Hello
- Thread starter Patrick76
- Start date
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
1-2lbs of LR per gallon. and to get RO water you can either buy it at your LFS if they offer that or you can buy an RO unit
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Do not use fish to cycle the tank. Buy some live rock, and that will cycle the tank for you. Or you can add some fish food or a piece of frozen shrimp (that people eat) to the tank, and when it starts to rot the cycle will kick off.
You won't want a deep sand bed in a 29 gallon tank because the sand will take up too much space. You should probably get sand that's 1 to 2 inches deep. This will be enough to keep your tank clean, but probably not enough to keep a sand sifting goby if you were planning on that type of fish.
1 to 2 lbs of rock will be perfect. So 30 to 60 lbs of rock total. To save money, you can buy some live rock and some dry base rock. The live rock will quickly seed the cheaper dry rock, turning it live in no time.
You won't want a deep sand bed in a 29 gallon tank because the sand will take up too much space. You should probably get sand that's 1 to 2 inches deep. This will be enough to keep your tank clean, but probably not enough to keep a sand sifting goby if you were planning on that type of fish.
1 to 2 lbs of rock will be perfect. So 30 to 60 lbs of rock total. To save money, you can buy some live rock and some dry base rock. The live rock will quickly seed the cheaper dry rock, turning it live in no time.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
A clown fish makes a good starter fish. Firefish (red and purple) usually do well too. Six line wrasses are cool additions.
lightcs4
Loving to learn
You want to test the water every few days until you don't get any ammonia or nitrite, and nitrate is at least below 20 (preferably lower). Then research each coral you want to get for what they need. Some need a more mature tank while others are OK in a newer tank.
Well last night i torn down my fresh water tank and started working on converting it.
I cleaned the tank out really good. Put the recomended amount of sand in it. Then i added the water properly mixed. Still cloudy today but clearing up little bit at a time. What part of the fourm is the best place to make a journal? Showcase?
I cleaned the tank out really good. Put the recomended amount of sand in it. Then i added the water properly mixed. Still cloudy today but clearing up little bit at a time. What part of the fourm is the best place to make a journal? Showcase?
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
the tank show case forum
Bifferwine
I am a girl
You need to cycle your tank first. You can do this by adding live rock or by adding some fish food or a piece of shrimp (people food shrimp) to the tank to let it rot. First your ammonia will go up, then nitrites will go up. As those two drop down, nitrates will go up. When ammonia and nitrites are both at zero, you can do a water change to bring down nitrates. Do 10 to 20% of your tank's volume, depending on how high your nitrates are. Once you've done the first water change, you can add your first fish and cleaner crew.
Well i added some live rock and my lfs told me that i could add 2 little fish in the tank also which would help some. I have a blue and 4 stipe damsel fish in the tank along with 10 pounded of live rock already cured. My PH in the tank is just right and my nitrate kit shows nothing yet. Was he wrong for telling me to add the 2 little fish they seem to be doing great.
lightcs4
Loving to learn
I strongly advise against using live fish to cycle your tank. The method Biffer mentioned works just as well and spares the fish. They may not make it through the cycle and will be completely stressed even if they do. Plus, Damsels are very agressive and will likely kill other fish you want to add later. Really not a good thing to do to a live creature. I would take it back to the LFS.
By the way, I was told the same thing when I first started a small 10 gallon tank. It's an old method of cycling the tank.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Yeah, that's not great advice. There are much better ways to cycle a tank. If you don't end up killing the fish, the fish will end up killing everyone else you try to add to the tank later on. They are one of the most aggressive type of fish in this hobby; very territorial towards new animals that you try to add.
daugherty
part time reefer
why does almost every pet store tell people that they need to add fish to start the cycle?
lightcs4
Loving to learn
A lot of people are used to the "live fish" method. It takes time to get that mindset out of the mainstream.
Well i lost my blue fish still have my 4 stripe damel. Im not sure if my 4 stripe damel killed the other one. I think i am going to take him back monday when the lfs opens. Also i think i am getting some kind of alage in my tank its on my sand and live rock. On the sand looks kinda brown looking but only towards the front of the tank really. As for the live rock its kinda stringy. I would figure the tank only being up for 4 days i would have and alage issues yet. What could be going on?
Could this be what i have in my tank?
Diatoms are probably the most common form of algae found in aquariums. Every new aquarist finds diatoms in their tank at the end of their cycle. Diatoms are easily controlled through the use of grazing snails. If you find a bloom check out your silicates, as they are incorporated into this algae's shell. These algae can also be hindered through the use of RO/DI water for make up water
Diatoms are probably the most common form of algae found in aquariums. Every new aquarist finds diatoms in their tank at the end of their cycle. Diatoms are easily controlled through the use of grazing snails. If you find a bloom check out your silicates, as they are incorporated into this algae's shell. These algae can also be hindered through the use of RO/DI water for make up water
lightcs4
Loving to learn
Yep, most likely diatoms. They should go away as your tank matures. Snails or hermit crabs will help (some hermits will attack your snails though).
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Diatoms are totally normal in new tanks. Is the stringy stuff brown or purple? If so that's cyanobacteria, another common type of algae in new tanks. It's ugly, but it's unavoidable...
