Rookie Saltwater Girl

[lilfirefly]

Ok...my name is Stacy and I am from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I have resurrected an old very good condition 45H gallon tank. Started with Instant Ocean and 40lbs of live rock from Foster n Smith and a Bak-Pak II Protien Skimmer. Ran for one week and added 50 lbs of Marco Rock..one day later added 10 lbs of fully cured live fuji. There is alot of life in this new rock and I am afraid I have an unwelcome anenome hitchhiker. Not sure of the name, starts with an A. I have taken a picture and will upload it later when my camera charges. I have tested the water with the 6-1 strips and all have stayed within ideal limits. I need better testing stuff but just wasnt really even sure what to get. What do I need to do next. I am patient and not really toooo anxious to add fish. What do I have to do to get this thing to cycle. I conditioned the tap water with AquaSafe with BioExtract and treated the water with ACT Aquatic Culture Treatment. I am a total newbie and of course have spent alot of money so far and just am trying to keep my costs reasonable. Any advice out there?

 

[jk1nole]

I'm in the same position as you. Totally new to saltwater. My tank has been up an running for over a week. The live rock is coming to life. I think I found an aiptasia today... which is what you are referring too. From what I have heard we should try some hermit crabs or peppermint shrimp first? If you try to cut it out it might split and multiply.

I had my LFS test my water today to make sure it looked good to them too. I plan on getting some snails and hermits to start this weekend. Maybe I'll get a clown or two and then sit and wait.

 

[Innovator]

Welcome to the hobby/profession Most likely it is Aiptasia and how to get rid of it can be found in my Sig. As far as cycling, if you purchased uncured live rock then that will jump start the process, but you can also add a piece of raw cocktail shrimp and let it sit overnight or use Ammonium chloride. As for testing, use liquid tests since they have a better correction % than strips. API makes a very affordable kit. Also, the Search button is your friend

 

[thominil]

Check the link in my signature to help ID hitch hikers. You got a nice skimmer from the reviews I have read on it. You could add a tad more rock if you feel the need to. Chuck the test strips and get an API Saltwater master test kit, or some other liquid test kit as the strips are inaccurate and IMO, pointless. Don't use any other chemicals or bacteria in a bottle stuff. Go to your local grocery store and grab a raw, unseasoned jumbo shrimp, toss it in a zip-loc bag poke some small holes in the bag and toss the bag in the tank. This will help you cycle your tank. As the shrimp decays, it creates ammonia which bacteria from your current live rock will turn the ammonia to nitrite which more bacteria will turn to nitrate. During the period test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, don't test anything else as most of those parameters will be all over the place during your cycle. Once the ammonia and nitrite hit 0 and your nitrate rises, your tank is cycled. At this point you will want to do a 25%-50% partial water change (pwc) to help lower the nitrate. Remove the bag containing the shrimp, and you are safe to add fish.

Do you have a heater, powerheads, thermometer, refractometer/hydrometer?

 

[lilfirefly]

Ok...so the tank has to spike in ammonia as part of the cycling process? The live rock I purchased has absolutely no dieoff at this time. Very bright colored and cool. Yeah, here I was excited that I had an anenome..hahaha, what a putz! I started researching and found what I think is a stinker! JK..we shall learn together. Everyone is so helpful! Innovator...thank you for the hint about a good test kit. So do you believe that the marco rock will spike the ammonia? I put it in last friday and live rock yesterday. Aiptasia...How do you pronounce that?

 

[lilfirefly]

Do you have a heater, powerheads, thermometer, refractometer/hydrometer?

Yep...I bought a good heater and have it at about 76 (not sure about this) and my salinity is at about 0.24

 

[lilfirefly]

The only powerhead I have is what is incorporated in the Bak-Pak II. Do I need more?

 

[thominil]

Bump the temperature up to about 80 and the sg up to 1.026.

 

[lilfirefly]

The salinity is 1.023 sorry. I did spend some time reading and indead the anenome is an Aiptasia..and a big one! Now there is another one where this one had been last night, but very tiny. I think I need to deal with this immediately. Peppermint shrimp would probably die because of the cycle..what do you recommend...the mixture of kalkwasser, water and vinegar heated? I can get a syringe tommorrow.

 

[thominil]

Peppermint shrimp eating aiptasia is a hit or miss anyway. The kalk method has worked for me. You can try and thicken the mixture until you have a thick paste and rub it on the aiptasia to smother it with the paste which has worked for me too.

 

[melosu58]

Read this as far as the cycle

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/3/1/Cycle-your-salt-tank/Page1.html

Also I would try to get away from tap water. You can get a RO/DI unit for about 100 dollars. At least a RO unit. Read this for tap water

Chemistry and the Aquarium