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03-20-2006, 01:34 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
 
|  Am I Finally Cycled? Clean up crew?
According to the colour chart I have an ammonia level of .25, I should of be cycled by now though, NO2 and NO3 are 0.
I decided to run a test on my RO/DI water it says .25 too, I think the colour is just off a little, RO/DI should not have any ammonia right? not with a TDS reading of 3.
So am I ready for my clean up crew, the algae is taking over, mostly long hair? I've got some cool algae that looks like palm tree leaves too.
Not much red slime left.
This is the clean up crew that I want, does it sound good?
Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit 5
Peppermint Shrimp 4
Turbo Snail 10
Bumble Bee Snail 5
Queen Conch 1
Red Footed Conch 2
Scarlet Reef Hermit 3
Orange Marked 3
Electric Blue Hermit 1
Green Lettus Nudibranch 2
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75 G Display, 12 G Refuge, 12 G sump, 1/10 Chiller, Coralife Skimmer, 300 Watts MH 14,000 K, 356 Watts of Actinic PC Lighting, 120 Pounds of Substrate, 109 lbs of Rock.
Corals: Pumping Xenia, colt, Hammer, 4 misc mushroom groups.
Fish: 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Yellow Tang.
Inverts: turbo snails, astrea snails, tiger striped serpent star, sifting star, skunk cleaner shrimp, sally, red ball sponge, 50 or so hermit crabs | 
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03-20-2006, 07:13 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 35
Karma: 3
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"According to the colour chart I have an ammonia level of .25"
Nope, your not cycled yet.
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A good friend will bail you out of jail. A TRUE friend will be sitting right there beside you saying " Man we really f**ked up! " | |
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03-20-2006, 07:42 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Coral Banded Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Noblesville, IN,Indiana Age: 56
Posts: 373
Karma: 92
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If you are getting the same color on you RO/DI water, you may be right about your test kit being off. I would suggest taking a sample of your tank water to your LFS and have them test it. Most will do it for free. If it tests good at the LFS, get a new ammonia test kit.
Mike
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55 gal FOWLR, SeaClone 150 skimmer. 2" LS, 50# LR. 29Gal sump/fuge ViaAqua 2600 pump, chaeto, 1" sand, LR
2 Percula Clowns, Scissortail Goby, Black Birdwrasse, Keyhole angel, Lawnmower Blenny, | |
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03-20-2006, 08:00 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Eyelash Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lakeland, Fl
Posts: 1,294
 
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I agree with Michael, your test kit is probably off. Some are a lot better than others.
That is an interesting clean up crew selection. I do not have any experience with about half of them.... Hermits and snails are the staples as far as I know. The rest I'm not sure of 
Jim
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90 Gallon glass, 135#'s of rock and 2" sand. 2-250w 20k XM metal halides. 2-95 watt actinic VHO, 4 powerheads, Coralife skimmer. Maroon Gold Striped Clown, Blue Chromis, Kole Tang, Pygmy Angel, Serpent Star, Brittle Star,Gorgonians, Mushrooms, Yellow Polyps, Turbo Snails & Blue Legged Hermits. 20 gal sump with Caulerpa, Mag 7 return pump. | |
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03-20-2006, 12:42 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: St. Paul/Woodbury, Minnesota Age: 50
Posts: 1,181
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I would add some cerith snails as they keep the glass clean at the top of, and just below the gravel line. Nerites are great and so are Nassarith snails which like to burrow in the sand and come out at night. They are good ditrovores. Be careful of the Red Footed Snail, they are a cold water species and are short lived in warmer water. _________ 75g reef with Nova Extreme 8 bulb HO T-5 lighting, refuge, Remora skimmer, DSB, Seio powerheads, Acro's, LPS corals, assorted zoo's & mushrooms, Yellow Tang, Maroon Clown, Blue Cleaner Goby , Cleaner, Fire and Sexy Shrimp, Coco Worm, T.Crocea Clam, Derasa Clam
120g FOWLR, 260w Orbit power compact lights, Remora Pro skimmer, 30g DIY Sump/Refuge, DSB,Seio Power heads, Powder Blue Tang, Purple Tang, Flag Fin Angel, False Eye Puffer, Copperbanded Butterfly and a Moorish Idol  | |
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03-20-2006, 12:56 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Flamingo Tongue
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Richmond, North Yorks, UK.
Posts: 108
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Regarding the blue legged hermits, our supplier is taking them back in dozens after people reported they're a bit too aggressive with other stuff and each other. Personally, I've removed most of ours (the larger ones) after I caught them merrily eating our snails. One or two perhaps, but I saw one get hauled of the glass by a blue leg and then he started eating him. The red leg hermits are a lot more suitable apparently. | |
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03-20-2006, 01:14 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Scooter Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 26
Posts: 1,200
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.25 is still deadly to fish and inverts. I'm a little confused as to why you have an algal bloom when the cycle isn't even done? I'm curious if you added LR with pest algae already on it. It's not normal to have a bloom of hair in the first stages of your cycle, but cyanobacteria is. I've never seen any like that.
When I cycled my 20g tank, I noticed that the hair algea thrived under the cycle period, the hair algae was present because it was introduced with a rock from my 30g reef. That's why I ask if you introduced stuff with pest algae already on the LR.
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30g reef tank, CPR CY192 filter w/ DIY plumb running Rio 17HF return, Coralife 3x 9w UV Sterilizer, 3 24W T5-Helios 10K Daylights/3 24W T5-Helios Blue lights, 2 Logysis blue meteor light strobes (moonlights/24 Blue LEDs).
Tiger tail cuke, asst. snails/hermits, asst. feathers, rainbow acan,zoos,shrooms,bubble,galaxea, asst. shrimp, 2 ocellaris,mandarin,zebrasoma xanthurum,pink-spot watchman,red-striped pistol. | |
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03-20-2006, 02:19 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
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A am going to pick up a new ammonia test today. The color is so close 0 but more close to .25, being more greenish than yellow, but the colour is still very yellow. I think the reference test pretty much speaks for its self. The .25 is right next to the 0, it may even be the lighting in my kitchen. Maybe I'll try it under a different light.
I'll keep some of the clean up crew stuff in mind, get rid of some of them and replace them with others. I'm going to order them tonight after I get the new ammonia test.
You should see my tank, some of the green hair is 8 inches long. Some of it is bright green, some of it more brown. Almost everything is covered.
I am thinking of getting a lawn mower blenny, any body have them?
Thanks for all your help everyone. | |
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03-20-2006, 02:33 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
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"That's why I ask if you introduced stuff with pest algae already on the LR."
No didn't, not that I know of, the rocks where very clean when I put them in. Nothing grew on them for about 5 weeks. | |
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03-20-2006, 03:25 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: St. Paul/Woodbury, Minnesota Age: 50
Posts: 1,181
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I have a lawn mower blennie and they are wonderful algae eaters. Just be sure you find one that will eat prepared foods because once the algae is gone they will starve. Mine eats every thing I put in the tank. Emarald crabs will make quick work the hair algae as well but may start eating your snails once they get bigger. I had to return mine back to my LFS after it got too big. | |
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