55 gal tank (experience#2)

chingchong

Member
tested my water:
ph: 8.2-8.3
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5.0
now the question is it's been setup for exactly 10 days now ...
i used the sand from my other tank + added some new one, the live rock from the other one + some new one from the LFS.
Could my cycle be completed already?
 

cbort

Member
The tank looks great so far!! I think i might have waited just a week more to add the other live rock and live sand tho. New critters may not make it through the rest of the cycle. I used water from my 55 to start my 20 gallon, and a week later added 2 gobies and 2 crabs. 2 weeks later, still doin great! Also, your parameters are lookin good. Good luck in the future. Curtis
 

cbort

Member
also was going to tell ya i have picked up about 7 lbs of that same live rock from my LFS it is encrusted with that green colors. it looks really cool and has tons of holes in it. :jumping:
 

chingchong

Member
I got them in the mail today ...
I put both in. Now, it is true that the force pushed thru the powerhead is less that my mj900 but it's a bigger and more gentle stream ... and i can tell from the waste and dirt in the tank that it's pushing water all around the tank.
so, so far so good I like them !!!
 

chingchong

Member
Test kit shows
ammonia :0
nitrate : 0
nitrate : >5ppm
I m really confused ... it's been only 2 weeks ... rocks that smell don't anymore.
any idea? is it really ready?
 

arkey.d

Member

Originally posted by chingchong
Test kit shows
ammonia :0
nitrate : 0
nitrate : >5ppm
I m really confused ... it's been only 2 weeks ... rocks that smell don't anymore.
any idea? is it really ready?


It could be, but I would wait a week and test again to make sure. Then do a 10% water change to bring down your nitrates.
 

chingchong

Member
yea i m still going to wait a whole month anyways jsut to let pods and other things growing.. i got a fuge from ---- and i am building it ... i m just scared that the cement to glue the acrylic sides won't last... any suggestion? i m going to caulk the inside too just to make sure it won't leak.
let me know your ideas/advice.
 

arkey.d

Member
Sounds like a good project and will definetly help you tank. You can use epoxy to join the acrylic sides together but it's more expensive stuff, but that stuff can be drilled, sawed etc once it's dry.... then put sealent on the inside.
 

edwar050

Member
nice tank setup looks very similar to mine - I am aslo just getting over a battle with the little brown beasts, aptasia. keep us posted on the tank, I am interested as to what you stock it with. I have coral beauty, 3 green chromis, 2 black chromis. I am thinking about moving the two blacks and switchin with percs, and possibly adding a black blenny.
 

chingchong

Member
i just ordered a bunch of inverts from swf.com
1x 'in the mix package'
3x fighting conch
1x cleaner shrimp
(plan to add 20 nassarius snail next month)
and i bought from my LFS
1x scooter blenny (that buried itself in the sand, really cool)
1x lawnmower blenny (mow the brown algae off my rocks)
(tried to feed them with mysis shrimp; both are eating them)
water status:
ammonia:0 ppm
nitrite: 0 ppm
nitrate < 5ppm
I don't know if i should be getting more rocks... about 20# is buried with the sand as base rock. and the rest (+60# is what is on picture).
I m planning to get a pair or trio of clownfish and maybe some schooling fish (maybe some chromis) and i don't know about the orange tail damsel (blue devil one)
 

chingchong

Member
I received my order. I m going to give my CBS to my LFS since i had bad experience with them ... I had a pair, they wiped out my entire collection of scarlet hermit.
I acclimated the ricordia and the umbrella I ordered. However I don't know where to put them... they require medium/strong light and medium current. I would put them right where the rocks 'splits' into two peaks...
any advice?
note: right now my lights are off, tonite i will turn on the actinic then tomorrow i'll run both actinic and 10k lights... is this okay?
 

chingchong

Member
24hrs later ...
the mushroom umbrella opened up pretty wide and probably 2-3 in wide.
the ricordia, however, doesn't seem to be doing that great. size is still about of quarter...
it's place mid lower part of the tank, where the 2 currents from the m620 hit ...
need help to see if it's normal. It's my first time i m keeping these things. if they work great, i may order more.
thanks
 

chingchong

Member
ph=8.3, ammonia=0, nitrite=0
scooter blenny is still breathing hard... lawnmoyer is having a ball eating off the rock...
all astrea snails are at the very top of the tank ... i don't know why.
the umbrella mushroom is looking great.. i will move my ricordia at the bottom and see if any improvement.
i m looking for fish now. I'd like to have anemones and clownfish .. but i don't know what else to get ...
any recommandation...
got my new canon g6 in the mail too. .. so i will post pictures tonite.
 

edwar050

Member
Clownfish would be really nice with a bubble tip. I would shoot for that and then worry about stocking it with a couple of other fish later. You could always school 3 or so chromis.
 
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