Cycling Question

[yote]

To raise salinity,Just do like Biff and Hawk already said,just mix up some salt water to the salinity you want(mines at 35ppt or 1.026SG),and when you top off,use the salt water untill your tank hits the mark.
Your temp and PH aint bad either.The temp in both my tanks runs from 79 at night to 80 during the day.

 

[Bifferwine]

My temperatures have been running between 80 and 84 every day lately since it's so hot here... But there's not much I can do about the summers here.

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

My temperatures have been running between 80 and 84 every day lately since it's so hot here... But there's not much I can do about the summers here.

You could move away from Mexico....

 

[kevinsimons]

Added 2 fish (med s maroon clown, and a small one, both tank raised, and a peppermint shrimp yesterday evening). Interesting dynamics between the clowns - but so far, no out-and-out hostility or charging. Both are feedling, though biggie is definitely more interested in food than the little guy. Numbers this AM are good - no significant changes. Little clown seems disoriented still...

 

[kevinsimons]

Ammonia's starting to climb, but stress isn't showing (tested around .4)... I assume I let the cycle do it's thing?

 

[Bifferwine]

Clowns are pretty hardy. I would let it continue to cycle as long as they are still acting and looking normal.

 

[kevinsimons]

An update for you all....

Went to the LFS yesterday and picked up 5 Nassarius snails as I'm starting to get some algae - probably from leaving the lights on too long (my bad). Thanks to everybody who, in other posts, suggested these cool critters - they are a trip.

This AM, all the rocks and most of the gravel are covered with a very thin layer of flourescent green algae - so I'll be leaving the lights off, or at least shortening their run time until this settles down. If anybody has any comments or thoughts to add about the algae, I'd love to hear them!

Per other posts, I've canned the flake food - and have gone to frozen (Prime Reef and Mysis shrimp). Both fish are eating enthusiastically.

I also changed tank positions with the Clowns, per the LFS suggestion - the little guy is now swimming in the main tank (ostensibly to make it HIS territory), and the big clown is in the isolation refugium. The interaction between them is wonderful to watch.

Chemistry - yesterday, no nitrates. Haven't checked (yet) today. SG is 1.022 (got my refractometer - an extremely cool gadget that is ACCURATE - thanks, Sara, for the recommendation).

 

[Bifferwine]

Sounds like things are going well! An algae outbreak is a normal occurrence after your cycle. In time it will go away as long as you keep your water parameters in check and have a cleaner crew on hand. I would recommend getting a phosphate test though, if you have phosphates that will fuel the algae too. Luckily phosphates are easy to get rid of, you can use a product called PhosBan or RowaPhos if your algae doesn't go away here soon.

Good move on the frozen food. Flake food contributes to algae too.

Keep us updated!

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

Biffs gots you covered.... just dont let her talk you into joining her little cult (AFT).... You need to strive to be one of the cool kids (NAAO)

 

[yote]

You might want to add a couple of Turbo snails and Trochus snails.The Nassarius snails are more of a meat eatting snail,turbos and trochus's will feed more on algae.

 

[kevinsimons]

Yesterday I did a full round of tests, and had ammonia present (.35) so I did a 4 gallon water change... this AM everything's at zero... is that what's called a mini-spike? Would the addition of the snails have caused this? (5 of 'em, their shells are about 1"). As I left the lights off most of the day (ran for about 3-4 hours total), my pH went down to 8.0 - but my Alk was at 2.5 - so I'm assuming a regular round of light today will bring the pH up a bit? The light reduction sure worked in reducing the flourescent glow, though...

 

[fishbait]

i wouldn't think the snails would be enough to cause a mini-cycle. could be wrong. how much live rock do you have?

 

[Bifferwine]

I also doubt that the snails could have caused it.

 

[reeffreak]

The only way the snails could of cause a spike is if some of them died.

 

[kevinsimons]

Four of the five snails were present today during an early evening feeding of Prime Reef (yummy!)... you all have me concerned about the coral banded shrimp - but so far I haven't seen him do anything mean...still, where's #5 snail?

ANYWAY - perhaps I'm putting too much food in (I'm aspirating anything that doesn't get eaten in the refugium/isolation)... but y'never know.... BTW, I have 43 lbs of live rock...

 

[yote]

The only way to get rid of all the uneatten food is with some scavangers.Shrimp,crabs,and hermits are great at that.
Your high ammonia could very well be from that #5 snail dying in there some where.

 

[kevinsimons]

Saw 5 snails today - so no deaths - going down to LFS and buying a new ammonia test, and some turbo & trochus snails - and having them also test the water (they use Tetra tests there; I'm using Red Sea Master kit).

The nassaurus (sp?) are a trip -- they come out en masse when adding food to the tank.

 

[Bifferwine]

Make sure there is enough food in your tank to keep the snails alive. You don't want to buy a bunch and have them starve to death.

 

[kevinsimons]

How do I do that, Sarah? There's lots of stuff the clowns aren't getting (I'd say they're eating about 1/2 of what I'm putting in there; the rest is getting swept away by all the currents... I've wondered about this. I'm currently feeding about 1/8 tsp of frozen food 3x per day, using eyedroppers... BTW, tested for ammonia using the new kit. ZERO... HOORAY! Also picked up 6 Astera snails for help w/ Algae.

 

[reeffreak]

Nassarius snails are a trip-like right of that movie ''Night of the Living Dead''
Those snails are good for eating all the leftovers,you should be good to go.