Red Deer Reefer

MikeP · #1 03-07-2009, 06:02 PM

Welcome to Canreef,

It sounds like your on the right track for a quicker cycle but still your tank will cycle and the bottom line is to not add anything until your water parameters are all in check. No point in sentencing a chromis to his death if your ammonia is sky high. Test your water with test kits not fish. You might want to stay away from crushed coral for substrate, it can lead to problems down the road. Look into sand instead if you want that type of look. You could add all your rock at once and do the aquascaping the way you want it. If 100 pounds doesn't leave much room for fish to swim and coral placement you can put some of it in the sump. Does your sump have more than one compartment, could you have a refugium down there?

These are just my opinions,

HTH

Mike

yeahitsgotahemi · #2 03-07-2009, 06:09 PM

Heres the pic of my tank, and Sump. I would really like as much advice on what people think. This is going to be my first attempt. and i dont want to be doomed to failure. i would only every put a chromis in there after i tested water parametres to make sure ammonia and nitrates and nitrites were low

Leah · #3 03-07-2009, 06:10 PM

Mike, quick question what if the water has been treated with meds etc. Is it still okay
to use? Has the water, maybe been sitting around for awhile.

yeahitsgotahemi · #4 03-07-2009, 06:13 PM

The water will be freshly pumped out of the show tank into buckets then transported to my house. I dont think the water has been treated because there is live coral, and lots of finnicky star fish and other hard to keep marine life in the tank. Sea Slugs, Starfish, cobberband butterflys, etc

Leah · #5 03-07-2009, 06:27 PM

Sounds Great. Nice tank love pictures is this happening today?

yeahitsgotahemi · #6 03-07-2009, 06:34 PM

Not today, Hopefully very soon, Im waiting for my Coral Life Light to show up that i ordered, 2 x 250 metal halide, i think it was 96 watt actinic, and 4 watt moonlight. After this shows up i can move it in and plug the tank in.

Trigger Man · #7 03-07-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leah

Mike, quick question what if the water has been treated with meds etc. Is it still okay
to use? Has the water, maybe been sitting around for awhile.

I know you asked Mike the question but to answer if the water was treated with meds then you should not use it to try to quicken your cycle, as the meds would probably be detrimental to the bacteria you are trying to grow.

MikeP · #8 03-07-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trigger Man

I know you asked Mike the question but to answer if the water was treated with meds then you should not use it to try to quicken your cycle, as the meds would probably be detrimental to the bacteria you are trying to grow.

I agree with Ellis, it's sounds like the water is good to go though. Looks like a nice set up from the pictures.

yeahitsgotahemi · #9 03-07-2009, 07:22 PM

im a little bit concerned with the no hood, i have heard people having problems and not having problems with the no lid. i think at night i will have a styrofoam hood just to place over the top, but durning the day i dont know if i should leave it just the way it sits, or have some wrap around piece for the top to prevent fish jumping out of the tank.

MikeP · #10 03-07-2009, 09:23 PM

I wouldn't put styro on top just in case you ever forget to take it off or your light timer malfunctions. Fish type will tell you if they're prone to jumping so research before you buy. You could put eggcrate on top as a lid or build something that sits on your trim. I can post pics of mine if you want to see what I did.