Log: 75g FOWLR tank

[strangerdejavu]

Hi everyone!

I don't know if you all are tired of reading tank logs, but I thought I'd give one a go in hopes of getting some good input along the way! Plus I find the logs to be some of the most educational reads on this forum!

Here's my story- I have a successful freshwater 55g tank and recently started setting up a 75g marine tank. Last week I filled the tank with salt water and started up the skimmer, powerheads, filter, and heater to start breaking in everything and as a final check that everything worked as it should!

Three days ago I put in 80lbs of fully cured Figi live rock from www.premiumaquatics.com (http://www.premiumaquatics.com) in my tank and have been letting it cycle since. The plan is to wait until water parameters are good, then add substrate, then eventually inverts and fish. Last measurement (10/5/07) showed: Salinity- 1.022, PH- 8.24, Alk- 6.5, Nitrite- 0.1, Nitrate- 0.6, Ammonia (free/total)- .02/.1

And that's where it all stands right now. Some pictures of the tank below. The 4th picture shows a purple growth of some sort in the middle of the photo. Can anyone identify it, and should it be removed?

Any comments or suggestions for my tank would be appreciated! I entrust you all to keep me on track and keep me from making any huge mistakes :D. Thanks!

[Catpicklesdog]

Hi and welcome. You're off to a good start, I like your aquascaping. The purple you're referring to looks to me like coraline algae (good stuff) but it does look like you may have Aiptasia (nasty, bad stuff) growing in the middle of it. Any chance of a close up photo?

With regards to your substrate, is there any reason why you're not adding it now. I'd add it now and cycle it altogether.

[vorlx]

Looks good so far. I personally like reading the tank logs. I would also let the substrate cycle with the tank. No reason really to wait.

[strangerdejavu]

I've been using Mike Paletta's book "The New Marine Aquarium" as my guide up to this point, as well as stuff that I find on the forum. The way he directs setting up the tank, you wait 'till it is cycled, then add the substrate. If you can convince me that it's better to add it now, I'm all ears! While on this topic, I do have a question regarding substrate. Paletta places very high esteem on aragonite coral sand - so I went and bought
Florida Crushed Coral (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+10741+7322&pcatid=7322) (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+10741+7322&pcatid=7322%29). Should I not use this? Any other suggestions?

As for a closeup of the aiptasia, here's a shot. Kinda hard to get a clear picture of it. Why are they so undesireable? It's kinda pretty!

Thanks for the help, and so quickly too!

[Catpicklesdog]

From that last shot I'd say it's not Aiptasia. It looks similar to something I have growing on one of my rocks. My lights are off now otherwise I'd take a piccie for comparison.

There's a lot of people who would say don't use crushed coral - I had it in my first tank and always had nitrAte problems but it also had a trickle filter system. In my current tank I've used Aragonite sand and I've never had to use PH buffer once (I used it all the time before).

[Slappy*McFish]

Aragonite coral sand and Florida crushed coral are two different things. I wouldn't use the crushed coral, myself.

[soccerkidbs]

i would not use CC either unless it was super fine. as for adding your substrate now or later i think it is up to you.

[strangerdejavu]

Is there a specific brand of substrate you guys would recommend? Any specific grain size?

[vorlx]

I have heard really bad stories about crushed coral, there is a sticky about it. I used this kind of sand for my tank:

CaribSea Aragamax Sugar-Sized Sand

It works good for me.

[wantvws]

I don't get tired of reading logs either...so keep up with the updates. You're right...it is a very good way to learn.
I used the larger dead aragonite in my tank, and then covered it with a thinner layer of the sugar sized live aragonite...but when I started my tank I had no live rock. I still do not have much, but the hope is that the strategically placed 30 lbs or so of LR I added will seed the rest. The only drawback I have found personally to the sugar sized substrate is that when I tried (once) to vacuum some red cyano off of it it sucked a ton of the sand up with it. I don't know if the larger stuff would do better, but that was my experience.
Your tank looks very nice, I can't wait for updates:)
Robbie

[Grins]

The tentacles on that still look like aiptasia to me except difficult to say with a side shot. Can you move the rock and take a straight on shot of it?

I also would not use the crushed coral and instead use a good aragonite mix. It is also natural but far easier to keep healthy.

[strangerdejavu]

Alight, out with the crushed coral. Went to the LFS today and picked up 30lbs of CaribSea aragmax, and 10 lbs of arag-alive. I rinsed all the aragmax, but am still left with a cloudy tank. Pictures will go up as soon as the tank clears. I'm also off to Petco to pick up a cheap 10 gallon tank to use as a QT.

Question - I bought some pure ammonia today to jump-start the cycle. How much should I put in the tank?

[strangerdejavu]

While I wait for the tank to clear, I thought I'd share my wish list for the fish I'd like to put in the tank. Comments and suggestions are welcomed!

Here's what I'd like, in order of addition:

Algea attack pack standard for 75g from drsfostersmith
3-4 blue/green chromis
2 Ocellaris clownfish
1 Lawnmower or one-spot blenny
1 Coral Beauty Angelfish
1 Saddle Valentini Puffer
1 Yellow Tang

Concerns:
Firstly, I'd be adding the fish very slowly over a long period of time. Especially after the blenny was added, I'd want to make sure the tank is well established before moving on to the rest of the fish.

Would this be an overcrouded tank?

I've heard mixed reviews about including a valentini puffer in a tank with invertebrates. Some say that as long as it's well fed, it won't touch the inverts. Others say that inverts won't last long, even with a toby. Anybody have any insight or experience?

Any substitutions, additions, or subtractions that you guys might recommend are welcome!

[Slappy*McFish]

The puffer is not safe with your cleaner package. (shrimp, snails, crabs, etc)

[ooja3k]

also that aiptasia looks more like a majano anemone... i had one but blasted it with boiling water to get rid of the bugger... they are both very similar and will reproduce all over your tank, irritating any possible corals you add...

[wantvws]

Question - I bought some pure ammonia today to jump-start the cycle. How much should I put in the tank?
I added something like 10 or 12 tablespoons to my 210g (only about 165g in the tank) over several days to get the ammonia up to 4-5 ppm.
HTH
Robbie

[strangerdejavu]

Time for an update! Substrate is in, tank isn't cloudy anymore. I decided to zap the purple anemonies for fear that they weren't good. I figure that if I want any of 'em, I'll put them there myself! I've been a little ammonia every day - up to about 1ppm right now.

It's exciting to watch my live rock become.... alive! I've got a nice crop of hair algea starting on one rock. Some leafier growth appears to be emerging on other rocks. I'm quite curious to see what it looks like by the time I can put a cleanup crew in there.

Speaking of cleanup crews- do I need to QT them too, before putting them in the tank? I suppose that there's not much you could do to save them, being that the medications often kill them. I've got a 10 gallon QT tank up and running too. Now I just need this tank to cycle, and then we're in business!

[ooja3k]

beautiful tank!!! lots of space for corals in the future ;)

the leafy stuff is macro and that will spread like wildfire... i take mine out by hand... the pic on the right looks like hair algae... your clean up crew will love you for that!

[soccerkidbs]

i have the same stuff and my new lawnmower is loving life.

[Grins]

No, I don't qt my clean up crew but the ones with shells get a good shake/brush down before going in the tank after acclimation.

[Dustin83]

Great looking setup. Seems like a great start. Are those hair algae spreading? It's common to have brown algae (diatom) at the early on stage, but you want to keep the green hair algae away as much as possible. What type of water are you using?

[strangerdejavu]

Thanks for the compliments, guys! Much appreciated.

The hair algea seem pretty much rooted to that one rock and don't appear to be spreading... yet. An interesting side-note, though: I was blasting a pest anemone on that same rock with boiling water yesterday, and all the hair algea around it turned a very bright shade of green! "Well that was cool," I think to myself, so I try blasting another spot of hair algea with boiling water, and there was no effect! Makes me wonder if the anemone released a chemical that made the algea change color... Probably not important, but interesting to see!

It is funny that you mention the brown algea, though. Over the past 3 days, the stuff seems to thriving. It started on the LR and sand, slowly making it look ugly. Now it appears to be collecting on the corners of the glass. Not my beautiful tank! I guess I'm assuming that this is normal, and that once I get a clean up crew in there, they'll feast on it and it should be much better within a week. If anyone can tell me more about it, I'd appreciate it! It all looked so nice until a few days ago.

[Dustin83]

Yup Yup. The brown algae is very likely diatom. It's very normal for them to bloom at the early stage of a tank and they will go away within a month or so. Don't worry too much about it. I can't remember reading your initial post and can't remember if you're done cycling or not, but once you are done cycling, do consistent water change to keep the parameters top notch. That will help making it go away faster.

[clown-lover]

Very nice setup.. Looks like you'll be able to have a quite a bit of fun..

[Sonicblast12]

While I wait for the tank to clear, I thought I'd share my wish list for the fish I'd like to put in the tank. Comments and suggestions are welcomed!

Here's what I'd like, in order of addition:

Algea attack pack standard for 75g from drsfostersmith
3-4 blue/green chromis
2 Ocellaris clownfish
1 Lawnmower or one-spot blenny
1 Coral Beauty Angelfish
1 Saddle Valentini Puffer
1 Yellow Tang

Concerns:
Firstly, I'd be adding the fish very slowly over a long period of time. Especially after the blenny was added, I'd want to make sure the tank is well established before moving on to the rest of the fish.

Would this be an overcrouded tank?

Almost the exact same fish I have. Substitute the Ocellaris for a Maroon and subtract the puffer, and we have the same 75G setup. I had no problems with the mix, but a hungry lobster put a dent in my crop. Many people say not to put tangs in tanks less than 90...but I didn't listen. He is definitely the centerpiece of the tank.

[strangerdejavu]

The tank is cycled! Isn't fully cured rock great? Nitrites and ammonia are 0. Nitrates were 10 before I did a big water change. Currently doing a drip acclimation for 2 turbo snails and 4 red leg hermits, as well as acclimating 3 Chromis in my QT. Quite exciting!

[wantvws]

The tank looks great. :y220e:
Pictures...need pictures...
Robbie

[clown-lover]

CONGRATS

Now comes the real fun... Weekly tank cleanings.. <running and ducking> :)

[Mgamer20o0]

might want to check out the new blog section (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php)..... its very helpful

[strangerdejavu]

Wow! Time for an update! Well, the title of this thread is a bit misleading, cuz I couldn't help but go reef... So I've got some softies in there now, and a few more fish since the last update!

The algea has spread, so it's a bit of a battle. I'll be getting an RO/DI soon which should help considerably. Also an upgrade in lighting to come soon too! I'm excited for the next few months, the tank should be improving substantially!

For your viewing enjoyment:

Lenny (The Lawnmower Blenny):
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3064.jpg

Give Lenny a kiss...
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3060.jpg

Other roomies
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3056.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3053.jpg

The Botton Polyps a day after I got them:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3082.jpg

And now (almost 2 weeks later)
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3099.jpg

Some shrooms and Xenia
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3100.jpg

And to see you off... Can you find the fish?
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/DSCN3075.jpg

[clown-lover]

Overall the tank is still looking good Stranger.. The algae is not "out" of control and could be easily managed with some competing nitrate export and a few more algae eating critters I think..

Loving the Blenny... Looks like he is quite the character.

[Grins]

Lenny "Aw dude, bryopsis for dinner again?"

[ooja3k]

haha


great tank!! those buttons grew that fast??? very impressive


what lighting you running again?

[Lupin]

Nice shots!:)

[strangerdejavu]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Grins - I don't know how he does it. Definitely doesn't look very appetizing to me! I tried to give him some Nori, but he'd have none of it - the glass was much more interesting!

Ooja- I'm a bit surprised myself. I'm just running PC lighting right now.

[strangerdejavu]

Well, I put together a video of my tanks for family to see when I go back to CA for xmas, but I thought a few of you might enjoy it as well. Nothing nearly as stunning as many of the other tanks around here, but still a few good shots of wrestling clowns and a lawnmower blenny being... well, a lawnmower blenny!

The video is 12 megs or so, so if you're using dialup, beware!

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/th_AquariumTour2007net.jpg (http://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i224/strangerdejavu/?action=view&current=AquariumTour2007net.flv)

[ooja3k]

thats a sweet video!!

might want to "up" your cleaning crew a hair?? (no pun intended...)

you might want to check this thread out for the treatment of your bryopsis:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1113109

[strangerdejavu]

~sigh~ I knew the algea comment would be coming! No problem, though, I know it's pretty prevalent! There's green and brown and red... Thanks for the link, I'll keep it in mind. I want to try a few other attacks first though. I think the main problem is using tap water - will be upgrading to RO/DI after xmas! Will also be getting better powerheads to fight the cyano. I plan on getting a tang and foxface too, which may not help the byprosis, but they'll help with other algea I think (and even if not, I enjoy the fish!).

If a couple months down the line, it's still there, then I'll try the 'ol magnesium trick and see what happens!

[Grins]

Love the video, is that you with the handlebar mustache?

[strangerdejavu]

Hahaha. I must admit, for a second I was like "Handlebar... oh!"

No, that's not me. It's one of my favorite college professors. He's a real hoot and has the southern accent to match! No... I'm 23. I don't have the years or life experience to pull off such a masterpiece! :)