Live rock question

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If you cycle your tank with the proper amount of LR and sand the cycle would take the same amount of time for a 5g as it would for a 100g tank. It's not a set amount of time. It's the time it takes for your AQ's liverock to process a given amount of ammonia. The cycle processes ammonia to nitrites to nitrates and all this is done by the bacteria in your LR and finally lowers your nitrates by doing PWC's. And you monitor this using your SW testing equipment. Also you should do the testing not your LFS. It's an amazing process and you should do your own testing to follow the phases of your SW tank.
 
Just get base rock and some small pieces of LR. $9 a lb for LR is crazy.
 
Thincat what do I use to test the water and what am I looking for befor I can add fish/coral? Also should I add my fish before I add my coral?
 
Go grab an API Saltwater Master Test Kit. You are looking for amonia to rise then fall to 0, nitrite to rise then fall to 0, and nitrate to rise, and you will remove nitrates with a pwc. Have you added anything such as a raw unseasoned shrimp to cycle the tank yet? Add the fish after your cycle completes, then wait 2-3 months for things to stabilize, and then you can add coral. Read up on fishless cycling to get a better understanding.
 
Thom what is a pwc? I have only added the live sand and live rock as I was told to wait 3 weeks befor adding anything else. This would allow amonia spikes from the sand and rock to cycle out with water changes. As for adding my fish I was looking at adding them one at a time since I only have a 5 gallon tank and letting them cycle out, does that sound like a good plan?
 
PK, follow toms answer..You will be in for a hard ride with such a small tank. Things happen fast in a saltwater (SW) tank. Worse in a 5g. You may have to do daily Partial Water Changes (PWC).
That test kit API is a good kit. If you can't find that get a test for "Ammonia", "nitrite" and "nitrate". You will also need to test the "salinity" (SG) of the water and you will have to get a "Refractor" to do that.
 
Thanks again for all the help. I am including a picture of my rock tank as I feel it is a little different then most reef tanks I see. I got the small rocks to line the bottom instead of one big rock for the middle. I am also trying to figure out what some of this stuff already growing in my tank is. I have sponges that have gotten bigger since I set it up at well as something under a curved rock that is clear/white that resembles a FLOWER CORAL : Acropa cervicornis (sorry I cut and pasted this from another site) when it is closed and a cotton ball with long "tenticles" when open. It is really soft though and moves with the water. I am trying to get a good picture of it to post and see if anyone can identify it for me so I know weather it is a keeper or something I should worry about. I am looking into one of those kits as well. I am also looking at doing some Scarlet Shrimp befor adding any coral. As always thanks for the help.


DSCN6465.jpg
 
Thincat,

It looks like I might have a Glass Anemone. I read up and it says shrimp are a good muncher of said anemone. So back to me adding shrimp, it says Peppermint Shrimp especially, but shrimpin generla. As stated before I am looking to do Scarlet Shrimp, so hopefully my water cycle will kill it off or when I get to put my shrimp in they will already have food. lol.

Thanks for that link though it did help.
 
JC,

The article in the link said shrimp especially peppermint shrimp, I am looking to add a Scrlet Shrimp so wish me luck.
 
or you could go the route I did... I took the rock out of the tank and hacked the chunk with aiptasia off... rinsed it with fresh saltwater before I put it back in... LOL.
 
I ended up getting the stuff you spray on them and so far it looks like they are gone. Just got my heater in today and so far I'm waiting to see if it works. It light up when I pluged it in but can't feel a change in water temp. Still need to get my water test kit too, but I have a couple weeks before I will need that. Wow I know this will all pay off in the long run, but man the patience needed to do it.
 
I'm getting one soon. I was just thinking I needed it since I got my heater. Still not sure the heater works. It lit up when I plugged it in and went off and has not been back on since.
 
if you are turning your lights on.. then they may be heating the water enough that the heater isnt needing to work... what temp do you have the heater set to?
 
Actually this one has no settings on it. I am not liking it so much now but it is 15w. I have the light that came with the tank still in there and have not turned it off since I put it together so maybe it is heating the water. When I change it out for the 50/50 light I am sure it will heat it up good.
 
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