New to the Hobby taking in A lot of info

J

jjackson

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I am new to the Saltwater world and super excited to get things going. I started my tank about a week ago and would like to share and also get any advice that i can. My tank right now is as follows.

Innovative Marine SR-60 Rimless
IM Ghost Skimmer
Power Head
50Lbs Real Reef Rock
50lbs live sand

I started the tank day 1 with 2 Ocellaris Clowns and GSP's LFS. They also had me to add a bottle of bio Spira. My tank has remained pretty stable and i am noticing some small brown algae on the top of sand as well as a little on Rocks. I have seen others when cycling the brown algae pretty much take over the tank before turning into green algae and the adding a CUC. Does anyone know is because of the Bio Spira will this not happen, or should i expect this in the next couple of weeks as well?

Against my better judgement i have also added some mushrooms and a couple of other frags that i was told are hardy and should survive the minor cycle that i should have.

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It looks real nice to me! I would expect all of the different blooms of diatoms, and algae. You just get clean up snails, and crabs to keep those in check. But they will starve if there is not enough for them to eat, so you learn to get just the right number for your needs. And you wait in the beginning until you get some built up for them to eat. That's my thinking anyway.
 
It looks like you have some green star polyps. I would say keep them away from your other rocks maybe put it close to the back wall. Reason is they grow like weeds and take over rock work quick. I love the look of green star polyps on a back wall looks like grass blowing. Mushrooms are also very hardy and will survive a lot also may take over rock work. Looks like you have a high end zoa Oompa Loompa love them polyps and they grow fairly quickly in my tank. They can take over rock work but could frag them easy and sell or trade them. The last coral looks like blasto, or candy cane, or Duncan all grow fairly easy. I would say if you see that last coral dying could be a sign something is going very wrong. They do require cal alk and mag maintained but with only that one regular water changes for now will keep your levels up enough.


Sent from pay phone in the airport.
 
@DFW wrote:
It looks real nice to me! I would expect all of the different blooms of diatoms said:
Okay perfect thank you. I have been looking at others people that cycle without fish and without the bio spira and the tanks seem to go through a extremely rough period in the beginning. I'm told the bio spira is bacteria that prevents this quite a bit.
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@Eckolancer wrote:
It looks like you have some green star polyps. I would say keep them away from your other rocks maybe put it close to the back wall. Reason is they grow like weeds and take over rock work quick. I love the look of green star polyps on a back wall looks like grass blowing. Mushrooms are also very hardy and will survive a lot also may take over rock work. Looks like you have a high end zoa Oompa Loompa love them polyps and they grow fairly quickly in my tank. They can take over rock work but could frag them easy and sell or trade them. The last coral looks like blasto said:
I have the GSP on its own rock right now. I think once my cycle passes i will re-arrange my aquascape a little but in order to get the GSP to the back. Right ow my rock on the left side is hitting the back of the aquarium more than i would like. I also have the mushrooms on their own as well, and from research have seen they don't like less light so i have them towards the bottom kind of hidden under a rock in a slightly shaded area, is this correct? I'm really hoping that the Zoa survives through everything because i really like it, it was a little guy sitting in the back hidden in the frag tank when i purchased. I will work on learning about dosing after the cycle is over as well. I was told to do a 50% water change at about 3 weeks...does that sound right?
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The best advice I would give you is stop and slow down you are way ahead of yourself with a new tank. The slower you go the more successful you will be and the less frustrated in the long run. Research everything you do, Corals require a mature tank and Fish require a stable tank. Patience is the best advice I can give.
 
@Volitanlioness wrote:
The best advice I would give you is stop and slow down you are way ahead of yourself with a new tank. The slower you go the more successful you will be and the less frustrated in the long run. Research everything you do said:
I agree. Most would have waited till the tank was cycled to add fish.
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At least the LFS didn't sell him an anemone, and some seahorses.

I have never used bio spira, but apparently it gets very good reviews. Don't use Prime, or do water changes, though, while cycling with it, or with Safestart, which is the same formulation as the bio spira, because it will not work, or will at least reduce the effectiveness. I noticed that some people are using it at every water change for years. You don't want the product to freeze, or go above 90 degrees because it will die.

http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-77963-BIO-Spira-3-38-Ounce/dp/B002AK47JS
 
I'm on week 3 now and my tank is still doing very well. My nitrates are at 5 and everything else at 0. I had a small diatom bloom, mostly on my sand bed which. I have yet to see any trace of ammonia or nitrates and have been testing daily. Looks like bio spira is the real deal!
 
My first set up I was too anxious to wait on a natural cycle and used Bio-Spira worked well.
No real problems from it ran tank 4 years before a seam popped.
Now starting over and cycled naturally.
Same effect as first time but need much more self control.
 
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