Tank ready?

Bryan_pcpm

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I have a long 20 gallon tank. I've have had it running now for about a month. I have 2 marine land 150 bio wheel filters. I have a zoo med 24 inch led light with 18 bulbs. 6 blue bulbs 12 white. The blue is 465 nm 500 Mw each. The white is 6000k one watt each. The 6 blue bulbs are in the middle of the white. I have about almost 20 pounds of live rock. When I first got the tank that I added the water reading on the water was perfect. Only thing salt level was high. After things started getting a little bad. I did a half tank water change adding a gallon of distilled water. Out of no where 4 days ago the ammonia nitrite nitrate spiked a lotttttt but the salt level had dropped. Took the water to the lfs today and the guy told me the water was getting better. Today I removed 8 gallons of salt water and added 8 gallons of treated salt water from my lfs. About 6 hours later I tested the water and my reading were amonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 1 ph about 8.1. The guy at the lfs told me once I added the water today everything was going to be finally cycled by Sunday and that same Sunday I could already maybe add 1 fish. Can someone tell me if this whole process is going the way it should? If it is, what should be the next step? I forgot to mention I have added 3 peppermint shrimp and I am aiptasia free. I also have a small horse shoe crab and a Mexican turbo snail.
 

fishroomlady

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I'm curious as to what "treated" means in the water from the LFS. It sounds like perhaps something had died in your tank causing the spike - can you tell us a little more about your live rock, was it cured? I would not add any fish until your parameters are stable for at least a week - 2 weeks to be on the safe side. Horse shoe crabs are delicate aquarium creatures.....your shrimp, crab, and snail are live creatures so I would also monitor their health for a period of time as well before adding any fish.
 
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Bryan_pcpm

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Was told the treated water is water that's been cycled already. The rocks are cured. I have had the shrimp crab and snail in there for 6 days. Nothing has died in the tank.
 

fishroomlady

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I'd still advise you to wait until things are stable for a period of time before adding a fish. In terms of cycled water, I understand the concept but it's really your rock that is "cycling" that is where the majority of your biological filter is and what needs to build up to maintain live stock. I'm curious as to what caused your ammonia spike if your rock was cured.....it's a mute point at this stage. That's my advise in terms of adding a fish. I would wait - I would also want to see a little more nitrate as well.
 

Pete polyp

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Fish are usually added first for a few weeks before adding corals. I'm wondering if all the water changes during the cycle hasn't made for a light cycle. If you didn't give everything enough time to cycle and started water changes you removed the nutrients to let the cycle happen. Out sounds like the ammonia came from the shrimp and crabs you added, but then it was removed by water changes. I personally would start ghost feeding the tank for a few days to see what happens. Stop doing water changes until everything gets settled. Using water from an established tank really does nothing to help cycle a tank.
 
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Bryan_pcpm

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I called the lfs and he said it was regular salt water. I don't know where in the conversation I understood treated water. Also when I did the water change I noticed the yellow thing in the picture looks like a star fish. Not sure if it might of came in water I purchased. Is it a star fish? Also what are those neon green things growing out of the rock?
 

Pete polyp

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That's where your ammonia came from. That's not a rock... It's a dead and dying goniopora. That is a starfish, it came from the rock or coral in your tank
 

mcarroll

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I would add nothing else to the tank and start a fairly aggressive water change schedule if you want to attempt saving that coral. Use a good basic salt like Instant Ocean and try to change 10%-20% per week.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-discussion/134613-water-change-day.html wouldn't be a bad idea though. Same volume of water changed, but you break it down into daily portions....should be REALLY easy in a tank this small. :)

Good luck!

-Matt
 
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Bryan_pcpm

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What should my CUC consist of? I currently have 3 peppermint shrimp a Mexican Turbo snail and a horseshoe crab. For some reason it seems to me the tank is to small for them. The horseshoe crab all he does is go from side to side in the tank. And the Mexican Turbo snail doesn't get off the rocks.
 

fishroomlady

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I was thinking that the horseshoe should be rehomed but didn't realize their minimum tank size was so large. Snails will stay in place for some time - that is not unusual but you need to have some food available for it to eat to keep it alive - you may not have enough food in there for it. I might keep just one shrimp. Are you ghost feeding the tank like Pete suggested?

If you really want advice, I'd take back two shrimps and the horseshoe. I might also take back the coral because gonipora are difficult to keep for many and since you are just starting out, it may be a good idea to just take it back. You could always try keeping one later on down the road once your tank has matured some.
 

mcarroll

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What should my CUC consist of? I currently have 3 peppermint shrimp a Mexican Turbo snail and a horseshoe crab. For some reason it seems to me the tank is to small for them. The horseshoe crab all he does is go from side to side in the tank. And the Mexican Turbo snail doesn't get off the rocks.

As I guess you've found out, all those are pretty much huge-tank-only in terms of cleanup crew. (The shrimp is usually a "tank mate" in regular sized tanks, and gets fed.)

Turbos are the cows of the CUC world and need a similar amount of food...difficult under healthy-reef conditions. (Mine all starved before I realized what was happening.)

Your cleanup crew should be composed of the smallest crew-members you can find. Tiny Cerith snails are one of my top favorites....smaller the better. If your tank has enough algae, they will breed up to algae-control-levels. Nerites are another favorite. Hermits are a least-favorite, mostly because they like to murder snails and each other. LOL. Seriously. :neutral: In general, I limit hermits to 1 per 50 gallons or so. Yes: ONE per FIFTY. And get them as absulutely-tiny as you can find them.

-Matt
 
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Bryan_pcpm

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I have attached a picture of a test of my water I did today.
 

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