3.5x1.5x2

[deimos8]

a newbie set up +/- comments r most welcome........................set up w/o chiller , w/o skimmer as the temp is ard 31 deg juz gt a fan yest n manage to lower thr temp to 28 deg......................

[dnsfpl]

i love the rock scape

[comycus]

Bro did you let your tank cycle? Just checking coz your first post was less than a week ago. May I know the reason for having ceramic rings as part of your sandbed? I have not seen any tank like tt before.

Anyway the damsels will get aggressive once established, I don't know how you are going to catch them out with your rockwork if you want to add fishes in future. Also, I count at least 8-9 fish in your tank already, what happened to learning your lesson on stocking up too fast?

Lastly, you really should have gotten a skimmer first before adding LS. I suggest doing frequent water changes (at least 10-15% every 3-4 days) and get a skimmer ASAP. I apologize if I'm jumping to conclusions, but I really hope your tank has been fully cycled.

[TayHongSiang]

How come you got bio-rings on their sand bed...i think it's not wise to place it there...should place them in a filter bag and into yr sump.

If you use artificial corals, you have to take them out to wash and clean occasionally, as algae will grow on them.

[deimos8]

my tank is cycled almost 1 wks .........................really regret nt getting a in tank skimmer b4 getting the LR..............................as for the bio-rings is advice by the LFS...............

[yikai]

my tank is cycled almost 1 wks .........................really regret nt getting a in tank skimmer b4 getting the LR..............................as for the bio-rings is advice by the LFS...............

1 week is way too short. minimum 3 weeks at least if u jsut started.

bio-rings are not meant to be placed as a substrate.. usually in sump. remove them as they will trap dirt and case massive NO3 spike. + you do not have a skimmer, the biorings will kill you.

[TayHongSiang]

Huh?! first time i hear this man...bio-rings on the substrate?! wazzda??

bro...the senior reefers here like lemon will give u better and honest advice...trust them.

[jackywongto]

my tank is cycled almost 1 wks .........................really regret nt getting a in tank skimmer b4 getting the LR..............................as for the bio-rings is advice by the LFS...............

I am really really keen to know which LFS advised that.

Pls PM me and let me know pls. TY.

[comycus]

bro, 1 week of cycling + so many fishes + no skimmer? It's like a time bomb...

I suggest you give/sell your fishes away and restart the cycle if you can catch them out. Otherwise your poor damsels will prob be the only ones left in the end due to their hardiness, and you will have a hard time introducing other fishes because they are aggressive.

You mentioned before that you are on a budget. There are some stuff in reefing that you cannot save on. You can go for lower quality, but you still need to get. If not, tank crash, decom, you lose even more $$. More importantly, you have to start reading up. Get to know the basic stuff on how to start and set up a SW tank at the v. least.

Frankly, I'm v. surprised at some of your mistakes. You have experience running a FW tank and you don't know about cycling your tank?

[jackywongto]

bro, 1 week of cycling + so many fishes + no skimmer? It's like a time bomb...

I suggest you give/sell your fishes away and restart the cycle if you can catch them out. Otherwise your poor damsels will prob be the only ones left in the end due to their hardiness, and you will have a hard time introducing other fishes because they are aggressive.

You mentioned before that you are on a budget. There are some stuff in reefing that you cannot save on. You can go for lower quality, but you still need to get. If not, tank crash, decom, you lose even more $$. More importantly, you have to start reading up. Get to know the basic stuff on how to start and set up a SW tank at the v. least.

Frankly, I'm v. surprised at some of your mistakes. You have experience running a FW tank and you don't know about cycling your tank?

so fierce Comy lol.

Hey Deimos,

Suggest you try to change water more regularly (maybe 20%) in this initial few weeks.

Pls do not stock anymore fishes.

Remove the bio rings.

Minimal feeding only once or twice a day max.

FYI, Cycling a tank takes about 1 month. and fishes are gradually introduce into the tank.

not 5 - 6 at 1 shot.

introduce the more peaceful fishes 1st.

damsels are hooligans

Yeah I am just repeating what Comycus is saying ...hehe

[comycus]

so fierce Comy lol.

Hey Deimos,

Suggest you try to change water more regularly (maybe 20%) in this initial few weeks.

Pls do not stock anymore fishes.

Remove the bio rings.

Minimal feeding only once or twice a day max.

FYI, Cycling a tank takes about 1 month. and fishes are gradually introduce into the tank.

not 5 - 6 at 1 shot.

introduce the more peaceful fishes 1st.

damsels are hooligans

Yeah I am just repeating what Comycus is saying ...hehe

Deimos sorry... really did sound abit too fierce. Maybe its a combination of weather + irritating boss lol

But true ok? need to read up n learn more, even more quickly now that your tank is actually running. You definitely need to stop stocking up on fishes and corals to wait for tank to stabilize. I dunno if I will kena flame by saying this: run PUR-II to remove excess ammonia and nitrite, dose bacteria for the next 1 month, monitor your parameters with basic test kits.

This is no solution to your problem, you will find that by cutting short the cycling process, your tank will not stabilize as it should. Might run into more problems in future. At least for now, hopefully it will bring down your ammonia and nitrite levels to less toxic levels.

[teebs]

Bro, frankly speaking your tank isn't even cycled yet. To be extremely frank, you are running a very high risk of getting a huge amnonia spike soon that will kill off everything in your tank.

My suggestion to you is to get the following test kits fast:

1) Ammonia Test

2) Nitrite Test

3) Nitrate Test

4) Phosphate Test

Test your water parameters every alternate day for the next 2 weeks at least. In the meantime, get some super bacteria and start dosing your tank immediately. Reefmax Super Bacteria is something you should get right now. Once you detect a spike in any of the above tests, quickly do a 20% water change in order to try to stabalise your tank.

As you are running a sumpless system, equipment you should get immediately if you want to save your lifestock:

1) Eheim or other brand cannister filter with a high flow rate - Remove all your bio rings from your sand bed and put them in one of your media baskets in your cannister filter. Dose with super bacteria immediately. The other media basket, put in Reefmax Zorb All or Pura Complete. Zorb All and Pura Complete will remove the amnonia and phosphates from your tank. The bio rings are to house the bacteria that will convert the ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates.

2) A hang on back skimmer or in tank skimmer

Basically what you are left to do now is just to try to save your life stock while trying to maintain your water parameters at less toxic levels. Hopefully you will also be able to complete the cycling process.

By the way, which idiot LFS told you to cycle for 1 week, no need to do any water parameter tests, can put bio rings as sand bed and then can put in so many fishes at one time????

[jyoon]

Bro, frankly speaking your tank isn't even cycled yet. To be extremely frank, you are running a very high risk of getting a huge amnonia spike soon that will kill off everything in your tank.

My suggestion to you is to get the following test kits fast:

1) Ammonia Test

2) Nitrite Test

3) Nitrate Test

4) Phosphate Test

Test your water parameters every alternate day for the next 2 weeks at least. In the meantime, get some super bacteria and start dosing your tank immediately. Reefmax Super Bacteria is something you should get right now. Once you detect a spike in any of the above tests, quickly do a 20% water change in order to try to stabalise your tank.

As you are running a sumpless system, equipment you should get immediately if you want to save your lifestock:

1) Eheim or other brand cannister filter with a high flow rate - Remove all your bio rings from your sand bed and put them in one of your media baskets in your cannister filter. Dose with super bacteria immediately. The other media basket, put in Reefmax Zorb All or Pura Complete. Zorb All and Pura Complete will remove the amnonia and phosphates from your tank. The bio rings are to house the bacteria that will convert the ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates.

2) A hang on back skimmer or in tank skimmer

Basically what you are left to do now is just to try to save your life stock while trying to maintain your water parameters at less toxic levels. Hopefully you will also be able to complete the cycling process.

By the way, which idiot LFS told you to cycle for 1 week, no need to do any water parameter tests, can put bio rings as sand bed and then can put in so many fishes at one time????

Hi Peter Bro

Which LFS? Isn't that easy to guess?

BTW Not many Marine LFS in SG.

Hi deimos bro

Are you having a saddle puffer (http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/puffers/saddlepufferhawaii/) ?

Read more about this fish. Normally puffer fish let go tonix when stress or threaten. This cause a wipeout.

As for your Damsel, they are Azure Damsel. They work out well for me and found the least aggressive damsel compare to the rest of the same family. BTW this is the only damsel I will keep as they are beautiful.

Seek more advice from the senior reefers.....this will help you a long way.

Stop buying any more fishes now till another 1 month or so. Check water parameters before adding Live Stock even after 1 month.

[teebs]

Hi Peter Bro

Which LFS? Isn't that easy to guess?

BTW Not many Marine LFS in SG.

Well, maybe I'm lucky but the LFSs I normally go to would never tell me to do what they told Deimos.

The only LFS I ever came accross which I would consider to know very little about what they are doing is the one located at B2 of an orchard road shopping centre... I ever asked one of their staff which brand of reflectometer they use to monitor the salinity of their tanks and he said he used only the floating hydrometer because it is more accurate than a reflectometer...

[yikai]

Well, maybe I'm lucky but the LFSs I normally go to would never tell me to do what they told Deimos.

The only LFS I ever came accross which I would consider to know very little about what they are doing is the one located at B2 of an orchard road shopping centre... I ever asked one of their staff which brand of reflectometer they use to monitor the salinity of their tanks and he said he used only the floating hydrometer because it is more accurate than a reflectometer...

hydrometers can be suprisingly accurate have seen/used hydrometers that are more accurate than refractometers.

[TayHongSiang]

I would suggest dun patronise those shops located at dhoby ghaut or novena basement areas.

The prices are ridiculous....i recall $30 for a turbo snail and $60 for a yellow tang.

I only bring my daughter there to see the fishes and that's about it...full stop.

[deimos8]

thanks all bros for all the advice....................i will try to shift some to my small tank first....................n add a in tank skimmer ..................

[teebs]

U have a small tank??? How long has it been running? Fully cycled???

By the way, your first priority should be to get an external filter and run it with Pura Complete or Zorb All to remove the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates in your tank. You should also remove your bio rings and place them in the filter immediately.

[deimos8]

U have a small tank??? How long has it been running? Fully cycled???

By the way, your first priority should be to get an external filter and run it with Pura Complete or Zorb All to remove the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates in your tank. You should also remove your bio rings and place them in the filter immediately.

the small cube tank is the marine tank tat i kp marine b4 i convert my 3.5ft tank to marine................................both nt new tank so shud be fully cyccled.....................................

[teebs]

the small cube tank is the marine tank tat i kp marine b4 i convert my 3.5ft tank to marine................................both nt new tank so shud be fully cyccled.....................................

Are you using a filter & skimmer for your cube tank? Better to test the water parameters before you shift your fish into it. At least test nitrates and phosphates.

[deimos8]

water parameter ok i m using a hangon filter but w/o skimmer...................thanks for yr advice bro peter

[andylee]

u seriously have to do more research before plunging whole-heartedly into this reefkeeping hobby.

[comycus]

the small cube tank is the marine tank tat i kp marine b4 i convert my 3.5ft tank to marine................................both nt new tank so shud be fully cyccled.....................................

Bro your definition of 'not new tank so should be fully cycled" is really doubtful. You need to cycle at least 4-6 weeks, and track the spikes in ammonia, followed by nitrite and eventually nitrate. This is a really basic read that should start you off. http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=82945

Reefers here are willing to help you, but please refrain from making broad statements like "my tank should be fully cycled" and "water parameter ok". Have you tested your water? what are your readings? How long have you cycled your small cube tank?

Even if your small cube is cycled, adding in so many fishes together will cause a spike. Maybe stress the fishes even more with the shifting and smaller environment.

You will find that many bros here are v. passionate towards this hobby. Responsible reefing is what we encourage, and it's always sad to see LS not taken care of because of a reefer's ignorance. Please read up more.

[teebs]

water parameter ok i m using a hangon filter but w/o skimmer...................thanks for yr advice bro peter

I think the topic of cycling has been mentioned and discussed in this thread many times. It is entirely your personal choice whether to take our advice to heart or to disregard them.

With respect to your small cube tank, does the hang on filter you are using have any compartments/space for you to use Pura Complete and other media? If you are only using a sponge/wool filter in your hang on filter, my suggestion is to remove the wool filter and replace it with Pura Complete, Bio Rings and maybe activated carbon. Again how much you can place in your hang on filter depends on the size of your filter. Pura complete and activated carbon should be put in filter bags before placing them in your hang on filter.

Also pls buy a nitrate and phosphate test kit and test your water parameters in your cube tank before shifting your fish from your large tank to your cube tank. Pls also check the salinity and PH levels if you can.

Once you have shifted your fishes to your cube tank, please start cycling your large tank.

[Daryl Tsc]

Bro Deimos,

Still waiting for the update of yr tank.(PICS)

Daryl