I just started and have no clue what I'm doing. I've wanted a reef tank since i was a kid.
Just started my cycle today.
Just started my cycle today.
I guess I'm supposed to do this?
- Thread starter cba191
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IntrinsicReef
Valuable Member
My recommendation is add some easy soft corals first. Like finger leather, green star polyps, hardy mushrooms or zooanthids. Then add some inverts. The coral will introduce the essential bacteria and inverts( amphipods, copepods, micro brittle stars, sponges.) I would give it like 2 months with just coral and inverts before adding your fish. This will help skip the ugly algae phases and will create an ecosystem before adding the fish that eat inverts and produce waste.
OP
OP
Add that stuff already?
Red_Beard
I already did
No, not yet. There will be plenty of time for that. The first couple months are to learn how to be a water keeper and to watch that beautiful tank start down the path to maturity. Add a fish or two once your tank can process ammonia in a week or so, clean up crew once you start seeing green, easy corals when you feel like you have a handle on what is going on with the major parameters in your tank, how to keep them stabile and how to adjust them if necessary. Hard corals when you feel like lighting money on fire to watch it burn. :)
Welcome to reef 2 reef, looks like you are off to a very nice start!
SliceGolfer
Valuable Member
You’ve made it this far, it’s clear you have an idea of what you’re doing. Use the search function, ask very specific questions, watch the multitude of videos on YouTube. Lot’s of help available if you can pinpoint your need. Not to mention that 2012 join date.I just started and have no clue what I'm doing. I've wanted a reef tank since i was a kid.
Just started my cycle today.
OP
OP
I need a dwarf angel and a shrimp/goby combo. And a reef aquarium need a pair of clown.
OP
OP
Lol. The 2012 start date was when i first tried putting everything together. It didnt pan out.You’ve made it this far, it’s clear you have an idea of what you’re doing. Use the search function, ask very specific questions, watch the multitude of videos on YouTube. Lot’s of help available if you can pinpoint your need. Not to mention that 2012 join date.I just started and have no clue what I'm doing. I've wanted a reef tank since i was a kid.
Just started my cycle today.
Airedale Reef
Active Member
Fishes Cycling is my preferred method...Not that you asked, but figured I'd share just in case...
"The idea behind fishless cycling is to use a clean source of ammonia to build up the biofilter on pre-cured dry rock prior to stocking your tank. This can be done in your display tank, or in a separate container with a powerhead for flow (a heater or light isn't required).
While fishless cycling can be done without adding bottled bacteria, dosing nitrifying bacteria beforehand is usually recommended to speed up the process.[2] The ammonia source used, will feed the bacteria and promote its reproduction.
Fishless cycling is a simple process of: dosing, waiting, and testing. The number of days that it takes isn't important; simply wait until your rocks are ready for the next step before proceeding:
When finished, your tank will have a working biofilter capable of handling a typical initial bio-load. At this point feel free to begin adding livestock.
"The idea behind fishless cycling is to use a clean source of ammonia to build up the biofilter on pre-cured dry rock prior to stocking your tank. This can be done in your display tank, or in a separate container with a powerhead for flow (a heater or light isn't required).
While fishless cycling can be done without adding bottled bacteria, dosing nitrifying bacteria beforehand is usually recommended to speed up the process.[2] The ammonia source used, will feed the bacteria and promote its reproduction.
Fishless cycling is a simple process of: dosing, waiting, and testing. The number of days that it takes isn't important; simply wait until your rocks are ready for the next step before proceeding:
- Dose ammonium chloride or another clean source of ammonia, so that total ammonia is between 1 and 2 ppm (don't overdose). If you accidentally dose too much, you can perform a water change to bring down the level of ammonia.
- Wait for total ammonia to drop to 0.25 ppm (if the level of total ammonia goes up, your rocks weren't fully cured, which will add time to this step).
- Repeat until your rocks can process the dosed ammonia down to 0.25 ppm within 24 hours.
When finished, your tank will have a working biofilter capable of handling a typical initial bio-load. At this point feel free to begin adding livestock.
IntrinsicReef
Valuable Member
Coral consume ammonia. I add coral first to all my new reef setups. It's a little backward of traditional, but it is gaining popularity. Adding easy soft corals will introduce beneficial micro fauna. These will reproduce unchecked by predatory fish, and will consume micro algae. After a few weeks, you can add some hermit crabs and shrimp. Then when the ecosystem is established after 6-8 weeks or so, you can start slowly adding fish.
OP
OP
Are torches or hammers a bad idea?
Airedale Reef
Active Member
Some of my favorite corals! Swaying torches and hammer gardens are some of the reasons that keep me in the hobby certainly not their price tags haha.
New tank comes with fluctuating parameters. Stability is key for success and LPS corals need that stability to thrive. Definitely not a bad idea, but a challenging first coral for sure!
OP
OP
Goniwhatevers?
Airedale Reef
Active Member
lol -Looks like you are very much into LPS corals. I am not saying not to do it, I would perhaps just avoid the $100 per head torch coral as your firstl haha. Thinking back to my first reef tank, frogspawn was my first coral placed in the tank...It died a few short weeks later as my phosphate levels were just out of control!
If you can properly manager your biolaod, have a water change regiment, and good husbandry in general, id say go for it!
If however you wanted to consider a soft coral, Id recommend Ricordia shrooms. Great colors, easy to keep, and I think mushrooms are the next hot coral lol.
Good luck - keep us updated!
IntrinsicReef
Valuable Member
Torches and hammers can be tricky. I add some straight away but it's varieties that I know are hardy. I highly encourage you to start with hardy aquacultured coral. It may not be the coral you ultimately want, but you can switch coral out as time goes on. After the tank matures and you get experience, you can add fancier, more delicate coral.
Check local facebook reefing groups in your area. Hardy coral grows fast and people tend to give it away, or sell for $5-20. You can stock your tank cheap to get it going, then when you feel things are dialed in, you can switch out for more delicate coral.
OP
OP
Short or taller aquascape? Which is better?
Red_Beard
I already did
Depends on what corals you want to stock. shorter will give you more ability to get flow all over once your colonies mature, and room for some vertical sticks or bigger LPS. The taller one fills up the scape a little better if you are going to keep shorter colonies of encrusters or shorter softies/LPS.
OP
OP
I want to do mixed.
It's a 48g display with an ax500. might as well use the light.
It's a 48g display with an ax500. might as well use the light.
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