Saltwaterfish.com › Forums › Welcome to the Hobby! › New Hobbyists › Just started my new 36g Tank!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Just started my new 36g Tank! - Page 3

post #41 of 149
1/17/12 at 2:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siptang View Post

looking good!

 

I was fortunate to find someone going out of the hobby and I bought the tank, canopy, stand, wet dry, sump + pump and all the plumbing, dual pc light set up + ballasts and skimmer for 600.

 

 

Thanks! That's awesome banana.gif I wish i could get some cheap equipment lol 

 

By the way can i run my skimmer during the cycle? i have a mass protein gathering on the surface of my tank lol
 

 

Reply
post #42 of 149
1/18/12 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 

So after about 11 days or so i still do not have any spikes of ammonia at all!

 

I just put a raw shrimp in the tank hanging on some fishing line so it wont reach the bottom.

 

Also a quick question, i had a snail that cam with a piece of LR i have, he climbed out of his shell and is hanging out on top of the tank?

 

Is this normal? There is no algae in the tank yet.

 

Thanks everyone!

Reply
post #43 of 149
1/18/12 at 11:12am



 

Quote:
Originally Posted by aquaria View Post

So after about 11 days or so i still do not have any spikes of ammonia at all!

 

I just put a raw shrimp in the tank hanging on some fishing line so it wont reach the bottom.

 

Also a quick question, i had a snail that cam with a piece of LR i have, he climbed out of his shell and is hanging out on top of the tank?

 

Is this normal? There is no algae in the tank yet.

 

Thanks everyone!


Keep the shrimp in there..it was a piece of RAW shrimp ..correct? You can't concern yourself with the critters from the rock, it's every slug for himself. If it makes it great, and if not, he is part of the cycle process.
 

 


Edited by Flower - 1/18/12 at 3:33pm
Reply
post #44 of 149
1/18/12 at 1:25pm
Thread Starter 

Yeah it was a piece of raw shrimp never cooked or never frozen! That's the best correct? 

Reply
post #45 of 149
1/18/12 at 3:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aquaria View Post

Yeah it was a piece of raw shrimp never cooked or never frozen! That's the best correct? 


LOL...yes. I once had a person say he was using a coctail shrimp. You will notice the shrimp getting fuzzy...that is a sign of rot, and the beginning of ammonia. Leave the shrimp in there and let the tanks good bacteria grow until it can X out the ammonia and nitrite readings. If the good bacteria can handle that chunk of yuck, it can keep any tank critters safe and happy.
 

 

Reply
post #46 of 149
1/18/12 at 4:18pm
Thread Starter 

Right now my Ammonia reading is .50 ppm thumbsup.gif

 

Should i take the shrimp out now and let nature do the rest or should i keep it in for a bit longer?

Reply
post #47 of 149
1/18/12 at 4:43pm

 

 

Quote:
You can't concern yourself with the critters from the rock, it's every slug for himself. If it makes it great, and if not, he is part of the cycle process.

Flower has a great point...there was a time (not to long ago) where I would count every single Cerith, Nassarius, and Astria snail in the aquarium. I would do it during feeding time so that I'd have a better chance of getting an accurate reading. I still do it every once in a while...but I figured that if one little snail goes missing it's not the end of the world :) 

Reply
post #48 of 149
1/18/12 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tirtza View Post

 

 

Flower has a great point...there was a time (not to long ago) where I would count every single Cerith, Nassarius, and Astria snail in the aquarium. I would do it during feeding time so that I'd have a better chance of getting an accurate reading. I still do it every once in a while...but I figured that if one little snail goes missing it's not the end of the world :) 



This is very true, i was just wondering if snails hanging out without their shell was normal behavior lol laughing.gif

Reply
post #49 of 149
1/18/12 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aquaria View Post



This is very true, i was just wondering if snails hanging out without their shell was normal behavior lol laughing.gif

My first tank had slugs in the rocks. They had no shells and did the same thing any snail does....are you sure you are not seeing one of those? Marine critters do the weirdest stuff, so maybe.

 

 

Reply
post #50 of 149
1/18/12 at 5:07pm
Thread Starter 

Ahhhhh your probably right lol I have not idea he just hangs out on my powerhead all day bigg.gif

 

Besides the slugs, I took the shrimp out when the ammonia reached just over .50 ppm, was that a good move?

Reply
post #51 of 149
1/19/12 at 2:06pm
Thread Starter 

 

Ok here is an update!

Day 14 of cycle: 

 

Ammonia- 1.0 ppm
Trite- 1.0 ppm

Trate- 40 ppm

Phos- .25 ppm

Ph- 8.1

Temp- 80

Sg- 1.022

 

I looks like were on track! 

 

I will post some new pictures as soon as i change something in the tank!

 

Some questions in the meantime, if i were to upgrade to a Coralife Lunar Aqualight which is (30 Inch) 4x24w T5 what would that light be sufficient for coral wise down the road?

 

Also if there are any alternatives in that price range ($225) let me know!

 

Thanks everyone!

Reply
post #52 of 149
1/19/12 at 2:58pm

If you are thinking corals down the road you may want to invest in a Metal Halide fixture... the T5 is okay for lowlight corals (depending on how deep your tank is) but will not sustain med. and High light corals...you could get 1 MH fixture now and down the road upgrade by adding another when you decide what kind of corals you are going to have... Or get a larger T5 HO fixture with more wattage (an more PAR)

Reply
post #53 of 149
1/19/12 at 3:03pm

I would say you could go with a cheap 30" wide Odyssea Metal Halide... (its actually less expensive than the T5 fixture) it just uses alot more energy but you would be all set for corals ...

Reply
post #54 of 149
1/19/12 at 3:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by smallreef View Post

I would say you could go with a cheap 30" wide Odyssea Metal Halide... (its actually less expensive than the T5 fixture) it just uses alot more energy but you would be all set for corals ...



Is there anyway to rig it to a 15" wide tank other than hanging it? 

 

My tank dimensions are 30X15X21

 

FOr the price it seems like a great deal! Also, i feel like 346w might BBq my fish lol

Reply
post #55 of 149
1/19/12 at 3:51pm
Thread Starter 

Also what about LED lighting in that price range?

Reply
post #56 of 149
1/19/12 at 3:55pm

okay your tank is 30Long x 15deep x 21h right???

why would you want it to be 15"??

and LED's for a 36 bowfront would start about $300ish

Reply
post #57 of 149
1/19/12 at 4:01pm
Thread Starter 

I see the LED are expensive!

 

The Odyssea MH light only fits onto only 17.25in depth or 13.5in

 

I could go with the 24in expandable model but the tank wont have full coverage, also my tank has a center brace i feel like it would block the light shrug.gif

Reply
post #58 of 149
1/19/12 at 4:03pm

While I was cycling my tank, I added nothing no shrimp nothing. I just had my live rock and sand, and let it go on its own. It took about one month.

Reply
post #59 of 149
1/19/12 at 4:08pm

Mine has it as well since we have a similar type of tanks and I had a hard time because MH was actually burning my center bracket.

You would have to get the ones that has the MH lights on the sides with a bracket to put more distance in between your tank and the light.

 

If you were considering odyssea  brand, why don't you look at their LEDs? I heard that those are actually pretty cool.

 

Reply
post #60 of 149
1/19/12 at 4:25pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siptang View Post

Mine has it as well since we have a similar type of tanks and I had a hard time because MH was actually burning my center bracket.

You would have to get the ones that has the MH lights on the sides with a bracket to put more distance in between your tank and the light.

 

If you were considering odyssea  brand, why don't you look at their LEDs? I heard that those are actually pretty cool.

 


I was just looking at their LED lights as well! they seem affordable as well. The only this that i don't like about those would be that i have to get the 24" model which i feel would not cover enough of my tank. I also dont like the straight directional look of the led lights, I kind of like the reflected light spread! Being your in my situation in a way, what would you recommend?

 

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: New Hobbyists
Saltwaterfish.com › Forums › Welcome to the Hobby! › New Hobbyists › Just started my new 36g Tank!