Questions from a Newbie

[Ian]

I have a biocube 29 that has just completed cycling and I have introduced LR, 2 clowns and a yelowtail damsel and a yellow watchman gobie into the tank over the last few weeks. All seems to be going well water is testing fine daily.
I have 2 questions ( at this time)
The water being retuned to the tank is full of tiny air bubbles. I don't think this is anything but an asthetic issue but how do I get rid of them?

I also have a bright red Algae (?) growing on one chunk of LR an on a couple spots on the substrate. Is this a big issue and how do I go about getting rid of it or at least controlling it. I have a few snails of various varieties and some hermit crabs for my CUC but that is all at this point.

Also why didn't anybody tell me this was more addictive than crack I have kept freshwater tanks for 15 years and I am totally hooked on SW. already planning a 110 gallon setup to start in the fall.......

[daddy01]

Hi,
Well in my opinion the biocube hasen't cycled yet till you add some live stock, fish and stuff to start the biological process then the cycle will start and could take a moonth to complet. the red algae is a part of the cycle process and is not good algae, syphon it out of remove from tank.
Jim

[i have crabs]

the air bubbles could be from low water in the rear chamber, i usally keep my water level alot higher than the max line, if the water level dosent help it could be that the water if flowing through the rear to fast causing micro bubles. first thing the cartrige in the first section remove it and dont buy a new one, i removed some of the bioballs and put a bag of carbon from a aquaclear 110 filter and a chunk of filterfloss on top under the black thing in the middle chamber, i also used a small slowdown valve from a phosban reactor to slow the water returning into the tank wich helped alot.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=tf-plmvbb
http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=pf-acr50c

for the algae issue try looking up cyano and see if its what you have, biocubes dont have skimmers on them so you have to be carefull on extra nutrients in the water i do a 5g waterchange every 2 weeks usally but i only have ever had 3-4 fish at at time dont feed extra food and if you can get ro/di water it will help alot

[Ian]

Thanks for the info.
It is confirmed as cyano and the tukey baster has become aquarium maintenance equipment. From what I have learned my tank is not fully cycled and I should not do any water changes until i is...is this correct?
I'm sure tomorrow will bring new questions so stay tuned :redface:

[motokorth]

When removing the bio balls and other things from the filtration do it slowly over time. Do not remove it all now or you may just get a spike from removing some of the bacteria thats there already.

[Ian]

SO I have the red slime under control now and my water is testing great. BUT I went out for about 5 hours yesterday and my pulsing xenia went from thriving to withered and flat... This is strange I've had it in the tank for a litle over 2 weeks and it has done great growth visible and all that I have read seems it wason its way to great things. Water tests revealed nothing.

Today no change in its state and still getting nice stable water readings

Ideas?

[Myka]

Thanks for the info.
It is confirmed as cyano and the tukey baster has become aquarium maintenance equipment. From what I have learned my tank is not fully cycled and I should not do any water changes until i is...is this correct?
I'm sure tomorrow will bring new questions so stay tuned :redface:

What makes you believe that your tank isn't cycled yet? What are the actual readings for salinity, pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate?

You shouldn't have any fish in your tank until your aquarium is fully cycled, but you DO have fish in there, so to protect them you DO need to do waterchanges to keep the water at least semi-safe for the inhabitants. Depending on your parameters I can suggest a waterchange schedule for you.

It seems that you have rushed things much too fast with having fish AND a coral in your tank already. Take a deep breath, and SLOW DOWN. "Nothing good happens fast in a saltwater aquarium." Remember that. Bad things happen fast, good things happen slow. ;)

[Monti-Man]

OKay we'll first thing first:) Nice to see someone from Rimbey i was raised there as we'll:)

Okay so did you add the rock and cycle the tank with the rock in it? Or how did you cycle it before you added the fish?

The idea of cycling is sand,water,rock and then wait for the cycle. Depending on where you get the rock from that could be a week to over month to cycle.
The fact that you are getting good readings is a good thing. But i guess like Myka said what are the actual numbers?

The cyano could be due to not enough flow. And in a biocube unless you have added more flow that will contribute to that problem.

What is the temp getting to in that tank?

Great board to get involved with lots of help here.

But Myka is right Sloooooow down. This is not a hobby for impatience:)

[Ian]

k so I will give you more info
I have about 25 pound of live rock that came straight out of anoher tank and had been cured there for quite some time ( a few months I believe) so it should be fine and It was never allowed to dry at all.
Once my sand and rock were in I allowed the tank to run that way for a couple weeks and added to it only after all the tests had been level and consistant for a few days in a row.

Temp consistant between 76-78
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0-2.5 ppm
Nitrite 0
pH 8.2
salinity 1.021
These are what I have had since thursday last week.
I check all readings a minimun of twice daily since this setup is so new
As for Flow I added a Koralia 1 to the tank to give this a boost. Why i thought it had not completely cycled was based on advice givin in this thread.
I know I need to slow down and as that goes I can't even get to LFS for the next 2-3weeks so it is a given that I am stopped now :mrgreen:
May have to start that bigger tank sooner than fall..........starting to jones:wink:
Monti---pm me your real name we may know each other....I grew up in Rimbey and moved back 7 years ago.

Anyhow keep giving advice I am listening
thanks

[sharuq1]

Your salinity is too low for inverts/corals. I would suggest a slow increase to 1.025. Also, xenia can be tempermental. I found that starting out the best way to know if I needed a waterchange (besides my regular weekly ones) was just by watching my xenia. If it looked off I did a wc, and voila it would bounce back.

[Marlin65]

2nd that

[Myka]

You should jack your salinity up to about 1.025-1.026 as reefs do better at that level. Yours is VERY low...almost hyposalinity. Make the change over about 1 week.

It sounds like your tank is cycled. Especially since you used well cured rock. However, your nitrate is SKYYYYYYYYYYYYY high for a reef if they ever pop up to 25 ppm!! How can you say 0-25 ppm? That's a HUGE gap. This may be why your Xenia is choked. Nitrate should NEVER be higher than 10 ppm in a reef, but you should aim to be under 2 ppm, and as close to 0 as possible. 0 is achievable. :) What are you running for filters? Protein skimmers? How big of waterchanges? How often?

[Ian]

oops typo 0-2.5...this make more sense?
so far just a stock biocube any suggestions on a good protien skimmer for a bc 29... weekly water changes of about 10% (3 gallons)
will start to raise salinity asap need to pick up some distilled water.
Anyone have a ro system they want to get rid of?

[Myka]

Yep, that makes more sense. It could just be a low salinity bugging the Xenia then. Personally, on a tank with either a poor skimmer or no skimmer at all, I like to to bigger waterchanges. Try doing 5g waterchanges instead.

Here's an Aqua FX RO/DI system for a very reasonable price. I have an AquaFX, and I really like it. I don't know where (or even what province) Rimbey is...

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=42171&highlight=Aqua

[Ian]

LOL thanks for the advice I will start to move the salinity up and make larger changes....
BTW Rimbey is in Alberta west of Red Deer..

[Myka]

No problem. Well, you could buy from J&L Aquatics, and as long as it's over $200 they ship for free. ;) I think I bought my AquaFX RO/DI from them for $180...? Just add a couple things to the order and you're over $200. :D

[Boomboy]

what myka said its really good, just a little tip, dont freak out everytime one of your corals closes up when you turn your back from the tank, mine do all the time, if you watch it long enough its because of hermits or shrimp or even one fish of mine, they reopen, just recently my leather didnt open for 2 days everything else was fine, and then it just opened( polyps came out) i didnt do anything to that tank or even a water change, i have no idea still what happened.ive got a 20H see here for a pic. http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=42603

[WhoPoopWrasse]

No problem. Well, you could buy from J&L Aquatics, and as long as it's over $200 they ship for free. ;) I think I bought my AquaFX RO/DI from them for $180...? Just add a couple things to the order and you're over $200. :D

They're having a shipping special right now, FREE SHIPPING OVER $100.00 :mrgreen:

[Ian]

Ok continuing advenures of a newb....got up today and one of my clowns was gone.....not dead ...gone...I have pulled the bioballs out and searched the back completely. I even moved my live rock around to see if any had shifted and trapped it but no luck...I have nothing in my tank that could eat it soo...what happened in 5 hours? Beamed up to his homeworld?
Anyhow Salinity is nearing 1.o25 and all other numbers are same as before. Xenia is still withered looking but starting to look better......quite the learning curve here...keep sending the advice I am listening and greatly appreciative.

On that I would like to get rid of the bioballs and make a refugium in the back of this tank as has been suggested. I know go slow but what light could I use for this and how much rubble would be adequate to replace the bioballs?

[WhoPoopWrasse]

have you checked the floor behind the tank?

[Monti-Man]

Sent you a pm

[Ian]

Yup I 've checked everywhere I or my wife could think of...Even more interesting it is a biocube so it has a fulla full top which was on and closed all night....?

[Boomboy]

i had this happen to me ( i felt dumb after) i look throughout my rock, moved some pieces, then when i had to move to a new house, i took the tank down and there she was under the rock mostly eaten by then( about 2 weeks) chances are the fish died from something, test your tanks parameters, the fish is in there, try taking out ALL your LR and putting it back in. that is if you really want to find it, which you probably do because you have a nano, and that would raise a ammonia lvl way up. my one fish killed 2 other fish lucky my 6 line wrasse lived.

[WhoPoopWrasse]

I have a cube also, did you look in the back filter compartments with a flashlight, I found my pink skunk clown in the return pump section after 4 days, STILL ALIVE! :eek:

[Ian]

Thanks but the mystery continues....I moved every pice of rock and pulled everything out of the back of the tankgot my L>E>D flashlight out anf gave everythinga real good look again today....but no luck........tank parameters are still doing fine .......either I have and amazing set of hermit crabs in my CUC or this clown beamed up to its home world
As a result of all the chaos my poor yellow watchman has gone into hiding and only comes out briefly for food and a dirty look.....Can gobies give you attitude?

[Myka]

Do you have a cat or dog or something that could eat your clown if he went carpet surfing?

[Ian]

K so mystery is soled as to whereabouts.....it would seem my little clown has found a place in the return area in the backof my tank....I know i said I looked there but this guy has decided ths space between the plastic liner on the inside of the tank and the exterior(?) wall is the place to be. I only lucked out and saw him swim by the water level windo when I checked iot tonight or I may have gone days thinking it was toast.
Now I have to figure out how to get him outa there....I keep you posted.:redface:

[WhoPoopWrasse]

That's what I thought!:mrgreen: Hope he's ok. I used a really small net and just went fishing, got him after about a dozen swoops in!:biggrin:
He looked really happy to be home and ate like a pig too!:lol:

[Ian]

No luck in the capture so far. The little guy has stayed in between the glass and the plastic inside of the compartment since last night....anyideas on luring a clown out into the open? Food has had no impact....LOl.....outsmarted by a fish again well back to the tank for rescue attempt 38000

[Ian]

Further update....Clown fish still not caught..I'm out of ideas any attempt sends it into hiding.
As for the tank itself
salinity is up to 1.025
all other tests remain consistant with nitrates and nitrites now both down to zero s0at least that is going well. Using distilled water straight from the lab has worked wonders here :mrgreen:

I did find a Coral-eating nudibranch in my tank. Identified it here
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1988&articleid=3354

since I found the first one I have removed 4-5 much smaller ones from the tank
any ideas on how to rid myself of these without using chemicals? Everything in the tank seems very healthy and I don't want to mess this up.

[Ian]

I guess its time to ask a couple more questions.

With what I have listed in my sig what do I need to suppliment my tank with to keep the corals healthy?
What inverts would be safe with the dwarf lion fish...He is very small now but won't stay that way I realise.

I would like a cleaner shrimp ond/or or types of shrimp but don't want to add them just for them to be food.

Also I would like some feedback on how I have stocked this tank so far. Does anyone see any glaring problems? All my tank parameters are still testing consistantly
salinity 1.025 ( got a refractometer now:biggrin:)
Ph 8.23
nitrates/nitrites 0
temp 79-82 depending on time and temp of day

I'm working on pics and will post them soon