Ogre's 44g Build

[OgreMkV]

Quick update...

Ammonia is less than 0.025
Nitrate is between 5-10

My Nitrite test kit is messed up, so I'm going to get one tomorrow and see if the LFS has a refractometer that's not $150. my wife would kick my butt for that.

Starting to get a heavy diatom bloom too. Tehe rock and sand are going from white to brownish.

 

[thereef]

Add some snails and sand eaters when the ammonia gets to zero. What are the nitrites doing they should be climbing. I like the sand stars they wont be seen much but they do keep the sand clean........Nasaurus (spelling) snails are wonderful for the sand beds as well.

 

[OgreMkV]

As of this afternoon... Ammonia was between 0 and .25 Nitrites was between 0 and 3ppm (stupid test kit isn't any more accurate than that).

I'm getting a diatom bloom right now. As I understand it, that's pretty much a good thing. Means everything it running along smoothly.

Plans for next week, 25% water change when ammonia and nitrites are zip. Get snails, ceriths, astera(sp?), I'm not a fan of nassarius snails... there's a couple of carnivorous varieties and it's pretty hard to tell which is which.

 

[thereef]

Sounds good - dont know if you really need to do the water change yet - We will usually wait 2-3 months after the set up unless there is an issue and then start doing 10% every week or two. Sometimes less is better.

 

[OgreMkV]

I can't seem to find the conversion for specific gravity to ppt salinity, do you know what it is off hand, or where I can find that info? Thanks

 

[IceH2O]

Hope this helps

http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/SgPptConv.php

Tank is looking good.

 

[OgreMkV]

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite < .3 ppm
Nitrate = 5 ppm

Diatoms - growing steadily

 

[OgreMkV]

New coral...

Big sale at a local fish store. I got this and a rock with about 4 square inches of star polyps (pic when they open) for less than $40.

Should this guy be in heavy or moderate flow? The LFS said heavy, but it looked like he was getting beat to death, so I moved the powerhead a bit and now it seems less wavy, but less stressed.

 

[AquatiCreations]

Looks good! Let me tell you, it wont be long before you want nothing to do with diatoms, lol! I keep star polyps in moderate flow, I try to have multiple directions of flow in the tank, because the polyps will look "wind swept" if the flow is going predominately in one direction.

 

[fsn77]

The hammer / frogspawn pictured will not like high flow. Moderate flow will keep it much happier. The flow should just be strong enough to keep the tentacles moving gently back and forth.