Our 75 gallon adventure

[Jeremiahinsc]

Hello all my name is Jeremiah. I've been reading this forum daily, and figured it was about time to start a build thread. Our tank is freshly cycled and the first inhabitants are now a week in, and are surviving. We started this journey back in October, and began assembling to equipment. I built the stand (hood to come), Aqueon 75 drilled tank, eshopps rs100 sump, reef octopus 150 skimmer, live sand, acid washed rock, and a reef breeders photon light. We're just trying to take this slow, not kill anything, and learn as we go. After a two week cycle I took some water to the fish store, he tested it and said I could add the first fish and clean up crew. I hadn't yet bought my own test kits and trusted him and the fact that I had a diatom bloom, and green algae starting. I have since tested myself and continue to have zero ammonia readings. I just ordered the starter kit from BRS to begin testing for alk, mag, and calcium. I've also began building the brute trash can mixing station, and am trying to figure out what is required for a quarantine tank (still unsure what filter?). Again, hello.

 

[Jeremiahinsc]

Another photo

 

[Jeremiahinsc]

 

[loui]

2 weeks is to soon the reason why you have 0 ammonia is due to not having anything alive in your tank yet. That is dry rock right? You need to add some bacteria to the tank to start the cycle process you can either add some kind of reef starter chemical or you can do it the old way by tossing in a piece of frozen shrimp into the tank. you can also get some live rock and not clean it the die off will start the cycle. I let new tanks run for 3 months before even thinking about adding something to it. this hobby is about patience might as well learn from the start.

 

[Jeremiahinsc]

Now you have me worried. I used all live sand and added microbactor 7 everyday. Had a diatom bloom and green algae. Should I pull out the fish and cuc?? I'm now testing for ammonia daily.

 

[Bogue Chitto]

You will have the algae bloom no matter what you do. If your fish are doing o.k. just wait for the algae cycle to finish and not feed much food. If your ammonia stays zero you should be all right.