how much live rock is too much?
- Thread starter misskeeter2766
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
thanks. I tested just the ammonia this morning to see if it looked like the tank would cycle from just the rock die off. It was .25. Is that enough for the first day, or do I need to go buy a raw shrimp?
I'll probably test everything else later today, but I was mainly concerned with making sure it would cycle.
oh.. and I know better than to pour a bunch of purple up in the tank. Based on the dosage info on the bottle, looks like I would only use 1.2 mL at a time.. lol. have to get out my little dosing syringe for that.
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
what about the Kent marine reef start up kit??? should I return that too?
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
ugh. I pulled out all the rock... moved the tank... put the rock back in and finally liked the aquascaping... added the sand... you cant see my favorite rock now, and the "suggested" amount of sand looks like WAY too much...it is covering everything... now what?
you cant see my favorite rock now, and the "suggested" amount of sand looks like WAY too much...it is covering everything... now what?
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
I've added 18 pounds of live sand. I'm worried it might be too much. I can't tell.
I like this aquascaping much better though!
I like this aquascaping much better though!
Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
It doesn't seem like too much. How deep is it?
Zer0
is back to save the day!
Yeah, i'd like to know how deep it is as well. Correct me if i'm wrong, but is your rock structure sitting on top of a huge sand mound?
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
It actually can be bad to have too much live rock. If you have so much rock packed into the tank it will create dead areas with no flow and can very well cause a tank crash in the future. I have read threads about this happening. With that said, I think you aquascaping looks good, and a big improvement in the second picture after you redid it. 18lbs of sand in a 12-gallon tank should be fine. I'd also like to know if the rocks are on top of the sand or on the bottom of the tank and how deep the sandbed is. I also agree that the purple up is not needed.
Your tank is looking good, if your ammonia does not go higher than .25 it may not hurt to throw a raw shrimp in there to get a "harder" cycle.
Your tank is looking good, if your ammonia does not go higher than .25 it may not hurt to throw a raw shrimp in there to get a "harder" cycle.
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
I just looked up what at Kent marine reef start up kit is. Definitely return that too. You do not need to be dosing strontium, iodine and calcium. Stick with just water changes for awhile like Melosu said, but AFTER your tank cycles.
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
The rocks are on the bottom of the tank. The sand was added AFTER the rocks, and they have not been moved. My favorite rock was sitting on the bottom and has been covered by the sand. That may be what looks like a huge sandbed to you.. it's actually my favorite rock. LOL.
The water flow looks good throughout the tank. All the little pieces of stuff on the rocks seem to be moving gently.
The sand is 1.5" deep in the front, and 2" deep in the back. I kept trying to move it around to get in between the rocks in the front. I know it was best to have the rocks in there first, but man was THAT a huge pain in the tush.
Glad to know about the Kent marine stuff.. that's $18 I can use elsewhere.
My ammonia is now up to 1.0 as of this morning... is that high enough or do I want it to go even higher?
That may be what looks like a huge sandbed to you.. it's actually my favorite rock. LOL. The water flow looks good throughout the tank. All the little pieces of stuff on the rocks seem to be moving gently.
The sand is 1.5" deep in the front, and 2" deep in the back. I kept trying to move it around to get in between the rocks in the front. I know it was best to have the rocks in there first, but man was THAT a huge pain in the tush.
Glad to know about the Kent marine stuff.. that's $18 I can use elsewhere.
My ammonia is now up to 1.0 as of this morning... is that high enough or do I want it to go even higher?
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
The rocks are on the bottom of the tank. The sand was added AFTER the rocks, and they have not been moved. My favorite rock was sitting on the bottom and has been covered by the sand.
The water flow looks good throughout the tank. All the little pieces of stuff on the rocks seem to be moving gently.
The sand is 1.5" deep in the front, and 2" deep in the back. I kept trying to move it around to get in between the rocks in the front. I know it was best to have the rocks in there first, but man was THAT a huge pain in the tush.
Glad to know about the Kent marine stuff.. that's $18 I can use elsewhere.
My ammonia is now up to 1.0 as of this morning... is that high enough or do I want it to go even higher?
That ammonia is high enough, you do not need to add any shrimp. I think your sandbed is good and your tank looks nice. Now its just a matter of waiting for it to cycle.
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
yep.. the long and boring part.
I'm a pretty patient person... but it's even hard for me to sit there and look at that tank and think about how much better it would look if there was a fish or something in there. LOL... would never put a fish through that torture though... too bad I can't throw one of those little mechanical fish in there. LOL. My sister keeps making fun of me for taking pictures of my "pet rocks"
One of my new pieces of rock has a bunch of bright orange discs on it. They are small.. maybe a quarter of an inch in diameter.. and they are HARD... any thoughts on what they could be? I tried to get a picture of them, and the light was reflecting off the water too much to get a good pic...
I'm a pretty patient person... but it's even hard for me to sit there and look at that tank and think about how much better it would look if there was a fish or something in there. LOL... would never put a fish through that torture though... too bad I can't throw one of those little mechanical fish in there. LOL. My sister keeps making fun of me for taking pictures of my "pet rocks"
One of my new pieces of rock has a bunch of bright orange discs on it. They are small.. maybe a quarter of an inch in diameter.. and they are HARD... any thoughts on what they could be? I tried to get a picture of them, and the light was reflecting off the water too much to get a good pic...
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
Can't tell without a close up photo. They could be sponges.
When I set my tank up I was told to get a rubber ducky when I was getting impatient during the cycle. My ammonia went up to 5+ from the LR die off and made the house stink too (well just around the tank).
Coralline alage will start growing if there was any on the LR to begin with.
RULE # xx: DON'T dose anything you don't test for first. Unless you go to a full blown reen with lots of sps you probably will never have to dose anything is do normal PWC's of 10%/week or 20% every other week.
You will be amazed at the life that comes from the LR during the first year.
When I set my tank up I was told to get a rubber ducky when I was getting impatient during the cycle. My ammonia went up to 5+ from the LR die off and made the house stink too (well just around the tank).
Coralline alage will start growing if there was any on the LR to begin with.
RULE # xx: DON'T dose anything you don't test for first. Unless you go to a full blown reen with lots of sps you probably will never have to dose anything is do normal PWC's of 10%/week or 20% every other week.
You will be amazed at the life that comes from the LR during the first year.
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
okay. Got a pic. these little discs are really hard.
ryshark
Aquarium Advice Addict
If they are hard they are probably calcified something... maybe coral skeleton. I would have guessed coral skeleton but the orange is throwing me off. If it was a piece of coral it probably wouldn't still be orange after all it has gone through.
The short version is.... I don't know what that is
The short version is.... I don't know what that is
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misskeeter2766
Aquarium Advice Freak
LMAO.. thanks... that's helpful...
yeah I would have thought some kind of coral something.. but it's hard.. and orange... I mean.. BRIGHT orange... whatever it is, I like it.. pretty... watch it turn out to be a man eating orange calcium mushroom. ;p like little shop of horrors, the nano reef version
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