Sabi

About a month ago i setup my 38gal tank + 14gal sump and got it cycling. Water changes were not able to be done often but i'm picking that up now.
Last week 9.5 kg LR (cured) was added to the tank. I saw s 2 tiny crabs in the holes of the holes of the LR. They are about half an inch big. Really tiny. Then to day i saw some white worm crawling on the glass, it had kinda like spikes on its back only. Dunno what that is, yet. I also have a oyster or clam or something that came wit the lve rock. I'll get pics soon, hopefully. Apart from those i have 2 snails, a hermit crab and a starfish for live stock in the tank, which i got from the local waters.
Readings done last week was-
Nitrate-25
Phosphate- below 0.1
Ammonia (total dslvd) 0.25
Alk- 1.6-1.7
pH- too blue to take a reading with red sea testkit.
Nirite-1.5mg

Today

Calcium- 450ppm
PO4- 0.1+
Alk- Low? 1.6+
Ammonia- 0.25
Nitrate- 0+
Nitrite- 0.1mg

Pls all you SW guys, advise me or tip on anything you think i'd need to know!

If you want to know exactly whats in this tank click the following link-
38 Gallon tank

Sabi

Ok heres some pics.

fishrule101

Kool. I had nothing come out of my LR. Ayways when are you planning on getting more LR?? Also whats your SG reading?? If you plan on make it a reef do 1.204 to 1.206. Oh I did have something come out, a coral. Thou no one has been able it tell what it is I think its a poylp.

Sabi

I guess i'm lucky, tho i believe crabs are not very good when they get big.
Yep reef is what i have in mine, my salinity is at 1.024-
There are lots of stuff growing on the LR and one looks suspiciously like apitaisia!! Its at the back an really small so i'm not all that sure.

fishrule101

Well my is a reef already cuase I have a coral. I have to go and buy the calsuim tests and other stuff so I'll know if I have everything a reef needs. I wasen't planning on making it a reef until I had all the things I needed. I would also get more LR. It doesn't have to be cured.

Sabi

Going to have to get about 10kg+ more. I'm going get that slowly as i get the cash. I much prefer cured, saves me the time and effort curing them!

fishrule101

Yeah but it more expensive.

Sabi

True. I read that adding uncured rock would probably cause a mini cycle.

Sabi

Tested again yesterday.
Nitrite-0.1
Ammonia-0.25
po4-0.1
Going to do another water change tonight.

fishrule101

See even with cured LR you will still cycle. My cycle lasted two weeks with sim cured rock.

Sabi

Ay, I'm still getting these readings.

Sabi

I have small pieces of partly cured LR now.

Sabi

Ya, i did put in small semi cured live rock
and finally i think i've done with my cycle.
For those of you who are following this thread...
Got my first SW fish! A yellow tail damsel. One of the hardiest, glad to say he seems on top of the world.

nemo addict

yeah and aggresive to

wot other fish do you have planned nice tank to btw

nemo addict

ohhh and also if you can grab the crabs in your live rock i would sump them till you can identify them if they are hairy and have there own shell then get rid they will kill other inverts and some fish

Sabi

lol, true, but i didnt want to risk a fish less hardy as i wasnt 100% sure my water was right. So i well, kinda used him to test. I'll get the other hardy fish like a clown and fire fish in the next few weeks and then trade the yellow tail with my lfs before getting an angel.

nemo addict

green/blue chromis are good for cycling and not aggresive and cheaper prob the cheapest fish (marine)

defcon11

be sure to trade the damsel in before getting the clown. Clownfish are damsels and not aggressive ones either. I added a clown into my tank and monitored to see aggressive behavior from my damsel; took only 30 seconds. Damsels and angels though get along well and don't bother each other at all.