Let the journey begin.

[Barch]

Question, should I be running my lights during this diatom phase or should I leave my lights off? Seems like it has started to subside a little bit but gets worse during the day after the lights have been on for a while. I tested the water this morning and have:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite <5
Nitrate <5
PH 8.4
The skimmer is working well and pulling off some skimmate, I had about 1/3rd of a cup this morning....cleaned it out Friday when I left the office. I have been running some Blue Bonded filter pad in the sump to help clear up the water.....any suggestions? Thanks

 

[chichimom79]

You can run the light cycle normally. The diatoms will burn up their food source soon if you're using RODI water.

 

[Barch]

It's been 6 days since diatoms started to show. I do use RO/DI so I'm hoping they clear up soon....my tank isn't much fun to look at rite now....

 

[chichimom79]

I know the feeling. :(

 

[Barch]

Live and Learn...I have been wondering why my water was so murky the last couple of days. Figured it was the diatoms just doing their thing. Then I got to looking at the fuge and it looked like the cheato was dying off and turning into a big mess. Got to checking things over and my light wasn't working. Lesson learned just because everything is new doesn't mean that its going to work properly. I pulled the rest of the cheato out and discarded it. Cleaned out the fuge and got all the mess cleaned up and then did a 20% water change. After about 6 hours I did a water test and everything is at 0. I took a sample down to the LFS and had them test it and same results. Picked up some new cheato and a new light and now I'm going to just let everything settle and test again on Monday after the weekend. I figure my light wasn't working for as many as 5 days. I reset the light to come on and off while I am still at the office so I can see that it works....just a bump in the road but I think I'm getting closer.

I'm excited to get started and looking for suggestions for corals and fish to start with, Thanks

 

[chichimom79]

You could have waited to add more chaeto. Since your tank is new, it wont have much to feed on other than your light source. But cheers to you figuring out what was going on!

 

[Barch]

Update: I think I'm making progress.... slowly.....I still have cloudy water. I'm a little frustrated with it and I don't know if I'm being impatient or if my water issue is not normal. I have been using some blue bonded filter pads in the fuge to help clear up the water. I change it everyday and it fills up with this brown stuff I'm assuming is diatoms. I have been doing this for the last 7 days which is helping but the water is not crystal clear yet. Is this normal? The tank has been up for 25 days it has cycled, Ammonia is at 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0. I've done 2- 20% water changes with RO/DI water, salinity is 1.026. 0 on phosphates as per the LFS. My testing kit is on the way for calcium phosphate PH 8.17. I have a carbon phos. reactor coming from BRS and will install that. Can I start adding a fish or should I wait? Thanks for your replies I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[Ted]

The carbon will more then likely clear that water up pretty quick. You could add a fish if it is the hardy variety.

 

[Barch]

I added a couple of corals! Ya hoo! now it feels like a saltwater tank...
a leather

and a blue green ricordea

sorry my camera is not the best so these pictures aren't that great. Also the first fish went in today. A couple of small Green Chromis....We will see how this goes for the next month. I tested the water today before adding anything and I am at
Salt 1.026
Temp 77.9
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
PH 8.14
Thanks for your help guys!

 

[Civicdemon]

Is that a kenya tree ??? From what i have read those things will take over a tank in no time. Might wana think about getting something els. Unless you want a full kenya tree tank.

And you might still wana brings temp up a full degree to a deegre and a half.

 

[jr7168]

everyone says that about kenya trees. but for new reefers many like the wavy and flowing of softies. i say try it for a while and if you dont like it take it out LFS will take it off your hands no problemo.

 

[Barch]

Is that a kenya tree ??? From what i have read those things will take over a tank in no time. Might wana think about getting something els. Unless you want a full kenya tree tank.

And you might still wana brings temp up a full degree to a deegre and a half.

The guy at the LFS said it was a leather coral....is a kenya tree in the leather coral family? IDK enough about them, I do like the way it moves in the water...I have a lot of bare rock so I will keep an eye on it. My temps are gradually increasing as the weather warms up. I will keep an eye on that too and get another heater installed by the end of the summer.

 

[jr7168]

LOL thats definitely not a leather hahahahaha. I would leave it in there and let it do its thing.

 

[Ted]

Ya know I have thought about getting a Kenya weed...er tree just for the fact that 1. It does kinda move in the flow of the tank and 2 I love getting credit at the LFS. My fish guy doesnt bat a eyelash each month when I bring him cheato, last time I got 5 gallons of ro/di water and 5 gallons of salt water for it. wonder what he would start giving me for corals.....come to think of it I am starting to get a little over run with frilly mushrooms...opps...adhd kicking in....anyway...its not a bad looking coral and there are always silver linings...

 

[Barch]

Time for an update, My tank has been up and running for 32 days now. I have had a couple of Chromis in the tank for about a week now. This morning I can't find one of them so I don't know if he is still alive or if the crabs got him. I have noticed that my crabs are starting to kill each other...does this mean they are running out of food? I have noticed 3 of them dead so far. I have been feeding the mysis shrimp to the fish and they have been feeding pretty aggressively all week. I'm sure some of it has been going to the crabs too. I have been adding some new coral frags
I can't remember what this one is, any help out there?

a Feather Duster

Star Polyp

a red mushroom

I also installed my new GFO Carbon reactor from BRS.

I have the GFO just slightly tumbling in the filter and I'm using carbon pellets in the other filter. Pretty slick system easy to work with. The corals certainly add some color to the tank but I have allot of bare rock left to work with....any suggestions? Thanks

 

[chichimom79]

Do your hermits have other shells to transfer to? The bodies you've found could be dead crabs, or it could be their molts. Put a variety of sizes of shells in there for your hermits definitely. I have banished my two remaining hermits to the sump. Im going crab free ( :P ) other than my emeralds I keep for bubble algae.
The kenya trees are a type of leather coral, just FYI. :) And I believe the top coral picture is a favia. Looking good!

 

[LoveJC03]

We've had our Kenya Tree 8 months, it hasn't shed or anything.. just keeps getting bigger and bigger :)

 

[Barch]

New toys arrived the other day, today was the first chance I have had to use them.
Calcium is 466
Phosphate 0

added a couple of tank mates for the Green Chromis...these guys are just fun to watch!

also added a new ricordia and a new I'm not sure what can't remember the name....any help?

I've got to start writing the names of the corals down so I can remember what they are....but then the guy at the LFS doesn't seem to know all of them either. Watching my parameters pretty close because of the new additions....have had fish in the tank now for about 3 weeks. just added the clowns 3 days ago but they all seem good and happy....
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0 nitrate

 

[Ted]

Looks great, love the clowns. I would help on the ID but I am on my phone and can't see it so good.

 

[Barch]

Time for an update: I have added some new corals over the last week or so
New Zoa colony

and a new Daisy polyp? I'm not sure and now I question the names that the guy at the LFS gives me. My wife like this one because it looks like a bunch of daisy's

Red Mushroom is doing really well. The one in the middle is getting so big it covers the others on both sides I'm guessing that they will move and separate as time goes on?

Added a cleaner shrimp...I think these are pretty cool and fun to watch

Added a couple new tank mates, a Dottyback and a Coral Beauty Angelfish

Just started to notice some coralline algae start to form on the bare rock in the tank I'm excited to see that. I'm watching the water parameters really close as I add new things into the tank and I have several gallons of water mixed and ready to do a water change as necessary. I have to stop going to the LFS, it keeps costing me money every time I go there!