Zach's 20 gal long build
- Thread starter zacheyp
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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JLH-l3ioCub3
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2011
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- 313
I'm no expert and like you I'm just starting out but from what I was told the LR alone will do it in 4-6 weeks. I let mine cycle with no lights for 2 weeks and then turned lights on and bought 2 damsels. It was cycled in 4 weeks. then I added fuge and started dosing calcium, mag, and strontium, then added corals. As far as stocking the safe way from my research is 4 fish max, and I tried a sand sifter. It almost starved to death and I had a lot of good sand. I gave it to a friend with a larger tank and now I'm trying a jawfish. So far he's awesome! Just something to keep in mind for your stalking list! Just be patient! It will happen before you know it. Seems like I just started mine yesterday, now 6 months later Im looking at old pics and saying "omg! That coral has grown! Look how little the clowns were!" when you stare at everything for hours a day and try to watch it grow it just doesn't..lol I have to make myself ignore it for a week and then go back and then it's rewarding lol! nice build tho! Keep it up-and remember.. Patience!
i think im gonna add 2 gallons for pure amo tomrow for the following reasons, i will still be able to start in a few weeks, because my api test kit came today, idk if i am in a real cycle or a minnie one, adding amonnia ant hurt, a reef tank is something to enjoy for years, a few weeks are nothing in the grand scheeme of things!!
ccCapt
SW 20 & Over Club
Are you serious? You will never cycle your tank doing something like that. The ammonia levels will be so high nothing will live....including bacteria.
Try 2-3 drops and then test your ammonia level. You don't want it any higher than 5 PPM....and that is at the high end. 2-3 PPM is better.
Even tho I'm not a fan of using ammonia to cycle a tank, this article might help you.
Cycling the Tank
coffeetwitch
Aquarium Advice Addict
ccCapt
SW 20 & Over Club
There are no advantages to using ammonia and it's easy to raise the levels too high. If you have live rock in the tank, the ammonia spike can kill lots of the beneficial critters in/on the rock. Uncured live rock or a piece of shrimp is safer and more natural since the ammonia is gradually produced by decomposition. There is no instant spike as there is when just dumping in pure ammonia.
coffeetwitch
Aquarium Advice Addict
thank you for taking your time to respond and explain.
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