a similar stage with my tank (altough I don't have all the fancy wall coverings!!), I too am starting to get a fair amount of die off from my LR, most of it is dropping off, and I have been wondering if i should remove this die off from the substrate? Wondered how you are planning to attack yours??
demonmagus
spamming my way to the top...
Gotta admit, I love the rock wall idea.
If you mean the coral sand (substrate) I'm not planning to hoover or remove diatoms from the sand as I have been assured by the good membership on this forum that the Cleanup Crew aka snails and hermits, will take care of this (eventually when the time comes)
Regards
BigC
It was only a means of hiding all that equipment, Nothing worse (for me) to view a nice tank with all that electrical apparatus distracting the eye from beautiful corals and fish.
Regards
BigC
Just tested the tank again this evening and it makes for pretty similar reading except for one thing.......
The Ammonia is finally dropping 2.5ppm, I hope it continues in this vein, the Nitrite has risen though to >1. but I'll expect this also to peak then bottom out.
Ammonia is dropping (fingers crossed) instead of being in the blue it's now green in my test vial.
The first piece of good news to report for over a week.
Thanks guys for all the help thus far in this project.
Regards
BigC
The Ammonia is finally dropping 2.5ppm, I hope it continues in this vein, the Nitrite has risen though to >1. but I'll expect this also to peak then bottom out.
Ammonia is dropping (fingers crossed) instead of being in the blue it's now green in my test vial.
The first piece of good news to report for over a week.
Thanks guys for all the help thus far in this project.
Regards
BigC
1entra
Fish Addict
Your getting there BigC, slowly but surely... 
After your ammonia and nitrite hit zero, the tank is ready for your first 25% water change. If your repeat params bring you in with a nitrate between 10-20ppm...preferably 10, you can go for your cleanup crew. Stay with your hermits, snails or crabs, etc and wait till you get nitrates under 10 before you put in your shrimp.
Try and keep your patience while things settle in and get yourself in good habits..weekly 10% changes, etc. I always recommend to start with fish before corals...least aggressive first. Adding fish challenges your system with food, fish poop, etc. Now..you get a feel for how your nitrates run. If you find yourself doing well with fish and food, you can add your first hardy corals. Still....I tell people to wait longer if possible because this is the period of instability......hair algae, cyano, hitchhikers, aiptasia show up. I prefer to tackle these before adding expensive corals.
Doing great BigC. SH
Try and keep your patience while things settle in and get yourself in good habits..weekly 10% changes, etc. I always recommend to start with fish before corals...least aggressive first. Adding fish challenges your system with food, fish poop, etc. Now..you get a feel for how your nitrates run. If you find yourself doing well with fish and food, you can add your first hardy corals. Still....I tell people to wait longer if possible because this is the period of instability......hair algae, cyano, hitchhikers, aiptasia show up. I prefer to tackle these before adding expensive corals.
Doing great BigC. SH
Many thanks steelhealr,
I see you go about the fish/coral introduction in a completely different way to the norm. If everything goes to plan I would like to go with corals first (after cuc) but not many as I am entrusting my tank to my son as far as waterchanges and maintainancenis concerned whilst I am away in Australia at the end of March. I dont particularly like the idea of adding the fish until I return. Would this method be OK. Fish to me would be an after thought as I would prefer to concentrate on obtaining some really nice coloured and unusual softies with the odd Hammer/torch/Frogspawn thrown in. There will only be a pair of clownfish at the most. As for waterchanges...my whole existance revolved around waterchanges when the Fish-house was at its height so 1 marine Nano shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Lots of good info SH and I am deeply endebted to you for taking the time to guide me through the saltside of the hobby.
Regards
BigC
I see you go about the fish/coral introduction in a completely different way to the norm. If everything goes to plan I would like to go with corals first (after cuc) but not many as I am entrusting my tank to my son as far as waterchanges and maintainancenis concerned whilst I am away in Australia at the end of March. I dont particularly like the idea of adding the fish until I return. Would this method be OK. Fish to me would be an after thought as I would prefer to concentrate on obtaining some really nice coloured and unusual softies with the odd Hammer/torch/Frogspawn thrown in. There will only be a pair of clownfish at the most. As for waterchanges...my whole existance revolved around waterchanges when the Fish-house was at its height so 1 marine Nano shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Lots of good info SH and I am deeply endebted to you for taking the time to guide me through the saltside of the hobby.
Regards
BigC
Really...you can go at this in whatever direction to a degree. The reason I make this recommendation is many people do the plop maneuver. They run right out as soon as their tank cycles and plop in corals. Then....they find pH is unstable...cyano comes in..some corals die...etc. Softies are a bit more resilient. The other scenario is that people plop in corals...then add 3-5 fish...or sun corals...then find themselves in a rising nitrate situation and the corals close or begin to bleach or die.
Just take your time. Start to review your corals. You should know that if you put in a Devil's Hand you may risk losing your LPS....or....that your anchor and brain may sting each other if placed close. Have fun and go slowly. You lose nothing by having patience....but risk all with the plop method.
SH
Just take your time. Start to review your corals. You should know that if you put in a Devil's Hand you may risk losing your LPS....or....that your anchor and brain may sting each other if placed close. Have fun and go slowly. You lose nothing by having patience....but risk all with the plop method.
SHThanks SH,
OH, if I've learned one thing about the marine side, that would have to be "Take it Slow" You really have no choice, unless you have a disreguard for what you are actually doing. So I've learnt to be patient (although its blooming hard I can tell you) Anyway its given me time to plan the coral placement in regards to association and non- association (who gets along with what etc) and lighting and flowrates. (who likes this and who prefers that). Really its an art in its self. What would look nice in a certain spot within the tank, might not necessarily like to be there. (headaches).
Anyway I've been to the LFS today again, picked up a few bits and bobs for aclimatisation of cuc when the times right. They only had small turbo snails in unless the other types burried themselves in the sand. £2 for the turbos. Red- Legged hermits were £4 but didn't look the best. I may well decide to mail order the critters.
They still had some nice corals left, though quite small and average between £15 - £35 depending on species.
The tank is looking decidedly grubby at the moment (see pic). Just Glass cleaning to keep some sort of tidiness. Everyone (visitors to the house) have to pass the tank, as it is in the hallway just inside the front door and I feel really ashamed to let it be seen in it's present state.
Lovely dirty algae ridden rock pic....
On the topic of Turbo snails, do the membership lose many of these due to not being able to right themselves as it were after falling from the rock. Just wondering.
Regards
BigC
OH, if I've learned one thing about the marine side, that would have to be "Take it Slow" You really have no choice, unless you have a disreguard for what you are actually doing. So I've learnt to be patient (although its blooming hard I can tell you) Anyway its given me time to plan the coral placement in regards to association and non- association (who gets along with what etc) and lighting and flowrates. (who likes this and who prefers that). Really its an art in its self. What would look nice in a certain spot within the tank, might not necessarily like to be there. (headaches).
Anyway I've been to the LFS today again, picked up a few bits and bobs for aclimatisation of cuc when the times right. They only had small turbo snails in unless the other types burried themselves in the sand. £2 for the turbos. Red- Legged hermits were £4 but didn't look the best. I may well decide to mail order the critters.
They still had some nice corals left, though quite small and average between £15 - £35 depending on species.
The tank is looking decidedly grubby at the moment (see pic). Just Glass cleaning to keep some sort of tidiness. Everyone (visitors to the house) have to pass the tank, as it is in the hallway just inside the front door and I feel really ashamed to let it be seen in it's present state.
Lovely dirty algae ridden rock pic....
On the topic of Turbo snails, do the membership lose many of these due to not being able to right themselves as it were after falling from the rock. Just wondering.
Regards
BigC
timpetty
Fish Crazy
I have Astrea snails rather than turbos. They cant right themselves when they fall. I usually let nature take its course but if Im in cleaning the glass Ill upright what I see. Ive had snails live after being upside down for up to 3 days. Ive never had one die from being upside down alone. BUT the hermits, when hungry eat them up and I have lost about 6 in 3 months due to this. So basically, thats my long winded answer saying hermit crabs will eat them, they should last upside down until you feel like uprighting them.
fishstick
Fish Crazy
I like the rock looking like it does in your latest pic - more like mature live rock. Its going to look marvellous in a month or two.
Well BigC, "Turbo" snails are often actually Astrea snails incorrectly labeled . True Turbo snails can most certainly right themselves, while Astrea cannot
. True Turbo snails can most certainly right themselves, while Astrea cannotSimilar threads
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