Updates on new SW tank

divingdi

divingdi

Member
Does this seem strange? Since yesterday, things seem to have changed rather drastically (I wonder if it's operator error, since I'm new at this testing stuff...):
pH: 8.4 --> 8.2
NO2: 0 --> 3.5ppm
NO3: 20 --> 120
Ammonia: 0.25 --> 0.75
SG: 1.0245 --> 1.025
Shouldn't the first spike be in ammonia, then NO2, then NO3?
:nervous:
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
My First Resident:
Yesterday, I saw something moving in the tank (a baby shrimp? copopod?). Today, there's definitely more activity. Can anyone ID this critter?
:notsure:
 
woodymdt

woodymdt

Member

Originally posted by DivingDi
My First Resident:
Yesterday, I saw something moving in the tank (a baby shrimp? copopod?). Today, there's definitely more activity. Can anyone ID this critter?
:notsure:
Di,
Hard to tell from that shot, but that could be a pod of some sort. They've been coming out of the rockwork in our tank for quite some time now.
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
Yeah, I was just trying to get a better shot of the little dickens. It's barely a quarter inch long when stretched out. Its movements make me think it might be a shrimp of some sort, since it contracts its hind end and sometimes "jumps" as much as an inch or so across the sand and even soars into the water column. I also saw it burrowing into the sand, but then it seems to lose intrest in that hobby after a while.
:thinking:
I'll send a better picture if I can manage to take one.
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
I set it up just Friday afternoon, so this is only its second full day of operation. All the LR is Fiji.
After your George 'n' Gracie adventure, baby mantis was my very first thought. But I don't recall mantis having long antennae. Do they move with lobster-like tail contractions?
 
woodymdt

woodymdt

Member

Originally posted by DivingDi
I set it up just Friday afternoon, so this is only its second full day of operation. All the LR is Fiji.
After your George 'n' Gracie adventure, baby mantis was my very first thought. But I don't recall mantis having long antennae. Do they move with lobster-like tail contractions?
Yes they do move like that, but no they don't have long antennae.
Probably a pod, or a baby shrimp.
If it's a baby, it shouldn't go too far from where you've located it, so keep an eye out for it.
You can watch it grow!!
BTW...I fed three of our aptasia sprigs some Joes Juice today. WOW, that stuff is potent! Seared on in minutes, killed another smaller one in just a few minutes as well. The biggest is about 1/2 gone now.
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
CONGRATS on your Aiptasia victory, Woody! That's awesome. I read today that a lemon juice or vinegar dilution delivered directly into the critter with a syringe will also do it -- FWIW.
:jumping:
 
woodymdt

woodymdt

Member
Good evening...
The Mrs. and I were talking about "down the road" in our tank adventure, and we came across a pretty good question, we think.
Is it normal to purchase and introduce clown fish BEFORE you buy anemones? OR do you purchase and introduce anemones BEFORE you introduce clown fish?
A little help please!!!!
:jumping:
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
:notsure:
Being the newest of newbies, my research is still pretty sketchy, but I'm seeing a lot of info out there that suggests anemones in an aquarium are a bad idea, and that several corals will substitute nicely for them. See, for example, Dr. Joyce Wilkerson's report at:
.
 
spicey

spicey

Member
most clownfish are very hardy and should be fine by themselves if you add them and then further down the road when your tank is established good i would add some anemones but in my experience the anemones are pretty hardy too but is suppose id wait. i bought a sebae anemone and a sebea clown (just a coincidence) and there was a condy anemone in there from when i started the tank and the clown actually just goes in the condy all the time so that would be an easy, low cost investment if u want to try a condy (which is cheap, hardy, and pretty good lookin) and a sebae clown but im not sure what other clowns would take to it. my tomato clown never went in it, for example.
 
woodymdt

woodymdt

Member
Well we'll see what happens. We're still a couple weeks away from getting our clowns, but grateful for the suggestions concerning them!!
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
I've seen several suggestions to get the clown first, and then add the anemone several weeks later, after the tank is really stable. Do you know what kind of clown you plan to get? I had my heart set on a maroon clown, but everything I've seen indicates they need at least 30 gallons, which I don't have.
On the subject of stocking the aquarium, I haven't seen much on plants. Does anyone have or use them? I was thinking of a Shaving Brush plant and maybe a Grape Caulerpa. Both are supposed to help control nitrate levels and be reef safe. Any thoughts? When would these be added -- before or after the cleaner crew? TIA.
:happyfish
 
woodymdt

woodymdt

Member
I'm sure you could add plants anytime after your cycle is finished. We have some Caluerpa, got a few sprigs from our LFS, and they've taken and started branching out.
On another note, I noticed on my blenny this morning that about 1/3 of the end of his body looked a little opaque?? Do blenny's molt??
The coloring is quite different than what it was last night. I'm just curious if that is common, or something might be wrong.??
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
Here's another shot of my first resident(s). There's something else in the tank -- a copepod, I think. These, though, I suspect might be krill. Any thoughts?
 
woodymdt

woodymdt

Member
not real sure but they do look interesting don't they?
Keep tabs on them and hopefully someone can make a positive ID before too long.
 
divingdi

divingdi

Member
Yes, this is absolutely fascinating!
Yesterday, I spent some time exploring possibilities for stocking my 12.5 gallon aquarium, once it cycles. Here's what I've come up with so far as possibilities (week numbers are only approximate, depending on stability of tank):
WEEK FOUR: PLANTS
1 Shaving Brush Plant (Penicillus sp.)
1 Grape Caulerpa (Caulerpa sp.)
WEEK FOUR CRITTERS: CLEAN-UP CREW
SNAILS: 1 PER 2 GALLONS = 6 MAX
2 Cerith Snails (Cerithium strercusmuscarum)
2 Astrea Conhead Snails (Astrea tecta)
1 Bumblebee Snail (Pusiostoma sp.)
1 Tongan Fighting Conch (Strombus gibberulus)
CRABS: 1 PER 3-5 GALLONS = 3 MAX
1 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab (Clibanarius tricolor)
1 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab (Paguristes cadenati)
**Plus a dozen or so empty shells for Hermit Crabs**
1 Small Emerald Crab?
CLEANER SHRIMP: Is there a "stocking formula" for them?
1 Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
1 Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus)
WEEK SIX CRITTERS: FIRST CORALS
2"-3" Yellow Colony Polyp (Zoanthus sp.)
2"-3" Blue Striped Mushroom (Actinodiscus sp.)
WEEK EIGHT CRITTERS: FIRST FISH
Citrinis Clown Goby (Gobiodon citrinus)
Obviously, I'll hope to add more corals later. Does this seem like a reasonable bio load? Does the plan make sense? All comments/suggestions welcome!
TIA!
:joy:
 
hydro

hydro

Member
i could b wrong but i think u should wait about 6 MONTHS before u start adding corals...after ur tank cycles its gonna take a while for ur biofilter to kick in enough to suport corals...
 
jacknjill

jacknjill

Active Member
you dont have to wait 6 months for corals, just for anenomes. you just wait a little while for your water levels to be good. a month or 2
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top