1st tank stocking

Oiler3535

Member
Yes I know it's overstocked, but I do weekly changes and cleanings, and 2 months after cycling, all parameters have been good every time I test. Only thing I don't test for is calcium. And that test is on the way. Really hoping my homemade rocks are done curing soon. Have been sitting in the Ottawa River for 2 months. Water levels rose a month ago and I can't reach my bin to clean and test until my hip waders arrive today lol.
I started with the Gramma, then got a pair of Banggais, and was going to stop there but was given a pair of Ocellaris, and just finally found the tiny tiger blenny and couldn't help myself. Some day this winter I'll get a fire fish, but that's it. Wish I could find a way to take better pics of the frags.
DI-BgmfXUAApCyL

DI-BfxtXcAAwS-h

DI-Be4AXcAAbXLv

DI-Bd_-XkAAnTzo

DI-BjEcXcAAeEYG

Any idea what the palm tree looking things are?
DI-BkOUWAAA-S8O

Frogspawn doesn't seem to like light. If I turn up my led intensity it closes up fully. Going to move it over today during water change.
DI-BlT7WsAEFy4L

Xenia has already attached to the Rock. I'm going to cut its base and glue the frag attached piece to another rock so I'll have opposing islands of Xenia.
DI-BmYaXoAElPSI

DI-ByP6XkAABAS6

DI-BzPzXgAA2Uvt
 
Looks like you got aiptasia man! Hopefully I'm wrong but don't think I am lol! I had an outbreak lucky a buddy helped me get rid of it! And my question is if you know your tank is overstocked why would you continue to add fish lol? The only problem I could see with your stock list is if your tank is like 10 or 20 gallons?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
1st tank stocking

No you would be wrong :p

There is no aiptasia visible in any of the pictures..


the 6th picture down looks like to start of aiptasia at least in my experience with it. What do you believe that to be?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
46g bowfront. 2 oci, 2 banggai, 1 gramma, and 1 tiger blenny. If right, when all adults that'll be about 17 inches of fish. I've seen many people say 5-9 inches of fish is max for my size (1-2 inches per 10g). Lfs says I'm fine, but 1 Firefish is all I'm even considering adding.

The palm tree looking things in pic 6 are what I was worried about too, but 3 weeks since gotten and not spread or done anything really.
 
46g bowfront. 2 oci, 2 banggai, 1 gramma, and 1 tiger blenny. If right, when all adults that'll be about 17 inches of fish. I've seen many people say 5-9 inches of fish is max for my size (1-2 inches per 10g). Lfs says I'm fine, but 1 Firefish is all I'm even considering adding.

The palm tree looking things in pic 6 are what I was worried about too, but 3 weeks since gotten and not spread or done anything really.



IMO the choices in fish aren't bad because none are crazy aggressive fish. So I would say your ok. Clowns might get a little aggressive but unlikely!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You're fine. Aggression and habitat availability are much more important than inches per gallon, which IMHO is a really stupid concept that's only perpetuated because it's easy to explain, not because it has meaning. I have more fish than that in my 24g cube. The only value bioload has is helping determine nutrient export (filters, skimmers, water changes, etc.).
 
Thanks k's for thoughts! It's bioload I'm concerned with as I don't have room for a sump, and have not been able to find a reasonably priced skimmer yet (read:one my already annoyed with how much I've spent wife will approve lol). So I'm doing lots of cleaning. My cannister does a really good job collecting crap. I clean it once a week and always full of crap. Luckily it's really easy to clean. Takes 10 minutes. Ive left the old bio balls and ceramic rings in as they seem to attract gunk. I rinse them under hot water and come nice and clean (obviously not using for biofiltration, just mechanical).
 
Thanks k's for thoughts! It's bioload I'm concerned with as I don't have room for a sump, and have not been able to find a reasonably priced skimmer yet (read:one my already annoyed with how much I've spent wife will approve lol). So I'm doing lots of cleaning. My cannister does a really good job collecting crap. I clean it once a week and always full of crap. Luckily it's really easy to clean. Takes 10 minutes. Ive left the old bio balls and ceramic rings in as they seem to attract gunk. I rinse them under hot water and come nice and clean (obviously not using for biofiltration, just mechanical).



Lol all you have to do is tell her you won't have to do as many water changes so you won't have to buy as much salt if you get a nice skimmer lol!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If your nutrient testing (nitrate, phosphate, etc) isn't showing out of control and you aren't overrun by pest algae, I think you can say your nutrient export is adequate. Water changes are easy on small tanks and can help. Suck out as much detritus as you can when you change water. Make sure you're not overfeeding. Save up for a skimmer. :D
 
Keeping a weathered eye out for a sale or used skimmer. Going to have to buy more sand eventually bc I had an explosion of growth on the sand and glass while I was away for a week in August (suspect overfeeding by sitter) and I scraped off the glass and just straight removed the top layer of sand. Probably lost 3lbs of the 30 I originally put in, but algae almost gone. Some hair algae on the rocks, but my pair of emerald crabs love it. Except oddly 1 rock which neither will go near lol. Wonder if it's bc the gramma has made a tunnel under it and protects its territory? Love watching it spit sand out of the burrow all the time.
 
That makes me happy! Don't need a pest.

Also never said, but:
salt is 1.023
Ph 8.2
Ammonia, phosphate and nitrates all indistinguishable from the 0 colour on api kits. Nitrate might be slightly non 0, but even my wife (who claims I'm somewhat colour blind) says definitely way closer to 0 than 1st other colour.
 
Is the Ottawa river salt or fresh water? Can you put the rock in a salt water tank? Just interested if this can be Ok
 
It's fresh water. Once it stops leeching, I'll soak in bleach, then rinse off, then soak in clean water, then rinse again, then sit in sun a few days aside, then soak a week in clean water (both water soaks with blower on and bubbler under rocks) then put water treater in and soak another day, then test. If good and dead, then in the tank it goes.
 
Guy in town just gave me 2 more corals for 25 bucks! Making room for Montipora he has ordered. Colt is a good 8-10 inches tall on a tennis ball sized live rock, and the nuclear green gsp the size of a really big egg.
DJFX4HOXkAEHQv5

DJFX5iUWsAApTV2
 
Moved my frogspawn over to the side and it's opening much more in the lower lighting. And my tiny tiger blenny has made burrows under 5 different pieces of live rock lol. Also fun to watch as he grabs pieces of food too big, but sits next to it and rips pieces off.
 
Finally found some reasonably prices base rock. Got 3lb of live rock, and about 20 Fuller rock and 8 lava rock. Got it all for about 80$. Which is about 60usd.go with the ~5 lbs of live rock pieces I've snagged from local guys, and I'm feeling better about my biological filter future. Look forward to putting them together tomorrow, then getting in the tank :)
 
Back
Top