New To Marine Tank

[CatoeSc]

I tried to do a fishless cycle, but I I didn't get any elevated numbers. The only thing I saw go up was nitrate after I began feeding the tank.

 

[TangoTank]

I tried to do a fishless cycle, but I I didn't get any elevated numbers. The only thing I saw go up was nitrate after I began feeding the tank.

Ok. So you at least know FW tanks... Just add a fish or two, monitor the parameters w/ liquid test kits (I think you already said you were) & add fish as the parameters hit zero just a couple at a time giving the BB time to adjust. Be prepared w/ aerated saltwater for a PWC as needed as things can change quickly as you know when you change the bioload!

I bought my tank used w/ stock. It's 75g, so good sized & supposedly under stocked on LR. But I've never had Ammonia or NitrItes after adding a new batch of stock. I started w/ a Sea Cucumber, a large 3-Stripe Damsel, a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, several Dwarf Cerith snails, Nassarius Snails & blue-legged hermit crabs. I added a pair of Ocellaris Clowns, took out the Damsel almost right away. Waited a couple of weeks, added a LM Blenny, Emerald Crab & 2 Bengaii Cardinals and Chaeto & a light to the refugium. Waited a couple more weeks, added a Horseshoe Crab, 10 turbo snails & 10 tiny blue-legged hermit crabs all at once. Have never seen a fluctuation in Ammonia or NitrItes just NitrAtes coming down & a significant decrease when I added the Chaeto.

I hope it's an awesome surprise at the big tank reveal!!

 

[Mebbid]

Well, my cleaner crew is in place and all my numbers continue to stay in check based on the API kit. I put some small red leg hermit crabs in (the little guys, not the Halloweens/orange) and an electric blue legged crab. I can't believe how long I can sit and watch those guys work! They are fascinating to me. My son will love them.

As long as everything stays in check, I will be adding 2 false percs this weekend. Then, after a bit more time, I would like to add a cleaner shrimp. I think I have room in the long run for more, but I'm going to leave it at that for now and let my son grow it from there as he grows up.

Can you believe I've managed to keep this project a secret this long? He has no idea his new room (right next door to his current room) has a 25 gallon tank up and running! Can't wait

As exciting as it is to be adding fish to your tank finally I can't stress it enough how important it is to QT the fish before they go into your DT. Even if they are the first fish. I was kicking myself in the butt for 6 weeks while my tank was empty because of ich. If I had QTed my fish it would have saved me a whole lot of frustration.

 

[CatoeSc]

I don't have a QT tank. The LFS, QTs everything before adding to the showroom. I'm not sure how to handle... I just don't have space for a QT setup....

 

[CatoeSc]

Here it is. It's done for the foreseeable future. In a few months, I'd like to add a fire fish or something and would like to add a cleaner shrimp. Then, in 6 to 9 months, may add some coral.

 

[mr_X]

nice rock scape.

 

[CatoeSc]

nice rock scape.

Thanks. My first time doing it, and I really like the way it turned out.

 

[Mebbid]

Agreed. That is some very nice rock work

 

[CatoeSc]

Thank you. I like the way it turned out. I'm tempted to get a "beginner" coral this weekend. I thought frogspawn or zoanthid. Any Recommendations?

 

[cgthebeast]

Looks great, loving the rock. I went with mushrooms as my first coral an its awesome,

 

[Gregcoyote]

Mushrooms are super easy. GSP, many zoas, Xenia, maybe a frogspawn. Some of these corals can grow like weeds, but they grow easily and that's what you want right now.

 

[CatoeSc]

Mushrooms are super easy. GSP, many zoas, Xenia, maybe a frogspawn. Some of these corals can grow like weeds, but they grow easily and that's what you want right now.

I've heard that mushrooms grow like wildfire and dominate everything in the tank. Is that true?

 

[mr_X]

Depends on the shroom. Mostly, yes.

 

[Gregcoyote]

If its "easy" it grows fast.

 

[CatoeSc]

If its "easy" it grows fast.

Cool. What happens down the road, though, if I wanna get more complicated, but the tank has mushrooms everywhere? Just trying to think ahead....

 

[Gregcoyote]

Cool. What happens down the road, though, if I wanna get more complicated, but the tank has mushrooms everywhere? Just trying to think ahead....

I may not be the guy to answer that.

Use sacrificial rocks to let it grow onto.

 

[CatoeSc]

I may not be the guy to answer that.

Use sacrificial rocks to let it grow onto.

That does look good, though!

 

[Gregcoyote]

That does look good, though!

Yes, my reef is covered 95% solid coral. They have developed zones they grow in and small boundaries of "no mans land." It has been fascinating to watch it happen.

 

[CatoeSc]

I had a great experience tonight. Might be common place to you folks running saltwater tanks for a long time, but it was cool to me... And even cooler to watch my son see it.

I added shells to the tank for the hermit crabs this afternoon thinking we would probably never actually "see" one move. Well, low and behold, tonight my little boy and I were sitting in front of the tank when one of the scarlet hermits grabbed itself a bigger shell, pulled himself out of the old one, and took on the new one! My son said, "Daddy did you see that? He just took that other shell." He went on and on... Called his mom into the room to see what happened, too.

I'm so glad I did this!

 

[Ericwm]

That is cool, I have had ~12 hermits for a year now and haven't seen this,I have tons of empty shells. I'm just not lucky I guess. I'm glad your boy saw it.