My tank is alive!!!

[cheese]

Hee, hee, not too sure should open a new topic for my no big deal stuff. Anywhere just post for the Masters here to comment lah.

My juwel 180 tank was left there empty almost 6 years, after a few years of freshwater planting. Now it's alive again! It's been a year since I started buying all the Marine stuff 1 at a time (so ex!), finally something is really coming up.

What now left I think, will be a chiller, some power heads, and a decent lighting set(on drawing board now using 6 x T5 concept), and saving real hard for the live rocks too. Well, it all started till now only 2 days. Actually, wish to start the cycle by prawns, but seems too boring looking at the sand, so bought 3 x $1 Nemo today.

Here they are looking happy, wondering around, eating well, so far so good, and really hope that they will live through the whole cycle in the dark tank and continue forever, while I saved for a month or 2 for the live rocks and the rest of the things to come in bit by bit slowly. A-mit-tou-fo! They will only have friends next year, hope they not too boring staring at one another.

Cheers! (Really hesitate whether should I post or not with this 3 NEMOs...., pls dun laugh at me....)

[Ekia]

Dun like the idea of using fish to cycle... its too cruel... They are living creatures too...

[Vinoth]

Yup true..you have any coral chips or bio ball? Where will the bacteria grow?

[typrobin]

u are a brave guy to admit that u dump the fishes in without cycling your tank properly...

BECAUSE IT IS A SIN!!!

dun u know that it is very cruel to do tat?

okok enough of the flaming...

let start with the simple things:

1) it is a must to complete the ANN cycle (pls search for a thread and read up)..

2) cycling is to be done with LRs and Sand, not only sand...

3) uncured LRs will kill fishes too because there will be too much die-offs..

4) have u got a SKIMMER?? its the most important thing for a marine tank

5) dun bother bout the expensive stuffs like chiller, t5 and other more sophisticated stuffs...get as much LRs as your pocket can handle..and a skimmer too..

6) for the time-being, dun feed the fishes too much...it will cos a major ammonia spike..and they will die..

PS: read up more before u try more exciting stuffs like corals and hard-to-raise fishes (tangs, angel, etc...)..the exciting part is maintaining fishes and corals, not buying and viewing for a few days...

[hippo]

Hee, hee, not too sure should open a new topic for my no big deal stuff. Anywhere just post for the Masters here to comment lah.

My juwel 180 tank was left there empty almost 6 years, after a few years of freshwater planting. Now it's alive again! It's been a year since I started buying all the Marine stuff 1 at a time (so ex!), finally something is really coming up.

What now left I think, will be a chiller, some power heads, and a decent lighting set(on drawing board now using 6 x T5 concept), and saving real hard for the live rocks too. Well, it all started till now only 2 days. Actually, wish to start the cycle by prawns, but seems too boring looking at the sand, so bought 3 x $1 Nemo today.

Here they are looking happy, wondering around, eating well, so far so good, and really hope that they will live through the whole cycle in the dark tank and continue forever, while I saved for a month or 2 for the live rocks and the rest of the things to come in bit by bit slowly. A-mit-tou-fo! They will only have friends next year, hope they not too boring staring at one another.

Cheers! (Really hesitate whether should I post or not with this 3 NEMOs...., pls dun laugh at me....)

Currently, do you have liverocks in your tank? If you do have, remove those clownfishes before any intoxication of ammonia.

Do some research for marine aquarium keeping will do good to you by saving costs, reduce mistakes and save lives.

Btw, welcome

Here's some info for you:

Live sand

Curing of liverock n sand

[typrobin]

Yup true..you have any coral chips or bio ball? Where will the bacteria grow?

looks like he is using a canister...

wat do u have in the canister? do u know that it is a must to clean the canister very often?? but there is a special way to clean them as well...if not all the beneficial bacteria will die and your fishes will follow them...

my suggestion to u right now is to get a bottle of NUTRAFIN CYCLE to help lessen the burden of the ammonia spike...the rest depends on u...remember, reading is boring but good for your tank...

[cheese]

Now I feel so guilty....but buy liao, will keep an close eye to them, if no good, will transfer them to a small tank with good water...

I'm using the Ehiem Wet/Dry with 2 tier trays, + also a sump tank with bioballs. Hope that could be enough.

Cheers!

[typrobin]

Now I feel so guilty....but buy liao, will keep an close eye to them, if no good, will transfer them to a small tank with good water...

I'm using the Ehiem Wet/Dry with 2 tier trays, + also a sump tank with bioballs.  Hope that could be enough.

Cheers!

if u have a sump, then there is no need of the cannister...but for now continue running it, until u get all the LRs, cure and cycle them properly..

get the NUTRAFIN CYCLE!!! its the most important thing now...

dun bother transfering them into a new tank with "better water"...if u have a reefer fren, leave it with him 1st...i stay in woodlands, i dun mind helping..but i dun guarantee that they will be alive...can only offer my sump...

[cheese]

Really thanks for the advices. Will continue to read on...while saving for live rock to come in. Probably, will transfer the Nemos to a small tank, when the live rock are throw in. Will put 100% attention on the babies.

BTW, got a Prizm skimmer in the sump tank + a UV. Lights n chiller will take my time after all the live rocks in. Corals n other lives will only be considered next year, when all are complete.

Cheers!

[lightningstrike]

if u want, i can offer u some poor 2 cents as i m oso using a juwel rio 180 for my marine setup. click the link below.

happy reefing and pls dun use LS to cycle anymore.

[DeepBlue]

welcome to SRC. Found a pinned up link for reefers who are starting the hobby anew or trying out for the first time:

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2032

I am sure you didnt know that we do not encourage using LS for cycling and you'l definitely make the effort to find out more.

Happy Reefing, dude...GOT Qns? do read up and ask the guys here for clarification and exchange of ideas.

[reeflax]

I don't see anything wrong with that as long as you don't stock up 20 fishes in the tank.

Using live rocks to cycle is also killing living organisims, just that they aren't pretty, we ignore them. Still, we kill them don't we?

Now, what happens after we cycle the live rocks and start putting fishes in it? The cycle repeats itself.

The important thing is to add livestock slowly and let the bacteria grows to cope with the levels.

[DeepBlue]

A lot of people hang a piece of prawn in the tank for cycling purposes and allow the bacteria to multiply and cope with the bioload...later on...remove the prawn.......when you add fish SLOWLY... it shouldnt stress the system too greatly. You dun cause a cycling cycle again from adding fish...

[Ekia]

A lot of people hang a piece of prawn in the tank for cycling purposes and allow the bacteria to multiply and cope with the bioload...later on...remove the prawn.......when you add fish SLOWLY... it shouldnt stress the system too greatly. You dun cause a cycling cycle again from adding fish...

yes i fully agree... once your tank is fully cycled with the beneficial bacteria colonising the LRs and bio-filters like bioballs, ceramic rings, biohomes etc.. you wont start another cycle. Unless of course u add 20 fishes in and cause a huge ammonia spike. Try to understand the ANN cycle and you will know what we mean.

[sengx2]

looks like he is using a canister...

wat do u have in the canister? do u know that it is a must to clean the canister very often?? but there is a special way to clean them as well...if not all the beneficial bacteria will die and your fishes will follow them...

my suggestion to u right now is to get a bottle of NUTRAFIN CYCLE to help lessen the burden of the ammonia spike...the rest depends on u...remember, reading is boring but good for your tank...

special way to clean them as well... ??? how ???

mind tell us ?? plssss

me using canister

[reeflax]

Here's my explanation:

Say you have 5 fishes in the tank. The amount of bacterias in the tank is only enough to support the nitrates provided by the 5 fishes. If there is a decrease in the no. of fishes, the bacteria will decrease too as there are not enough "food" to go around.

However, if you increase from 5 to 8, then the nitrogen cycle will start again as there is now more "food" the support a bigger colony.

As long as the increase is minimal, it is insignificant to cause any stress to the fishes.

[reeflax]

By adding new fishes, they are providing the ammonia in the initial stage of the nitrogen cycles to start again. Because of the existing bacterias, there is minimal effect.

[cheese]

looks like he is using a canister...

wat do u have in the canister? do u know that it is a must to clean the canister very often?? but there is a special way to clean them as well...if not all the beneficial bacteria will die and your fishes will follow them...

my suggestion to u right now is to get a bottle of NUTRAFIN CYCLE to help lessen the burden of the ammonia spike...the rest depends on u...remember, reading is boring but good for your tank...

Bro, can also tell me the way to clean the canister? Million thanks!

[lightningstrike]

IME, nothing special to speak of. juz wash wif salt water.

[cheese]

My plan is just to start with these 3 Nemo for a month or so,(actually I asked for 2, but these 3 just keep staying together so closely that the fellow who catched for me could not leave the bigger 1 out, so just take all lor).

Then, probably in DEC start adding a kg or 2 of live rock (that will only cost me $8 to most $16. A kg or 2 I guess will only get me a piece or 2, or even less, right?), and c how the water go. If really too bad, then perhaps cure them separately. So, probably would take till end of next year to complete all the live rocks. While at the same time c whether can DIY the lights and Chiller.

When all well done up, only then will add live stocks, and even corals(so, that maybe 2 or 3 years later). I'm going to take a very very slow pace, adding bit by bit. As I mentioned before, all my equipment took almost a year to purchase (skimmer, uv, return pump, etc.). Lightingstrike knew me better when I first PM him on his juwel tank long time ago. The canister was left over since 8 years ago when I do plant tank. Budget is really tight and also I'm rather patience type.

Actually, I did think of leaving it bare with just sands until I save enough and get all the live rocks to throw in all at once, but seems like that no meaning and it could mean a very very long time later, hence just put 3 fishes in and get it going first. While looking after them, continue to motivate, save and buy....

Really hope my plan could work and not abusing any lives. Really appreciate all the kind comments for me to learn more.

Cheers!

[weileong]

There's not much details so I guess your tank now only got sand, water and 3 clownfish only?

No LR added so very little bacterial to start with and you dump in 3 clownfish at one go. This will sure give a big ammonia spike. For our saltwater reef which pH is around 8.3 the amount of ammonium is many times higher compared to freshwater aquarium because at higher pH greater than 7 more ammonia gets converted into ammonium (if I still remember my chemistry ) so this is more toxic for the fish.

IMO better to remove the fish and add them only after the tank is properly cycled.

[Ekia]

Here's my explanation:

Say you have 5 fishes in the tank. The amount of bacterias in the tank is only enough to support the nitrates provided by the 5 fishes. If there is a decrease in the no. of fishes, the bacteria will decrease too as there are not enough "food" to go around.

However, if you increase from 5 to 8, then the nitrogen cycle will start again as there is now more "food" the support a bigger colony.

As long as the increase is minimal, it is insignificant to cause any stress to the fishes.

yah, you are right... thats the reason why we are advised to stock slowly.. 1 fish every week or so... but that does that give us the reason to use fish to cycle?

[blueheaven]

Agree with bro weileong. The fishes would not add any bacteria to your tank (ok, maybe substantial amounts). Bacteria mostly comes from LR and its cultured on the surfaces of sand, rock, etc. Thats why you see people recommending small sand grades to increase the surface area. Fishes too are a life and its also very cruel to use them to produce ammonia. If you do not like looking at a prawn rotting in your tank, use your urine instead, its works for some people. But all in all, read up more and be patient. Here's a saying for you : "You will never live long enough to make all mistakes and learn from them, so take chances to learn from other's mistakes instead

[Ekia]

Better to start with all the LR, sand and water in... then u can wait all you want... with any addition of LRs, u r going to start a mini cycle again..

[blueheaven]

Ekia is right. The key to success in this hobby is to start off good and be patient.

Hope to see your tank turn into another spectacle to wow at.