snowfighter
New Member
I started 17 days and not as poor ago. At 57 I am finally creating a dream I have had for some 36 years. The first thing I did was buy a copy of "The Saltwater Aquarium Handbook" by George Blasiola. I am glad that after reading it, I decided as a new enthusiast, to buy as large an aquarium as I could afford. I also decided that a sump system was perhaps the best way of economically and efficiently achieving good filtration. I must admit, that by the time I walked out of the store I had spent quite a sum of money on the 65 gallon corner over flow, acrylic sump, lighting system, bucket of salt water mix and a bag of substrate. Even further shocked that I had to buy ROCK!! I had not even considered that tap water was probably out of the question. I was advised that although a "primer" would decrease the chlorine in municipal tap water, it would not get rid of unwanted trace elements.
I used bottled distilled water from the grocery store and mixed the sea salt as directed. After a thousand years, the aquarium and sump were finally filled to the correct levels. Oh! and the plumbing of the aquarium to the sump was a peachy experience too. I then washed and put my aragonite reef sand down as substrate. Everything that needed cleaned, wiped or washed, I used distilled water as I was concerned about "city water" and the effects it might have. I started out with about 50 pounds of live rock and began the cycle. A couple of days later I added about 16 more pounds for a total of 66 lbs. I also had purchased an ammonia indicator, just a small plastic tag with some kind of "button" in the middle. Changes colour according to the concentration of ammonia as I was sure that the ultimate spike would occur soon. In between, lots of research on the internet. Now one thing I have learned so far... lots of different opinions for a salt water enthusiast to sift through.
I never did get an ammonia spike. I learned that sometimes (especially with cured live rock) it is very very short and may not occur at all. I did not have much in the way of a testing kit at the time, and 12 days later I began to see green algae growing on the rocks and glass of the aquarium. I figured that the system was in the Nitrate part of the cycle. I immediately went and purchased a test for Nitrate. I expected to see it off the charts. To my bewilderment.. it was 0. Now I really was scratching my head. Nothing I was researching was matching what was happening in my system. No ammonia spike. No Nitrate, just the start of an algae bloom. I was advised to put a fish in the tank as A) the cured live rock had created the necessary ammonia and B) the algae bloom was consuming the Nitrate faster than it could be produced. I decided on two tank raised False Percula Clownfish as I had researched they would be fairly hardy. As of today they are both doing quite well, swimming about, feeding and show no signs of stress at all.
It is my nature to "need to know" and it was driving me crazy that my system was not doing as I had expected. I purchased a little more elaborate testing kit which allowed me to test for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Ph level. Since the first day I started all of this, I have been fairly diligent about keeping an aquarium log. I record the date, time, salinity, water temperature and general description of what I see or what I have added. The average temperature is 24.4 degrees celsius (75.9F). Around 24C was suggested by my local reef shop, but I think this is too low. I started with a salinity of 1.022, but I am raising it to 1.024 gradually. Ammonia is less than 0.25 ppm. Nitrate is less than 0.50 ppm. Ph level is at 7.8 and I would like to see that parameter rise to 8 or 8.2 if possible. On day 15 after testing for Nitrite which was at 0, I decided to introduce the clean up crew to alleviate some of the algae growing everywhere. The Turbo Snails and Hermit Crabs went to work within an hour. Two days later and there is hardly a noticeable trace of algae. I am afraid they will now starve from lack of food.
During all this time, I had been watching a single Aiptasia swaying in the current on the very bottom live rock near the back.It was a bit of dumb luck that I discovered what it was. Once I realized what it was and how evil it is to get rid of, I tried burring it with the substrate. That didn't work. I tried lemon juice with a syringe, but it was too deep and awkward to get to properly. I think it was still young and not matured yet. I did not see any signs of it anywhere else on that rock or other live rock in the aquarium. I was quite dismayed, but eventually decided that I am too much of a novice to deal with an outbreak of aiptasia. My research was telling me it is a nasty little thing to eradicate. Since it was only one, and only one rock, I decided to dismantle my mini reef of live rock and pull the damn infested rock out. I knew on the rock where it was, so with hammer in hand, I broke that corner off in a container three thousand miles away from the aquarium. I purchased more live rock (so now I have about 88 lbs and a million bucks worth) and rebuilt the little reef. I made sure that the infested rock is near the top and is much easier to get to if need be. I saved the chunk I broke off and put it in a glass container with salt water. I watched as it slowly came creeping out of its crevice and I was sure that I had broken the right piece off. I have a picture of it after it had left the piece of rock. I was absolutely floored that it did that. I had no idea they could move. Hopefully... aiptasia problem solved.
Day 17 and everything is going well. I think I might have lost a few Hermits in all that ruckus, and I lost a Snail from acclimation, but basically everything is doing good. All my parameters are where they should be, or at least acceptable levels, with the exception of perhaps raising the salinity to 1.024 and getting the Ph up. I did learn that I should be testing the Ph at night and not in the morning though. I have done some minimal water changes of perhaps 3 or 4% at most and with water quality as it is.. I am just aching to add more fish. I would like to add 5 Blue Reef Chromis, but I know I must wait. Another thing I have learned, and is stressed no matter whos opinion it is... You have to have patience.
Sorry this is a bit long winded and long. I hope someone will read it and tell me if I am on the right path and if a Peppermint Shrimp would do any harm at this time. Have a great evening
I used bottled distilled water from the grocery store and mixed the sea salt as directed. After a thousand years, the aquarium and sump were finally filled to the correct levels. Oh! and the plumbing of the aquarium to the sump was a peachy experience too. I then washed and put my aragonite reef sand down as substrate. Everything that needed cleaned, wiped or washed, I used distilled water as I was concerned about "city water" and the effects it might have. I started out with about 50 pounds of live rock and began the cycle. A couple of days later I added about 16 more pounds for a total of 66 lbs. I also had purchased an ammonia indicator, just a small plastic tag with some kind of "button" in the middle. Changes colour according to the concentration of ammonia as I was sure that the ultimate spike would occur soon. In between, lots of research on the internet. Now one thing I have learned so far... lots of different opinions for a salt water enthusiast to sift through.
I never did get an ammonia spike. I learned that sometimes (especially with cured live rock) it is very very short and may not occur at all. I did not have much in the way of a testing kit at the time, and 12 days later I began to see green algae growing on the rocks and glass of the aquarium. I figured that the system was in the Nitrate part of the cycle. I immediately went and purchased a test for Nitrate. I expected to see it off the charts. To my bewilderment.. it was 0. Now I really was scratching my head. Nothing I was researching was matching what was happening in my system. No ammonia spike. No Nitrate, just the start of an algae bloom. I was advised to put a fish in the tank as A) the cured live rock had created the necessary ammonia and B) the algae bloom was consuming the Nitrate faster than it could be produced. I decided on two tank raised False Percula Clownfish as I had researched they would be fairly hardy. As of today they are both doing quite well, swimming about, feeding and show no signs of stress at all.
It is my nature to "need to know" and it was driving me crazy that my system was not doing as I had expected. I purchased a little more elaborate testing kit which allowed me to test for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Ph level. Since the first day I started all of this, I have been fairly diligent about keeping an aquarium log. I record the date, time, salinity, water temperature and general description of what I see or what I have added. The average temperature is 24.4 degrees celsius (75.9F). Around 24C was suggested by my local reef shop, but I think this is too low. I started with a salinity of 1.022, but I am raising it to 1.024 gradually. Ammonia is less than 0.25 ppm. Nitrate is less than 0.50 ppm. Ph level is at 7.8 and I would like to see that parameter rise to 8 or 8.2 if possible. On day 15 after testing for Nitrite which was at 0, I decided to introduce the clean up crew to alleviate some of the algae growing everywhere. The Turbo Snails and Hermit Crabs went to work within an hour. Two days later and there is hardly a noticeable trace of algae. I am afraid they will now starve from lack of food.
During all this time, I had been watching a single Aiptasia swaying in the current on the very bottom live rock near the back.It was a bit of dumb luck that I discovered what it was. Once I realized what it was and how evil it is to get rid of, I tried burring it with the substrate. That didn't work. I tried lemon juice with a syringe, but it was too deep and awkward to get to properly. I think it was still young and not matured yet. I did not see any signs of it anywhere else on that rock or other live rock in the aquarium. I was quite dismayed, but eventually decided that I am too much of a novice to deal with an outbreak of aiptasia. My research was telling me it is a nasty little thing to eradicate. Since it was only one, and only one rock, I decided to dismantle my mini reef of live rock and pull the damn infested rock out. I knew on the rock where it was, so with hammer in hand, I broke that corner off in a container three thousand miles away from the aquarium. I purchased more live rock (so now I have about 88 lbs and a million bucks worth) and rebuilt the little reef. I made sure that the infested rock is near the top and is much easier to get to if need be. I saved the chunk I broke off and put it in a glass container with salt water. I watched as it slowly came creeping out of its crevice and I was sure that I had broken the right piece off. I have a picture of it after it had left the piece of rock. I was absolutely floored that it did that. I had no idea they could move. Hopefully... aiptasia problem solved.
Day 17 and everything is going well. I think I might have lost a few Hermits in all that ruckus, and I lost a Snail from acclimation, but basically everything is doing good. All my parameters are where they should be, or at least acceptable levels, with the exception of perhaps raising the salinity to 1.024 and getting the Ph up. I did learn that I should be testing the Ph at night and not in the morning though. I have done some minimal water changes of perhaps 3 or 4% at most and with water quality as it is.. I am just aching to add more fish. I would like to add 5 Blue Reef Chromis, but I know I must wait. Another thing I have learned, and is stressed no matter whos opinion it is... You have to have patience.
Sorry this is a bit long winded and long. I hope someone will read it and tell me if I am on the right path and if a Peppermint Shrimp would do any harm at this time. Have a great evening
