30g Reef after 1 week - Aquarium Advice

chimmike · 04-05-2008, 04:23 PM

Well, here's my 30g reef after 1 week.
0 ammonia
0 nitrites
10-20ppm nitrates
Salinity 1.024

30# cured LR
40# live sand
1 Ocellaris clown
1 Spotted Mandarin
1 Green Chromis
5 turbo snails
1 tonga conch
3 small blue hermits
1 medium red hermit

Pics- lots of background light, no tripod, automatic settings on nikon d50. (still no idea how to use this cam, any suggestions?)

Sorry some are blurry.

Future: 10g fuge w/ separate sump, lawnmower blenny, maybe black ocellaris clown, more snails, more LR rubble

I know the aquascaping isn't that good, sorry.

SassyAngel111 · 04-05-2008, 05:32 PM

You have only had this tank sat up for 1 week? That is to soon to have any livestock in the tank, it has not even cycled. 2nd your nitrates are to high.

How did you cycle your tank?

Please do the livestock a favor and take them back to the store and cycle your tank properly.

I don't aim to sound mean but you will end up loosing every living thing in the tank.

chimmike · 04-05-2008, 06:15 PM

my LFS has looked at my water and they agree that it's fine for livestock now. There was a brief cycle, the LR was fully cured when I bought it, there was no trace of ammonia at any time, and the nitrates are within safe levels...I'll be doing a partial water change here in the next few days too.

pat8you · 04-05-2008, 08:09 PM

That mandarin may give you some problems. Most of them only eat pods off your rocks. In a tank that hasn't been set up for very long there won't be a large enough pod population to feed him. You will probably have to buy pods to support him. I've heard you need a bigger tank in order to have a population that won't eventually become depleted.

fijiwigi · 04-05-2008, 08:40 PM

Your beneficial bacteria are still babies and may not be able to digest the amount of waste that is produced by your fish. There will most likely be another cycle of ammonia make sure you are watching for that and testing your parameters every couple days. Patience is the key to success (Rome wasn't built in a day) take your time and plan things out you may have some dead livestock. The cycling process usually takes 6-8 weeks. I wish you luck and welcome you to the hobby. I really like your rocks and the tank looks great and so does your stocking list I only wish you would have cycled the tank first for a while longer any way your tank your dollar good luck and look forward to see how it progresses as time goes on.

Just to add I researched the mandarin for a while I thought of putting one in my 46g tank but decided against it because I wasn't confident I could supply the pod population If you wish long term success with your mandarin you may consider buying some pods and a lot of them

chimmike · 04-05-2008, 09:37 PM

I'll definitely be buying pods

I had that much planned already. And I'll be populating the pods in my 'fuge when it's set up too, hoping they go through the sump to the main tank.

I'm watching the chems and have no problems doing water changes when the need arises

After all, this isn't a set it and forget it hobby!

mr86mister · 04-05-2008, 09:39 PM

I'm sure you might be giving a dirty look to those who may be reminding you about the cycling issue. BUT!! You do what you have to do. I recommend just keep very diligent on the PWC's and please keep your parameters in check. If you continue to do that you should be fine with not many problems. The aquascaping looks good actually. Its a young tank so it always looks a bit empty. Nevertheless just make sure to keep up on its needs and keep us posted!

chimmike · 04-05-2008, 09:45 PM

My family is from Syracuse

yeah, I'm constantly checking everything, making sure the fish aren't stressed, etc. That's the fun in it for me. Gives me something to tinker with.

mr86mister · 04-05-2008, 09:47 PM

haha, small world, eh?

I'm not going to lie. That is always the excitement for me as well in the beginning to keep up on everything. Then after awhile I get bored with a perfectly established tank and then I have to buy a new one...lol.

SassyAngel111 · 04-06-2008, 08:09 AM

[quote=chimmike;857813]There was a brief cycle, the LR was fully cured when I bought it,

Chimmike, again I am sorry if I sounded to harsh, but if you would have posted that your LR was fully cured when you had bought it in your 1st post, I would not have went off like that. OH by the way I do like the aquascaping.

04-05-2008, 08:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
pat8you Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Posts: 397 Images: 5	That mandarin may give you some problems. Most of them only eat pods off your rocks. In a tank that hasn't been set up for very long there won't be a large enough pod population to feed him. You will probably have to buy pods to support him. I've heard you need a bigger tank in order to have a population that won't eventually become depleted. __________________ 12gal saltwater w/ 17 lbs live rock 48 watts PC 50/50 bulbs (10k/Actinic) ocellaris clown, green clown goby assorted corals

04-05-2008, 08:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
fijiwigi Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Yakima, Washington Posts: 1,034 Images: 7	Your beneficial bacteria are still babies and may not be able to digest the amount of waste that is produced by your fish. There will most likely be another cycle of ammonia make sure you are watching for that and testing your parameters every couple days. Patience is the key to success (Rome wasn't built in a day) take your time and plan things out you may have some dead livestock. The cycling process usually takes 6-8 weeks. I wish you luck and welcome you to the hobby. I really like your rocks and the tank looks great and so does your stocking list I only wish you would have cycled the tank first for a while longer any way your tank your dollar good luck and look forward to see how it progresses as time goes on. Just to add I researched the mandarin for a while I thought of putting one in my 46g tank but decided against it because I wasn't confident I could supply the pod population If you wish long term success with your mandarin you may consider buying some pods and a lot of them __________________ I am excited to create my personal mini-ocean with the needed help From fellow addicts @ AquariumAdvice.com S.D.M.F http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c48oMTmYcz4

04-05-2008, 09:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
mr86mister Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: May 2005 Location: East Syracuse, NY Posts: 723 Images: 21	I'm sure you might be giving a dirty look to those who may be reminding you about the cycling issue. BUT!! You do what you have to do. I recommend just keep very diligent on the PWC's and please keep your parameters in check. If you continue to do that you should be fine with not many problems. The aquascaping looks good actually. Its a young tank so it always looks a bit empty. Nevertheless just make sure to keep up on its needs and keep us posted! __________________ 20 Gallon High Semi-Aggressive 5 Gallon Community 3 Gallon Wet/Dry for Fiddler Crab Oceanic BioCube 14Gal

04-05-2008, 09:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
mr86mister Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: May 2005 Location: East Syracuse, NY Posts: 723 Images: 21	haha, small world, eh? I'm not going to lie. That is always the excitement for me as well in the beginning to keep up on everything. Then after awhile I get bored with a perfectly established tank and then I have to buy a new one...lol. __________________ 20 Gallon High Semi-Aggressive 5 Gallon Community 3 Gallon Wet/Dry for Fiddler Crab Oceanic BioCube 14Gal

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04-05-2008, 05:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
SassyAngel111 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Buckeye, AZ Posts: 151	You have only had this tank sat up for 1 week? That is to soon to have any livestock in the tank, it has not even cycled. 2nd your nitrates are to high. How did you cycle your tank? Please do the livestock a favor and take them back to the store and cycle your tank properly. I don't aim to sound mean but you will end up loosing every living thing in the tank.

04-05-2008, 06:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
chimmike Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 53	my LFS has looked at my water and they agree that it's fine for livestock now. There was a brief cycle, the LR was fully cured when I bought it, there was no trace of ammonia at any time, and the nitrates are within safe levels...I'll be doing a partial water change here in the next few days too.

04-05-2008, 09:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
chimmike Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 53	I'll definitely be buying pods I had that much planned already. And I'll be populating the pods in my 'fuge when it's set up too, hoping they go through the sump to the main tank. I'm watching the chems and have no problems doing water changes when the need arises After all, this isn't a set it and forget it hobby!

04-05-2008, 09:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
chimmike Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 53	My family is from Syracuse yeah, I'm constantly checking everything, making sure the fish aren't stressed, etc. That's the fun in it for me. Gives me something to tinker with.

04-06-2008, 08:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
SassyAngel111 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Buckeye, AZ Posts: 151	[quote=chimmike;857813]There was a brief cycle, the LR was fully cured when I bought it, Chimmike, again I am sorry if I sounded to harsh, but if you would have posted that your LR was fully cured when you had bought it in your 1st post, I would not have went off like that. OH by the way I do like the aquascaping.