Stop me before I Kill! – Empty tank syndrome

[cmor1701d]

Patience grasshopper! I keep telling myself that . . .

So taking the advice gleaned from these fora; (and forgetting everything the lfs told me);
I have removed the substrate and replaced it with Southdown (5”-6” added 3/1/03)
I added 50 pounds of base and 95 pounds of live rock ((50# added 2/22/03, 45# added 3/4/03))
I added 2 powerheads (hagen 802 with filters)
Removed the bio balls from the wet/dry
Ordered a RO/DI and a refractometer
BUT,
I can’t help myself.

Every time the sand storm settles enough to see the back of the tank I find myself re-arranging the rock, causing another sand storm.
Current readings using:

SeaChem:
Ph 8.0
Ammonia Free 0; Total .13 .25
Nitrite 25+
Nitrate 50

Aq. Pharm
Ph 8.0
Ammonia .25
Nitrite 5.0+
Nitrate 20



So it looks like the tank has started cycling . I did a partial water change yesterday (15 gal) but won’t do any more till the RO/DO arrives.

I was hoping to have something purty to look at before I have some minor surgery on the 21st. I’ll be home (unable to drive for 10 days) and will need something besides work to keep me from going crazy. Is there any chance of adding visible life to the tank by then?

Next – what to add first? Second? Third; …last

I know, I know … Patience grasshopper [/list][/code]

 

[fishfreek]

Well my understanding is that free ammonia is what is dangerious but your nitrite readings are way to high to support life for long at this point.

As your tank continues to cycle the sand will settle faster and faster. I can pick up a handfull of southdown in my tank and put it in front of a PH and it will settle out of the water within a min or two. I imagen if you did that in your tank it would take much longer. The reason is because the bactera on the sand makes it stick together and also makes it heaver.

I have heard of people putting a little rubber ducky in their cycling tanks. But really patience is a vertue.

 

[d9hp]

Well, I know most people are against using live fish to cycle, but since you are getting surgery I say do it. Maybe get a 3 stripe damsel or a yellow tail, just something.

 

[cmor1701d]

A rubber duckie... Hmmm, Why didn't I think of that. Better yet maybe I'l get some of those awful tank decorations I see in the stores.

 

[clownfish]

You can also use those 10 days to look at your beautiful (i assume) aquascape and beginning figuring out how you want to stock it when your cycle ends. I tried using fish to cycle as a newbie and am now very much against it. my fish died and it just upset me. One piece of advice i got was figure out--more or less--everything i'd want in my 'finished' tank that way you can plan and configure and really build a great tank. Plenty of resources to read about different fish, their habits,etc and this forum to ask questions about 'our' experiences with those fish.

my 2 cents...

 

[cmor1701d]

Well, it's not so much figuring out what I want in the way of livestock. It's more like figuring out compatibility of species from the list accumulated from the women around me (nieces, friends, co-workers). "I want that pretty yellow one", "You have get a purple fish", "I want a blue one" ....
Oh sure, they all promise to help with tank maintenance
We'll see what happens when I'm in a sling for a month.

Thanks for the advice. I will not be using livestock to cycle the tank. Raw shrimp, maybe, but it looks like the LR is having an effect.

I will posting a fish selection topic soon. I need all the help I can get. If the 'experts' say no to a certain fish then I don't have to .

 

[michealprater]

Why not read a book while your down. I recommend "The New Marine Aquarium" by Michael Palleta or "The Consciensious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner.

 

[PrettyFishies]

How's this for potential stock?

1 Clown Trigger
1 Dog-Faced Puffer
1 Flame Angelfish
2 Common Clownfish (Occillarus?)
1 Lyretail Wrasse
1 Yellow Tang
1 Regal Tang
1 Queen Angelfish

90 Gal Tank, Probably 70#'s of non-live rock

Any potential compatabilty issues? Tips on order of introduction?

 

[reefrunner69]

Any potential compatabilty issues?

Yep, you got some aggressive fish in there and some that will simply eat the smaller fish.

Tips on order of introduction?

The list you have is waaaayyy overstocking the tank. You have 3 fish that will each rerach a length of at least 12". If it were me I would go with the clowns the wrasse and the flame angel. I would add them in that order.

 

[cmor1701d]

Great Idea...
Except I already read them... Part of the reason for all the changes I made to the original setup.

The tank is definitely startng to cycle. I won't do any more water changes till the readings stabilize. I see some brown algae starting on the tank sides and the sand. Guess I'll just watch that grow for now.

Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not to get the first of the livestock and put them in the quarantine tank for the next week or two. I think the main tank should have cycled by then.

Any thoughts on that idea?

 

[cal91666]

SeaChem:
Ph 8.0
Ammonia Free 0; Total .13 .25
Nitrite 25+
Nitrate 50

Aq. Pharm
Ph 8.0
Ammonia .25
Nitrite 5.0+
Nitrate 20

Sorta off topic but I see I'm not the only one that has seen significantly different readings using test kits from these 2 companies.

 

[Anemoneman]

Sometimes it takes longer than a couple weeks to cycle. Depends if you used LR or not. I'd wait until the nitrites are on their way down before buying fish for the quarentine tank.

 

[PrettyFishies]

REEFRUNNER: I assume you are talking about the clown trigger, dogface puffer and Queen Angel ( 12"), But can you explain to me why that setup can only maintain 3 fish? By my estimates, the rock will displace about 20 gal, Leaving 70 gal (35" 0f fish)... A wrasse is like 6", Flame 4", 2 Clowns 6-7" = 17/18" - It seems to me that there's another 17/18" available for fish.... I appreciate the response, and I don't want to overstock...but I thought my calculations were okay.

PS. I've decided against the Clown in lieu of a Picasso. I thought the dog faced puffer was okay with fish as small as a clown... should I be thinking of a smaller puffer?

 

[Anemoneman]

2 gal per inch is overcrowded. Shoot for 5 gal per inch. That would give you about 15" of adult fish length. A 90 is really no larger than a 75 for figuring a fish's territory. A better way would be to figure area rather than volume. Your experience in the hobby will be much better by keeping your bio load low. Less disease, less stress, easier maintenance.
I would skip the puffer unless you are going for a species or aggressive setup. My guess is the more aggressive a fish is (Picaso trigger for instance) the more territory he needs to get along with other fish. I don't keep an aggressive setup but I do have a species tank for a Porcupine Puffer. No compatibility issues if there is only one fish.

 

[cmor1701d]

This morning's readings are:
Am 0
Nitrite .5
Nitrate 10

Should I consider getting a small cleanup crew first?
This is a 125 FOwLR tank. Yea, it will probably be a reef tank in a year . How could it not be after chatting with all you here? 8O

So, what comes first?
Critter pack?
Clown?
3 Blue Green Chromis?