20g First SW tank
- Thread starter Greg31
- Start date
so from reading that, his recommendation is 1 cup per 60 gallons. In your case you would need 1/3 cup, me 1/2 cup. So I would assume to just buy the AC20 replacement AC and drop it in the refugium with the LR. Any experts wanna chime in? I've always heard on salt tanks it's not needed.
Pulled a gorilla crab out of the tank tonight. Was maybe 1/4 inch big with blackish tipped claws. I think I have 1-2 more. Also found a clear shrimp around the same size with kind of orange tipped claws.
I tested nitrites and ammonia and they are both they lowest they have ever been, almost at 0 for both. Does this mean I am ready to add more stuff?
I tested nitrites and ammonia and they are both they lowest they have ever been, almost at 0 for both. Does this mean I am ready to add more stuff?
It's close but if you still have ammonia readings it's not cycled. If you still have Nitrite readings your not cycled and your nitrates need to go thru the roof and down to 10 ppm ( IMO ) before the final stage of cycling which needs fish, this final stage IMO is gonna be the most critical and semingly is the most ignored - the building of friendly denitrifying colonies that change harmful nitrate to harmless nitrogen gas.
If you rush it - obnoxious algae will become your main denitrifyer.
As for carbon - it has it's advantages and disadvantages. It will act as a protien and heavey metal filter. As the protiens stick to the surfaces of carbon much like flytrap strips the protiens still decompose emitting phospates into the water, it can also be a Nitrate bomb as most activated carbon is only active for one month then it releases all it's trapped particals back into the water. The end results can all lead to obnoxious algae blooms.
Protien skimmers and refrigiums are the way to go as they physically remove protiens from the water and QT them in a cup were they rot. A refrigium will house beneficial bacteria and algaes which will eat both phosphates and nitrates as well as other harmful gases, while releasing oxygen back into the water.
I use carbon and an R/O metal/fine partical pad in my w/c tank and top of tank as nothing is living in these tanks and w/c's are every 3 daze the carbon won't generate a bunch of phosphates. Instead it traps heavey metals and organics from my tapwater as well as helping to aid in the removal of chlorine, liquid de-chlorinators are the staple tho. The carbon is changed every 3 weeks. Shortly I'll be adding Phos reactors to all 3 tanks hopefully making the w/c's as friendly as possible. Then I'll ad corals as I have no desire to throw my money away.
If you rush it - obnoxious algae will become your main denitrifyer.
As for carbon - it has it's advantages and disadvantages. It will act as a protien and heavey metal filter. As the protiens stick to the surfaces of carbon much like flytrap strips the protiens still decompose emitting phospates into the water, it can also be a Nitrate bomb as most activated carbon is only active for one month then it releases all it's trapped particals back into the water. The end results can all lead to obnoxious algae blooms.
Protien skimmers and refrigiums are the way to go as they physically remove protiens from the water and QT them in a cup were they rot. A refrigium will house beneficial bacteria and algaes which will eat both phosphates and nitrates as well as other harmful gases, while releasing oxygen back into the water.
I use carbon and an R/O metal/fine partical pad in my w/c tank and top of tank as nothing is living in these tanks and w/c's are every 3 daze the carbon won't generate a bunch of phosphates. Instead it traps heavey metals and organics from my tapwater as well as helping to aid in the removal of chlorine, liquid de-chlorinators are the staple tho. The carbon is changed every 3 weeks. Shortly I'll be adding Phos reactors to all 3 tanks hopefully making the w/c's as friendly as possible. Then I'll ad corals as I have no desire to throw my money away.
I run matrix carbon in a reactor.
So basically its removing heavy metals, and doing water polishing.
I like it, but it does need to be changed at least once a month.
I would also be running a phosphate product, but my phosphate levels are nill.
So basically its removing heavy metals, and doing water polishing.
I like it, but it does need to be changed at least once a month.
I would also be running a phosphate product, but my phosphate levels are nill.
Update!
Received big package from Tampa Bay Saltwater. Everything as far as contents of the tank are from them for barely $150!!
In this second shipment I got 3 sponges, a large porcelain crab, peppermint shrimp, 10 or hermit crabs, 6 or so large snails, a large bristle star (I think), a 2 inch or so starfish (looks like kind I would be in ocean in Caribbean, some sort of spider looking crab, very tiny serpent star, a branch looking coral, and 2 types of anemones ( one is has thicker tentacles with purple tips, the other is more like a flower shape that looks kind of feathery)
For now, all I have is a FTS, but some magical way, I think I did a pretty damn good job aquascaping, and it was my first try!
Received big package from Tampa Bay Saltwater. Everything as far as contents of the tank are from them for barely $150!!
In this second shipment I got 3 sponges, a large porcelain crab, peppermint shrimp, 10 or hermit crabs, 6 or so large snails, a large bristle star (I think), a 2 inch or so starfish (looks like kind I would be in ocean in Caribbean, some sort of spider looking crab, very tiny serpent star, a branch looking coral, and 2 types of anemones ( one is has thicker tentacles with purple tips, the other is more like a flower shape that looks kind of feathery)
For now, all I have is a FTS, but some magical way, I think I did a pretty damn good job aquascaping, and it was my first try!
