Enigma's 10 Gallon Reef

[aqure591]

You started your tank on March 17th and have already added so much live stock... Just curious to know how your water parameters are and if your tank has been fully cycled yet or not ??

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by aqure591

You started your tank on March 17th and have already added so much live stock... Just curious to know how your water parameters are and if your tank has been fully cycled yet or not ??

(all tests but nitrate test are API tests . . . My nitrate has never been high enough in this tank to even register on the API test)

pH: 8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0.5 (ELOS test . . . Not totally colorless but not as pink as 1)
Phosphate: 0
dkh: 11
Calcium: 460
Magnesium: didn't test this morning
Temp: 77
SG: 1.025

I started with fully cured live rock rubble. I did go through a very minor cycle, which made me very nervous after I added some livestock. None of the levels of anything became high enough to be stressful for the livestock, and I did a 10% water change a day for a week during the mini cycle. I did have a very minor diatom bloom when the cycle completed.

Considering the very bad advice I recieved when I started this (found the forums after this was all on the go) things have gone much better than they should have. I've been very fortunate. I think I've been able to remedy most of the issues.

I test ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates every day.

I do have a second tank that I'm working on. I'm taking everything I've learned so far and am doing that one "the right way." I'm doing a fishless cycle with no live rock with that one. It is close to being cycled.

[aqure591]

That's great to hear!. One thing that I did to cycle my tank when I started was to use raw shrimp/cocktail shrimp method. Through my research I found this way more humane then dumping chromis or other hardy fish into the tank to help cycle the tank.

Originally Posted by Enigma

(all tests but nitrate test are API tests . . . My nitrate has never been high enough in this tank to even register on the API test)

pH: 8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0.5 (ELOS test . . . Not totally colorless but not as pink as 1)
Phosphate: 0
dkh: 11
Calcium: 460
Magnesium: didn't test this morning
Temp: 77
SG: 1.025

I started with fully cured live rock rubble. I did go through a very minor cycle, which made me very nervous after I added some livestock. None of the levels of anything became high enough to be stressful for the livestock, and I did a 10% water change a day for a week during the mini cycle. I did have a very minor diatom bloom when the cycle completed.

Considering the very bad advice I recieved when I started this (found the forums after this was all on the go) things have gone much better than they should have. I've been very fortunate. I think I've been able to remedy most of the issues.

I test ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates every day.

I do have a second tank that I'm working on. I'm taking everything I've learned so far and am doing that one "the right way." I'm doing a fishless cycle with no live rock with that one. It is close to being cycled.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by aqure591

That's great to hear!. One thing that I did to cycle my tank when I started was to use raw shrimp/cocktail shrimp method. Through my research I found this way more humane then dumping chromis or other hardy fish into the tank to help cycle the tank.

I'm now using frozen brine shrimp in my other one. It is processing a cube a day.

I was furious when I learned how mislead I had been at the LFS. I worked very diligently to gain control of the situation. I just checked my notes. The highest ammonia became was 0.25, and nitrites never got above 0.25. Nitrates topped out at 2. We all got through it okay.

My plans now are to add a couple of cerith snails, and then add a little frag every two weeks. No more fish will be added until the chromis reduce their numbers.

[aqure591]

Ya Number 1 rule do not trust anything that comes of the mouths of your LFS staff members lol. I'm not saying all LFS have staff that don't know what they are talking about, but majority of them are clueless.

The best advice as a novice in this hobby is to do your own research and stick to 1 forum (can reef) for advice from members that have been in the hobby for a long time, or members who have been through the same situation before to learn from them. Good Luck with your tanks!

[Enigma]

I'm slowly figuring out who I can trust. I listen closely to what other customers are being told, in addition to what I'm being told. Some of what i hear is disturbing. I think I'll mostly stick to Red Coral in the future, but in the event I venture elsewhere I'll be very cautious.

I'm also on one other forum, but that one is nano specific. Most of the users here seem to have much larger systems.

[aqure591]

Yeah!, Red Coral does know their stuff. That's a reason they are a sponsered member on here.

[Duker]

Originally Posted by aqure591

to cycle my tank when I started was to use raw shrimp/cocktail shrimp method. this way more humane then dumping chromis or other hardy fish into the tank to help cycle the tank.

YES YES YES, why don't more people do it this way.....And it works so much better!!!!
Yay aqure591

[Enigma]

One Mexican Turbo and four Nass have been moved out of this tank and into my other tank.

EDIT: Oh, and I've switched out my Kent carbon with Seachem carbon and did a 20% water change. And, I fed my blasto some Acan Plus. Holy smokes did they greedily eat it up!

Originally Posted by Aquaria

If he lives u should just keep him there very entertaining and since he's in the refuge what harm can he really do? There not aggresive and he won't go after stuff that wasn't dead or dieing already

It isn't so much about any harm he may do it this point . . . it's more about the fact that I don't particularly enjoy him: and I know there are many who would.

[Snaz]

Your rocks have great shape. Any updates?