First Tank - Project (First Fish! Pics Tomorrow)

I just wanted to make a suggestion that you keep the rocks far enough away from the glass to allow a float mag (or whatever algae scrapper you plan on using) to fit without obstruction. Overall tho I really like the scape.

 

Ah, thanks for the hint Brendan. Didn't even think about that.
I have about 6 more rocks, so I might do some minor shifting tomorrow, but overall I think the layout will be about the same. Might try to build up the right side a little more... And make sure that I can get to the front glass!

 

cool project

 

Thanks!

So, I checked the levels this morning and the ammonia is a touch lower and there is a tiny bit of nitrite showing up. I re-upped the ammonia to 2ppm. I guess the bottle bacteria worked! I was thinking this morning and even though it did work I want to have really good diversity so I stopped by the LFS and got some sand. My only problems right now are I can't get the heater to stay level; I have it horizontal and the suction cups drift down. And my sand is still drifting around a little, It doesn't look like I have any dead spots, but I'm probably going to have to keep playing with the heads... And my water is REALLY clear already.

I then went to PetCO (I know, I am ashamed) and talked to the guy there. Super nice guy though and he seemed to know what he was talking about. He gave me a scoop of sand out of their frag tank and a small sample of their bottled-bacteria. I dumped it in this morning; figured it couldn't hurt.

I'm going to have to avoid the LFS and PetCO though. Walking around looking at all the pretty fish got me really excited to buy some... The mandarin that liked flakes just about sent me over the top (they are such cool fish!!!).

 

Great thread so far, getting some amazing advice from the group, I think you are inspriring a lot of people here, so good on ya !

Stay clear of the pet stores, they are the devil, and will take all your money ! LoL

Web sites are the fountain of all knowledge.

Looking GREAT, I cant wait to see it up and running and hear what the children think

How old are the children in the classes you teach ?

 

Ha, it's a good thing I don't have any money; otherwise I would succumb to their will.... and then not have any money.

They are 6th grade, so 11 or 12 y/o. I am really looking forward to getting classes started. I tried to do some lesson planning today, but ended up just staring at the empty tank.

 

So sitting here stareing at an empty tank is about the most frustrating thing ever.

I bought a totally purple/red, coralline covered rock yesterday just to get some more diversity and seed some coralline. I held it in front of the PH and scaped it then just added it to the scape... I came in this morning and was moving one of the PH (still moving some sand) and a 2 inch bristle worm came crawling out of the rock.. I screamed like a little girl. The rock has coralline, a bristleworm, two feather dusters, a couple polyps, and some green algae.

Good news, my ammonia is finally starting to show some decent movement. It was 4ppm yesterday (maybe higher), today it was definitely at 2ppm. Going to let it go a little lower then dose back up tomorrow. No -trites,-trates, or phosphate to speak of. Ph is still a touch high, 8.4 I would say.

 

Two of the bristle worms died. They were just laying on the on sand this morning not moving. Starved to death?
Ammonia is still dropping, but nitrite isn't coming up yet (Yup, trying to be patient).

In a totally dead, fairly clean aquarium that is cycling fishlessly, where do the bacteria get the nutrients and proteins to reproduce?

 

A week or two after starting the tank up, I would start ghost feeding it. This will keep an ammonia supply going, plus some food for the tank

 

Thanks Marshall, I actually threw some frozen food in this morning right after I typed the post above.
I also turned the skimmer on; not that there should be much to skim anyway, but figured it couldn't hurt.