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New tank cycle

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PaysonReef View Drop Down
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    Posted: June 17 2019 at 3:56pm
Hello all,

I am wondering if someone can talk to me about some advice I recently received.

I took down my tank a couple years ago but am getting ready to set it back up mostly for corals but will add a little livestock in order to add movement and a little more excitement to the tank.

I have a 40 gallon breeder with a 20 gallon long sump and have the powerheads, etc. that I need. Here are my three questions.

1. I am only keeping fish in to provide a little movement and excitement but do not want too many fish and do not want to break the bank. Can anyone recommend a good number of fish/shrimp/etc. for a setup like that and also types that would be good as well as the best mixture/number of snails and hermit crabs? I am not adding anything for a couple months so the tank can cycle, right now I am just planning. I would like livestock that would be beneficial and mutually healthy for the corals. I have not decided on coral types yet either.

2. I received some advice the other day from someone to just put the necessary amount of salt with tap water (with the dechlorinating liquid you use for freshwater) to fill the tank. After that, while the cycle is going and after, switch to ro/di for all water changes and to fill the aquarium. This seems to me that it would really encourage a huge algae bloom and potential problems down the road (based on what I know). Can anyone please speak to this and if it would be a good idea or not?

3. How much rock would be best for a tank this size that I am looking to only use for coral and a few fish? Is there a good layout to use for the rock in order to maximize coral growth and the amount of coral that can be added? I think I have plenty but want to be sure.

Thank you for your help.
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knowen87 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote knowen87 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 18 2019 at 8:41am
1. The number is up to you. The less fish you have the less bio load on your system. When I had a 30 gallon I had a flame angel, blue chromis, and a pair of clownfish. Flame angels are worth the risk of nipping on coral but that may not be the case for you. If I were you I would do 2 clowns, 2 firefish ( the are active and do well in small tanks, and are cheap too) and a starry blenny. Each of those have a very different character and method of swimming. A shrimp would not be bad either. 

2. Tap water is a risk but it depends of the source water of your city. Logan gets most it's water from a spring. I ran tap water at the beginning and I didn't have major algae issues but it was still a risk. I use only RODI and have done so for many years.  RODI gives you peace of mind and that's worth some money to fill the tank. 

3. There needs to be enough rock to cycle the waste of you fish. If you are lightly stocked, then you don't need that much rock. I would not just put a pile of rock along the back wall. I try to stack mine so that there is lots of open space between the rockwork and I try not to go more than halfway up the height of the tank to allow for corals to grow. IF you are concerned, you could add a marine pure block to help.





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PaysonReef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 18 2019 at 11:57am
Thank you for the reply. That is very good information to have.

As a couple followup questions.

1. You gave me a list of a few fish. Thank you. Are fish/shrimp beneficial for the corals or does it not matter as long as they don’t nip? Is there a good shrimp that you would recommend?

2. I have a RODI unit in my house so it is not a problem to do that. I was just told what I was told and it didn’t seem right to me so I wanted to ask.

3. I am actually wondering how much rock I can put in. More rock=more surface space to grow coral, right? What is the max I should try for?

Also, as a couple other questions. Is there a good way to grow coralline algae well and is there a good food or anything that will help the coral grow quickly but healthy?

Thanks again
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote knowen87 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 18 2019 at 12:16pm
1. No, there is not a direct benefit of one type of fish or shrimp to coral health but there is an indirect benefit. Feeding fish adds nutrients to the tank which is often seen as bad thing because we struggle with too much nutrients. But if you had no fish and no feeding regiment you would need to add something to help the corals. I would go with a cleaner shrimp. They are fun to watch when they clean your hand or other fish and I have noticed that my fire shrimp just stays hidden most of the time in a cave where my cleaner will come out. Peppermint shrimp can harm some types of corals

3. No max on rock you really can'd have too much. But dead spots can collect detritus and that may give you problems in the future. Just remember that coral grow and they will make it to the surface  and then you will wish you had less rock and more open space. I would focus more on having plenty  of space to place coral at all levels of the tank

Coraline will grow if you keep your Calc, ALk, and Mag levels in the correct spot but it can take some time. You might want to get some flakes from another hobbyist to get thing

 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PaysonReef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 18 2019 at 1:36pm
Thank you for your help.  I will begin looking around for other hobbyists who may be able to donate some along with someone who may be able to donate a little sand to get the cycle going.  Would it be okay to add the flakes of coralline algae as the cycle is going or do I add it afterward?  How to I add it?  Just directly on the rock or let it float until it attaches or what?
Thanks again for your help.
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