New Tank set-up... New to the hobby.

[zygote2k]

someone call a plumber.

[Will]

Ok.. Aquascape is done... Water is in the tank and everything is running fine for the past 12 hours. Still really cloudy so I'll take pictures when it clears up. The only issue is one of my MP 40 wave makers is not staying aligned to the magnet head inside the tank eventhough it is set for the correct glass thickness. I even tried setting it for the next highest thickness. I will play with it when I get home tonight and call BRS on Monday if the problem continues. That is way too expensive not to work perfectly!

I decided to add bacteria and go to Giant and get some dead shrimp to add to the tank on Saturday. This should give the sand time to settle and the salt time to mix. Then I can start doing water measurements. I figure the sand will falsely increase the salinity.

[Will]

Once your tank cycles, this would be fine. However, make sure they have something to feed on. Algae wafers, for example. Remove excess food and watch your water parameters early on.

 

 

This technique is used to build up the bacteria population. Bacteria need food, too, to multiply. In an empty tank, adding a pinch of food (or even a couple of milliliters of household, unscented ammonia every two days or so) can be used to build up the population prior to introducing livestock.

 

 

Some people will tell you to leave it in until it all decays. I think that's overkill. Just leave it in and monitor for an ammonia spike. When it hits 2 ppm (no more), then pull the shrimp out. Then, once ammonia and nitrite fall to zero, if the nitrates aren't too high (<20 ppm), add your clean up crew. Add fish gradually and allow your biological filter to develop.

 

My Red Sea Pro Kit only goes up to 4ppm. Did you mean <2 or am I just really confused?

 

All of what? Adding fish food and shrimp? No. Just one source of ammonia is required. It really doesn't matter what the source is. You just need something that supplies the bacteria with the food they need to survive and multiply.

 

 

Temperature. You can elevate it a little (82-84 degrees) if you want to accelerate the cycle. pH is not critical to monitor now.

 

 

No need for water changes as there's nothing in the tank to foul the water now.

[Will]

I am trying to figure out how you separated out and responded to my questions like you did?? I am also trying to figure out how to go back and find my post and those that I am following to refer back to for references without having to scroll through all of the forum post??

 

But my question to your response as too... if the nitrates aren't too high (<20ppm), add your clean up crew....

 

My Red Sea Pro kit only goes up to 4ppm Nitrates. Did you mean 2ppm or am I confused?

 

Thanks

[Will]

Well.. basically everything is up and running (about a week) now. I can't wait to figure out how to post photos! It's been a very arduous process having to redo just about everything along the way. UGH! I also picked up a 40g Cube that I will keep pretty bare and use mainly as a QT tank. However..... it had a hang on Overflow and I DRILLED and successfully installed a bulkhead for the drain. The return is still external and hangs on the back. I didn't have a kit for that. Anyway, can't wait to show picks!

I also have an Excel sheet with my parameters to post to see if I am on tract.