Enigma's 2012 Nano Contest Entry

[Enigma]

Well, she is now officially cycling.

I'm adding Stability. I've got another bottle of Microbacter7 on order, and when that arrives I'll use that as well. I think there is value in using a variety of bacterial sources. I'm adding a big pinch of fish food pellets a day: more than the fish in this system will get to eat. I'm not going to test for ammonia or anything until mid-November. The last tank I cycled this way took 19 days, but I didn't add bacteria daily past the first week: I just kept ghost feeding the tank. I suspect this one will cycle more quickly, as I'll be adding bacteria daily. This tank will be a nitrifying beast by the livestock addition date.

Worth noting is that this tank is cycling hot at 83F. I believe this is a better temperature to cycle at, as it is said that the bacteria multiplies more quickly in warmer temperatures. I wouldn't cycle that warm with live rock, but as this rock is dry rock there is nothing worth trying to preserve on it.

Also, we should talk about phosphates. Dry rock is a phosphate bomb. People may advertise otherwise . . . but don't believe it. I am heading for a MAJOR GHA issue. I'm not worried about it, as I've been through it before. But, in an attempt to mitigate the phosphate damage, this rock was soaked in RO/DI for several weeks. In addition to that, I've added Phosbuster Pro to the water, and I'm using Pura Phoslock. Despite that, I expect this tank to go really green and hairy within eight weeks.

[Enigma]

I've only got the blue LEDs turned on in that photo. The Royal Blues aren't working again. I need to trouble shoot those. And, the whites really aren't required while cycling.

I'm incredibly pleased with the way my scape turned out. It really loses something in the photo. I'm sure that as it is filled out with coral the depth and dimension of the scape will become more obvious.

Here's a top down shot from before I added the water:



There are nice shaded spots, as well as spot that will be lower flow. There are an abundance of places to put coral. I think this will work out well.

[Enigma]

I had originally built the scape outside of the tank. I carefully made all of my measurements, and I methodically glued it all together.



I brought it upstairs to put it in the tank after the glue had cured . . . and it didn't fit! It must have shifted ever so slightly after I had glued it.

I had to take it partially apart, and rebuild it in the tank.



It isn't 100% what I had originally, but it is pretty close.

[fishoholic]

The aquascape looks good, but should be seeded with at least some live rock. IMO dry rock takes 6 months to start to cycle and over a year before becoming fully live and having enough beneficial bacteria to support a reef system properly.

[Enigma]

I won't be putting any live rock in this system to start. Some live rock may wind up in it once corals are added: if the corals are on rock. I'm not 100% sure how I'm going to manage that. If corals can be removed from the rock easily, then I won't be putting any in.

I'm actually very "anti" live rock. While I did start my first system with eight pounds of live rock, and I still use that in the sump of my main display system, I try to avoid it when possible.

While it is true that live rock and dry rock are very different, if one is aware of the differences and is willing to compensate, dry rock can become very efficient very quickly. The difference is in that the bacteria needs to be added to a system using only dry rock, and quite a bit of it. The fuel for the bacteria needs to be added, too.

My NC12, by day 19, was processing a cube of mysis a day. It was so efficient that when I lost two clowns to brook (and never found their bodies) three days apart that there wasn't even a blip in the ammonia reading for the tank.

I'll be adding a lot of Stability and Microbacter7, and a lot of fuel to feed the bacteria. The ammonia in this tank will probably get horrifyingly high at some point, and the tank may start to smell pretty bad, too. The cycle may even stall at some point if the ammonia gets high enough to kill the bacteria. I'm guessing it should be just about cycled by the 23rd of November, though.

[fishoholic]

I know a lot of newbies that have had lots of issues with their tanks from using dry rock. Not many people have the patience to go slow enough with dry rock and their tank suffers because of it. Guess you can say I am anti dry rock, but to each their own.

[Enigma]

Dry rock certainly presents its own set of challenges. It's easy to use when one knows what to expect and is prepared to deal with the downsides, but if one doesn't know what's coming it can be incredibly challenging and frustrating.

[mrhasan]

Great aquascape Shelley. Really liked the way you came up with it

I myself used aquacultered live rock which is guaranteed to be pest free. But over the time, pest did find a way in my tank (aiptasia through frags) but they also have to drink lemon juice as soon as I find them.

I prefer dry rocks for not being pest-free (aquacultered LR are pest free too) but because I can choose my own preference regarding shapes of rock which is not always the case with LR and aquacultered are not really available through LFS.

[JDigital]

Coming along nicely Shelley! The rockscape looks great.

[fishoholic]

Any updates? It's been over a month since the last one, just curious how the tank is doing now.