First saltwater!

powers2001 · Apr 22, 2016

Test a sample of rodi water for nitrite and see if any registers. Your kit or methods might be off.

Tateopotatoe · Apr 22, 2016

powers2001 said:
Test a sample of rodi water for nitrite and see if any registers. Your kit or methods might be off.

My top off water has 0 nitrite. luckily I also tested my tank water, nitrite down to 0.25. Hopefully by morning 0!

powers2001 · Apr 22, 2016

Are you doing water changes to help bring those down?

aashley · Apr 22, 2016

Welcome! I have a 30 gallon nano and I would resist the xenia. Also avoid mushrooms. They are neat but overtake everything. I had to break mine down and let it sit for a month to make sure nothing grew back. There was atleast a hundred of them in my 29 gallon biocube. I think zoanthids are cool for a nano/pico tank. They have many bright colors and don't have to have a super 'clean' tank to thrive. Just make sure to dip them before you add to the tank.

Tateopotatoe · Apr 23, 2016

aashley said:
Welcome! I have a 30 gallon nano and I would resist the xenia. Also avoid mushrooms. They are neat but overtake everything. I had to break mine down and let it sit for a month to make sure nothing grew back. There was atleast a hundred of them in my 29 gallon biocube. I think zoanthids are cool for a nano/pico tank. They have many bright colors and don't have to have a super 'clean' tank to thrive. Just make sure to dip them before you add to the tank.

I'll make sure to keep the shroom on a separate rock, thanks. I don't want to have zoas or palys, their poison scares the poop out of me! I'm leaning towards lps, euphillia, and softies (probably no more mushrooms, though!).

Kershaw · Apr 23, 2016

Please don't go an implulse buy another fish. If your nitrites are still elevated at all you never finished your cycle. Let the fish that's in there help get your tanks bacteria up for at least two weeks if not four. Spend your money on getting auto top off and some more test kits. Also what kind of light are you using. It may not be able to keep coral.

Tateopotatoe · Apr 23, 2016

Kershaw said:
Please don't go an implulse buy another fish. If your nitrites are still elevated at all you never finished your cycle. Let the fish that's in there help get your tanks bacteria up for at least two weeks if not four. Spend your money on getting auto top off and some more test kits. Also what kind of light are you using. It may not be able to keep coral.

If I do buy another fish, I am going to buy a bottle of bio-spira and put all of it in there with him. I already have a larger light on the way (my current light was still built to keep corals). I'm probably not getting an ATO anytime soon, I can do the work easily. Maybe later this year If I ever go on vacation. Even if I just get another invertebrate (e.g. cleaner shrimp) I'll probably get the bio-spira. I'm testing nitrite later today.

Tateopotatoe · Apr 23, 2016

Nitrite still 0.25. Here's the plan: today I'll get the bio-spira and put all of it in the tank. Because it's meant for a larger tank, I'll also get an invert (if you think I can get a fish, please say so!) and wait a few hours for the bacteria to start doing it's thing. If you're wondering why I'm so desperate to get a fish, it's not that I'm impatient, it's because (this is vague on purpose, forums can be filled with stalkers) someone really wants to get me a fish, but they're only here until this Tuesday, and the fish store that I like going to is only open on the weekends.

Tateopotatoe · Apr 23, 2016

powers2001 said:
Are you doing water changes to help bring those down?

Yes, I did a water change on Thursday after seeing how high it was.

Kershaw · Apr 23, 2016

Sounds like you are going to buy a fish anyway. I wouldn't do it. I lost a pair of 300 dollar clowns a few years ago in a small tank because I thought it was ready and it wasn't. They seemed ok for a few weeks then it looked like there flesh was starting to peel. IMO I would wait. Good luck

Tateopotatoe · Apr 23, 2016

Kershaw said:
Sounds like you are going to buy a fish anyway. I wouldn't do it. I lost a pair of 300 dollar clowns a few years ago in a small tank because I thought it was ready and it wasn't. They seemed ok for a few weeks then it looked like there flesh was starting to peel. IMO I would wait. Good luck

If my tank isn't ready, of course I'm not going to buy a fish! I was just trying to see if I could speed up the process. I'll wait at least another week to add an invert, at LEAST two or three to add another fish. I'm not trying to kill my tank!

Kershaw · Apr 23, 2016

I'm not trying to be mean. But allot of the time people don't follow the advice because it's not what they want to hear. I have done this my self. Nothing good in this hobby is fast. Add more live rock if you want to speed it up. I wouldn't add anything else till ammonia and nitrite stay zero

Naiad · Apr 23, 2016

I don't know what your lfs is like but mine will hold fish for a week or so if you purchase them but need time to get something ready or this person can get a gift certificate for you. I know it is not as exciting but you risk killing the whole tank if you overwhelm the bacteria and ammonia shows up. Inverts are actually more sensitive to nitrite then fish unless your talking something like a hermit crab. Definitely add the bacteria but I would wait until you are no longer having to do waterchange to keep nitrite at 0 to add anything. Having run uncycled qt and hospital tanks I can attest to how draining it is to try and stay ahead on the waste.