My First Tank

[JD9]

Got my new clownfish and mushroom coral today!

[JD9]

I am starting to see some green algae growth on some of my live rock. Is here anything I can do to reduce the algae besides water changes?

[JD9]

Overall this week has been decent. My red mushroom coral seems to be growing well even though my dKH seems to be hovering around 13, but this just may be a faulty readings. The fish have been doing well together a little chasing the chromis around by the clown, but he doesn't disturb the chrois while eating. I had a small algae bloom along the some of the live rock, so i did about a 25% water change. Because of the water change the ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate levels all read 0 so hopefully the algae all goes away after this week. I also dropped my light control panel in the water. So the control panel was fried and I will have to buy a new one after only just getting these lights last week. Any tips y'all have is greatly appreciated as I am still a newbie with all of this

[bcb577]

Your tank is very new and it's normal to have times of algae growing sometimes up to about the first year of it maturing.Add fish slowly and be careful not to overstock your tank. Make sure you develop good husbandry practices,and monitoring your tanks parameters is very important, just stay patient while your tank matures and things will be great,hell I actually like cleaning my tank weekly,I find it relaxing,but algae isn't fun to fight lol.

[fishdip22]

Originally Posted by JD9

Overall this week has been decent. My red mushroom coral seems to be growing well even though my dKH seems to be hovering around 13, but this just may be a faulty readings. The fish have been doing well together a little chasing the chromis around by the clown, but he doesn't disturb the chrois while eating. I had a small algae bloom along the some of the live rock, so i did about a 25% water change. Because of the water change the ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate levels all read 0 so hopefully the algae all goes away after this week. I also dropped my light control panel in the water. So the control panel was fried and I will have to buy a new one after only just getting these lights last week. Any tips y'all have is greatly appreciated as I am still a newbie with all of this

Why is the water level so low? Also how is the tank doing its been a little bit of time since your last up date.

[LuizW13]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

"Filter" is the issue here.

In a properly set up tank, most of the filtration is done naturally, not via a filter. Fish poop, there's excess food, etc, and it blows around, until it gets picked up. A protein skimmer is the best way of removing it (IMO). If it doesn't get picked up (you don't have a skimmer), then it breaks down into nutrients (ammonia --> nitrite --> nitrate and phosphate), which get used by algae (nuisance or intentional algae like in algal turf scrubber). There are a lot of ways to "filter" a tank.

My problem with sponges is that if you don't clean the sponge filter thoroughly and frequently, whatever particles left in it will break down, causing the ammonia to nitrate cycle I mentioned above, and what you'll get out the other end is nuisance algae.

If you have an appropriate clean up crew, and/or siphon your sand bed (and rear chambers) when doing a water change, then you'll be removing that waste manually, without giving it much chance to break down. Also, waste that sits at the bottom of the tank is much less agitated and aerated than waste caught in a sponge, and since the bacteria that convert waste to ammonia and so on are aerobic, they will convert the waste much faster. This is a benefit in fish-only systems, where you have a lot of waste and don't care about nitrates (for the most part), but in a reef where all nutrients are "bad", you have to be much more careful. In a reef tank, it's better to have waste settle somewhere and sit silently than have it sit in a sponge and quickly converted into nitrate.

I hope that makes sense. Sorry it's so complex.

Basically, this happens due to mechanical filtration, correct? But technically, if you're diligent and frequently change or clean your mechanical filtration on a regular bases (before those trapped organic materials turn into nutrients), then you're good?

I'm asking because i'm setting up my first aquarium next week and i don't have any mechanical filtration yet. All i'll have is carbon and biological filtration. I guess i'll buy a couple of different mechanical filtration to experiment with and cycle on a weekly bases.

[ReefWreak]

Originally Posted by LuizW13

Basically, this happens due to mechanical filtration, correct? But technically, if you're diligent and frequently change or clean your mechanical filtration on a regular bases (before those trapped organic materials turn into nutrients), then you're good?

I'm asking because i'm setting up my first aquarium next week and i don't have any mechanical filtration yet. All i'll have is carbon and biological filtration. I guess i'll buy a couple of different mechanical filtration to experiment with and cycle on a weekly bases.

You are correct, and understood the giant wall of text I posted

Just remember that a visual inspection of the outside of mechanical media doesn't mean that the inside isn't chock-full of crap.

That's why filter socks are able to be used as mechanical filtration long term and sponges aren't - there's no depth to socks, so basically the particulates are stuck on the outside. With sponges, they can get further into the media, as well as are worked in through biological means (i.e. bristleworms and other fauna can move the detritus around and get it deeper, as they would a sand bed or liverock).

I can't recommend enough that people just don't use mechanical filtration. I see very little, and usually no, particles floating around my tank. It usually settles down eventually, and you should be siphoning it out. Mechanical filtration is a lot of work to maintain, and the only reason I can understand people using it is to keep their sump (or rear chambers in our tanks) clean so they don't have to siphon those. Otherwise, there isn't much benefit IMO.

[LuizW13]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Mechanical filtration is a lot of work to maintain, and the only reason I can understand people using it is to keep their sump (or rear chambers in our tanks) clean so they don't have to siphon those. Otherwise, there isn't much benefit IMO.

I NEVER thought of that before. I ordered a IM 25g AIO aquarium and never once thought of being in a situation where I would have to clean the sump area in the back on the tank! I wonder if there is a solution I can come up with that can test how much organic matter is making it to the sump area, and how much I can clean it out through mechanical filtration

by the way, I grew up in Astoria; I absolutely love how live 30th ave is now!

[ReefWreak]

Originally Posted by LuizW13

by the way, I grew up in Astoria; I absolutely love how live 30th ave is now!

It's a fun place for sure. 30th, Broadway, and Ditmars have all really blossomed even in the 4 years I've been here. So much great food and culture in the area.

If you're ordering stuff anyway, I'd highly recommend picking up a piece of rigid tubing that fits into/with your normal water change tubing so you can siphon the bottom of the sump easily. You can test how much by shining a flashlight down from the top and seeing how much is back there. Even with filtration media, you'll still end up getting some back there, so you'll probably have to (or want to) siphon anyway.

[LuizW13]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

If you're ordering stuff anyway, I'd highly recommend picking up a piece of rigid tubing that fits into/with your normal water change tubing so you can siphon the bottom of the sump easily. You can test how much by shining a flashlight down from the top and seeing how much is back there. Even with filtration media, you'll still end up getting some back there, so you'll probably have to (or want to) siphon anyway.

Awesome, thanks!

[JD9]

Hey everyone, haven't check in in a while. I don't think my water level is low, an inch off the top. Still general algae places but no hair algae and it calms down a lot when I do my weekly water changes. All my lvls are good and pretty consistent hardly ever add any chemicals except the occasional pH buffer. My main problem now is that my clown fish is attacking my chromis. He does not let the chromis come out of his spot in the rocks without chasing him all the way around the tank back into his place. Any tips for this, my clown is about vigger than my chromis, about half an inch bigger. My coral is doing great so far. Want to add another one soon. What coral would you suggest adding? All I have right now is a red mushroom.

[JD9]

Also are you suggesting I do away with my mechanical filter? I have no siphon or any knowledge regarding the siphon so I would need a lot of help with that.

[Troublekitty]

If you choose to keep your HOB I would mount it on the side walls. I have a HOB and found I had better flow and less micro bubbles in my tank. Do i like seeing it on the side - No. Does the life in my tank and water look better - Yes.

[JD9]

Had my first casualty. I guess the clownfish bullied the chromis to death; clown is still fine. Algae growth is still constant, can't get it to go away.

[JD9]

Hello all, time for another update as my tank has recently grown. As you know my chromis has died, but it was bullied off by the clown over the month they were together. I bought a royal gramma and a small 6 line wrasse to go with the clown. So far they all mind their own business. If anything the gramma put the 6 line in check in the first few hours by nipping him when he swam past. Hopefully this hierarchy stays in place as I have read many stories about rouge 6 lines. My red mushroom coral has already split so now I have 2 of them. I have also purchased a frogspawn. I put it on the sand bed for now as I am not sure where to place it yet. Any tips on placement would be appreciated as I have read that the frogspawn's tentacles sting other corals, and I want to put it in a place where I can add more corals around it in the future. Most of my algae has subsided for now since I am back in town and can take care of the tank everyday rather than only once a week. The only main problem I have is that the sand bed is full of diatoms. I'd like to purchase some more snails and blue hermit crabs to farther help diminish the algae growth. Are there any specific snails that would be best for cleaning the sand bed? I ordered a lot of snails in the initial setup of the tank but about 50% died off in the first few days due to the shipping process. Also, what are some other good corals to buy to add more color and life to my tank. Are the 3 fish I have now, clownfish, gramma, and 6 line a good limit to the amount of fish I can have in a 20 gal or is one more fish fine too? As always I would love advice as I am still very young in this hobby.

[Ejb]

Not sure if that is diatoms on the sand bed, looks kinda like cyano to me. Id watch out for that creeping up on the frogspawn since its in the sand as well. I personally wouldn't add another fish, but that is all up to you

[JD9]

Originally Posted by Ejb

Not sure if that is diatoms on the sand bed, looks kinda like cyano to me. Id watch out for that creeping up on the frogspawn since its in the sand as well. I personally wouldn't add another fish, but that is all up to you

How should I get rid of the cyano?