I posted this in the "introduce yourself" thread as well:
I just started a new aquarium.. I bought a used 40-ish gallon saltwater tank, which I presently have cycling.
It has been almost a week now (day 6) and just today I noticed some tiny shrimp-like guys scuttling around my big hunk of live rock.. I might have seen about 30 or more. this seems to be happening in the dark, or at night but not so much when the lights are on, so to speak. Moreover, I have small white bits of thick cobweb-like growth happening in a few tiny isolated pockets in the big rock.
Now, in my haste I set up the tank with some of the live rock and aragonite substrate, mechanical filter and heater and light on a timer (about 15 hrs on with a setting to turn off overnight). I did not condition this water at first, I was not instructed to do so. The next day I bought myelf conditioner and added it to the tank (measured according to bottle instructions)
A couple days later I got more live rock (Totaka and Fiji) and the fish (a black damsel with yellow fin-tips). All were added directly to the tank.
I did not preclean any of the rocks. . I only learned of this technique after reading up some, following having started the cycle. I also haven't done any water changes, although just today I added more salt and water, at the suggestion of one storeowner (tank wasn't full to the top apparently)
Should I be worried about the tiny critters and white stuff?
I still have to get a test kit for the ammonia and nitrate and nitrite levels. I was told not to worry about that stuff for a couple weeks and I am not planning to do any additions to the tank, for a few more weeks from today. Still, after doing some reading I can't help but think I might have erred somewhere.
Any thoughts? would be appreciated!
I just started a new aquarium.. I bought a used 40-ish gallon saltwater tank, which I presently have cycling.
It has been almost a week now (day 6) and just today I noticed some tiny shrimp-like guys scuttling around my big hunk of live rock.. I might have seen about 30 or more. this seems to be happening in the dark, or at night but not so much when the lights are on, so to speak. Moreover, I have small white bits of thick cobweb-like growth happening in a few tiny isolated pockets in the big rock.
Now, in my haste I set up the tank with some of the live rock and aragonite substrate, mechanical filter and heater and light on a timer (about 15 hrs on with a setting to turn off overnight). I did not condition this water at first, I was not instructed to do so. The next day I bought myelf conditioner and added it to the tank (measured according to bottle instructions)
A couple days later I got more live rock (Totaka and Fiji) and the fish (a black damsel with yellow fin-tips). All were added directly to the tank.
I did not preclean any of the rocks. . I only learned of this technique after reading up some, following having started the cycle. I also haven't done any water changes, although just today I added more salt and water, at the suggestion of one storeowner (tank wasn't full to the top apparently)
Should I be worried about the tiny critters and white stuff?
I still have to get a test kit for the ammonia and nitrate and nitrite levels. I was told not to worry about that stuff for a couple weeks and I am not planning to do any additions to the tank, for a few more weeks from today. Still, after doing some reading I can't help but think I might have erred somewhere.
Any thoughts? would be appreciated!
