malibupam
Member
My tank was started under unusual circumstances, so I'm not sure where in the process we are. The whole 250 gallon FOWLR shebang was set up in less than a week by a professional fish guy as part of a TV Home Remodeling show. It has been full of fish since day 3. We are now in week 7.
But, here's what I think he did (remember I'm a newby.) The tank was filled with sterilized NSW, LR, and CC, and down in the 60 gallon sump there's a skimmer, two prefilter bags (catching what drains from the two sides of the tank) and some sort of substrate filter (has sand in it?). Then there's the mechanical filter and the chemical filter. Then he's got a bag of charcoal, and a two big pieces of rolled up filter-like stuff with bacteria from another client's sump, and those little plastic balls, also from a client. BTW, I was told it was $5000 worth of equipment (free to me). He also used Cycle. Over the first two weeks, he did two water changes, and came every couple days to keep watch. He called daily for the first week.
Of the fish we started with, our losses were one lyretail wrasse (suddenly and without sign of illness or other explanation--the fish guy came that day and tested the water) about 10 days in, and we went from 25 blue chromis to 8. However, the chromis disappeared one at a time over the first 4 weeks, and I only saw 2 bodies. We think the wrasse ate some of them. The rest of the tank consists of:
1 panther grouper 5"
1 clown trigger 4"
1 purple tang
5 yellow tangs
1 flame angel
1 flame hawkfish
1 long-nose butterfly
The huge bloom of brown algae never came, IMO. I see a light layer on the LR and some did get on the tank, but nothing shocking. I have no red or green algae. The fish guy, meanwhile, is very pleased with the health and vigor he sees in the fish, the colors developing on the LR, and the clarity of the water. My own tests with a 5-in-1 dipstick (is this any good?) show nitrates 40, nitrites 0, alkalinity 300, and pH 8.4.
Has the tank cycled?
But, here's what I think he did (remember I'm a newby.) The tank was filled with sterilized NSW, LR, and CC, and down in the 60 gallon sump there's a skimmer, two prefilter bags (catching what drains from the two sides of the tank) and some sort of substrate filter (has sand in it?). Then there's the mechanical filter and the chemical filter. Then he's got a bag of charcoal, and a two big pieces of rolled up filter-like stuff with bacteria from another client's sump, and those little plastic balls, also from a client. BTW, I was told it was $5000 worth of equipment (free to me). He also used Cycle. Over the first two weeks, he did two water changes, and came every couple days to keep watch. He called daily for the first week.
Of the fish we started with, our losses were one lyretail wrasse (suddenly and without sign of illness or other explanation--the fish guy came that day and tested the water) about 10 days in, and we went from 25 blue chromis to 8. However, the chromis disappeared one at a time over the first 4 weeks, and I only saw 2 bodies. We think the wrasse ate some of them. The rest of the tank consists of:
1 panther grouper 5"
1 clown trigger 4"
1 purple tang
5 yellow tangs
1 flame angel
1 flame hawkfish
1 long-nose butterfly
The huge bloom of brown algae never came, IMO. I see a light layer on the LR and some did get on the tank, but nothing shocking. I have no red or green algae. The fish guy, meanwhile, is very pleased with the health and vigor he sees in the fish, the colors developing on the LR, and the clarity of the water. My own tests with a 5-in-1 dipstick (is this any good?) show nitrates 40, nitrites 0, alkalinity 300, and pH 8.4.
Has the tank cycled?
