Cycling a 40 breeder with TBS

[DCDeacon]

As this is my first foray into a reef tank after many years of freshwater and FO salt, I thought I might post my progress here in case folks want to chime in on things I might be doing right/wrong.

Added TBS LS to my established bed of Southdown sand (approx 75 lbs) so I've got a good amount in there. Got two great, huge rocks with lots of stuff on them and a coupe of smaller pieces to go with. Pics of those are here:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/46893first_big_tbs_piece.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/46893second_big_tbs_piece.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/46893tbs_small_pieces.jpg

Sat everything out on lids for about 20 minutes but only managed to flush out one tiny gorilla and one tiny emerald. Decided to keep the emerald.

Day One
Tank settled downbit from last night, although not as much as it should have. Apparently we briefly lost power at home and I guess the GPF extension I have things plugged into switched off and doesn't come back on when power comes back on. Not sure what to do about that. Urchin was wandering all over the tank. Did my tests and made a 5 gallon water change.

Ph 8.1
Amm. .1
Nitrite .1
Nitrate 3.5
Temp 78
Salinity 1.023

Day Two
Tank completely clear. Had the lights on for a while today which bumped up the temp slightly. Adjust heater up a bit to keep it stable at night. Gonna do a water change in the AM.

Ph 8.2
Am .2
Nitrite .05
Nitrate 3.5
Temp 80
Salinity 1.023

I hear at least one shrimp in there clicking away and saw one suspicious looking crab, so I set a glass in the tank with a small piece of shrimp to see if I can lure them out. We'll see.

Will post pics tomorrow of the current rock setup.

 

[DCDeacon]

Day Three

Ph 8.15
Amm 2.5 (hello!)
Nitrite - barely a trace
Nitrate 2
Temp 79
Salinity 1.023

No luck catching anything with the shrimp, other than a few worms who were in the process of lifting it completely out of the glass when I check it in the AM.

Did see one shape bolt into a big hole in the rock as I was taking the glass out. I'm thinking crab. Can't really seem him too well in there, but I know he's in there.

Changed roughly 9-10 gallons due to the Ammonia spike.

 

[DCDeacon]

Day Four

Ammonia seems to have come down after yesterday evening's large water change. Still lots of die off visible on rocks, but also lots of pretty algae and hopefully a few corals that will survive. I've attached a pic that shows the rock on the right side that has a number of pretty patches of algae and coral.

Going out of town for two days and hopefuly nothing crazy happens till I get back. I'll do another water change tonight as a preventative measure in hopes that it doesn't spike too high until I get back.

Test Results

Ph 8.2
Amm 2
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2
Salinity 1.023
Temp 79

 

[DCDeacon]

Here's a picture of the left side including the large rock on the bottom and one I have bridging the two with a new of still active clams that have snapped shut when I've gotten near the tank.

 

[DCDeacon]

Ammonia appeared to be pretty much off the charts. My color strip stops at 6 as a very dark blue, and the sensor was purplish in color. So I did another very big water change to make sure that levels don't get to high. Maybe 15 gallons +. We'll see what the morning brings. Nitrites still don't register a blip and Nitrates have pretty much held.

Ph 8.3
Amm off the chart?
Nitrite none
Nitrate 3
Temp 79
Salinity 1.0225

 

[hdtran]

I'm very concerned that your ammonia went that high. Are you using a dechlorinator in your water change water (e.g. have you tested your water change water)? Anything obviously stinky in the rocks that needs to be removed?

Keep us posted!

 

[DCDeacon]

HD, I've just been looking into that. My Free Ammonia levels are actually very low. Almost zero. However it's my total ammonia that I've been posting above.

Very little small, nothing I can find that's dying, all the hitchhikers I've seen (star, sea urchin, crabs) seem to be doing fine.

Any advice?

 

[hdtran]

As I recall, the free ammonia is the toxic stuff, while ammonium is either less so, or not so. But you'll have to take my posting with a grain of salt, because that's just my memory speaking.

Just my opinion, but I don't like the "dip" strips; I prefer the "add the drops" sort of kits. (Mind you, I can't tell color differences very well either).

Take a water sample to a LFS and have them test it?

I have the feeling your tank is doing just fine, but that's a feel, not a hard opinion. Would you be willing to run out to the local LFS and pick up a different test kit?

 

[DCDeacon]

I might just do that, or have them test it, or both. I don't think the test kit is bad, because the sample they provide reads right where it should on the chart. I may run out and get one tonight and will let you know.

Thanks.

 

[DCDeacon]

Day Seven

I bought another Ammonia test kit and this one confirmed what I had sort of suspected all along. While I had been posted my total ammonia results, my free ammonia results had always been fairly low and according to both tests, free ammonia is pretty low. I just felt that with the daily water changes I was doing and all that LR/LS, there was no way the "bad" ammonia could be that high.

Ph 8.3
Ammonia .1
Nitrite barely a trace
Nitrate 2.5
Temp 79
Salinity 1.023

I'm wondering if anyone can tell what the dark green thing is in the attached pic? I was thinking it looked like some kind of coral. It has one or two spots that are black and I don't know if this is part that has died, or perhaps something else.

 

[hdtran]

OK, ammonia makes me much happier now. Let the ammonia drop to zero, and you're ready for part 2.

If you can get a close up your green thing, I might take a guess at it.

 

[liverock]

Day Seven

I bought another Ammonia test kit and this one confirmed what I had sort of suspected all along. While I had been posted my total ammonia results, my free ammonia results had always been fairly low and according to both tests, free ammonia is pretty low. I just felt that with the daily water changes I was doing and all that LR/LS, there was no way the "bad" ammonia could be that high.

Ph 8.3
Ammonia .1
Nitrite barely a trace
Nitrate 2.5
Temp 79
Salinity 1.023

I'm wondering if anyone can tell what the dark green thing is in the attached pic? I was thinking it looked like some kind of coral. It has one or two spots that are black and I don't know if this is part that has died, or perhaps something else.

Sponge....

 

[DCDeacon]

Well sponge it is then. Thanks Richard. I assume the black parts are sections that have died off?

Looks as if the cycle has finished. Everything is about where it should be. Noticed a couple of tiny anemones in the tank as well as a feather duster. Also, at least two legs from what I suspect is a tiny star have shown up on the front of one tank.

Took some pics last night and will try some more tonight and post them. Having a little trouble getting my digital camera to focus properly when taking shots.

Day Eight results
Ph 8.3
Amm 0 (both free and total)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2.5
Temp 79
Salinity 1.023

 

[liverock]

Well sponge it is then. Thanks Richard. I assume the black parts are sections that have died off?

Looks as if the cycle has finished. Everything is about where it should be. Noticed a couple of tiny anemones in the tank as well as a feather duster. Also, at least two legs from what I suspect is a tiny star have shown up on the front of one tank.

Took some pics last night and will try some more tonight and post them. Having a little trouble getting my digital camera to focus properly when taking shots.

Day Eight results
Ph 8.3
Amm 0 (both free and total)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2.5
Temp 79
Salinity 1.023

No that is the color they are...let your nose tell you if a sponge is dead...

 

[DCDeacon]

All parameters still looking good. Ammonia and nitrite still at zero. Nitrates still low. Ph, Salinity, and Temp remain consistent.

Attached is a pic of the tank currently.

Couple of questions.

1) It seems clear to me that the sea urchin is, in fact, munching hard on my coraline algae. Two rocks appear to have been stripped bare. They each have big sections where it looks like everything has been stripped off and just the white rock is showing. There used to be some nice algae growing on both. Am I correct in assuming the urchin is the culprit? If so, I think he's headed to the LFS.

2) I can't tell whether or not the clams are still alive or not. I haven't seen them open or shut. Should I be trying to feed them something to see if they're still alive? I haven't been putting anything in the tank, and I assume I don't have to or need to at this stage.

3) For trying to catch the mantis that I have in there, I assume I'm supposed to use a piece of raw shrimp, not cooked, correct? He was clicking away in there last night like crazy. One way or another, I'm gonna get him.

4) Finally, are there any concerns with having curlicue anemones? I know I have three or four little ones in there (since Richard says there are no apistasia in those waters). Do I need to worry about feeding these things something at any point if I'm going to keep them? I haven't been able to find a whole lot on this species.

 

[paintballgoth]

just curious as to how much rock you have in the tank?

 

[hdtran]

Your urchin is likely the culprit for the corallines. Mine isn't that large, and doesn't seem to cause that much damage.

Yes, uncooked shellfish to attract the mantis.

If your clams stay closed, they're alive. Don't worry about them for now. There's plenty of bacteria floating in the water column for them. At some point, you may want to start feeding DT's or other phyto, but I wouldn't worry yet.

 

[docklink]

4) Finally, are there any concerns with having curlicue anemones? I know I have three or four little ones in there (since Richard says there are no apistasia in those waters). Do I need to worry about feeding these things something at any point if I'm going to keep them? I haven't been able to find a whole lot on this species.

From Tullock's Natural Reef Aquariums (pg 159) Bartholomae annulata Golden brown to cream colored, rings of white spiraling around the tentacles. "This anemone will not only sting other anemones, it can eat them, so beware - although because of its symbiotic algae, it does not need to rely on catching food." It can host some species of shrimp also. HTH

 

[hdtran]

Jeff (docklink),

I've been calling these anemones curlicues, but they don't look like the Bartholomea pictures. They look much more like the "light bulb" anemones pictured on the Gulf View website (floridaliverock.com), with no latin name.

There is a book specific for helping identify corals and anemones of the gulf and tropical atlantic, but I don't recall title and author.

My curlicues (or light bulbs) have been peaceful. I saw one try to eat a bristleworm late at night. The bristleworm escaped.

If you wish to target feed your small anemones and corals once in a while (turkey baster filled with defrosted, chopped brine shrimp or formula one or your favorite frozen reef fish food, diluted with salt water), that's about as much food as they'll need.

Hy

 

[DCDeacon]

Thanks for the info guys. The ones I have now are all very small, no larger than a dime or nickel. I have a number of sponges, but I really don't see much in the way of corals.