Nano cycling

[FishWife]

SO! A whole fresh forum with (almost) no posts in it!

 

Last night, we set up our new 34g Red Sea Max. SO cool.

 

We used sand from our 6-month young system that we're breaking down, and some rubble from our 8-month-old QT system, seen below:

 

I would REALLY like to put our seasoned LR from our 175 display ...

 

into this new nano this coming Saturday morning at the crack of dawn, since we're breaking down the live animals and selling them all that day. Do you think my tank will have cycled sufficiently by then (three full days and nights), since only the 'fuge sand has been disturbed, but everything else is seasoned and compatible?

 

I tested ammonia today... at 3 PM. It had been put together for 14 hours by then... a reading of 0. How long before ammonia spikes, typically, in a small system like this with seasoned parts, I wonder?

Edited July 9, 2008 by FishWife

[treesprite]

There were a lot more posts before the dedicated tank forum started! It's a shame that having that board took away from this one.

 

I did not have to cycle my nano at all, having made an in-tank DSB with seasoned sand and liverock from home.

 

If you feel the tank is deep enough, I strongly suggest putting a DSB in it. My 16g nano has no nitrate with very little in the way of water changes, when the filtration is just a DSB and an in-tank fuge section (Seaclone skimmer doesn't count... it essentially does nothing but move water from sump/fuge section to display section).

[dtfleming]

I think you will be fine, no die off really. your just moving it to a new tank. I would have some fresh mixed saltwater on hand to do WC if need if the lvls jump.

[FishWife]

Cool; thanks folks! A new adventure in miniature. Cool!

 

And ( ) I'm already plotting for two years from now when we may buy a new house with a fish room built in and mount a tank like Dan's!

[treesprite]

I can hear the excitement in your "voice"

[FishWife]

We have had the Red Sea Max (see specs here) up now for a little over two weeks. Below are details of the changeover, in case anyone else wants to repeat our experiences.

 

 

1. We took rock and sand and water out of our existing system and cycled for four days.

 

 

I did an ammonia test every day at the same time and never saw any measurable ammonia from disturbing/repositioning the sand (we put in about 4-5" all told in the bottom of the tank).

 

2. Honey was in a rock; we picked up the rock and put it into the new tank the night before we broke everything else down, along with some of our favorite unpromised sponge-encrusted rocks, which also had zoos on it that I had failed to list for sale (thankfully).

 

3. We put as much good LR in as we could comfortably fit: I think there must be about 40 lbs. in there.

 

4. Next day, we added softies and fragged a few more favorite LPS corals to put into this "ark."

 

 

Readings:

 

No measurable nitrates or ammonia yet. Our trusty pH monitor has us hovering right around 8. (Scott giggles as he doses by the teaspoon!)

 

Maintenance:

1. We do need to top off frequently (daily).

 

2. Temperature has been an issue: it ranges two to four degrees each 24 hours. We have finally purchased a mini-chiller that has dual controls for both heater and chilling so that we can have peace of mind. Should come today. Hopefully, Scott's going to plumb it w/our 40w UV sterilizer inline (should be plenty!). I am ich-averse, even in a small system.

 

3. I am a devotee of copepods, so we're going to breed them and phytoplankton in a 10g inside the stand, and since we can't think of a good way to make it automatic, we'll use the old fashioned "scoop with a net and backwash them into the tank" method. Hopefully, we'll get a good crop going before I find my desired court jester goby.

[treesprite]

It looks awesome