busymom
Member
Wow first post for me here, but I have been reading here for months so I'll try to get all my details correct.
I set up my 29 gal on Jan 10th with RO water & half live sand and half dry sand, 3 days later I added 10 lbs of live rock as well as 2 smallish not live but aquarium safe rocks. I then added 3 blue leg hermit crabs and one small tiger stripped serpent star. I test every evening, at the same time, and keep a journal of the results. I followed my cycle watching each indicator rise and fall.
I was surprized, but it appeared that I had completed the cycle and so six days ago (after I did a 3 gal water change) I took water with me to my nearest LFS (40 min drive each way). He said I looked ok and would sell me my first fish. I bought a lyre tailed chromis (black with yellow on tail). He is very shy. I also added another 6lb of live rock that day. ( I have been looking for nice/interesting pieces rather than just buying whatever)
my parameters are:
Nitrate - 20
Nitrite - 0
Alk. 300
PH 8.4
SG 1.022
temp 76
I have been having some (what I would call) serious algae growth since I added him. I would swear that I can see it progress from when I go to bed to when I wake up. I read here that that was due to my higher nitrate. So I guess my question is where do I go from here. I know that I need to slow down and be patient. I never expected to have a fish in there so soon. My live rock seems to have either the browny algae starting to take it over or an ashy like powdered dusting. I do have brown algae forming paths in my sand.
I did another 3 gal water change this morning and drove to another LFS (this one over an hour away) just to find it closed. I am feeding 2 flakes of food every night at around 9 pm. and everyone comes running to get it! - on a side note you should have seen the look on my 5 year olds face when the serpent star started dragging 'her crab' into its cave cause it wanted the food the crab was holding... now she calls it the 'evil sea serpent'
Wow sorry this has been so long a post just wanted to make sure I didnt miss any details...
So my current theory is that I should do a few 10-15% water changes this week to lower my nitrates and then get some more/better clean up critters to keep everything tidy???
Is that my best plan of attack? What critters would everyone recomend? Some day I want to add corals, and my fish wish list - for the moment is a goby and pistol shrimp pair, and a clown and anem. pair. then not sure if I would even have the space for a 4th fish??
SOME MISC QUESTIONS...
** Do they sell clowns already paired up with its host anemone?
** How do people manage to feed a fish 3 - 4 times a day? are there automatic feeders?
** Is it a huge terrible no-no to get a fish very small, who you know in a years time might be to big for your tank, if you plan on having a larger tank by that time. ( I am already planning my big-built-into-the-wall-my-husband-will-want-to-kill-me-but-he-has-his-own-bad-habits-tank. *cough-cough r/c airplanes*
Thanks so much for everyones advice and information from all of those threads I read until the wee hours of the night!!
--Haley
I set up my 29 gal on Jan 10th with RO water & half live sand and half dry sand, 3 days later I added 10 lbs of live rock as well as 2 smallish not live but aquarium safe rocks. I then added 3 blue leg hermit crabs and one small tiger stripped serpent star. I test every evening, at the same time, and keep a journal of the results. I followed my cycle watching each indicator rise and fall.
I was surprized, but it appeared that I had completed the cycle and so six days ago (after I did a 3 gal water change) I took water with me to my nearest LFS (40 min drive each way). He said I looked ok and would sell me my first fish. I bought a lyre tailed chromis (black with yellow on tail). He is very shy. I also added another 6lb of live rock that day. ( I have been looking for nice/interesting pieces rather than just buying whatever)
my parameters are:
Nitrate - 20
Nitrite - 0
Alk. 300
PH 8.4
SG 1.022
temp 76
I have been having some (what I would call) serious algae growth since I added him. I would swear that I can see it progress from when I go to bed to when I wake up. I read here that that was due to my higher nitrate. So I guess my question is where do I go from here. I know that I need to slow down and be patient. I never expected to have a fish in there so soon. My live rock seems to have either the browny algae starting to take it over or an ashy like powdered dusting. I do have brown algae forming paths in my sand.
I did another 3 gal water change this morning and drove to another LFS (this one over an hour away) just to find it closed. I am feeding 2 flakes of food every night at around 9 pm. and everyone comes running to get it! - on a side note you should have seen the look on my 5 year olds face when the serpent star started dragging 'her crab' into its cave cause it wanted the food the crab was holding... now she calls it the 'evil sea serpent'
Wow sorry this has been so long a post just wanted to make sure I didnt miss any details...
So my current theory is that I should do a few 10-15% water changes this week to lower my nitrates and then get some more/better clean up critters to keep everything tidy???
Is that my best plan of attack? What critters would everyone recomend? Some day I want to add corals, and my fish wish list - for the moment is a goby and pistol shrimp pair, and a clown and anem. pair. then not sure if I would even have the space for a 4th fish??
SOME MISC QUESTIONS...
** Do they sell clowns already paired up with its host anemone?
** How do people manage to feed a fish 3 - 4 times a day? are there automatic feeders?
** Is it a huge terrible no-no to get a fish very small, who you know in a years time might be to big for your tank, if you plan on having a larger tank by that time. ( I am already planning my big-built-into-the-wall-my-husband-will-want-to-kill-me-but-he-has-his-own-bad-habits-tank. *cough-cough r/c airplanes*
Thanks so much for everyones advice and information from all of those threads I read until the wee hours of the night!!
--Haley