the first cycle is "finished" and I want a hobby,

[safedad]

Just finished cycling with shrimp. Ammonia 0, Nitrite <.3, Nitrate 50, pH 8.0, salinity 1.026 at day 30. Started with 5 lb LR and added 23 lb cured LR this weekend. Tuesday, light brown algae starts showing up on the glass. All the snails are smitten by the new rock. Finally, today the astrea is munching away on the glass. Will get some more snails, am thinking about a DIY denitrator. What are the thoughts about Algone as a way to deal with nitrate, and reduce the frequency of water changes?
Thanks,
Safedad (safety director by day, woodworker, golfer, and now aquarist? by night and weekends)

 

[fishboy19]

I'm sorry I can't help you, but I'm new too and I know what its like to get a response. So heres a bump for you.

Matt

 

[rabagley]

When you added the live rock, your tank started to cycle again. Cycling is the process of restoring equilibrium between the producers and consumers of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and nitrogen gas. Any time you radically change the tank (like quintupling the amount of live rock in the tank), the tank has to figure out the new balance.

I don't mean to be pendantic, but a lot of people just starting out are under the impression that cycling is a one-time thing. Depending on how you set up the tank you may go through a cycle several times a year (if you're making lots of big changes) or you may never notice the diatoms and algae blooms of the typical cycle (if you only make small incremental changes with carefully selected rock and inhabitants).

As for dealing with the nitrate, I'd do one decent sized water change (25%-30%) and try letting the live rock at it for a while. The next nitrate managers I'd add would be some macro algae (I prefer Chaeto to Caulerpa) or a skimmer if the tank is big enough. If you're only adding 28lbs of rock, I'm guessing that this is a 15-20 gallon tank, which is a little small for a skimmer.

If it is a 20, you may find that you get more specific help on the Nano forum...

Regards,
Ross

 

[safedad]

thank you for the responses. Good point about major changes and letting things sit for a while. I have a 30gal tank, skilter, 1 powerhead, 1 heater, 3' base of argonite, 28 lbs LR, 1 astrea, 1 trocha, and 1 turbo. Would like to start with two clown fish. Have read varying recommendations on the amount of live rock per gallon to keep a balance. Suggestions? How about effective cleaners?
Safedad

 

[candide]

I'ld recommend more snails. Maybe some cerith/baha, nassarius or nerites. I like variety. Ceriths are my favorite though. I have a 120 with probaly 25-30 snails in it, and sometimes feel I need more.

For live rock, 1 to 1.5lbs per gallon is the norm, but I think its a bit different with smaller tanks. 28lbs in a 30 sounds good enough to start with. I'm thinking of doing a 30 in the office and had planned on ordering 30lbs or so. Didn't want to do too much since I can't have a sump really, and want to keep the water volume high (remember, more rock you put in, less water there is in the system).

Get either a matched pair of clowns, or two very young ones. If young they change sex so that one is female and larger, the other male. They may scuffle as they mature until the sexes are determined.

A couple of blue or scarlet legged hermits might help. Some disklike them. I wouldn't get too many. I have blue's and they are always busy cleaning up anything that hits the ground.

My favorite cleaner by far are my florida fighting conchs. They are fascinating to watch, but might get too big for a 30. I dunno, I plan on getting one anyways, if it gets too big I'll put it in my 120. Only one for the 30 though.

Keep in mind I'm still sorta new too, so don't take anything I say as the gospel

 

[Anonymous]

I think you will find your nitrAtes will increase as the snails eat the algae.

Water changes with 0 nitrate water will lower but not bring to 0 nitrAtes.

I do not trust nitrate reactors as they rely on anaerobic bacteria.

plant life you like will starve out the ugly algaes and bring nitrates to 0.0. You might think about a refugium.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree on more snails. As the bacterial in the sand and rock populations increase, the nitrates will go down. But even then it's very difficult to keep a handle on algae without a good population of algae predators.

Most of the small snails like astrea do fine on film algae, just the turbo and conchs will eat hair.

 

[wstellwagen]

Perhaps the bestadvice you can get is slow down
abd enjoy what you have. The tank has a number of things to go thru before adding anything else. You will have a sequence of algae gtowth culminating in the growth of coraline algae. You will have a variety of inverts coming and multipling on the rock. This may even include corals if you bought uncured rock. Give it a few months to settle down . you will be happier if you do.

Some people reccomend waiting a year .

Walt

 

[narny]

Personally, wait untill your NitrIte has reached 0 before adding fish. It's cruel to do anything else.

Try some amquel + to get rid of the NitrAtes. I use once a month when i water change.