Ocean's 20g Nano

[Bifferwine]

Chaeto is one of the best ways to export nutrients.

https://www.livingreefs.com/chaeto-you-want-t24752.html

I sell it, but I'm out right now. Should be up and running again in a month, if you want to wait.

If you are going to use carbon and phosphate removal media, you don't need to spend the extra cast on the Kent brand. You can get a dual reactor from Bulk Reef Supply (.com) and run both in one piece of equipment. And you can get the carbon and GFO (phosphate media) from them much cheaper.

 

[OceanCo]

Diatoms!!!

Checked the tank about 10 min ago an noticed some small diatom growth on the sand and a couple rocks.

I anticipate it will explode over the next couple days.

Also Biff I'd like to get some Chaeto from ya so I'll just keep checking your thread to see when its available. Thanks. And what type of lights do you use for it?

 

[Bifferwine]

For the chaeto, I've tried a few different lights, and I've found that a regular 23 watt CFL (squiggly) bulb works the best.

 

[Dana42078]

Diatoms will go away in due time....just let it take its corse. Looks like a nice start tho. =)

 

[Waddi]

My chaeto on the back is fine with my light from the tank but that is only because my light is very deep.
And your off to a great start mate, exciting isn't it?? :D

 

[OceanCo]

Yes very exciting! I guess I should have clarified I meant diatoms in an exciting way lol. Means my tank is cycling. But kinda bored atm, so I guess I'll make a trip and get my light setup built under my stand for the chaeto. Will provide pics in a bit. Also, do I need to let my tank mature for a while before adding chaeto to ensure enough nutrients for it or will it be good to go after a couple weeks of cycling? How hardy or resilient is chaeto? Never had any experience with it yet

 

[Waddi]

Chaeto is extremely hardy, just give it a light and its good.
Well thats worked for me anyways.
But i leave the final answer to the Chaeto master Biff! :p ;)

 

[Bifferwine]

Chaeto is pretty hardy, but it's best to wait to get it, since it feeds off of nitrates and phosphates. If you don't have any in your tank, it won't grow, or it may even start shrinking and eventually die off.

 

[OceanCo]

Yep I figured it would need some of those nutrients for sure. I plan on getting it probably about the time you have stock again so about a month. I kinda figured that if there are nutrients in the system enough that I begin to see other types of algae growing then there should be enough for chaeto. My ultimate goal is to use it to keep Nitrates and phosphates very low and keep algae in the display tank low as well. And definately use it to keep a pod population up. It would be nice to have a steady supply of pods to help naturally supply food to the tank. I ultimately want a very low nutrient tank with little feeding. Kinda hoping for chaeto to grow, copepods to feed on that, fish to feed on them, chaeto to feed on fish waste and keep that cycle going as much as possible.

 

[OceanCo]

So here are some shots of the light setup I have for my very small fuge lol. But small tank = small fuge. Plan to have the light on an opposite timer as the main display light.

And with the light on

Full setup

and a current full tank shot

Also would like to note that if anyone is looking for skimmers out there I have little experience with many brands but this Aqua C EV 180 is a beast. I have it tuned pretty low atm but if i need to turn it up I can skim very wet and skim a ton and I don't even have any livestock in there.

 

[Bifferwine]

That is a perfect setup for chaeto! You will just have to trim it once in a while so it still has space to grow in your fuge. Your tank looks good. Make sure the rocks are secure -- you don't want a rockslide!

 

[Waddi]

Yep with biff, make sure they dont all come crashing down.
Some guy on another forum had this happen to him not pretty i can tell you.
but all that aside, i love you aquascaping!!!

 

[OceanCo]

Great thanks Biff! Yes definitely secure rocks. I was totally paranoid about a rockslide while I was setting them up. But I definitely didn't want to have just a rock rubble look either. Thanks for the help. Love this forum

 

[Bifferwine]

Great thanks Biff! Yes definitely secure rocks. I was totally paranoid about a rockslide while I was setting them up. But I definitely didn't want to have just a rock rubble look either. Thanks for the help. Love this forum

Yeah, some people call it the "fruitstand look" -- where the rocks are just piled up like a display of apples. It's nice to see different shapes and caves, and nooks and stuff like that!

 

[little_fish]

Looks good!

 

[OceanCo]

So tested the water today and got these results:

Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0-1 ppm

I think its safe to say my tank has cycled. I am attributing the drop in nitrates to all of the diatoms I have growing in the tank. As you can see in the picture they have exploded.

 

[OceanCo]

So would you all recommend getting a cleanup crew and a water change or should I wait for some of the diatoms to start going away first? I was thinking about 5-8 hermits and 1-2 snails?

 

[Dana42078]

Me personally....not sure when u should add stuff but the bigger the cleanup crew the better. I'm more partical to more snails than hermits. Snails will knock over frags if not secure enuff but hermits are relentless when it comes to stealing food. For your 20g I'd say 4-8 turbos and about 8-10 hermits. That's my opinion, not necessarily right. I'm sure the vets will chime in. Mix it up with snails too. Diff snails do/eat diff stuff.

 

[little_fish]

I think that is too many turbos, i would go with 1 or 2. They starve quite easily, plus they are like bulls in the china shop. I would go with 10 or so astreana (sp?) snail, and dont for the nass snails for stirring the sand bed.

 

[OceanCo]

So I tested the water yesterday and the readings were:

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0-5ppm

I went to the LFS and picked up two turbo snails, 10 hermits, and a bottle of reef nutrition pods to stock my refugium and tank.

Since then my tank has gotten fairly cloudy, the skimmer is working, i've lost 1 hermit and 1 snail. The others seem to be fine but a little slugish. Alot of the diatoms have been grazed on and maybe the hermits are just being lazy after eating all night.

Tested the water again this morning and:

Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 5-10 ppm

Did about a 3 gallon water change this morning after testing as well.

any thoughts as to the cloudiness of the water and is it normal for hermits to kinda be super lazy? just worried something is going to go wrong here