New Reefer checking in!

[lsher]

Hi all

Just want to drop a note and introduce myself. I'm a new reefer just starting out but I've been a lurking here and a few other sites over the past several months trying to learn as much as I can.

About a month ago I finally purchased a tank and all the trimmings and started to plan my adventure.

I went with the following

Tank: 25g CADLIGHT "All-in-One" + refugium
Lighting: 150w HQI, 2 x 24w actinic T5
Skimmer: Tunze 9002
Flow: 450gph return + maxi-jet 400

I went with a DSB + LR from Tampa Bay Saltwater
LS = 20lbs
LR = 40lbs
LR Rubble = 10lbs in refugium

Cleanup Crew (standard TBS package)
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs = 20
Astrea Snails = 10
Tiger Tails Cucumbers = 2
Serpent Stars = 1
Peppermint Shrimp = 1
Decorator Crab = 1

The water doing great - NO3 has never been above .5 and is currently @ zero.

I'm a little concerned with Nitrates (NO3) - its seams to have spiked up over the past few days significantly (yesterday reading was 20 and today read 40). I figured my sand bed would have started turning this into gas. I'm not seeing any big algae build up, but I'm concerned. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm going to give it another week or two but wanted to start thinking about stocking with some frags and a fish. Any advice on livestock??


Thanks again for all the information you all have given me in your posts and I hope I will be able to pass along this knowledge to future newbies ;-)

Lloyd
tanks shots can be found here. Comments welcome and appreciated. http://www.pbase.com/lsher/25g_cad_reef_tank&page=all

Select photos ...

 

[dylanjs]

Welcome!

I used TBSW, too, and I am so pleased. The tank cycled pretty quickly, and similarly to what you are experiencing. Hang in.

 

[nanchil]

I thought patience is the key to sucess in this hobby. I could see lot of living things is a month old tank.
Welcome to MR.

 

[WaterPlant]

it's odd that it took so long for your no3 to spike

tb lr always come with strange corals and algae

is that a crab in the last pic?

 

[lsher]

it's odd that it took so long for your no3 to spike

tb lr always come with strange corals and algae

is that a crab in the last pic?

TBS has been great outside of the bad hitchhikers - bunch of gorilla crabs. the plus side is minimal die off!!

the last pic is a coral that Richard @ TBS included. I think its a Ricordia, but you guys would know best.

 

[meschaefer]

hi

 

[lsher]

I thought patience is the key to sucess in this hobby. I could see lot of living things is a month old tank.
Welcome to MR.

Agreed, but the TBS rock has minimal die off. The only stuff I've added to the tank was sent to me by Richard as part of the "package".

I've been trying to determine at what point I can add more stuff - what do guys recommend?

 

[deelucky]

welcome to MR.:groupflip

 

[autoponicz]

welcome.....
i would wait another few weeks with more testing
let the tank settle in

 

[basiab]

Numbers are not the whole story. A 6 month old tank is much different than 1 month even if your test results show the same numbers. Part of the difference is that an established tank has more reserve available so that if the bio load is increased it can take it in stride. Your tank is small and there is not much room for error so be diligent on your maintenance. The longer you wait to introduce new stuff the more successfull you will be. And try to make small changes at a time. I have a 10 gallon and the first six months all I was doing was killing fish and my numbers looked great. Now after 3 years I have fish that are over 2 1/2 years old.

 

[Psycho graphic]

Welcome, and yes that's Ric.

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

wuddup

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Welcome to MR, I think we have our quota of Islander fans here already you might have to rethink your team selection :lol2:

 

[PalmTree]

hello Reefer!!:bagfish: