Aquascape help

[Travish881]

259179
Tell me what you guys think it's a 36 gallon with about 45lbs in it is that to much

[Royal Clown]

Wow that looks nice! Make sure it's not touching the glass anywhere and every rock is firmly standing and I think everything will look great.

[Maxxumless]

Nice pieces you have there. I'd go get some two-part cement (example (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JSXBYO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001JSXBYO&linkCode=as2&tag=toweguar-20">Instant Ocean HF-1 HoldFast Epoxy Stick for Fish & Reef Aquariums 4 oz, 113.40 g)) and start toying around with different shapes. The way you have them now isn't very effective IMO. For more ideas I highly recommend this link (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2217633)...

[Travish881]

Thanks for the feedback the packets for bio magnet clarifier that came in the Caribbean sand should we use that or no ?

[Maxxumless]

Meh, I do, but by the next day whether I use them or not, the aquarium's crystal clear when I use floss media & a sock.

[Royal Clown]

Thanks for the feedback the packets for bio magnet clarifier that came in the Caribbean sand should we use that or no ?

Yea I did that but going back I would have just skipped it. The water will clear up on its own after the 1st day, no need to have all those extra chemicals in your water.

[Travish881]

Alright thank you not going to use them. Should I run the marineland penguin bio wheel 200 as soon as water is in tank?

[Royal Clown]

Alright thank you not going to use them. Should I run the marineland penguin bio wheel 200 as soon as water is in tank?

I don't know about that filter system but if that's what is filtering your tank then yes it should be on 24/7 365.

[Travish881]

Okay thank you very much

[Royal Clown]

Okay thank you very much

No problem! I'd also turn the lights on about 6-10hrs a day just to get the diatoms out and taken care of now, I don't think you'll need heater now since it's pretty warm in Myrtle Beach, enough to grow bacteria i'm sure.

[Travish881]

Well right now it's about 25 degrees out brr lol but I have the heater on now it's set to 78 cause the saltwater we added was at about room temp

[Royal Clown]

It gets cold down in myrtle beach? man you learn something new every day.

[Travish881]

Yea I can't wait for the weather to warm up how long you guys think it would take a 36 gal to get up to temp ?

[Maxxumless]

Depends on the heater and the starting temp. As for the lights, I'd keep them off during cycling. Diatoms are going to come no matter what you do. If you used RO/DI water and do a 20-30% water change (again w/ RO/DI) after the cycle, you'll minimize any algae blooms. Toss the Bio-Wheel too - just run without it. The LR and sand should be enough, but if you want a boost to your biological filtration use SeaChem's Matrix in a small bag inside the filter. The Bio-Wheel is oxygen rich, which aerobic bacteria love, but your real shortage will be the kind of bacteria that doesn't like oxygen, where Matrix comes in.

[Travish881]

So the bio wheel can and will cause a significant algae bloom ?

[Maxxumless]

It will hasten it, but will not cause it on it's own. The wheel is meant as a biological filtration method - and a good one at that. It houses air loving bacteria of the type that turns ammonia into less toxic waste like nitrite and that into even less toxic waste. The wheel is redundant and only promotes the initial bacteria types. The real shortage is with the final stages of waste export. And that includes, but is not limited to, macro algae, coral uptake (yep, they use waste products too), and non-oxygen loving bacteria (where Matrix comes in). This is also one of the main reasons we do water changes - to get rid of accumulating waste products.

[biocube101]

I have roughly the same size tank and I still find myself rearranging my rock when I clean. I wish I would have taken the time to build a foam rock wall so I wouldnt be able to keep rearranging it.

[Travish881]

It will hasten it, but will not cause it on it's own. The wheel is meant as a biological filtration method - and a good one at that. It houses air loving bacteria of the type that turns ammonia into less toxic waste like nitrite and that into even less toxic waste. The wheel is redundant and only promotes the initial bacteria types. The real shortage is with the final stages of waste export. And that includes, but is not limited to, macro algae, coral uptake (yep, they use waste products too), and non-oxygen loving bacteria (where Matrix comes in). This is also one of the main reasons we do water changes - to get rid of accumulating waste products.

Would changing the wheel out periodically help ?

[Travish881]

Oh and guys my GF noticed on the LR that we just put into the tank today what looked to be as best I can describe like a set of branches hanging off the rock will try to provide a pic tomorrow but any idea what that could be?

[Maxxumless]

Changing it out, sure, but that would kinda defeat the purpose of having them in the the first place. They're biological filters and you do not require this type of biological filter. You need the kind that is porous and high surface area without ample aeration - eg live rock rubble or something like SeaChem's Matrix.

If it looks like branches of a tree, it may be a type of gorgonian (Google for images). The thing you should be looking, or rather listening for, is a sharp clicking sound :)

[Travish881]

Yea I really don't want a mantis not that they're not cool and interesting just don't want to deal with getting him out, and yea it looked similar to the google images I saw just the one on my rock was brownish in color and small so idk. Are they good or bad to have ?

[Maxxumless]

If that's what it is, it will probably die, but that's the way LR goes. No danger.

[Travish881]

So the tank has been up and running for about 1 full day now lots of sand covering the bottom pieces of rock what's the best way to go about getting that sand off and what should I be doing now in terms of my cycle ?

[Maxxumless]

It will settle on it's own, but I usually run floss in a filter and a filter sock (in sump) for a day or two. Usually crystal clear in 24-48 hours. If your rock is live, your cycle is already starting as things die off and are broken down by bacteria. You should start testing for ammonia in a day or two. It will go up and gradually go back down to zero. As it falls, start testing for nitrites. It will rise and eventually peak just like ammonia. When it, and ammonia, are at zero you're done and can start thinking about your first animal(s). You can speed things up a little with something like BIO-Spira or Fritz Zyme 9. With these products, you need to test every day due to the speed at which ammonia and nitrites will rise and fall (usually in a few days). The skimmer must be turned off for four days after adding bacteria.

[Travish881]

Thanks I don't have a sump yet but got a ten gallon from petco to set one up. There's not a lot of room under the stand so it'll have to stay small. Also when can I start adding a cuc. Dying to get some snails and a shrimp. The rock is live so the natural die off will create the ammonia ? Got my API test kit so I'll start testing in a day or two.

[Maxxumless]

Yep, LR die off will start your cycle, more so if it wasn't cured before getting to you. You'd know if it was raw rock - the smell is very distinctive. Everyone's cycle is different. Some finish in a couple of weeks. Some in days, if they have seeded media & bacteria. A cleanup crew can start after ammonia & nitrites have peaked then fallen to zero. IMO CUC is a 'as you need it'.

[Travish881]

For the cuc if I do need it I would get a few snails and a shrimp would I have to dose calc for them or no ?

[Maxxumless]

Nope, however, if you're planning on getting a lot of hard corals might as well start thinking about how you're going to dose in the future. Ca, Alk, & Mg wont start to decrease until you have more than a few snails and a shrimp, but it will being to drop in month two or three as coraline really starts to kick in. Add corals and it will plummet pretty quickly. You can start to develop strategies, and test one or two right now, so when it does come you're not trying to play catch up with all three swinging all over the place as you try to figure out what to dose. In this hobby, the easiest methods tend to be the most expensive. Auto dosing pumps will get you zeroed in fast and painlessly, but buying a doser with three pumps is out of some people's price range. I've used most methods but really the biggest two are kalk & three part dosing. Kalk is by far the cheapest, but it comes with serious downsides; overdosing kalk is easy, the powder should never be inhaled, mixing can be a pain, and anything that touches kalk will need to be cleaned regularly due to buildup. I use a three part doser on one tank and am going back to kalk for a larger tank (like I said, it's expensive to dose three parts). Tanks that are over 60 gallons should use a reactor as dosing becomes much more difficult for kalk and way too expensive for normal Joe's for three part dosing.

[Travish881]

Not to sure on corals right now don't think I'm going to go for sps or anything to hard to take care of at least not for now but one question I have is that the sand bed seems to be much thicker in some places then others and I even think one piece of LR might be buried so what's the easiest way to smooth out the sand bed to get it level without removing my rock if that's possible don't think the GF will be happy if she has to build the aquascape again this time with water already in the tank trying to avoid that but idk if it'll be possible now cause it looks to be about 3 inches deep in some parts and then 1 inch especially behind the LR layout

[Maxxumless]

Any changes to the scape and sand should be done now, during the cycling phase. Nothing much to hurt in the tank atm. Just smooth it out with your hand. As little rock should be touching the sand as possible. You want water to flow through (under, over, through, and around) your rock so waste products don't pile up. A turkey baster will push sand around behind the rocks. No worries about clouds - they'll settle.

Don't under estimate easy to care for corals. Some of them grow like weeds and can suck down a lot of minerals from the water, even some soft corals.

[Travish881]

Oh no trust me underestimate is something I wouldn't do the one that I really want is I believe a brown leather mushroom I love the look of them I think a great addition

[JonV88]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/13/usuny5ed.jpg1 st attempt
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/13/avebu2y8.jpg2nd attempt
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/13/y2azavut.jpg3rd

[Travish881]

259811
Switched around the scape let me know what you guys think :bounce2:

[smom1976]

Awesome thread at this point.. I am in the same boat.. I believe we put water in the same day.. in the same tank :) I got a 36 gal bowfront and we are on day 3 with water... I did go ahead and pick up a light and when the light is on all kinds of feather duster looking things come out of the holes.. 2 that I have found.. as for the branch thing.. is it really small and almost dark burgundy about the size of a pencil lead? I have one piece of live rock that has a bunch of them growing on it.. I haven't seen any crawling things just the duster like things and some purple and real dark pink coralline. and the burgundy pencil leads .. I really hope this thread keeps going so when the need arises someone else will be going through the same and we can figure this out..

with my bowfront I have 46 lbs of rock.. (43 dry 3 live) and around 55 lbs of sand (40 dry 15 live) I too do not have a sump or a skimmer just a HOB filter at this point.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=8630&pictureid=58938

[Awsomedudy]

absolutely lovely:love1:

[SM6]

I have a 36 Bowfront as well. It is difficult to find info or other reefers with this tank heh. I am waiting for my 30 lbs of dry rock from reefcleaners to arrive.

What lighting choices are you all going to make?

Are you all planning on a sump?