how do i set up my reef?
- Thread starter blennyluv
- Start date
liverock27
Member
I am not totally sure about if they will survive or not, but one of my rocks that i put in the first day i started cycling now has 5 featherdusters on it, 4 of them are about the size of the end of a pen and are brown or red and the other is about 3 times that size and it is light purple w/blue rings.
C
cowpoke
Guest
sounds like you got some great rock!
Just keep reading and you will do fine!
Just keep reading and you will do fine!
blennyluv
Member
my ammonia is already spiking, its been in the tank for 5 whole days, i am finding alot of stuff decaying that i think used to be critters. i am assuming this is normal from shipping. i think the dusters may have died, but the clam seems to be well at this time. so you all say in about another 2 weeks its time to get a cleaner crew??? i am leaving my lights off for the most part while my rock is curing, so the temp is a little low, is that ok?
lots of dumb questions for this beginner
lots of dumb questions for this beginner
liverock27
Member
I have read threads on this board that people have cycled their tanks without turning their light systems on at all. The first few days of cycling I didn't have my lights on, but I slowly started increasing the amount of time i left my lights on (recommended to me on a Thread I asked questions on) until I reached my light cycle that i use currently. What light system do you have? Did you do anything to your Live Rock before you put it in the tank? I always use some high salinity water to was my LR when I first get it to get rid of any unwanted criters. I only leave it in the water for a minute, but for 10g I got rid of a lot of Bristle worms and a few small crabs, some people might have kept them, but i didn't want any of them in my tank. I also used a soft bristle toothbrush to rub off some of the dead spots that occured due to shipping. Hope that helps a little.
blennyluv
Member
i bailed the water out of my tank and put it in a bucket and swished my rock around in that before i put it in there. so like how long should i leave the lights on? i just have two triton 18w bulbs right now, they are the ones for salt water tanks, i have a feeling i will have to get a better lighting system when the tank matures and i want live coral and stuff, correct? but for now i think this will due (hope so anyway)
so are all those things that came out of the rock that looked like earth worms with antennae bristle worms? could not figure out what they were, seem to be all gone now
so are all those things that came out of the rock that looked like earth worms with antennae bristle worms? could not figure out what they were, seem to be all gone now
liverock27
Member
Those are bristle worms and in MOP i keep them out of my tank for safety and also i just don't like how they look. Your light system will most likely need to be upgraded. I have a 96w powerquad by coralife and i love it. Other people have more lighting, but from the nano sites i have read it seems to be one of the more popular light systems. You can pick it up on the internet for $88 and i think it was well worth the money. I have mine on the legs that you can purchase(about $7), so i don't have a top on mine.
blennyluv
Member
so anyway, if i were to get rid of my crushed coral, and i am not saying that i will since i have like $80 into it, and change it to sand, bag the ug filter, would half sand from the hardware store and have live sand be a good combo? and changing now, my LR has been in for a week, ammonia is spiking well, would that screw it all up? i mean the cycling process?