SeaSerpants Dual Hills 20g ONE MONTH!!!

[SeaSerpant]

I know this is a very quick update but... i gotta keep busy!
I took a bunch of tests and i think my cycles started!
Ph-8
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-5
Ammonia-.5
SG-1.025
Temp-27

And i noticed that i have a small thing of aiptasia, it's about a penny in size, should i worry about it? I'm thinking i'm just going to get a peppermint shrimp!(when the cycle is done!)

And i have heard from many people that a HOB filter doesn't do much for filtration (live rock and sand does most!) so i'm thinking about getting a nano remora, hopefully it will make the flow better too!

Ok and just a few pics since it's clear now!

Aiptasia




Feather Duster








Comments Welcome
SeaSerpant

[dsaundry]

Looking good so far! I would suggest after confirming tank cycle, that you start with either a chromis or a yellow tail blue damsel and see how they do before you invest in the other things on your list. I would advise against a seahorse especially for the other things you want. Clownfish are good but stick to the smaller variety, perc's etc. maybe a nice anemone as well, but make sure you put sponge over filter intakes to prevent it from being sucked in, peppermint shrimps are good for aptasia most of the time and a cleaner shrimp is nice as well. stick to softies and mushrooms etc, I will see if I have any pics of my 27g tank at work, easiest tank I have got to take care of and I abuse it regularly{maybe thats the secret}, With small tanks I believe the secret is the K.I.S.S. theory, Keep It Simple Silly. I have customers who come in and stare at my tank for ages, so it works well. You are doing great so far though.

[SeaSerpant]

Dsaundry,
Thanks for the reply! I like the look of a yellow tail blue damsel, but is there a nicer fish for that? (lol, just like asthetics, tis all)
I do like the idea of an anemone, except for the part of it killing other corals/fish and growing to large! I expect to keep it to soft corals, i don't very much like the look of hard corals

Now another question, i have looked at a bunch of different sites and i get totally mixed results, i have a HOB filter, should i get rid of it? Almost all say take out the biowheel (can cause bad things in the long run) and some say that just some filterfloss and carbon is good in it! Is this true?

Thanks
SeaSerpant

Ps
Don't worry, i'm doing my homework!

[gobytron]

The thing is, you're going to run into all kinds of different opinions about these things.
using a HOB filter for a reef, which requires much better filtration than fw or fish only set ups is just not going to cut it.
20 gallons is pretty small for a reef as well, this means that you need even better filtration than a comparably larger system.

As stated in the very first post and in the pms you have sent me, your HOB is almost useless as designed.
Adding some carbon and filter floss will help but you will need to change them regularly or they will just do the same thing that any media will do which is become a haven for phosphates, dissolved organics, ammonia and nitrite.

The best filtration you are going to h=get without a skimmer is from your love rock, again, as stated to you before which means that you're better off with another powerhead in there to help the water get pushed through (and filtered by) the liverock than to keep the HOB filter on.

As I suggested, do some reading on dissolved organic compounds and you'll have a good idea of the difference between the filtration a skimmer gives you versus what a hob filter will do for you.

These are very important pieces to your puzzle.

Looking better every time I take a peak at this thread though, keep up the good work.

[SeaSerpant]

Well it's day 5 and guess wht i have!

Diatom algae,

the conditions are
(Was at.5) ammonia-.1
nitrate-4
nitrite-0
sg-1.023
ph-8.4

I've searched it up and i think i'm nearing the end of the cycle (yay for short cycles) and one last question, what eats bristleworms?

thanks
seaserpant

[SeaSerpant]

Just a quick update, lots of diatom algae and my cycle is done (everything is at 0)


ID PLEASE



Aiptasia


Algae Pearling (quite nice looking actually!)






Comments very Welcome
Thanks
SeaSerpant

[dsaundry]

Dsaundry,
Thanks for the reply! I like the look of a yellow tail blue damsel, but is there a nicer fish for that? (lol, just like asthetics, tis all)
I do like the idea of an anemone, except for the part of it killing other corals/fish and growing to large! I expect to keep it to soft corals, i don't very much like the look of hard corals

Now another question, i have looked at a bunch of different sites and i get totally mixed results, i have a HOB filter, should i get rid of it? Almost all say take out the biowheel (can cause bad things in the long run) and some say that just some filterfloss and carbon is good in it! Is this true?

Thanks
SeaSerpant

I like the looks of the damsel a lot and they stay relatively small, while I agree that the live rock is your best filter I don't agree 100% about the hob filter condemnation. I personally use a Cascade300{ebay}hob filter and use the filter iserts which come with carbon as well, I have a hob skimmer,{ebay again} and just basic pc lighting, the hob adds a little circulation along with 2 hydor nano's and the tank is doing great. 2 yrs+ and going strong. Take the bio wheel off your hob I would agree as well but its no worse than bio-balls imo. You will always get a wide variety of opinions in this hobby, the best advise I can give you is to take notes of what works and doesn't work as you proceed in this mad but wonderful hobby{obsession} and keep whatever works best for you.

[SeaSerpant]

ONE MONTH CELEBRATION

It's been just a day over a month so to celebrate i'm going to do what i normally do in updates! Update!
I have recently bought a remora nano skimmer to replace the HOB filter. It is still in the break in period and it's fairly noisy! I did notice an overturned astrea snail and it was empty... oops, and it looks like one of the hermits got attacked and eaten as it's shell too, was empty...

On the good hand, i bought a fire shrimp, a blue neon goby and a red scooter blenny. The "blenny" will eat some certain type of mysis but i am going to buy some extra pods and some other things for it. But for now it is feeding on all the pods in my tank. I know it wasn't very smart to put it in now, but it is doing good and when something does go bad, you can say, i told you so!

I also bought a rock, which i wanted for the pistol shrimp in it. In the rock was actually 2 pistol shrimp and almost a 1/2 foot long bristleworm! Currently one pistol shrimp has paired up with my yasha goby and the other... well i don't know whats happened to it!

I've rescaped, not majorly, but it looks much nicer to me! It wasn't very hard to do so i hope it caused minimal stress to the fish!

Fish/inverts
2 clowns
Blue Neon Goby
Red Scooter Blenny
Yasha Goby
2 Pistol Shrimp
Fire Shrimp
Peppermint shrimp

NOW FOR THE PICS!!!

BEGINNING


MIDDLE


NOW






COMMENTS PLEASE!!!
Thanks
SeaSerpant

[Skimmerking]

i like it I really think that you dont need a skimmer on that 20 gal 2-3 gal per week will do wonder's

nice rock layout

[SeaSerpant]

Asmodeus
You always seem to be the first to reply Thanks! I do do about 5g water changes each week and everything looks good. I guess i may not need it, but it cant hurt

Thanks Again
SeaSerpant