one more question....

[Nabob89]

so the base rock and sand have been in the tank for about two days....the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate aren't very high though....is a cycle happening? Someone said to throw a small amount of food into the tank to speed up the process....how much should i throw in? (i have formula one flakes).......finally, can I put my LR in while the tank is cycling, or should I hold off until the cycle is complete (I will be adding all the LR at once.....about 40 lbs) Thanks
Matt

 

[Nabob89]

also, can I add the chaeto to my HOB fuge as soon as I get the LR (the fuge is already set up with sand/water)

 

[Andrew]

Sounds like the tank is cycling to me. I just add a pinch of food to my tanks to start the cycle. I myself wait a week until I add the liverock to my new tanks but you should be fine now. And yes, you can add your fuge durning the cycle stage.

 

[Nabob89]

so if the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels go up in the next few days, i dont need to add any food right....just maybe add the LR this weekend then wait for the cycle to end?

 

[Brenden]

If you just have base rock and sand what is starting the cycle? If you have not added LR I would add something to start the cycle. raw shrimp, food etc.

 

[Sk8r]

Basically, feed one invisible fish daily until you see algae. Then measure and test.

 

[Nabob89]

ok ill put some flakes in there now......and what is an acceptable temp for a reef tank....79 degrees sound ok?

 

[Nabob89]

and just one more thing while i have your attention (my last of the day i promise! )........can i prop up my PC light over the tank with wooden blocks? .......or could they heat up and potentially burn my house down? .....the blocks would only be underneath the outer corners of the light (plastic part)

 

[Brenden]

79 is fine. Stability is the key. As far as the wooden blocks go...you can judge better than me. how hot do they get? Guessing you would be fine but I run MH so no direct experience. I would be concerned about knocking them into the water if they are just laying on wood blocks

 

[Nabob89]

yeah it stinks....they dont make a stand for the kind of Jalli lights that i have.....but i have four pieces of wood (one laying diagonal across each corner of the tank).....and the light rests in the middle of these blocks......i know thats kind of hard to picture, but ill get a pic up as soon as i figure out how to use this digital camera.....anyway the light feels sturdy (when i give it a small shake, it doesnt wobble at all)....so i think im good