New 50 Gal SW

[Anonymous]

Second start on the same tank. First time a month ago was somewhat of a disaster. Make a long story short everything died.

1 Penn Plax Cascade filter Bio-rings and carbon
1 Coralife Supe Skimmer
1 50/50 Coralife tube light (update soon)
55lbs of LR
3 inches of fine grain sand base
1 1000gph closed loop system
No Fish

Cured LR was put in the tank 9/04/2005
Chemistry today as follows
PH 8.4
Nitrite .25
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 10
SG 1.024
Results after 24 hours of setting the rock.

 

[cjsrch]

dont worry nh3 will spike again


I WANT PICTS!!!!!

 

[garagebrian]

I want pics too Especially of the closed loop, I'm interested in that.

Brian

 

[Anonymous]

Pics will come as soon as I buy a digital camera. I'm still using 35mm.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok I'm now seeing a spike in the chem now.

PH 8.4
NO2 .50
NO3 10
NH3 .25

Have some new growth in the LR have a couple of sponges that really came alive today. Then there is some hard pea green stuff that looks like it covers small pea size balls. On the area small smaller balls about the size of a BB has started to appear. I would say about 15 or so. (Any idea what this might be) Skimmer is taking off about a cup of really dark green thick liquid.

Later all

 

[cjsrch]

the balls are pearl algae. bubble or what evre algae.
bad
not much you can do about it tho

 

[Anonymous]

I have seen Bubble Alge and this has a harder texture and the color does not match anything I can find. I am sure it is a common growth but not sure its a bubble alge. Of course I could be wrong

 

[cjsrch]

its bubble algae. trust me some can be hard. like i came across some that you couldent pop without pliers

 

[Anonymous]

After more observations tonight I have notice some of the balls have spines coming out like a teddy bear cactus. Oh yes they stick you just like a catus. Got to love the new stupid guys. I have not seen anything about an alge with spines. The spines are small as a hair and clear and very hard to see in your fingure. Any ideas folks

Thanks all

 

[Anonymous]

I have found something new tonight. A very small featherduster. My question. I know its a filter eater so is there anything I need to help him along. No fish yet still waiting on the nitrates to come back to zero.

 

[garagebrian]

I have found something new tonight. A very small featherduster. My question. I know its a filter eater so is there anything I need to help him along. No fish yet still waiting on the nitrates to come back to zero.

Feather dusters usually do fine in most reef tanks with no feeding. Since you are waiting for hte nitrates to go to zero, I wouldn't bother with food. If you want, you can use a turkey baster to blast the detritus off your rocks and some of the suspended matter will feed the feather duster.

Brian