Desi & Ketchup 4x2.5x2 tank

[comycus]

Did you dose any bac? Mayb tt's why you arent really gong through the cycling process coz the bacteria culture is substantial. No matter, will be good to monitor for another week for the Ann cycle. The rest of te parameters not really tt impt now, I would only correc them after you have done your wc to reduce the nitrates. No point wasting good chemicals and salt!

Get the reflectometer! Good investment in the long run.

[jackywongto]

I like my refractometer. I think it is worth getting.

If you are changing 50% of the water, then change 1st before you adjust the chemicals.

Better to adjust before adding livestock.

Salifert MG - maybe ask someone for the english instructions? some reefers might be using the same.

Or borrow a "english" Mg tester to see if your reading is indeed 990.

I think you got everything covered.

Just get some polyfilter, bacteria etc for standby in case of emergencies.

[craftsman]

Wow... where have I been.... just read through your setup thread from the start.... EXTREMELY IMPRESSED with the setup!!!!!! Very good choice. What a solid setup!

Looking forward to your stocking up photos.

+1 on the refractometer. Don't stinge on it.

[desideria]

Hello..

Yes, we did dose ROWA BAC.. and we put in some bacteria tablets as well in our refrigum. During the first 4-5 days, there was indeed a spike in the Ammonia levels but today when testing with the old API test kit and the new ELOS test kit, both showed almost Zero or even zero.. so I assume that because of the bacteria dosing and because we used live sand and NSW, it helped in speeding up the cycling process.

Yuppers, we will adjust the necessary chemicals AFTER we do the water change... but before we do water change, we will monitor for another few more days. If want to do water change, we will probably do it next weekend, so we will monitor for another week. Is it really necessary to do 50%? quite shiong leh....

After the water change, we'd monitor again for another week and dosing of chemicals etc to make sure the water parameters are AOK before we put in livestock.

SO! at the rate things are going, our first corals would probably go in on the weekend of the 23rd-24th of Jan assuming that by Friday the 22nd, all water parameters have passed the tests with flying colors!

*fingers crossed*. Will check out Refractometers this weekend.

Desi.

[desideria]

Wow... where have I been.... just read through your setup thread from the start.... EXTREMELY IMPRESSED with the setup!!!!!! Very good choice. What a solid setup!

Looking forward to your stocking up photos.

+1 on the refractometer. Don't stinge on it.

Thanks crafts... I love it too.. hee hee hee... I am trying to practice what I said earlier to lemon being : Patience is a virtue.. so I'm trying very hard not to be too kan cheong.. must make sure everything is right to at least lower the possibility of disaster for my livestock. otherwise I think I will be so heartbroken... my husband is not as emo as I when it comes to fishies!

HAH just now we both sat in front of the tank on the ottoman chair and stared at the sand and rockscape.. and the MILLIONS OF bacteria floating around.. lol siow liow!

Desi

[sphinx]

Hey looking good man....... staring at rocks and bacteria????? win liao

Dun worry.... let me suggest new things to do.... like when i got a new skimmer... when i wake up to pee at night.... i'll go see how's the bubble doing.....

during total lights off...... like 2 am... take torchlight to shine at rocks to see got what pest is lurking in there

[desideria]

LOL sphinx bro.. I did that before.. when I woke up last week to bid farewell to Ketchup at 530AM in the morning, I sat in front of the sump and tinkled with the air intake of the skimmer for 30 MINS!!

/ROFL!!!

Desi

[craftsman]

LOL sphinx bro.. I did that before.. when I woke up last week to bid farewell to Ketchup at 530AM in the morning, I sat in front of the sump and tinkled with the air intake of the skimmer for 30 MINS!!

/ROFL!!!

Desi

Ha ha ha.... wish me wife is like you too! Ha ha ha ha ha ha.....

[comycus]

Should be relatively safe to add corals next week, barring another parameter test. Remember to start off with easy corals coz new tanks parameters can still fluctuate more, and the more delicate ones will not be able to handle the wild swings.

Th % water change will correlate to the almost the % change in your nitrates, so 50% WC will reduce nitrates ~ 50%. If you do 25% WC twice over the span of 2 weeks, you are effectively only changing 37.5% of the water, and thus not as effective. If you are using mixed saltwater, remember to let it aerate for at least 24 hours and remember to dose bacteria after every water change.

Think now's a good time to start introducing the lighting period into your tank, maybe 4-5hrs everyday to induce the algae/coralline tt will start growing. Can choose to switch on all or blue light only.

[straydum]

i remember having the salifert instructions for mg online in english because there were slight changes in the older and newer batch. you can try searching for it

edit, ah here it is

[desideria]

i remember having the salifert instructions for mg online in english because there were slight changes in the older and newer batch. you can try searching for it

edit, ah here it is

AAHH!! Hahahaha.. I got it RIGHT!!! Wadaya know... my german has not failed me. oh well... good ol common sense + flash backs do work! Thanks Straydum!!!! Greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Desi

[Ketchup]

Did a 50% waterchange yesterday and tested the parameters again and seems like the cycle is indeed complete. Will monitor these few days and then slowly introduce some cleaning crews/corals and tamer fishes to graudally increase the bioload.

Seems to have quite a fair bit of pods (the tiny white small creatures), which must have been from some of the Live Rocks we have. Intend to add in a few pieces of liverock so we can prop up the last loose piece of fibreglass rock.

ANy suggestions on what cleaning crew to stock up? We are thinking of some snails, cleaning shrimps, sand dollars/shifters and maybe 1/2 blenny...

[comycus]

I suggest trochus snails, sand shifting seastar, sand dollars. Cleaning shrimps depends on your preference. Many of us find them particularly irritating as they always snatch food away from my fishes/corals. Entertaining in the beginning, but once the novelty wears off, it's quite irritating.

[Ketchup]

I suggest trochus snails, sand shifting seastar, sand dollars. Cleaning shrimps depends on your preference. Many of us find them particularly irritating as they always snatch food away from my fishes/corals. Entertaining in the beginning, but once the novelty wears off, it's quite irritating.

Haha... i think we will get some cleaning shrimps la.. i don't mind feeding them so long as they helps to maintain the health of the fishes

[comycus]

Haha... i think we will get some cleaning shrimps la.. i don't mind feeding them so long as they helps to maintain the health of the fishes

They will set up cleaning station in the beginning. Nice to see. After they get used to your feedings, won't do much cleaning already. Only know how to snatch food from your fishes and corals... lol

Mine don't even go near my fishes anymore.

[TayHongSiang]

Haha... i think we will get some cleaning shrimps la.. i don't mind feeding them so long as they helps to maintain the health of the fishes

cleaner shrimps r supposed to eat the parasites and white spots from the fishes, they dun eat waste...although the name suggest "cleaning"...but due to abundance of food from our feeding, they instinctively go for the food for fishes.

[Ketchup]

cleaner shrimps r supposed to eat the parasites and white spots from the fishes, they dun eat waste...although the name suggest "cleaning"...but due to abundance of food from our feeding, they instinctively go for the food for fishes.

Yeah, am aware of that i rather my fishes got no parasites and white spots lor.. thats why i say i rather feed them LOL

[comycus]

Yeah, am aware of that i rather my fishes got no parasites and white spots lor.. thats why i say i rather feed them LOL

Maybe just to set your expectations right, the cleaner shrimps is neither a prevention nor cure for white spots or parasite-related diseases. Even if it does reduce some likelihood of the diseases, it will be moot once they start feeding. Like many other lifestock, once they are trained to eat prepared foods, they lose their 'instinct' and stop hunting, in this case, cleaning.

Nevertheless, cleaner shrimp is also a good clean up crew if you don't mind their voracious apetite because they eat almost anything, so can help you scavenge your rocks/sandbed.

[Ketchup]

Maybe just to set your expectations right, the cleaner shrimps is neither a prevention nor cure for white spots or parasite-related diseases. Even if it does reduce some likelihood of the diseases, it will be moot once they start feeding. Like many other lifestock, once they are trained to eat prepared foods, they lose their 'instinct' and stop hunting, in this case, cleaning.

Nevertheless, cleaner shrimp is also a good clean up crew if you don't mind their voracious apetite because they eat almost anything, so can help you scavenge your rocks/sandbed.

Ahhh ic... well, will keep this in mind.. in this case, i will prob keep a pair shd be sufficient

[dachkie]

no dont keep cleaner shrimps you will surely hate them once you do target feeding on your corals, i ever target feeded my supersuns and hate to do tug of war with my cleaner shrimps and tangs for 1 hour + and i gave up and flooded the tank with food eventually

[limsc]

no dont keep cleaner shrimps you will surely hate them once you do target feeding on your corals, i ever target feeded my supersuns and hate to do tug of war with my cleaner shrimps and tangs for 1 hour + and i gave up and flooded the tank with food eventually

Me too... sometimes just wish i didnt purchase the shrimps in the first place.

Got 2 cleaner and 2 blood shrimps.

[desideria]

LOL I guess there goes the shrimps... NO more shrimps... we already have to deal with one boxer!

sigh...

Desi

[TayHongSiang]

LOL I guess there goes the shrimps... NO more shrimps... we already have to deal with one boxer!

sigh...

Desi

boxer shrimps are always hiding and sedentry...not a good scavenger to clean up waste food.

[Ketchup]

boxer shrimps are always hiding and sedentry...not a good scavenger to clean up waste food.

ya, have to see, already with us for 2 yrs plus so cant bare to get rid of it... it picks up a lot from liverock (no DSB in our 2ft).

[yikai]

just to clear some common misconceptions. cleaner shrimps and wrasses do not eat parasites such as ich. ich bury within the fish's flesh and are out of reach by these animals. moreover, do not attempt cleaner wrasses since survival rate is dismal, although not impossible. if u dont mind cleaner shrimps snatching food from corals, get them. otherwise, don't. they can be real irritating at times. they do look colourful though.

next, sand sifting stars and sand dollars should not be added so soon. your sand bed needs to be at least somewhat mature for them to eat the microfauna within the sand. actually believe it or not, these creatures are quite difficult to keep as they mostly starve. i suggest nassarius snails if u want a sandbed free of food.