Wade

So after a week of ghost feeding, here's the picture he sent me of tonight's Nitrate test. Looks like maybe 5ppm if that. I didn't see his text until just now so it's too late to reply to see if there's any algae growth yet. I would have thought the results would be higher unless he does have algae absorbing the nitrates. I'l check with him tomorrow on that. I'll have him continue the ghost feeding and test again in a week.

Thoughts?

I've been using a Reefbreeders Photon 48 for few years now and have been very happy with my LEDs. Everything seems to grow like weeds. I did add a single 24" T5 about 6 months ago for $#!ts and giggles but I don't know if it really has had any effect on anything. I guess more light is good:) Sorry for the sideways pictures.

good call:)

Great information. It's been at least 14 years since I started up my tank and I used live rock then so all your advice is very beneficial and appreciated. I'll plan to bring him an ammonia test kit tomorrow and have him ghost feed and test daily and log results. If the bacteria is doing its job, then there should be a rise in nitrates each day since there's currently no means of export. The ammonia should be negligible or non-existent if the tank has cycled and there's enough bacteria to handle the load, correct? If there’s a slight rise in ammonia each day, then it’s not quite there yet and making progress. When it gets to the point that ghost feeding is just causing a rise in nitrates and no change in ammonia then I should be good to go with adding a single fish (maybe another month from now if all goes well). There should be some algae growth by then too. I’ll plan to do a water change a couple of weeks into the ghost feeding, maybe sooner if the nitrates rise sharply.

Does all that sound correct?

No algae on the glass or anything else yet. So what inverts were you referring to then in your previous post? I think the only thing my friend really cares about if fish. He's not in a hurry at all so we can take as much time as it takes. So during the week of ghost feeding, what am I looking for?

Ghost feeding - once daily or how often?

So ok to add pods now? What inverts to start with? If there's no waste, then a cleanup crew isn't needed just yet, so just the pods then?

So I went by and checked his tank today. I can a very light dusting of diatoms here and there. No measurable nitrates. The water looks great. It's been six weeks so I'm thinking it's cycled. I went ahead and added a couple of capfuls of Microbacter and added a small pinch of flake food. I left the nitrate test kit with him and showed him how to use it. If he checks the water tomorrow and still nitrates would that indicate it's cycled? Also, would a fox face be hardy enough to add it now?

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The guy said he can see brown algae growing on the bottom - diatoms:) A good sign it's cycling. I plan to go by today and bring some flake food and a couple of test kits just to see where I'm at.

I reduced my light cycle today, but I also realized just now (34 hours after Chemiclean traetment) that I forgot to turn off the carbon reactor. I hope that didn't prevent the Chemiclean from doing it's job. I don't see any visible die off of the cyano yet.

Hmmm. So you don't have to wait the 48 hours to do a water change? I thought that would maybe weaken the effect of the treatment. Maybe I'll do a quick 10% tonight then and then another 20% tomorrow morning at the end of the 48 hours.

I started with dry rock (reef saver from BRS) and 2 bags of live sand. I used the recommended dose of Microbacter to start the cycle and haven't done anything else to it since. It's been four weeks today. I tested the water two weeks in and was reading low levels of ammonia. It's hard not having daily access to the tank to monitor it. I plan to go by tomorrow and test again. I'm hoping to see some nitrates. I did start it with lights cycling on daily. I thought about giving him some flake food to add a small pinch once a week, but didn't follow through. I've not used the Microbacter before but read that's all that would be needed. It's also been several years since I started a tank from scratch so I definitely don't want to rush it and loose livestock, especially when I'm not paying for it. I'm definitely not in a rush and neither is he. I just want it to be successful for him.

The foxface was my first choice to start with so we're thinking the same there.

Well I'm log my tests results tomorrow and we'll see where we are. Thanks again Sasha.

understood. unfortunately I don't have an alternate location for it to reside:( It's in the 3"-4" size range and so far looks ok after the first 24 hours of the Chemiclean process. Hopefully it will be ok.

Thanks all. I've give the Chemiclean a shot if it's recommended and won't bother anything else. As always, I appreciate your input:)

I've cut back on feeding and started running carbon 24/7 and ROWA Phos to reduce phosphate (now reading 0.00 on my Hanna checker). I've also been doing some 10-15% water changes every week or so. Hair algae in gone, but cyano came in it's wake. that has lessoned, but is persisting. When this happened a few years back I just did 3 days of darkness to kill it off. I recently added a maxima clam to my yank so was wondering if the 3 days of darkness would harm it.

Thoughts?

Your comments are very welcome Sasha and I really appreciate you taking the time to make them:)

You're spot on with what the guy I'm helping out is looking for. He just wants a lot of color and no problems (so definitely a peaceful tank) and he's in no way in a rush either so I can take as long as I need to introduce stock.

How many fish would you start with? Would you start right off with a foxface, tang, butterfly, and clowns or just the foxface and tang to start then wait a couple of weeks and add the clowns and butterfly? I'd also like to get the pod population up and thriving before I add the wrasses. I don't know about the fairy and flashers, but my six-line is a major bug eater.

Again, I'm asking for your opinion and guidance so don't feel like you're dictating what I should do:)

Thanks Sasha. I should have noted that I planned to only get one of the wrasse listed. The same with the butterflyfish.

It's funny that he wants me to pick the fish that go in, but I understand that he just wants to make sure he gets what will work in his tank and not waste money. He just wants a lot of color and movement.

So why the bird wrasse? Is it just the most peaceful of the wrasses? If I go with the bird wrasse, can I get the anthias or is it that wrasse and anthias just don't mix period?

OK, so I start with a butterfly and a tusk or some clowns and then wait a few weeks to see how everything does before adding another couple of fish. The angel and wrasse (if I get a wrasse) go last. I guess the next couple to add could be a fox or tang (are those two compatible?), a tusk and maybe a dottyback? I know the 90 may not be quite big enough for a yellow tang, but the Kole Eye or Bristletooth will be fine I think.

Am I on the right track? Are there any on the list that just need to be crossed off considering the first choices?

I've been using a Fluval E300 in my DT and have been pleased with it so far.

I'm helping a buddy set up a 90g FOWLR and we're getting close to being able to add the first fish. I put together this stock list of fish I thought would do well in his tank and need help determining what to add first. Before someone asks, I'm not intending on adding all of these fish. These are just the ones to choose from. I'm think that a 90g FOWLR tank could hold what, maybe 10-12 fish of various sizes? I plan to start with maybe two or three fish and then suggest he only add one or two additional fish every couple to three weeks and see how it does. Thoughts and suggestions?

· Flame Angel

· Coral Beauty Angel

· Tibicen

· Clown fish pair (mated) or single

· Kole Eye, Bristeltooth, or Yellow Tang

· Wrasse

o Red Coris

o Pinkface

o Bluehead

o Flasher

o Fairy -

o Mystery

· Convict/Engineer Blennie

· Orchid Dottybacks

· Indigo Dottyback

· Bartlett’s Anthias

· Butterflyfish

o Pearlscale

o Spotband

o Sunset

· One-Spot Foxface

·

What's you experience with Fritx RPM? I've been using Seachem, but a fellow reef addict has recommended I switch to Fritz. What's the consensus of opinion?

So I when I got up yesterday morning and walked past my DT heading to make coffee I noticed everything was still. Apparently there was a brief power outage which caused the GFCI outlet to trip once the power came back on. The Apex log shows the power was off for 2.5 hours. Everything looks ok, but time will tell on the SPS.

All that being said, would having a dedicated circuit using a GFCI breaker instead of a GFCI outlet have been more stable and most likely not have tripped when the poser came back on? I know any conversation about what might have happened is all supposition so I'm just asking for your opinions and experiences with similar situations. I guess what I'm trying to determine is what's the best way to set up the electrical circuit that supports a DT.

Thoughts?

I always play it safe when it comes to my DT:) I've read a couple of articles lately regarding people that have developed blisters and sores just from reaching into their tank. I always wear gloves whenever I reach in, but my arms come in contact with the water. I've not had any reactions in the past 10 years and I'm not expecting one anytime soon, but I thought is some types were known to be toxic, then I would just hedge my bets and avoid those entirely. I thought one of those articles specifically named Dragon Eyes for one. There's 100's of different zoas so I have no problem just not having the ones that are more likely than not to be toxic.

Is there a list somewhere that identifies which zoas contain palytoxin? As I understand it, some do and some don't.

Man that's crazy. Not sure what it is, but is it like that all the time? Were able to get it out of the tank?

hmmm. Never considered those before. they stay put huh? Interesting. Thanks:)

Lol. Yeah my GBTA is keeping my war coral from global domination on the other side of the tank. I initially thought that the coral would not grow into the shadows to get to another spot in the light, but it certainly does!