SocalNano24s Tank Diary

[socalnano24]

So I have posted several pictures on here, but don't have them all in one place. So I figured I'd start a diary a lil late. I am currently at day twenty.
I have a 24 gallon nano,
I started with 26 lbs of rocks, 20 lbs of sand.
I currently have the standard mechanical sponge filtration, followed by ceramic tubes, I started with the nano supplied activated charcoal and have changed it out for chemi pure now.
This may not be all correct but I'm trying to throw back together what I've done. I've shown the few pictures I took along the way.
Add List:
day 1: blue devil damsel
day 5: coworker bought me an orange clown and a torch and zoa

day 7: got a flame shrimp and a chimney rock (with white star shaped polyps?)

day 9: friend talked me into a coral beauty while at LFS
day 11: diatom algae bloom
day 12: added CUC (5 hermit crabs. 3 turbo snails, 1 narcus snail
day 13: Coral beauty died (was being eaten by narcus snail when I got home from work)
day 14: 5 gallon water change. Also installed a Koralia1 for more filtration.
day 15: Realized after the water change I had adjusted the temperature and the tank was at 84! Clown is showing signs of Iche; gave him a fresh water dip in R/O water.
day 16: clown died in the am and is stuffed under a rock; didn't get to take him out till after work(friend told me I shouldn't have waited and may have released alot of ammonia)
So I rearrange all the rocks and got them to my now set up locations.

day 17: Got a Refractometer and Full test kit to check parameters. SG is low at 1.0225; Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite are nill; however ph is 7.8
added ph buffer and started added salt water instead of R/O freshwater for water top offs
day 18: SG is 1.023. pH is 7.9
day 19: coworker gave me several new polyp starters
day 20: went to LFS and got a few more polyp colonies; was sold a fish that I should not have purchased (an orental sweetlip) Fish is awesome though! [sort of got convinved it was a good fish for a 24 gallon, but quickily realiszed it is not after dong more research]

day 21: everything is doing well; levels are normal. Not going to buy any fish for a while and just see how the tank as is goes for a while.

 

[meowzer]

When you say day 1...added blue devil damsel....what do you mean by that?
Did you add sand, sw, and the damsel the same day? Did you not let your tank cycle at all???

 

[socalnano24]

Correct; I had some bad advice in the beginning. Didn't get onto this forum right away to figure out the correct order of things. Was told that the damsel would be a good indicator of whether my tank was doing well.

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by SocalNano24
http:///forum/post/3039712
Correct; I had some bad advice in the beginning. Didn't get onto this forum right away to figure out the correct order of things. Was told that the damsel would be a good indicator of whether my tank was doing well.
I'd say you got some really bad advice....I'm surprised you have anything alive at all.....you do have a test kit now?
and you say you have no ammonia, nitrites, nitrates...at all?
I seriously would buy nothing else...what type of lighting do you have???

 

[meowzer]

OH...I do think you need some cerith snails and some nassarius snails for the sand

 

[socalnano24]

Thats correct; now its at 1.024 SG, I tested my nitrites and ammonia yesterday and they were at zero. It's been a couple of days since checking my pH but it was up to 8.1 last time I checked.
my lighting is the standard nano 24; the dual 36 watt compact flourescent with the blue and white bulb.

 

[socalnano24]

I had a nassarius snail when I got the rest of my clean up crew but I haven't seen it in days. I'll look into a few cerith snails

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by SocalNano24
http:///forum/post/3039721
I had a nassarius snail when I got the rest of my clean up crew but I haven't seen it in days. I'll look into a few cerith snails
one snail will not do anything...I would get at least 12 of each....these type bury in the sand and help clean it...nassarius usually only come out when you feed or I see mine a lot at night.

 

[socalnano24]

add 24 more snails to my tank? that seems a bit excessive, I already have 6 hermit crabs and they seem to be everywhere.

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by SocalNano24
http:///forum/post/3039727
add 24 more snails to my tank? that seems a bit excessive, I already have 6 hermit crabs and they seem to be everywhere.
That is not a lot at all....they say at least a snail per gallon.....This is a very important part of keeping a tank....Your Clean Up Crew....these are only the sand cleaning snails...i would also get 10 astrea snails for the glass....
I kid you not....

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3039724
one snail will not do anything...I would get at least 12 of each....these type bury in the sand and help clean it...nassarius usually only come out when you feed or I see mine a lot at night.
Yeah, that is very excessive.
Before you add or change anything else, start researching on this board. Don't add anything else until you are sure your tank is stable and you have done all your research.

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/3039737
Yeah, that is very excessive.
Before you add or change anything else, start researching on this board. Don't add anything else until you are sure your tank is stable and you have done all your research.
12 snails is excessive????
I already said not to add anything else, but there is NO CUC...1 snail...is not a cuc...I have like 30 snails in my 29g ...plus a mexican turbo and a little bear conch.....do you think that's excessive.....grrrr

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3039740
12 snails is excessive????
I already said not to add anything else, but there is NO CUC...1 snail...is not a cuc...I have like 30 snails in my 29g ...plus a mexican turbo and a little bear conch.....do you think that's excessive.....grrrr
Yeah, it's a little excessive. If there isn't anything to clean up, the cuc starts to die and then there are dead organisms in the tank which aren't very helpful...
I have 5 nass snails, 3 cerith snails, 3 hermits, and an emerald crab and that is working fine for me. That's half of what you recommended.

 

[meowzer]

well I have much more than that...no fish...and mine are very happy....

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3039746
well I have much more than that...no fish...and mine are very happy....
I keep a light bioload and have no algae or parameter woes...
In any case, he definitely needs more cuc. Add cuc when you are sure your tank is stable but don't add any fish for a while.

 

[socalnano24]

sounds like a good plan; thanks guys.
I had originally been under the impression that turbo snails, a shrimp and hermit crabs were all one needed for a clean up crew. Didn't know the cerith and nass were that important

 

[pezenfuego]

Originally Posted by SocalNano24
http:///forum/post/3039749
sounds like a good plan; thanks guys.
I had originally been under the impression that turbo snails, a shrimp and hermit crabs were all one needed for a clean up crew. Didn't know the cerith and nass were that important
Well you see, hermits and turbos and shrimp are great, however they do absolutely nothing for the sandbed. Cerith and nass snails will keep the sandbed clean

In smaller tanks turbos seem to cause more harm than good due to moving the rocks...personally I don't like them, but if you do they are excellent at removing algae.

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/3039747
I keep a light bioload and have no algae or parameter woes...
In any case, he definitely needs more cuc. Add cuc when you are sure your tank is stable but don't add any fish for a while.
YEAH..Check all water first

 

[socalnano24]

Ok will do, I am going to change 4 gallons tomorrow so I'll check it out again after its had a chance to settle after that.

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by SocalNano24
http:///forum/post/3039759
Ok will do, I am going to change 4 gallons tomorrow so I'll check it out again after its had a chance to settle after that.
I sure hope they told you how to prepare water for water changes....and then to wait a day to test....