New member...I hope!

snakemau

snakemau

New member
Hey hey!
I live in Jonesboro, AR and there is no other club nearby here, not even a decent place to buy stuff! So I hope I can join you guys! So 2 weeks ago I was in Memphis with the family and saw an interesting place called MemFish....why did I walk in? Well I left the store with a 4 gal set up perfect for a nano and 5 gals of saltwater...kids were very happy! So then I started looking around for info on forums and found the awesome RC!!!. I had FW tanks before (several over many years), but never a SW one and have always wanted one. The issue was that I didn't have space for anything bigger than a 10 gal tank. SO....2 days later I'm doing an AC70 mod, got new lights, pumps and stuff....now I have a 2gal pico and a 4 gal nano, both with just sand and some live rock and p a t i e n t l y waiting for the freaking cycle to be done so I can put something in them!!! I have been checking parameters and all is good but have not had any algae yet in any of the tanks....what's up with that? I mean unless the live rock that I got is that good, cause common not even an algae bloom? and all my parameters are great!!! I do have a few hitchhikers that came in the live rock, but just in 1 tank. So my idea is to put some mushrooms, and zoas/polyps and other goodies and maybe a pistol shrimp/goby combo on the 4 gal and a yellow goby on the 2 gal. Would like some sexy shrimp, but those suckers are hard to find! just online orders and the S&H is way more than the price of the sexy's.... anyway so if any of you know a good place to buy some corals (besides MemFish), please let me know. I'm planning on going to Bob's Tropicals, Kermit and Something Fishy this weekend (to show the fish to my sons of course! not to buy anything......hehehe... right..), any other suggestions?
 
welcome...snakemau...these user names and pics kill me...lol I too was a FW guy for many many years....planted tanks CO2, undergravel heating system and incrediable Discus as well as about every other fish along the way. When I moved back to Memphis my wife said why don't you try SW...so I did and a couple of years later I am in with both feet.....(so to speak..I usually have both arms in the tank, but some of these guys on RC have some where you could snorkle around their tanks)

I hear the local club here in Memphis gives free corals to new members so you might want to check that out....(a little humor from another previous post, but I will give you a free one if they have another meeting)....anyway Zoas/polys and shrooms are great ones to begin your collection as there are hundreds of different ones to chose from.....be sure to read about zoas and potential hazzards to handling them. I "usually" put on gloves to handle them, but if one falls while I am trying to make the perfect aquascape I have moved them with my bare hands, but always wash my hands afterwards...better safe than sorry...so use gloves and eye protection (yes, one did squirt me :hmm3:, but not in the eye thank goodness - I hear the side effects can really be bad)

Enjoy your visits to the LFS...I have never been to Bob's but the rest are great!
 
Welcome!

Did you add any organic matter (piece or shrimp, etc) to start the cycle? You need to add something to provide an ammonia source to start the cycle. Once the bacteria colonies progress and you have nitrates, you'll see the algae.

You're livestock selections sound good for your tanks. However, nanos and picos like the 2 gallon can be tricky from what I've heard. Typically people will recommend starting out with as much water volume as possible to protect against quick changes in water chemisty. For that reason, I would recommend waiting on the fish until you get a good feel for upkeep of the two tanks. Start with some shrooms, zoas, maybe a hermit or two, and go from there. I highly recommend the sexy shrimp. I have three and surprisingly bold for how small they are. I'm sure if you talk to the personnel at Memfish or Kermits Reef they can order you some.

Good luck with the tanks!
 
Hey guys! Thanks! Where is the list for the free stuff? sign me in! lol jk.

Will be careful with the stings and squirts! but that is also part of the fun! Hey I used to catch timber rattlesnakes and kept some as pets among other venomous snakes (hence my screen name!)
So I do have to add a shrimp even if I'm using 2 live rocks from a established tank? what about if I can get a cup or so of someones sump (the rubble and sand) and mix it with my sand, will that work to start the cycle?
 
It depends on if the bacteria in the live rock perished during the move from the established tank to yours. The purpose of the cycle is to establish the bacteria population in the live rock and sand necessary for turning toxic ammonia from fish waste, excess food, etc into less toxic nitrite and then much less toxic nitrate. If you don't know whether the bacteria survived or not, I would recommend taking the steps to establish the cycle assuming there is no bacteria. Add a piece of shrimp, fish food, etc and then use a high quality test kit to monitor the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. A spike in ammonia after introducing the shrimp or food without any detectable nitrite and nitrate would indicate that the bacteria populations need to be reestablished. Then, continue through the cycle until there is no detectable ammonia and nitrite.

The cup of sump sand or rubble really won't do anything to start the cycle unless there's organic waste in it.
 
Ok will check then. I have been monitoring the parameters and so far one tank was 11.8 dKh, nitrate 20 ppm, no ammonia, nitrite 0, mag 1305, calcium 435 and pH 7.9. The other tank had 13.8 dkh, no nitrate, no nitrite, no ammonia, mag 1320, calcium 440, pH 8.1. It has been like that for more than a week now. Tomorrow I will do 10% water change and I have been doing top offs. If I'm not wrong I think these parameters are Ok correct?
 
LOL, none taken Mako, I'm a noob!!!!

Thanks for the link and support.
I surely will be asking a lot!
 
Those parameters sound good mau. Just take it slow with the stocking and get a feel for tanks. After awhile you won't need the test kits as much to know whats going on in them.
 
...OR Buy everythig established and Hurry up.

Either way.


(Actually.... What Skyler just said. Slow & Steady)
 
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