So I have a new tank a aquaone reef 400 it has been set up and in the first stages of cycling, I had the tank set up for three weeks empty an adding a little fish food to get the cycling started, then I brought 24 kg of live rock and added it to cycle with that, that was a week ago. Then this weekend I took a sample of water to the LFS to be tested and the ammonia has spiked and there are nitrates (so they told me) I also saw the perfect flat round piece of live rock (2kg) that's perfect to make a cave with so I brought that as well, I know this could prolong the cycling but even thou I can't wait to add some fish I am not in a hurry I want to do this right from the beginning. I have a 150L tank that I brought as a already set up cycled tank with stock but being a fresh water tank converted to a marine and having bits stuck on everywhere it's messy looking and not big enough for a lot of fish I like. I have also had some problems with temp control in the summer and making some rookie mistakes so I went and brought this marine tank + chiller + UV filter and I want to do it right from the start and then move my current fish over and get rid of the other tank.
Anyway so yesterday I put the new rock in and today I did a water change as my tank was a little to salty so added some fresh water (I have a dodgie salinity tester and am buying a refractometer)
Anyway so the thing is today after doing a water change a little about 15-20cm snowflake eel swam out of my rocks and did a few laps of the tank, I already really like this guy but am worried about his health being in such new not cycled tank! He could of already been there a week or a day I don't know, he seems pretty happy has already dug out a little den and was just chilling in his hole with his head out, when I moved my fingers on the glass he came out further like he was hungry so I went and brought a prawn and chopped it up and dropped a bit in he could obviously smell it and went crazy swimming around the tank so I got another tiny piece and held it with long forceps and held it near to where he was swimming and he ate it with vigour so I got another piece and he ate that as well, then was swimming around a fair bit and has since settled back down into a hole. I guess my question is what do I do with him? Do I leave him since he may of already been in the tank a week now or do I try and catch him and take him back? That may be hard and require pulling my whole tank apart. He doesn't seem stressed but may of only been in there a day.
Anyway so yesterday I put the new rock in and today I did a water change as my tank was a little to salty so added some fresh water (I have a dodgie salinity tester and am buying a refractometer)
Anyway so the thing is today after doing a water change a little about 15-20cm snowflake eel swam out of my rocks and did a few laps of the tank, I already really like this guy but am worried about his health being in such new not cycled tank! He could of already been there a week or a day I don't know, he seems pretty happy has already dug out a little den and was just chilling in his hole with his head out, when I moved my fingers on the glass he came out further like he was hungry so I went and brought a prawn and chopped it up and dropped a bit in he could obviously smell it and went crazy swimming around the tank so I got another tiny piece and held it with long forceps and held it near to where he was swimming and he ate it with vigour so I got another piece and he ate that as well, then was swimming around a fair bit and has since settled back down into a hole. I guess my question is what do I do with him? Do I leave him since he may of already been in the tank a week now or do I try and catch him and take him back? That may be hard and require pulling my whole tank apart. He doesn't seem stressed but may of only been in there a day.
