New 26g Update

[JollyGreen]

Here are some shots of my tank as of recent, still no sign of an ammonia spike or cycling. I'll check the water paramters and report back in a little bit.

Before:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/tank.jpg">

After:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/tank_algae.jpg">

Before:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/feather_duster.jpg">

After:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/feather_duster_algae.jpg">

Before:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/live_rocks.jpg>

After:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/live_rocks_algae.jpg">

Before:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/growth.jpg">

After:
<img src="https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/jflemin9/public_html/saltwater_tank/growth_algae.jpg">


Algae is hilarious

[fishesRdelicious]

thats normal, you need to get some snails now to help eat it

[zooqi]

To get ride of this algae you need to do the followings..
lower your heat
lower daylight
Use RO/DI or DI water
less feeding
hermit crabs
tangs
and hope is a type that hermit crabs and tangs can eat.

[scissorsfishors]

can you have a tang in a 26g tank?

I told him algae was normal - but who listens to me.. he set up a RO/DI unit so he should be ok there.

J- we can go to get some cleaners early next week. your tank should be cycled by then.

[fishesRdelicious]

i would say no for a tang, but there are alot of other algea eating fish that he can get

[zooqi]

Tangs need big area to swim and if you get a small tang then I would go with Yellow Tang since they require less space than other tangs. I would pic a small one but you will end up finding him a new home in a few months. I do not recommend tang like FRD said but if you did then go with small Zebrasoma flavescens :)

Tang need over 50 gallons of aquarium and lots of space.

[JollyGreen]

It looks like the algae didn't grow quite as much today as it might have grown in a day over the past two weeks.

It definately looks as though the few limited amounts of bubble algae can't compete for nutrients with the rest of the algae.

Anyway, I still feel like my water tests aren't working. I'm seeing colors that seem too bright or just not quite right for nitrates. If I had to guess, nitrates would be 0 now, but like I said the color is way brighter than it was a week ago, and it doesn't really fit the scale.

I measured calcium a couple days ago and scored a 380.

Ammonia seems to be 0, along with Nitrites being 0.

I did notice my pH is now 8.4. What can I do to lower that?

I have the one rock that seems to be growing a lot of feather dusters, however today I noticed that a new feather duster appeared on a rock further away from that one and it seems the duster would have had to move against the current to get to that rock. Just interesting.

Let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions, does it seem weird that Nitrates might be back to zero?

JG

[fishesRdelicious]

borrow the nitrate test kit from Carolyn and see what you get with that one. it should be more accurate.
feather dusters are actually filter feeding worms, i dont know how they move to reposition themselves. i thought they moved with the current but maybe they have feet or something

[JollyGreen]

What about pH, how do I lower that?

Let me know
Thanks
JG

[Reef_Dweller_69]

your PH will read different with lights on as to them off and in the morning as to the afternoon. Also being that you are cycling your reradings will be a little wack between your ph, cal, dkh/KH (there the same thing). don't mess with the tank trying to bring PH up or down. Just let the cycle complete and then when thats over run your test and work from there. Also it would be better to test your PH after the lights have been on for a little while. Just my .02 :D

[zooqi]

Check your PH in the morning before light on and then before lights off and you will see different. Make sure you hold the tube agains the same light and background too.

Can you check for ALK ?
sometimes test kits can be bad too.

I guess I just repeated what everybody else said :)

[JollyGreen]

So I did a Nitrate and Ammonia test using SFS's (too many ss, just think if I didn't abbreviate) tests.

They were both zero.

She checked out my tank, but I'm not really sure what the outcome was, maybe too bad to comment?

I'm going to try and clean my glass, but first I'm going to suction off all the copepods and put them in a vile, so I don't kill them, then I'm going to put them all back in. haha, no just joking, but it would be funny to see someone suction off 1000 of them, I bet they could re-populate before you got them all. Anyway, death to copepods.

JG

[JollyGreen]

Oh yeah, I checked the pH during the day and it still seemed to be about 8.4

I haven't done any water changes, I've only been adding RO water.

Should I worry about trying to bring it down any? SFS was indicating my tank might almost be finished cycling.

JG

[fishesRdelicious]

you have copepods in your tank, they are good. some fish eat them
if you dont want them send them my way:)

[JollyGreen]

Well, I don't want to wake her up now, but if you want them I'll suction some off and put them in something, and SFS can pick them up tomorrow before she heads back to PA.

Let me know
JG

[fishesRdelicious]

i am really surprised that you have that many. are you sure that you know what copepods are?
if there really copepods then i'd take them

[zooqi]

Pods are cool things in the aquarium

This link will answer your questions about High PH (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/index.php)

[scissorsfishors]

I didn't say anything bad about the tank because nothing was bad. JG is just impatient and doesn't understand why the glass is dirty! I told him to scrap it and he hasn't yet.

also, I described the things on your glass to FRD and he said that they weren't copods. Glad you didn't drive home on your lunch break to get them for me?? haha.

[zooqi]

So how was the ride and hope you don't get snow driving back. I'm not sure how you guys going to drive North with all the snow we are expecting.

[scissorsfishors]

the ride went well. thanks. I am getting used to the 3hours it takes. I have your tank and some sand if you are interested in it. I was worried about heading north... Hopefully we don't get stuck in wine country!! haha.

[zooqi]

haha,, funny girl. :) laughing here. They say that this storm might last a week and by then with all the wine you might not know which way south is :) You have safe trip tomorrow and thanks for the tank and sand.

[JollyGreen]

Here is one of the articles I read, so you can see why I was confused.

<http src="http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-aquariums/1677-tiny-white-critters-curing-rock.html?mode=hybrid">http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-aquariums/1677-tiny-white-critters-curing-rock.html?mode=hybrid</A>

I guess it doesn't really matter anymore, I woke up today and they were all gone from the glass, kind of weird, because there were definately 100s-1000s like the guy in the post said. I also cleaned the glass and got most of the algae off.

The pH was between 8.2-8.3 today, I guess it is fine. Ammonia and Nitrates were zero again. I guess it's almost finished cycling.

It isn't snowing here yet, but everyone is out doing their dooms day grocery store snow shopping. hehe

JG

[zooqi]

Those tiny things can also swim and you see them more when lights off. I have them in my seahorses tank too and seen more when lights on. You can see them in the holes swimming in the free water, you can see them on the algae on the glass too.

here are some that I see in my systems
AMPHIPODS
ISOPODS
COPEPODS
MYSID SHRIMP
but I think you have pods and they are good to have. Once you have them all over the tank and then not much except when you move rocks, you always want to have some of them in your tank or any of them in the tank. They can go places to get uneaten food. Why you think I can feed 10 baby clownfish 10 times a day in a 5 gallon tank with no worry. That tank is loaded with them and bristle worms too.
FRD, I did not go to take that tank down today.

[scissorsfishors]

Mo make sure you post some pics of the tank when you get it set up.

JG - I made it back from wine country in one piece - well I made it as far as Williamsport. I'll do the ride to MD tomorrow. I am hoping we have a snow day... I probably won't be that lucky though.

[JollyGreen]

So, I'm pretty sure my tank has cycled, SFS and I bought a cleaner shrimp and snails monday night, and they all seem to be doing well. Should I do a small water change now? Is there a schedule I should plan for water changes?

Let me know
JG

[Reef_Dweller_69]

My opinion is a 10% water change weekly or a 20-25% water change every other week, just my .02.