Question

[TwinTurboSnail]

Does this look right after, two months after setup?
I keep a daily log of the parameters

I have not taken them this morning but usually it’s around these numbers

Salt Mix is RedSea Blue Bucket

SG - 1.025/026

Salinity - 34.9-35ppt

Ammonia - undetectable
Nitrite - undetectable
Nitrate - 5ppm? RedSea color things are hard to read sometimes haha.

I don’t have corals, so I have not tested for magnesium, phosphate, calcium or Alk.
I want to start testing those parameters soon though, because I want to seed these coralline algeas but I read they appreciate the same parameters as corals, so I suppose I want to ensure I can get coralline to grow before I add corals.

I also read somewhere that this green algae on the rocks is a good sign/precursor to that stage?

Any advice/thoughts/suggestions on where I may be at in the grand scheme of things is highly appreciated

picture is from this AM.

Happy Saturday!

 

[ilikefish69]

Looks like you have completed your cycle and the tank is showing it’s first signs of maintaining life. Albeit the life is ugly algae, you now have a living ocean environment in your own home!

next- add fish, 1 or 2 small ones (need to continue to introduce ammonia to tank to strengthen bacteria)

add a couple snails to tackle the algae.this is referred to as CUC, clean up crew
Reef cleaners.org is best place to find them. Free shipping after $65

keep the same schedule water changes. Consistency is key, don’t make any changes fast. You have started on the right foot keep it up and you will have success

 

[ilikefish69]

Judging by size of tank you might want to try and get a bit more dry/live rock for the tank for fishes to feel safe

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Personally I'd add a little more rock (live rock) which will not only give the fish more hiding places but introduce the coralline as well

 

[WWC]

Does this look right after, two months after setup?
I keep a daily log of the parameters

I have not taken them this morning but usually it’s around these numbers

Salt Mix is RedSea Blue Bucket

SG - 1.025/026

Salinity - 34.9-35ppt

Ammonia - undetectable
Nitrite - undetectable
Nitrate - 5ppm? RedSea color things are hard to read sometimes haha.

I don’t have corals, so I have not tested for magnesium, phosphate, calcium or Alk.
I want to start testing those parameters soon though, because I want to seed these coralline algeas but I read they appreciate the same parameters as corals, so I suppose I want to ensure I can get coralline to grow before I add corals.

I also read somewhere that this green algae on the rocks is a good sign/precursor to that stage?

Any advice/thoughts/suggestions on where I may be at in the grand scheme of things is highly appreciated

picture is from this AM.

Happy Saturday!

Yes I would look to start and a add the first clean up crew in. Let them start to clean up that algae and get the ball rolling on adding livestock. Congrats on the tank and welcome to a great journey!

 

[davidcalgary29]

I can't see a powerhead in the lower part of the tank. If you don't have one, get one.

In addition to banded trochus snails, I'd get a tuxedo urchin and a sand-sifting conch. I agree that more live rock would be a good idea. I'm going to assume that the tulip and the cone snails are dead and just empty shells...

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

XD

I can't see a powerhead in the lower part of the tank. If you don't have one, get one.

In addition to banded trochus snails, I'd get a tuxedo urchin and a sand-sifting conch. I agree that more live rock would be a good idea. I'm going to assume that the tulip and the cone snails are dead and just empty shells...

empties!

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is film algae and often caused by higher phosphates, use of tap water or high white light intensity.
Siphon, reduce white light imntensity and add some snails such a astrea, turbo, trochus, cerith and nerite to assist with clean up. A pencil urchin will help with this also

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

I can't see a powerhead in the lower part of the tank. If you don't have one, get one.

In addition to banded trochus snails, I'd get a tuxedo urchin and a sand-sifting conch. I agree that more live rock would be a good idea. I'm going to assume that the tulip and the cone snails are dead and just empty shells...

Judging by size of tank you might want to try and get a bit more dry/live rock for the tank for fishes to feel safe

Yeah, for sure I need to super underestimated the amount of rock I should have gotten. I got that one purple piece from the LFS I go to, I made everything else myself, well designed and then used mortar and marco rocks. Some of it fell apart, though haha.

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

This is film algae and often caused by higher phosphates, use of tap water or high white light intensity.
Siphon, reduce white light imntensity and add some snails such a astrea, turbo, trochus, cerith and nerite to assist with clean up. A pencil urchin will help with this also

On the rocks? I got two turbo snails a astrea and 4 cerith snails. I also got a couple hitchhiking hermit crabs when I got the purple rock from the pet store. Which is why I got all the shells in there, I heard they steal the snails shells if they don’t have enough bigger ones. So I got a few hundred online in a variety of sizes and tossed a few of them in there.

I actually like the green stuff on the rocks

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

On the rocks? I got two turbo snails a astrea and 4 cerith snails. I also got a couple hitchhiking hermit crabs when I got the purple rock from the pet store. Which is why I got all the shells in there, I heard they steal the snails shells if they don’t have enough bigger ones. So I got a few hundred online in a variety of sizes and tossed em in there.

I actually like the green stuff on the rocks

Oh forgot to add, I use ro/di water and have the blue and whites on at like 100% but only on 15k. I can go up to 23k but it was looking like a night club at the front of my house hahah.

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

I can't see a powerhead in the lower part of the tank. If you don't have one, get one.

In addition to banded trochus snails, I'd get a tuxedo urchin and a sand-sifting conch. I agree that more live rock would be a good idea. I'm going to assume that the tulip and the cone snails are dead and just empty shells...

I don’t got one yet, I’ve been debating which to get, what would you suggest? Tank is like 62 total gallons (I think only 55 in the front of the weir though) I really like the idea of the Vortech with the cable on the outside, they are a bit $ but I mean, what isn’t with this hobby haha. But I’m open to suggestions from you all experienced folks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Does this look right after, two months after setup?
I keep a daily log of the parameters

I have not taken them this morning but usually it’s around these numbers

Salt Mix is RedSea Blue Bucket

SG - 1.025/026

Salinity - 34.9-35ppt

Ammonia - undetectable
Nitrite - undetectable
Nitrate - 5ppm? RedSea color things are hard to read sometimes haha.

I don’t have corals, so I have not tested for magnesium, phosphate, calcium or Alk.
I want to start testing those parameters soon though, because I want to seed these coralline algeas but I read they appreciate the same parameters as corals, so I suppose I want to ensure I can get coralline to grow before I add corals.

I also read somewhere that this green algae on the rocks is a good sign/precursor to that stage?

Any advice/thoughts/suggestions on where I may be at in the grand scheme of things is highly appreciated

picture is from this AM.

Happy Saturday!

What test kits are you using ?

 

[davidcalgary29]

I don’t got one yet, I’ve been debating which to get, what would you suggest? Tank is like 62 total gallons (I think only 55 in the front of the weir though) I really like the idea of the Vortech with the cable on the outside, they are a bit $ but I mean, what isn’t with this hobby haha. But I’m open to suggestions from you all experienced folks.

If you can get a Vortech MP40QD for around two hundred bucks AND you can inspect the wetside to make sure that there's no corrosion, go for it. If this is too expensive, or you cannot inspect the wetside, just buy something with decent reviews on Amazon for around fifty bucks. You might be able to get away with a MP10, which will be cheaper, but I don't know how thick the glass is on your tank. Used MP10s have a problem staying on some tanks with glass over 3/8" thick, and almost all tanks with glass over 1/2" thick.

I prefer not to have cables in the tank, but the economics make it hard to overlook the cheap Chinese powerheads and wavemakers.

 

[FishPham]

Oh forgot to add, I use ro/di water and have the blue and whites on at like 100% but only on 15k. I can go up to 23k but it was looking like a night club at the front of my house hahah.

Bring down the intensity, no need to have them that bright since there's no corals

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

What test kits are you using ?

RedSea Marine Care and RedSea Foundation Pro (havnt used this one though)

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

If you can get a Vortech MP40QD for around two hundred bucks AND you can inspect the wetside to make sure that there's no corrosion, go for it. If this is too expensive, or you cannot inspect the wetside, just buy something with decent reviews on Amazon for around fifty bucks. You might be able to get away with a MP10, which will be cheaper, but I don't know how thick the glass is on your tank. Used MP10s have a problem staying on some tanks with glass over 3/8" thick, and almost all tanks with glass over 1/2" thick.

I prefer not to have cables in the tank, but the economics make it hard to overlook the cheap Chinese powerheads and wavemakers.

So I ended up getting a ReefWave 25

(also got a new protein skimmer but gonna wait a couple days to exchange the old MSK 900 for the new RSK 300. Don’t wanna change too many things too quickly)

what a difference it made! I don’t like cables in the tank either but can’t get everything I want I guess. I don’t really wanna use, used equipment tbh and I like the RedSea theme I got going so I’ll try to stick with that as long as I can get away with itGlass thickness on this thing is 12mm (1/2 inch)

I added more rock too, I had some in the in cabinet sump and then put more in there to “cook”. But now it looks better and you all where right, the fish appreciated it a lot.

 

[TwinTurboSnail]

Bring down the intensity, no need to have them that bright since there's no corals

Changed the ramp period so it’s only at 100% for like an hour during midday then it ramps down until it turns off. Good suggestion!! Thank you!

 

[FishPham]

Changed the ramp period so it’s only at 100% for like an hour during midday then it ramps down until it turns off. Good suggestion!! Thank you!

Awesome. Glad it worked out!

 

[WWC]

So I ended up getting a ReefWave 25

(also got a new protein skimmer but gonna wait a couple days to exchange the old MSK 900 for the new RSK 300. Don’t wanna change too many things too quickly)

what a difference it made! I don’t like cables in the tank either but can’t get everything I want I guess. I don’t really wanna use, used equipment tbh and I like the RedSea theme I got going so I’ll try to stick with that as long as I can get away with itGlass thickness on this thing is 12mm (1/2 inch)

I added more rock too, I had some in the in cabinet sump and then put more in there to “cook”. But now it looks better and you all where right, the fish appreciated it a lot.

Doing the right things! Getting that water moving is essential and cutting those whites back as well.