can i add live sand to this tank

[mudpup226]

I recently purchased a 58 g reef ready system from a LPS and was told to keep enough crushed coral just to cover the bottom of my aquarium. I have about 50# of live rock in it now w/six damsels. It's been up and running for about a month and has not even begun to cycle ammonia 0.50 ,no No2,and about 10 on the nitrate. It has a sump system w/a420g pump and bio balls .Do I need a protein skimmer? Can I add live sand to this system yet? Yes very new to salt water. Thanks for any help Mudpup

[Rob Schwartz]

Hey there,

I have a system similar, and before the other folks here get you, let me give you my 2 cents as a novice.

Firstly, if your tank has not cycled yet, get your fish out (No matter how mean Damsels may be it's just not right to do that to them). Bring them back to your LFS until the tank has cycled. When it's time to re-introduce them do it only a couple at a time so that your filtration system can catch up with each new bio-load.

Protein Skimmer = good things, definitely worth it.

Bio balls = Bad things, use your rock, sand bed, and skimmer to the filtration. I actually also still have my bio balls, I'm just trying to figure out how to remove them and turn their area into a pseudo refugium without adding anything to the tank (All in one uniquarium system).

Add more live sand. There's all sorts of stuff to search for in regards to this.

Good luck

[Rob Schwartz]

Hey there,

I have a system similar, and before the other folks here get you, let me give you my 2 cents as a novice.

Firstly, if your tank has not cycled yet, get your fish out (No matter how mean Damsels may be it's just not right to do that to them). Bring them back to your LFS until the tank has cycled. When it's time to re-introduce them do it only a couple at a time so that your filtration system can catch up with each new bio-load.

Protein Skimmer = good things, definitely worth it.

Bio balls = Bad things, use your rock, sand bed, and skimmer to the filtration. I actually also still have my bio balls, I'm just trying to figure out how to remove them and turn their area into a pseudo refugium without adding anything to the tank (All in one uniquarium system).

Add more live sand. There's all sorts of stuff to search for in regards to this.

Good luck

[Pike]

I may be WAY off here, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the presence of nitrates in your water would seem to indicate that your tank has cycled.

In fact, your nitrates seem to be very high for such a new tank. I'm thinking that you "crushed" your tank. Too many critters too soon. Your numbers look to me like a tank thats simply been overfed.

Yank those damsels out of there, do a few water changes to bring your nitrates lower, & slowly begin adding the the spec's you want.

Just take it easy. The slower you go, the less stress your fish will encounter in their new home.

I know lots of tanks that dont have 10ppm nitrates that are many years old. I took me 4 months to see 1ppm.

j.p.