The Kraken
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2011
- Messages
- 41
Hello all! Brand new to the hobby. Been following posts around here and reading boatloads of info. Overwhelming to say the least. Lots of conflicting info but it seems like everybody has their own recipe for success (and disaster as well). I look forward to great feedback as I start this journey into reefing!
So here's what I got (pictures to follow later):
150 gallon acryllic (60" x 24" x 24") with 2 corner overflows
50 gallon sump
Bubble Magus NAC-7 skimmer
Octopus CR-150 Ca reactor
Phosban reactor
2 Mag-12 submersible pumps (thus 2 returns)
Caulerpa in sump
10 lbs LR rubble in sump
3 inch aragonite bed in display
170 lbs Tonga LR in display
48"Hamilton Cebu-sun 2 x 250 MH + 4 x 54 actinics + LED moons
5 stage Bulk Reef Supply RO/DI
So my concern now is that 50 lbs of my LR was from an already established tank that gave his LR to my LFS. I put it in the tank and a few days later it was chalkfull of awesome ricordias (all kinds of colors!) I am trying the fishless cycling method with shrimp from the grocery store. Will the cycling kill the ricordia? I have had the LR in for 2 weeks now and the shrimp for 2 days. I have yet to see an ammonia spike or nitrite. No nitrates either. I'm assuming I haven't started cycling yet? What exactly am I looking for here. Tough time trying to weed through all the info on what will spike first, ammonia or nitrite.
Should I pull some sand out? One LFS said 3-4inches is just asking for trouble. Thoughts?
Well, I've rambled enough. Hope to have pics soon. Look forward to any advice you guys have!
So here's what I got (pictures to follow later):
150 gallon acryllic (60" x 24" x 24") with 2 corner overflows
50 gallon sump
Bubble Magus NAC-7 skimmer
Octopus CR-150 Ca reactor
Phosban reactor
2 Mag-12 submersible pumps (thus 2 returns)
Caulerpa in sump
10 lbs LR rubble in sump
3 inch aragonite bed in display
170 lbs Tonga LR in display
48"Hamilton Cebu-sun 2 x 250 MH + 4 x 54 actinics + LED moons
5 stage Bulk Reef Supply RO/DI
So my concern now is that 50 lbs of my LR was from an already established tank that gave his LR to my LFS. I put it in the tank and a few days later it was chalkfull of awesome ricordias (all kinds of colors!) I am trying the fishless cycling method with shrimp from the grocery store. Will the cycling kill the ricordia? I have had the LR in for 2 weeks now and the shrimp for 2 days. I have yet to see an ammonia spike or nitrite. No nitrates either. I'm assuming I haven't started cycling yet? What exactly am I looking for here. Tough time trying to weed through all the info on what will spike first, ammonia or nitrite.
Should I pull some sand out? One LFS said 3-4inches is just asking for trouble. Thoughts?
Well, I've rambled enough. Hope to have pics soon. Look forward to any advice you guys have!