tank cycle

[recoiljpr]

I personally would not add any livestock to the tank yet. I have a system (2 weeks old) like yours that has never shown ammonia, nitritates and low nitrates. But, I am not moving the critters from my other tank to this one for a while yet just to be sure.

What I am doing though is getting the micro-fauna going really strong first. I'm getting the pods, stomatella, bristle worms, mysis and scuds to really breed. I want those critters good, strong and testing my system. Once I realize it can handle them, I know it will be ready for the "real" livestock.

If your itching to add something, I would add those micro-fauna and let them test out the system and add to the system. Those detrivores are invaluable to the health of your aquarium. And that carrib-sea live sand is good for your bacteria, but very low on the micro-fauna. I would ask/barter/buy sand from LFS and other reefers and that should boost your sand quite a lot.

While I haven't been on these boards for long, I've seen enough people outside of the board nuke their system from moving too quickly. I know you want those awesome corals and fish and inverts to look at.

You will NEVER regret going too slow, but you MAY regret going too fast.

[Kristy]

We can offer up a cup or two of sand if you want to seed your tank with some established sand. Shoot us a PM if interested.
-Mike (& Kristy)

[blindside]

Patience is the key I have just learned this with my new build. And hopefully last build. Well till I'm ready to upgrade shouldn't be for a long time though... I hope.

[recoiljpr]

We can offer up a cup or two of sand if you want to seed your tank with some established sand. Shoot us a PM if interested.
-Mike (& Kristy)

Same with me (that goes for all you masties out there). I work in SA so I have no problem meeting anyone on the NE side (or meeting you austinites in San Marcos).

[justahobby]

Add a piece of krill or squid or whatever you got. Let it decompose. Continue checking your params. This will help build up bacteria and familiarize your with the cycle without shocking your tank by adding a fish poo and food.

[allan]

Additionally if you would like a small handful of chaeto to get your system up and running pm me and it's yours. It will be full of bugs and starfish and grows really good.

[xenogear81]

thanks everyone, im trying to get a refugium, but not sure which one is good, anyone have any good experience with one to share?

[allan]

I made my first one, and my second one not sure yet as I still have to pick it up.

They are relatively easy and fun to either make or maintain. The very basic design would probably be water in, sent through baffeling to reduce bubbles, then the fuge itself, with the third compartment as a return.

I was having problems with my chaeto in the fuge. I started with culerpra, a small handful from AD, which grew to a huge mass of green stuff. Then I got a handful from Mr. Cob and it started to grow as well. I then thinned out the culpra to the point where all I have is the chaeto. That's when I started noticing the chaeto was getting fragile. It would flake of pieces and there was a large section that seemed to be getting 'old', or at least not healthy.

I placed the wad of chaeto into the second baffle, and moved my HD light to cover down on its new location. About a week, maybe two, later I had to tear the mass in half and place the other half into the intake portion of the baffle.

I rotate the mass about every other day or so, and anticipate that within another week or two I will have to reduce the mount of chaeto that I have.

It's really need watching this stuff grow and all the bugs and fish that live inside the mass of green stuff.