New Tank Questions?

[zev]

Okay so I have now joined the club. My tank is full of rock, salt water, and a few hand-me-downs that came with the rock (mushrooms), as well as a small bleached anemone (I was told it was an RBT anemone).

Well my question is this I am trying to cycle the least harmfull way possible, I have about 55 or so pounds well aged live rock (came from ciachefs old system) when I picked up the rock I also got about 15 gallons of his water. (Okay now don't yell) I am also using Nytromax Marine Nitrifying Bacteria as directed. Please note this is only to assist with the cycle, I have done my research and do not believe that this is a cycle in a bottle but hay it can't help.

Is there anything else I should do to assist the tank?

Should I have my protein skimmer on at this point or wait till the cycles done?

Do I have to worry about feeding any of the inhabitants due to no fish waste and a young tank?

What is the likelyhood of any of the inhabitants making it through the cylce?

The tank is a 55 gallon, with 55lbs of live rock, and 55lbs of reef sand (not live). 15 gallons of water from another system and about 1-1.5 cups of live sand from another system.

Lighting:260 watts pc
Salinity: 1.026
Temp: 76.8
ph: 8.1
Amonia:0.02
Nitrate:1
Nitrite:0
alk: 5

The saltwater has been running for about a week prior to the live rock and is tropic marin salt mix. The tests are Seachem, and salinity is check with a refracto.

 

[Jill & Brian]

If you got the rock from an established system, and it was not out of the water for an extended period of time, there should be little die off, and therefore you should not see much of a cycle, even with mostly new water.

You should monitor the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite for the next couple of weeks to make sure the tank is not cycling.

I know nothing about the Nytromax Marine Nitrifying Bacteria, but again if the rock is established with bacteria, you should not see a cycle, and therefore, this will probably not be needed.

I would add the skimmer.

Welcome and Good luck with the tank!!!!!

-Brian

 

[denvig]

If you got the rock from an established system, and it was not out of the water for an extended period of time, there should be little die off, and therefore you should not see much of a cycle, even with mostly new water.

You should monitor the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite for the next couple of weeks to make sure the tank is not cycling.

I know nothing about the Nytromax Marine Nitrifying Bacteria, but again if the rock is established with bacteria, you should not see a cycle, and therefore, this will probably not be needed.

I would add the skimmer.

Welcome and Good luck with the tank!!!!!
-Brian

I agree. you may not see any cycle at all with good live rock as long as it was not out of water for too long. Yes get the skimmer going.

 

[~Flighty~]

Keep an eye on the anemone. They go pretty nasty fast. The odds of it making it are slim to none, but I think you have a fair chance with the shrooms. I like putting macro alge in the tank for the cycle to keep the nastieness to a minimum. I think it helps with pod production and keeps nucance alge from gaining a foothold.

You should be able to get some from someone in the club pretty easily

 

[zev]

I have a cpr bak pak and when I was playing with it before the live rock and everything was added there were a ton of micro bubbles, now I have heard this is some what of a problem for these skimmers, my question, is this bad for the tank, and or, anything in the tank.

Flighty: I am actually thinking of adding a small (5 gallon or so) refuge is this a good Idea... also until then would I just drop some macro algea in the Display tank anywhere....sorry I don't know much about it other than it's good to have

and why are the anemones chances so low?

 

[~Flighty~]

Anemones (with the exception of pests like aptasia and mojanos) are very sensitive to water quality. Their bodies are almost all water so any water parameter change forces anything in the water into their tissues. If it is bleached, then it is already in need of serious TLC to bring it back to health. Being bleached means it has lost the "zooxanthellae" that lets it convert light to food. It would be like a plant without chlorophyl. They can survive without it if they are well fed with meaty foods. Otherwise they will consume their own tissue until they die.

Chances are good that whatever conditions caused it to lose the zooxanthellae may have stressed it enough to make it sick too and it will be fighting an uphill battle even without being in a tank that will have some type of cycle.

The good news is that BTAs are commonly tank raised for many generations which has made theme more hearty than other host anemones.

Protect the intakes of any powerheads and overflows because sick (and even healthy) BTAs do wander and will get sucked into these things.


As for macro, You can put it right in the display, but be careful about the type you use. Some can become a nucance to remove. Chaeto looks like green fishing line and will not be hard to remove.

 

[Nikkoli110]

For the Bak Pak, I don't know if yours came with one, but mine came with an internal bubble trap. They sell those if you don't have one, and they also have an external bubble trap.

Internal:
http://marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CR1125

External:
http://marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CR1129

 

[Moe_K]

The bubbles won't hurt anything in your tank.
They may cause some minor splashing which can get salt on anything right above the surface of the water.

 

[denvig]

IMO all new skimmers produce micro bubbles. They will go away over time once you get through the break in period.

 

[zev]

flighty: what and how should I feed the poor anemone.....also he is perched on the underside of a rock near the top of the tank, is this a bad sign or is he taking a break from moving? Even if it is a losing battle I would like to do my best to save it.......would it be better to see if anyone would want to take him...someone with a more mature tank....I'd hate to think I killed him when he would survive in another tank.


also how long is the break in period for the skimmer......

sorry about all the questions

Im a newbie

 

[denvig]

also how long is the break in period for the skimmer......

A few weeks to a month

 

[~Flighty~]

flighty: what and how should I feed the poor anemone.....also he is perched on the underside of a rock near the top of the tank, is this a bad sign or is he taking a break from moving? Even if it is a losing battle I would like to do my best to save it.......would it be better to see if anyone would want to take him...someone with a more mature tank....I'd hate to think I killed him when he would survive in another tank.


also how long is the break in period for the skimmer......

sorry about all the questions

Im a newbie

This is the right place to ask the questions. We've all been there.

Can you get a picture of the little bugger? The fact that he is attached to something is a good sign. You can feed him, but only if food will stick to his tenticles. If he does take food, that is a really good sign and he might make it. Any meaty raw fish or invert is good to use for food. Frozen mysis, raw cocktail shrimp, silversides... whatever you have. Use a piece the size of a pea or smaller for now. If the tenticles aren't sticky, you can try placing the food on the mouth and see if the mouth engulfs it. Don't push it in. If the mouth is already gaping, there isn't much you can do.

 

[zev]

Well its not looking good I think. The anemone is holding to the rock but does not take any small pieces of raw shimp, but the mouth is not gaping. but here are two pics.

 

[zev]

And another view

 

[~Flighty~]

That isn't looking too good. It hasn't had food from light or meat for a while now. Those tenticles should be several inches long, but they've been consumed by the starving anemone. I think it's only chance now is feedings, but the tenticles are too short to bring food to the mouth. If you hold the piece of shrimp right on the mouth (I've used chopsticks for this, or put it on the end of a toothpick) it may eat it eventually. you know it is eating because the mouth will open a bit and white tissue will come out over the food. Even if the tenticles aren't stickey, the digestive system might be. The anemone being strong enough to hold its mouth closed is the only thing that makes me think it might have a long shot chance to make it.

Anyone else want to chime in with ideas?

 

[delta]

I would keep an eye on your parameter and keep some premixed water ready incase of a large spike. doubt you will see much considering its already cycled LR.

BTAs are pretty hardy IMO i would try some smaller foods for feedings like mysis to see if you can get it to eat so it wont have to work as hard. then once it gets eating then try some silverside and shrimp. It is a tough call on the anemone but keep an eye on it dont play with it too much. let nature take its coarse only thing you can really do and you will probably just see a mini cycle which a healthy BTA should have no problem with

definately get that skimmer online

 

[zev]

Skimmer is online.....and the bta is not looking good. Did not even attempt to take food, I have a feeling that it was close to DOA. I heard anemones can reak havoc on a tank when they die..should I get it out or let it go.

So I want to take a second to say that all of you boston reefers are awesome....I have been on other forums and they felt cold, but not the BRS, I put a thread looking for macro and tonight at 9:15pm Richconley dropped by my house with a big ol macro care package........this is awesome

I wanted to get everyones opinions on what I did with the chaeto....will this work for a quasi refuge?

 

[~Flighty~]

The mess from a bta isn't too bad, but you should get it out if it starts to get slimey. Once it is that far gone and not stickey it is much less likely to harm fish or other stuff with what it releases when it dies. A large healthy anemone getting killed in a powerhead or something like that can do much more damage. you don't have anything in the tank that would be harmed anyway, so give it a little time. They often don't eat right away in a new tank anyway. Expect it to shrivel up to almost nothing periodicly, that doesn't mean it is dead. it could be pooping or changing the water in its tissue.