fluval Chi to 10 gal upgrade

[Gboy66]

Fudge!!! TrItes look a bit high. Still stoked for ya!! Yes! Did i hear Achilles Tang as a livestock idea? Lol.

[Bearchumjs]

Originally Posted by Gboy66

Fudge!!! TrItes look a bit high. Still stoked for ya!! Yes! Did i hear Achilles Tang as a livestock idea? Lol.

Totally! I'm so going to get one of those Tangs on Tuesday.

I put a cube of bloodworms in yesterday. I guess I'd have to say I'm glad I did that instead of buying a hermit crab or something.

(to people just reading the thread I'm totally joking about a tang...)

[Bearchumjs]

What is your opinion on macro algae? Since I don't have a refugium, and I like the look of some of the stuff I've seen on live aquaria (Like the shaving brush plant), is there anything I can put in my tank that will help with reducing nitrates and phosphates that I will be able to prune and will look cool?

[Nu-Nu the eel]

I wouldnt put macro algae in a 5 gallon... I dont think you will have problems with trates because you wont be adding much livestock

[Bearchumjs]

Originally Posted by Nu-Nu the eel

I wouldnt put macro algae in a 5 gallon... I dont think you will have problems with trates because you wont be adding much livestock

alrighty!

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Unless of course you like the look of it, then add it! I would prefer to save that space for more coral, but thats just me now what fish do you want to add??? Lol

[Bearchumjs]

Originally Posted by Nu-Nu the eel

Unless of course you like the look of it, then add it! I would prefer to save that space for more coral, but thats just me now what fish do you want to add??? Lol

I don't know. All the fish I want need a big tank... Gold headed sleeper goby, fire clown, court jester goby...


I do like orange lined cardinal fish but I'd probably be able to get only one ... but I'd rather have 3 of them. Plus I imagine I'd have to order them...

I get sad when I go on live aquaria and see all the fish I can't have so I'm trying to be excited over the fire shrimp I want, cause they are awesome.

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Haha i think you should get a clown goby! They are soo cool and i wish i could get one in my tank!

See you can have inverts and small fish like clown gobys and shrimp, but i cant :/ in that way i am jealous of your pico reef.

Prepare your stocking list for then you get that 55 or 75 gallon reef tank, because then once you get to that point you will be ready

[Bearchumjs]

That's a good idea.

So I tested my params and they are

0 ammo
< .25 nitrites (not quite zero)
~30ppm nitrates.

[scottayy]

Yeah clown gobies are awesome and the citron variety too. I have a fire shrimp and it is awesome as well.

[bloodlucky]

Originally Posted by scottayy

Yeah clown gobies are awesome and the citron variety too. I have a fire shrimp and it is awesome as well.

I never had saltwater although I want one really bad. You need a skimmer or something right?

[scottayy]

Originally Posted by Bobjoefredsky

I never had saltwater although I want one really bad. You need a skimmer or something right?

It always helps but you don't need one on a small tank.

[Bearchumjs]

Alright guys- tested water.

0 ammo
0 trites
20ppm trates. I'm going to do a 3 gal pwc today.


Is it possible that the coraline algae is reducing my nitrates? I feel like my nitrates were closer to 30ppm yesterday. The color was clearly lighter today than yesterday.

Should I drop in another cube of bloodworms to see if I get another spike?

[scottayy]

Yeah, sure! It'll be proof that you're cycled.

[Huffers]

Coralline algae prolly isn't the biggest reducer of nitrates out there. Your reduction in nitrates is probably more easily attributed to the rise in nitrifying bacteria in your tank now. It's a good thing because you need as much nitrifying bacteria as possible before you start adding live animals.

[scottayy]

I don't think it's possible to have a reduction in nitrates without a water change at this point. Your anaerobic nitrifying bacteria haven't had long enough to populate and convert nitrate to nitrogen gas. The reduction would either come from algae or most likely a different amount of water or different sized drops when testing. It won't always be spot on because of these differences but the colors give you a pretty good guess of where you're at.

[Huffers]

Originally Posted by scottayy

I don't think it's possible to have a reduction in nitrates without a water change at this point. Your anaerobic nitrifying bacteria haven't had long enough to populate and convert nitrate to nitrogen gas.

If I'm understand this correctly she hasn't made a water change since she last tested so it would seem that she is starting to have a good population on nitrifying bacteria. I supplied most of the live rock and it was cured pretty well and prolly didn't have much die off. I'd say do a water change, drop a cube of bloodworms in tank, retest in 24 hours and see where your at. If your below 10ppm nitrate then your good to go.

[Bearchumjs]

Thanks Scottayy and huffers. I did a pec when my nitrites and trates were high. About 2 days I was at 0. Thought it was cycled threw in bloodworms. Got a small trIte spike. Today it was 0 and 20ppm trates. Instead of doing a pec I just dropped in another cube of bloodworms. I will test again tomorrow. If its all 0 I will do a pwc and get a hermit crab or something.

[Bearchumjs]

Well I just stopped by the LFS. I have my stocking list now!

1 citrine goby
1 fire shrimp
1 Pom Pom crab
2 hermit crabs
5 nassarius snails
5 of the snails Scottayy has but I can't remember the name ATM.

So hopefully Monday I can get the citrine goby and a hermit and a nassarius snail. That won't be too much at once will it? I've included a picture of the goby.

[scottayy]

Originally Posted by Huffers

If I'm understand this correctly she hasn't made a water change since she last tested so it would seem that she is starting to have a good population on nitrifying bacteria. I supplied most of the live rock and it was cured pretty well and prolly didn't have much die off. I'd say do a water change, drop a cube of bloodworms in tank, retest in 24 hours and see where your at. If your below 10ppm nitrate then your good to go.

Yeah, her nitrifying bacteria is good. Ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate is populated well. But there's another bacteria that lives in very low oxygenated areas that takes a while to populate that convertes nitrate -> nitrogen gas. With PWC's in that small of a tank and due to the rocks being exposed to air while transfering I doubt there's any of that bacteria left.

That's at least how I understand the final phase of the nitrogen cycle.