My new custom 20/15 Nano, journal.

[NanoReefWanabe]

here is a better shot of the thing i found..

anyone know what it is?

or am i just being a paranoid newbie reefer? LOL

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

Blacktang...thank you..

 

[MyMonkey]

Does not look like Aiptasia to me. Maybe Spirobid worm? Still not very clear. It is tough to take good macro shots.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

well i checked all my parameters today again...

ammonia - 0
NO2 - < .3
Nitrate - 12.5 ish
temp - 77*
salinity - 1.025
PH - 8.1
kH - 12.5*

have to still work on a couple..but things are looking okay i guess..

i have had no diatom bloom or ammonia spike..is it possible i missed it??

my little brown pollup (sp) seems to be okay..

i think i will take some water to the LFS and have them test it out for me...

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

i am right confused with what is going on in my tank now...

parameters are as follows after four days...

Ammonia - 0
nitrite - between the <.3 and the .3 colours
nitrate - 12.5
Ph - 8.0 even after 4 treatments of ph buffer
SG - 1.025
temp - 78*
kH - 12*

i will be doing a 5 gallon RO water change on monday to try and straighten out the kH and reduce the nitrate...

but i am really confused as to why i never saw any diatom bloom or ammonia spike...

anyone with any insight to this?

plus i saw a little worm stretching out of a rock today...about 1.5 inches long...it was relatively clear with what looked like rings behind the end that was extending... hope he is a safe one...it popped out right beside my pollup, but didnt go near it...

 

[zma21]

Was the liverock you added cured?

 

[MyMonkey]

It is odd that you never saw amonia. Although, at this point, the nitrite should go down even further. I have heard of tanks having mini cycles. They end up with amonia buildup several times in the first 6 months and generally are prone to crashes.

You can avoid this by adding some amonia in whatever form you chose. Otherwise, you can use bio spira when you add fish.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

yeah the LR was cured..i also brought it home in a 5 gallon bucket full of thier tank water, and then matched the parameters almost bang on..

perhaps i should have let a couple pieces of the rock sit out in the sun for a couple hours...to do a little killing...

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

my lights should be here on wednesday and then i will ready for fish equipment wise anyway...

the LFS says that there may not even be a cycle with the rocks they gave me given the way i transported them..and that it wouldmost likely be safe to add fish once the nitrates are down and the lights are on..

i guess i will see what my tank looks like in a couple days after i put on the MH

 

[oddiseus]

I wouldnt trust your lfs. they might have good knowledge but its better to er on the safe side and learn for yourself. As for me I would hold off on all water changes until your tank reaches equilibrium. You need those high levels in your tank for now. its the way the cycle goes. those high levels bring on the next phase of the cycle. You should see a seriously noticable drop in all the test as soon as the cycle is done.
The last thing you want to do is assume the cycle is finished and then buy something you like just to watch it deteriorate because of an unfinished cycle or ammonia spike. not to mention any sudden blooms.

 

[oddiseus]

I forgot to mention that lights are also going to bring on a bloom of detritus and algea that needs to reach its equilibrium with your parameters as well.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

Oddiseus...thankyou very much for all the info and words of caution...

the new family...

2 Narsarius snails
2 Astrea snails
2 Blue Leged hermits
2 White Legged hermits
2 Zebra hermits

shortly after dropping them in there the two Narsarius burried themselves in the sand..is that normal?

and oh yeah...i found who was leaving all the shrimp Molts in my tank..i really hope he is a friendly little fellow..no picture yet..
he looked like a translucent green colour...seemed to have these feathery like arms upfront picking at the rocks..

 

[chevegan]

Hey bud watch that buffering eh. It takes 20-30hrs to see a difference in ph lvls.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

i am holding off on the buffering...the PH is holding steady at 8.0

the buffer i bought says that it cant be over done...will some how stop at 8.3...LOL i dont know how..but i am not to worried right now about it...people seem to aim for 7.9 -8.1 i can live with 8.0

i am hoping the sanils poop will help a little mini cycle go on..and man they are pooping up a storm...it is hard to say if the tank is getting cleaner or more dirty....LOL

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

UPDATED PICS

UPDATED PICS

just some update pics...

i moved all the rock work and introduced some new stuff...

LiveStock:

1 Blue Chromis (1.5" nose to base of tail)
2 False Percula Clowns (1.25" and 1" nose to base of tail)
1 unwanted and noisey Pistol Shrimp

Cleaners:

2 blue legged hermits
2 white legged hermits
2 zebra hermits
2 astrea snails
10 Narsarius snails
1 turbo snail
1 unidentified hitchiker snail

LPS:

1 Cream Hammer

Softies:

1 2.5" piece of GSP (growing very fast)
1 5" tall green Kenya tree type of coral (still dont know what it is)
1 3" wide piece of a leather coral (frag was the size of a quarter when i got it)
3 frags of a green fringed blue zoo
1 frag of orange zoos
1 blue mushroom
1 red mushroom

Water perameters:

SG 1.025
Temp 79*
Alk 11 dkh
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Ph 8.0

and now the pics:

Top view:

Right side:

Left side:

FTS:

Hammer:

Kenya tree: apparently it didnt want to stand for its photo though

Leather:

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

The baby clowns:

different FTS:

Mixed zoos:

LOL my two mushrooms:

Let me know what you guys think so far...

next week the 150 MH should be up and runing and then everyones colour should be much better...


i hate this hobby........

















it is far too addictive..LOL

 

[StunnaShadez]

i have a question, are you sure the shimp is a pistol and not a mantis? well, if your snails and hermits are still alive then it must be a pistol?

 

[akbuuur]

nice

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

well this is what he looks like....i was kinda sorta told pistol...it is still a juvenile so it is hard to tell...

 

[kmmcgra]

nice