Cycling with 'old' water & Scallops

[joemacros]

Hi

1) I have a fish and reef Aq. that's a few monts old and I recently set up a 60g FOWLR. I was advised to use water and coral sand from my reef aq. in the new one to speed up the cycling. I didn't have enough sand to transfer over apart from a couple of cupfuls to 'seed' the tank and I transferred about 75% of water. Does anyone know by how much faster this speeds up the cycling process? I have three fish in there now ( I know I should use a shrimp as I've read in posts but where I live it's not available).

2) Why are scallops good for an aquarium?

Thanks.

JoeMacros

 

[steve-s]

Using water from an established tank for the purpose of seeding it will do little or nothing. You need to use something that has actual surface area like the sand or even filter media. The few cups of sand you added from the established tank was plenty.

This method does speed up the cycle of the tank a fair amount but I would look at it as establishing a much stronger bacterial base than one of inceasing the speed in which your tank can be stocked. Give it the appropriate amount of time to become stable as well.

Any bi-valve is beneficial to the system if in abundant enough number. They are great filter feeders and would remove much of the unwanted pollutants from the water. Unfortunately in a closed system there is rarely enough proper foods available and they usually do not live long if non zooxanthellae animals. You would do better to set up a planted refugium and accomplish the same goal...

Cheers
Steve

 

[joemacros]

THanks

What's a planted refugium?

What do scallops eat anyway? Am I supposed to feed it? I put in spirulina/plankton tablets regularly into the water, will this sustain it?

thanks
joe

 

[steve-s]

A planted refugium is a smaller tank attached to the main tank, usually about 10% of the volume. When planted with caulerpa (macro algae) it can act as a very efficient filter system and in many cases eliminate the need for a skimmer if the tank is lightly-modertately stocked. Spaghetti caulerpa (Chaetomorpha) is the best if you can find it.

Here is a decent link that should give you some idea's.

It also has the benifit of stabalizing the PH. In the daytime, the lights from the main tank will stimulate the algaes in the diplay tank and they will produce O2 which increases the PH throughout the day. When a planted refugium is attached and reverse lit, the PH will not fall at night when the main tank algeas are giving off CO2.

Marine algeas live much the same as house plants. They give off O2 during the day and at night the give off CO2.

Scallops are fussy planktonic eaters and in most cases the size of the foods we feed are either too large or too small to adeqately feed them. Target feeding is usually the best method if you try keeping them. Mixing a bit of live phytoplakton and fine filter foods would be the best. Cover the scallop with a pop bottle that has had the bottom cut off and then insert the liquid food into the top and place the cap on for an hour or so. Do that once or twice a week and it may thrive, but general water additions will rarely work...

Cheers
Steve