BTA in a 7day cycle?

[ThisCityIsDead]

Do you check for evaporation? Do you add water for the evaporated amount? Did you ever test your tank for ammonia? Do you have any test kits? What is your salinity?

i don't know about the evaporation because i haven't noticed a decrease in water, but I'm sure there has been a major evaporation because the salinity spiked! the lfs tested all of the ammonia and other levels. he said there was very little of everything, practically as if there was nothing done to the water. this, however, was checked 3-4 days into the cycle. i do have some testing kits, but they are mediocre. they are only the strips. I'm going to purchase a refractometer. i also want to purchase a PH one, but I'm not sure if they have digital ones...

 

[acabgd]

You don't need to check pH in a reef tank, forget about it for now. You need test kits for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The first two will probably only used during your cycle.
You need to check your salinity and you need to check for evaporation. Water doesn't just expand - when there is evaporation the water level falls. Find out where it is, I don't know your tank and if you have some back chambers, or somewhere where the water level drops due to evaporation. If there is none of that and there are only 4 plain sides of glass and nothing else, add fresh water up to desired salinity then draw a small line with a Sharpie, so you know where your level is at.
You generally need to take a more proactive role in controlling your tank. Also "levels are good" or "almost good" doesn't cut it. You need to know hard numbers, even when your LFS is testing water for you.

 

[shesacharmer]

One of the best tools I got when I started was a steno notebook. Every day I write down something about my tank. The temperature, the test results, when I top off or do a water change, when I add a fish...write down everything because you will NEVER remember it all. That way, when anything starts to go bad you can review your notes and see what changes were going on. HTH

How is your anemone doing?

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

im going to purchase a master test kit by API. would that do?

UPDATE: the anemone doesnt seem to be doing too well. yesterday it moved to the very top of a rock near the light. its tentacles stick out when light hits it, this includes the LCD lunar lights, and it hides them when the lights are turned off. i fed it another tiny piece of shrimp. at first, i thought it had eaten it because it took the piece in and closed its tentacles for a few minutes, then about an hour later it opened them up...its mouth was closed and there was no sign of shrimp. this morning i wake up, turn the lights on, and as i get ready for work the anemone opens up and i see the piece of shrimp hanging on its tentacles. not good... right?

so, yesterday i was delivered my coralife 5t quad. it came with the 2 10K bulbs and 2 Actinic Bulbs. i was readingthe manual and it had other light options.

what lights should i go with. should i just leave the two 10k and actinic, or are there other suggestions... also, am i suppose to be leaving both lights on at the same time...(actinic and 10k)

 

[Sk8r]

Don't try to rush your cycle with chemicals or ammonia: a few flakes of fish food daily will let it complete gently over time. I've set up with live rock and had 53 species of life come through ok, even including a tiny bit of bubble coral, xenia, mushrooms, buttons, etc, sponges, and snails. Gently, slowly, try not to rush. Don't try to treat the aiptasia until you get through cycle. The less disturbance of that tank the better until it's stable.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Don't try to rush your cycle with chemicals or ammonia: a few flakes of fish food daily will let it complete gently over time. I've set up with live rock and had 53 species of life come through ok, even including a tiny bit of bubble coral, xenia, mushrooms, buttons, etc, sponges, and snails. Gently, slowly, try not to rush. Don't try to treat the aiptasia until you get through cycle. The less disturbance of that tank the better until it's stable.

i have these other things living on my rocks. they look like flowers almost. theyre purple. i got very excited. lol. will the red fire shrimp or the peppermint shrimp be able to handle all of the aiptasia?

 

[Sk8r]

Peps will ---or won't: they're funny critters, and if given too much other food, may not. But young ones seem to go for aiptasia. Ask the seller if these particular shrimp have shown a tendency to eat them. I have one shrimp that does. He's enough.

 

[Dapg8gt]

I think the two people asking for advice in here should really read all the stickies.. If your asking if you do a water change with fresh water or salt you got some serious reading/learning to do..

I'm not trying to be harsh but you really should read up on your hobby instead of fully trusting a Lfs to give you advice.. It's best to go into it knowing at least the basics.. Just some advice that I guarantee will save you some money and livestock.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

I think the two people asking for advice in here should really read all the stickies.. If your asking if you do a water change with fresh water or salt you got some serious reading/learning to do..

I'm not trying to be harsh but you really should read up on your hobby instead of fully trusting a Lfs to give you advice.. It's best to go into it knowing at least the basics.. Just some advice that I guarantee will save you some money and livestock.

ive been reading and doing research for the past month. i've come along different forums and many people have different things to say. not much consistency going on. don't get me wrong, the "basic" things are pretty similar, one forum says one thing, another says another. it's still helpful to learn various methods and what has worked for some and what hasn't worked for others. at this point, i do not trust the LFS... at all. the best guidance i have is the internet. i love this information, and i cannot get enough of it.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

I think the two people asking for advice in here should really read all the stickies.. If your asking if you do a water change with fresh water or salt you got some serious reading/learning to do..

I'm not trying to be harsh but you really should read up on your hobby instead of fully trusting a Lfs to give you advice.. It's best to go into it knowing at least the basics.. Just some advice that I guarantee will save you some money and livestock.

ive been reading and doing research for the past month. i've come along different forums and many people have different things to say. not much consistency going on. don't get me wrong, the "basic" things are pretty similar, one forum says one thing, another says another. it's still helpful to learn various methods and what has worked for some and what hasn't worked for others. at this point, i do not trust the LFS... at all. the best guidance i have is the internet. i love this information, and i cannot get enough of it.

 

[novadan67]

i have these other things living on my rocks. they look like flowers almost. theyre purple. i got very excited. lol. will the red fire shrimp or the peppermint shrimp be able to handle all of the aiptasia?

Kind of sound like zoanthids... google it and see if it is a match. That brings me to another point. Be VERY careful when burning things (aiptasia) on live rock. Zoanthids and palythoas have a powerful toxin that can even be deadly if ingested or inhaled (google palytoxin). I've burned aiptasia also, and it is very effective - just make sure you do it outside and be sure not to breathe any fumes! I have a pair of peppermints in my 29g and they wiped out the few tiny aiptasia that I had after burning the big ones. They are also very friendly and active in the tank - I love them.

Good luck with the tank... keep us posted about the 'nem.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Kind of sound like zoanthids... google it and see if it is a match. That brings me to another point. Be VERY careful when burning things (aiptasia) on live rock. Zoanthids and palythoas have a powerful toxin that can even be deadly if ingested or inhaled (google palytoxin). I've burned aiptasia also, and it is very effective - just make sure you do it outside and be sure not to breathe any fumes! I have a pair of peppermints in my 29g and they wiped out the few tiny aiptasia that I had after burning the big ones. They are also very friendly and active in the tank - I love them.

Good luck with the tank... keep us posted about the 'nem.

Yes! They look just like these purple ones. Only they're a bit smallerhttp://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2031504 are they bad?.

 

[Rob6311]

I really like your BTA I've been looking for one like that

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

I really like your BTA I've been looking for one like that

The guy said it was a condy. Lol. This one is bleached;(. Too bad. I think it may end up dying BC I just saw it and it is on it's side. The foot is brown looking. Alrhough, when I turn the 4bright lights on, HO lights, it opens up. When the lights go off and the moonlights, LED,go on it closes up... Idk why

 

[shesacharmer]

Anemones close up at bedtime usually. That is normal behavior. They feed off the light literally so that makes sense. Sounds like it's starving...try giving it small meaty raw seafood twice a week. If it released the food last time don't worry about it, just try again every couple of days until you see it actually eat something.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Anemones close up at bedtime usually. That is normal behavior. They feed off the light literally so that makes sense. Sounds like it's starving...try giving it small meaty raw seafood twice a week. If it released the food last time don't worry about it, just try again every couple of days until you see it actually eat something.

Currently adding some Kent's liquid for the anem. Appearantly it's suppose to help them out and it helps with the cycling, too.

Ps: I saw this bug looking thing crawling on the LR. Wth is that!!:|

 

[novadan67]

Ps: I saw this bug looking thing crawling on the LR. Wth is that!!:|

Probably an amphipod. Check out this site, will answer a lot of your hitch hiker questions:
http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/hitchhiker.shtml

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Thanks! They're not bad critters appearantly!. I'm so excited for my tank. Tomorrow will be the first 10% water change. Is that good idea or bad. I keep getting both responses (good and bad). I watched a video by mr saltwater stating that there should be no water being taken out during the cycle BC you want the bacteria. But I've been reading that you want to remove some water during the cycle BC of the ammonia and nitrite.

 

[m0nkie]

Thanks! They're not bad critters appearantly!. I'm so excited for my tank. Tomorrow will be the first 10% water change. Is that good idea or bad. I keep getting both responses (good and bad). I watched a video by mr saltwater stating that there should be no water being taken out during the cycle BC you want the bacteria. But I've been reading that you want to remove some water during the cycle BC of the ammonia and nitrite.

water change is needed at the very end to remove Nitrate. Ammonia and Nitrite should go down to 0 by itself.. so I say no WC till both ammonia and nitrite hits 0.. you may be prolonging the cycle by changing water too early

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Oh! I was thinking of doing a 10% water change this Sunday. It'll be the 2nd week of the cycle. So, I shouldn't even do that? After the 6 weeks are up, how much water should I remove. 50%?

I have a cured rock in my tank. It has green algea and it is starting to lift off the rock, not peel, just lift. It looks gooey almost. Is that okay...:|