It's been 5 days since I put salt water from the LFS into my new/first 20 gallon tank. It's been 3 days since I put live rock into place. It's been like a second since I looked at the tank because I'm just amazed with the appearance and the little life that wonders around in there. Okay, what's next. The rocks were pre-cured, and I bought Natural Reef Aquariums by Tullock. Awesome book! Now I'm looking for more advice. What should I do for the next month? I've read to do periodic water changes of 50%, which I plan on doing this Friday. Should I ever remove the cured live rock and brush them up and place them back into the tank during my water changes? I'm doing real good with the patience thing since I want to try to get it right the first time, this is really amazing and I don't want to quit because of failure. I'm just reading and asking questions (constantly), oh and looking at the tank. My friends call me to go out during the day, but I'm busy with supplies and the tank itself so they think I'm crazy now. I changed the pumps so they are out of the way of my view and future inhabitants. I got them pointed toward the center of the tank. Here's a picture. Thanks for all the help like usual. Oh yea, I'm guilty of a few things...1) I did not buy PVC for under the rocks 2) I have somewhat of a brick effect for stability at the bottom of the rocks (I don't think it's all that bad, but still guilty). 3) I have this problem of looking at the tank for hours (with nothing in it but rocks, a few pods and asternia stars [learned that from you guys] , is this normal?) Thanks again!
Clem
I hope I don't change the arrangement of things, I've done that like 100 times already.
well first of all it looks good. Now i would try and get a couple of cup fulls of sand from someone with an allready up and running tank, this will seed your sand bed and introduce beneficial bacteria into the tank. Also go and buy a raw shrimp and toss it in the tank this will help kick start the process too. The tnaks looks good. instead of the powerheads aiming at the rock I would aim them right at each other this will give a more turbid affect in the tank. but in the next week or so you should see an ammonia spike followed by a nitrite spike. I would do about a 5 to 7 gallon change when these happen and when they are leveled out you can add a clean up crew and a hardy fish like a damsel or a clown.
I hope this helped.....................Good luck :D
If your crazy I should be in a nut house. I sit in my room and watch my 55 gal tank with nothing in it but sand for the longest time. But now its interesting. I have this cup with holes in it and a lid with a big honken cocktail shrimp in it to get my cycleing going. I just sit and watch the little cup bounce back and forth in the current. How much to you think my local FS store would charge me for a cup of their sand, by the way?
also the question on the rocks. I would not take them out and scrub them but you want to keep them in the tank they are building nitrobacter on the surface of them. so just keep them in there and let all the good stuff grow on them. I like the look of the tank. That will be a nice tank once you get it all cycled and running.
And also I feel your pain. when I cycled my first tank I cannot tell you how long I sat infront of my tank looking for some sign of life. I mean we are talking hours. Oh yeah and by the way it gets worse once you actually have stuff in there to look at..................... :D
Sounds good, that's what I was told before with the shrimp...but all I do is drop the thing in? No special procedure...how long do I leave him in there for? As far as aiming the pumps I've moved their aim a bit higher.
Clem
Alright, the rocks are all good. I moved the front ones a little bit (lol) same places though, maybe a few cm's off. I won't touch them anymore, I promise.
Clem
yep just drop the srhimp in there and your bacteria will break it down and this will help jump start the cycle. And I know how you feel about putting your hands in the tank. I have mine in my tanks so often I can tell the salinity of any one of my tanks just by licking my finger. :D
The Cycle?
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