Couple newb questions

[alrobi]

Hey all, setting up my first saltwater tank. Tank is currently cycling with live rock and sand. In the last couple days, the diatoms have begun to get replaced by a bright green looking algae. I think these are good signs. I haven't put any livestock in yet, 3 weeks into cycle.

I do have a few questions, any comments appreciatted.

1) Lighting - currently on a 12 hour light cycle with 2 150W 14k halides. Then the white and blue leds come on throughout the night. Seems like most people have their day lights on for less time. Will more/less time help or inihibite the cycle? How do I determine the best light schedule?

2) Powerheads - i have a flow rate over 15x gph. I am curious whether it is better/worse to use more or less powerheads to achieve a desired flow rate?

3) I've been doing top off, and keeping the glass clean. Should I do gravel vacuuming and water changes while cycling?

4) Any problem using bottled spring water for top off? I'm losing 1 gal/week with the top off. With the top on i lose 1g every two weeks. I assume I should add trace elements if I do this long term?

Thanks!
allen

 

[ccCapt]

Welcome!

1- 12 hrs is fine, but you can cut it down to 8 if you have no corals in the tank yet.

2- 12x is not much flow. Depending on the type of coral you plan on keeping, the flow rate can go to 40x or more.

3- You can suck up any algae that's loose or easy to get off when doing water changes.

4- It depends. Some spring water is only filtered tap water. You should invest in a RO/DI unit. You may want to rethink the top on the tank. It can affect/lower your pH. No need to add any trace elements. Water changes will replenish them. Depending on what corals you end up keeping, you may eventually have to dose calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Never dose anything you don't test for.

 

[IraqVeteran]

you can even throw a UV sterilizer in the mix if you want. Some people find them questionable, but I use them on my tanks. Some people think that it kills off too much beneficial bacteria but I dont notice any problems in the nitrogen cycle in my tanks.

 

[alrobi]

Thanks guys. I do figure I'll get an RO/DI system shortly, but I figure on using real spring water for the near term. I have tried the aquarium with the glass top on and off. I assume by your response that you'd recommend I keep the top on? My Ph is pretty stable at 8.25 of its own accord and only fluctuates between 8.24-8.26 throughout the day - top on/off doesn;t appear to have any effect. I had read somewhere that keeping the top off promotes oxygen exchange and I thought the more frequent top offs required would be a good thing.

I really haven't seen an ammonia spike. Ammonia was barely detectable in week 2 of the cycle, not detectable at all now. Nitrite is 0 and only traces of nitrate. Should I hold out for a spike? Or should I be safe to add a minimal cleanup crew? The LR was cured prior to introduction to the tank.

thanks,
allen

 

[ccCapt]

I had read somewhere that keeping the top off promotes oxygen exchange and I thought the more frequent top offs required would be a good thing.

Yep. Top off is best.

If you used cured live rock, you may not see an ammonia spike.

 

[yote]

Welcome to the site.
Like Capt stated,since you used cured live rock,your cycle is probably finished.
Distilled water would be a better choice for your top-off then the bottled spring water.Or you can get RO water at a lot of grocery stores or wal-mart.

 

[dustin_P74]

welcome to the site. everyone has you covered so there is nothing else for me to say

 

[Bifferwine]

Hi and welcome!

It's very possible you skipped the cycle by using cured rock. If your nitrites and ammonia are at zero, then I'd say go ahead and slowly add a few cleaners and your first fish.

Keeping the lights on 12 hours a day is standard, but if you don't have corals, you don't need them on that long. That will just lead to more algae growth. Until you get corals, even 6 to 8 hours a day is just fine.

Your flow rate is just fine unless you want to keep some high flow corals. What you have now is a good flow rate for most types of inverts you will be starting with though.

I would not recommend dosing anything at this point. Corals usually need supplements, but your tank is new and you don't have corals. Anything you need will be found in the correct balance in the salt mix you are using when you do water changes.

 

[Melonbob]

Don't do spring water, it still has alot of stuff in it you don't want. Look at the TDS on a bottle of spring water. Our local grocery stores carry distilled for the same price, and it's much better for the tank

 

[alrobi]

Advice taken on the RO/DI unit, will be here soon, with a TDS meter. I had planned on getting one long term anyway, so figured why wait. Found some reasonably priced units in the main newb thread here. Will probably venture out to the lfs for a clean up crew over the weekend.

Thanks for the tips!
allen