found this forum on a google search

[fjmcm1947]

Hi,

I am new to salt water tanks and I noticed a white cacoon looking thing on my live rock, so I did a search to that effect and found a thread with pics and it sure looks like the same thing a sponge, going on the third wk with my new tank 54 gal corner type tank, been raising fish about 8 years all Cichlids a 75 gal South American and a 55 African.

My youngest daughter has been bugging me some time now to do saltwater so she could have a Nemo and a Dori so we have two true's and a Blue hippo and a Lawnmower blenny, rainbow gramma, striped damsel, yellow tail damsel, and a solid blue damsel, I used the damsels to cycle tank, but by useing filters from my other tanks then buying new ones to replace them and about 40 lbs of live crushed coral stuff and 20 lbs live rock a canister and a 280 this tank cycled fast.

So now that I retired I have time for the saltwater never wanted to mess with it before.

Frank

 

[thominil]

Welcome to AA! You may want to swap out that crushed coral for aragonite sand as the crushed coral will become a nitrate problem. Also, you can add more live rock, about 30-60lbs. more.

 

[spoonman]

Welcome to AA! You used FW filters and bacteria to cycle a SW tank? Didnt think that would work?

 

[jessicasmarine]

welcome, enjoy your retirement.

 

[HN1]

Welcome to AA!

I'd suggest starting a thread in the SW section if you want specific feedback on your stocking and critters. Some of your fish may not be ok in that tank on a longterm basis.

 

[thincat]

Welcome Frank. You have a lot of fish in that 54g. Damsels get nasty when they get older. You may run into problems with them. Freshwater filter media will not seed a SW tank. Different types of bacteria. It may have helped in creating more ammonia as they died off. Crushed coral makes a bad substrate. As detritus builds up it will become a nitrate factory and cause you lots of problems. See if you can replace it with aragonite sand.

 

[fjmcm1947]

yes I plan to add more live rock, and yes same bacteria if you will notice on most bottles of stress zyme or Boi Boost from petsolutions and others who have bacteria starters they all say for FW or marine, so yes my old filters really did the job.

I really do not want sand I check my water daily if I see a problem in nitrate, now I know what to do about it Thanks.

 

[fjmcm1947]

Yes I heard the damsels later may be a problem I do have other emty tanks waiting or I will give them away not that crazy about them anyway.

all these fish right now don't add up to 10 nches I will make adjustments as time goes I have to have something to do all day , no job Thanks God

 

[HN1]

yes I plan to add more live rock, and yes same bacteria if you will notice on most bottles of stress zyme or Boi Boost from petsolutions and others who have bacteria starters they all say for FW or marine, so yes my old filters really did the job.

I really do not want sand I check my water daily if I see a problem in nitrate, now I know what to do about it Thanks.

I hate to do this in a welcome thread of all places, but these are snake oil. They can claim FW or SW because they do nothing. There's science and then there's product claims. You choose which to believe.

 

[FishEggs]

welcome to AA Frank. Hope you enjoy your stay and retirement.

 

[jessicasmarine]

I hate to do this in a welcome thread of all places, but these are snake oil. They can claim FW or SW because they do nothing. There's science and then there's product claims. You choose which to believe.

Nitrosococcus oceani , marine nitrifing bacteria
Nitrosomonas, frshwater strain,
nothing like a quick Google

 

[melosu58]

I used the damsels to cycle tank

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

 

[jessicasmarine]

Fishless cycling is definetly the preferred method
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V

 

[fjmcm1947]

boy this is a busy site Thanks fisheggs.

HN1, I really don't believe in either only in results, results have been good. could be a little of both, Thanks

 

[HN1]

No worries. I wish you and your fish nothing but good. I look forward to learning from you and your experiences just as I've learned a lot from the many experienced folks here. I'm just a bit cynical about some products and LFS claims.

 

[spoonman]

I guess if you put something in your tank that dies off it will get the cycle started. Dying off FW bacteria=ammonia=Nitrites=Nitrates?

 

[thominil]

It does provide an ammonia source but not a very big one.

 

[fjmcm1947]

Hn1, I do understand I am also but I go by trial and error over the past years of what works and what doesnt I know only one thing about fish tanks that has always worked what ever size tank you have double or tripple the amount of filtration my 75 gallon South American tank has one Fluval canister 404 and one Emperor 400, one Emperor 280, one H.O.T Magnum hang on the back, that is alot of filtration and alot of area for bacteria, so the only thing I know for sure is more filtration the faster it will cycle all of my tanks have alot of filtration and when I have started a new tank I pour that liquid bacteria all over those filters and have not lost a starter fish, I do water changes weekly useing amquel, strees zyme, strees coat , bio boost on a new tank and never have it spike with no nitrite or ammonia they just work. I just started the African tank in May when I retired and it never spiked all my water is crystal clear and all test out 0 maybe just luck or throwing tons of filters and products in them works, after I feel all is well I change water every 2 wks never going longer specially with messy South Americans. I am very very picky about my water if it does not look like glass I am not happy.

Thanks much for your input and your well wishes

 

[HN1]

Hn1, I do understand I am also but I go by trial and error over the past years of what works and what doesnt I know only one thing about fish tanks that has always worked what ever size tank you have double or tripple the amount of filtration my 75 gallon South American tank has one Fluval canister 404 and one Emperor 400, one Emperor 280, one H.O.T Magnum hang on the back, that is alot of filtration and alot of area for bacteria, so the only thing I know for sure is more filtration the faster it will cycle all of my tanks have alot of filtration and when I have started a new tank I pour that liquid bacteria all over those filters and have not lost a starter fish, I do water changes weekly useing amquel, strees zyme, strees coat , bio boost on a new tank and never have it spike with no nitrite or ammonia they just work. I just started the African tank in May when I retired and it never spiked all my water is crystal clear and all test out 0 maybe just luck or throwing tons of filters and products in them works, after I feel all is well I change water every 2 wks never going longer specially with messy South Americans. I am very very picky about my water if it does not look like glass I am not happy.

Thanks much for your input and your well wishes

This is still cycling with fish and spending extra money on useless bottled products. You don't mention how you are testing or what with. If all tests at 0, the tank isn't cycled. I'll bet you local shop (or guessing here... Petco) loves you. To each their own, but you really need to understand that SW is different than fresh. I've kept both and had ~200G of FW breeding tanks going so I can relate to that side as well. Clarity of water has no real bearing on it's actual safety for life. Good luck. PM me if I can help and I'll do abything I possibly can, but I'm bowing out of the thread.

 

[fjmcm1947]

No to Petco, there is a shop one owner and wife been doing fish 29 years nice man, my test kit is the liquid type by Aquarium Pharmaceutical.

Well I guess we need to take these companies to court for lying about their products I would think that is against the law putting things on your product that don't work.

Thanks all for your input appreciate it.