new 90 tank need advise

[silverturbobug]

Hi, I have started my tank for 2 weeks, it contains:
90g overflow tank
trickle filter/protein skimmer
90 lbs live rocks (Jarkarta unseasoned)
30 lbs live sands
2-48 fluoresent/UV lights
the tank is 2 weeks old, I have 3 yellow tail damsels, and 10 turbo snails in it now for one week. Just added 3 TR percula clowns. They are all doing fine, I think...there are brown color algae on LR and sand, green ones starting to grow..
PH is 8.2, Salinity 1.024, ammonia is 0, ...
When should I take the carbon out of the filter tank, and put in the chemi-cure, and start the UV sterlizer? Any advise will be much appreciated.

 

[ntvflgirl]

Not a shark, but willing to give my opinion . First of all, we need to know if your ammonia ever went up. I can't imagine that you finished a cycle in 2 weeks. If so, you are one of the lucky few . IF you tank has not yet cycled, I would suggest taking back the percs, and the snails. The damsels will help with your cycle, and they probably won't die. Percs may die, snails definately will die. If you take them back to the lfs, they should either hold them for you, or give you credit for them. The tank is finished cycling, and safe to add livestock (other than damsels) to when both the ammonia and the nitrites spike, and they both equal zero. Some nitrates are okay up to about 20, but in a perfect world should be zero as well.
About the uv sterilizer. There is a good thread about that either on this forum, or the reef forum. Do a search, and check that out. I think most reefers do not use them for some reason or another that I can't think of right now.
The brown algae is definately diatoms...common to a new tank, especially if you used tap water. Top offs and water changes using ro water will help alleviate that. It will disappear as quickly as it came.
I'll try to find the thread about uv sterilizers, and post it for you.
good luck, and welcome.

 

[ntvflgirl]

Here's the thread. HTH
Kathy18
Mandarin
Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 102
to uv or not to uv? that is the question
Ok i have a uv sterilizer and have heard good and bad stuff about them. i have one but i heard that it can kill copapods, little creatures etc. but i also heard it is good because it kills bacteria and algae. so what do you all think?
MaroonClownFan
Chevron Tang
Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Michigan
Posts: 211
I go UV-less. I think there are better methods to control algae and disease. Refugiums and QT tanks. I am trying to "grow" copepods and other microorganisms, I would want a UV ster. to kill them off.
UV steril. might be more appropriate for FO tanks.
MCF
__________________
Remember.......wherever you go.......there you are.
29 gal. Reefish tank (1yr old):
Gold stripe Maroon Clown, Flame Cardinal, Blue Linckia Star,
(2)Emerald crabs, (5) Blue legs, Astrea/various snails
Green Star Polyps
Various hitchhikers
30 lbs. LR
30 lbs. CC/LS(aragonite)
Equip:
Millenium 2000 hangon
2-55 watt PC (10,000K,actinic)
2-20 watts NO flor. (50/50,actinic)
krishj39
Sohol Tang
Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Reading, PA
Posts: 314
i have one that came with my tank. i never use it. the only time i have used it was for a few days when my fish got a touch of ich. i turned the uv on for the next few days. amazingly, the fish got over the ich and i haven't had problems since. i can't say the uv helped much or not though. in the future, i will only use the uv when i suspect parasites in the water.
__________________
4 FW tanks:
15g w/ redbelly piranha
20g w/ red-eared slider turtle
29g planted tank w/ community fish
55g w/ 2 oscars, 1 pleco, 1 FW moray eel, and 1 blue crayfish
90g SW
6-110w VHO (660w total)
Wet/Dry, 2 Magnums- 1 350, 1 220, Protein skimmer
15w UV
RO purifier
Fish: 2 damsels, 1 lawnmower blenny
Crabs: 5 scarlet hermits, 7 zebra hermits, 5 blue leg hermits, 2 emerald crabs
Snails: 9 Mexican turbo, 5 margarita, 4 astraea, 30 nassarius, 5 Hawaiian nassarius, 3 bumblebee, 10 cerith, 1 un-IDed
3 feather dusters, 4 peppermint shrimp
I have to post all my critters here, just so I can keep track!
35lbs LR, 55lbs more curing
4" DSB
Planning on gradually moving to reef tank
saltyrich
Broomtail Wrasse
Registered: Apr 2002
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 1006
Not a good choice for reef tanks. It does kill off parasites and algae spores, but it will also kill off everthing else in the water column that is beneficial to a healthy reef. It is better to deal with algae and parasites in other ways. It does far more damage than good on a reef tank.
__________________
30 gallon tall; CPR Bak Pak 2R, CPR 12" refugium w/36 watt JBJ PC clamp light, EBO Jager 150 watt, 3 maxijet 600s and 2 400s, natural wave pump timer, 300 watts of VHO URI's, 75lbs of LR, 59 lbs LS (5" DSB).
rburleson@lopezgarciagroup.com
20 gallon, CPR Bak Pak 2r, Emperor 280 (converted to mini-refugium w/ 18 watt JBJ PC clamp light), EBO Jager 100 watt, 2 maxijet 600s 1 900, 2x65 watt Custom Sealife PC hood and 20 watt N.O. actinic, 35lbs ls, 59lbs ls.
Mr. Angelfish
Mandarin
Registered: Sep 2002
Location:
Posts: 63
Get a cleaner warase while you can.
Parasite is within their menu and when it dies and you know that your tank is sparkle healthy. (Zero parasite!) Another exapmle of nature.
saltyrich
Broomtail Wrasse
Registered: Apr 2002
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 1006
Good observation, however cleaner wrasses very rarely live long in captivity because after they remove all the parasites they end up starving. They typically don't take prepared foods.
__________________
30 gallon tall; CPR Bak Pak 2R, CPR 12" refugium w/36 watt JBJ PC clamp light, EBO Jager 150 watt, 3 maxijet 600s and 2 400s, natural wave pump timer, 300 watts of VHO URI's, 75lbs of LR, 59 lbs LS (5" DSB).
rburleson@lopezgarciagroup.com
20 gallon, CPR Bak Pak 2r, Emperor 280 (converted to mini-refugium w/ 18 watt JBJ PC clamp light), EBO Jager 100 watt, 2 maxijet 600s 1 900, 2x65 watt Custom Sealife PC hood and 20 watt N.O. actinic, 35lbs ls, 59lbs ls.
sammystingray
Moderator
Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Cleveland,Ohio
Posts: 5578
All plankton will die.........I don't recommend it. Algae in the water column is live phytoplankton.........people pay money for it.
__________________
You can put a bullet in my head, but you can't kill a word that I've said. S.T. SAMMY
click to email me
click for SWF member photo album
Simply being a moderator here does not make me an expert at anything, so please don't take anything I say as fact. Many posts are simply opinions or statements derived from my own personal experience. Always take as many responses into consideration as possible.

 

[silverturbobug]

ok, here's more testing numbers that might help ...
nitrite 0.3
nitrate 10
PH 8.3
ammonia 0
alkalinity 160KH
salinity 33
specific gravity 10.245
temp. 77.8
thanks for the opinions so far, hope there's more help on the way...