Another cycling question

[ScottR]

You could add a few (1-5 or so) male molly(ies) to test the system and don't feed it/them for a week. Then start feeding a single flake per day.

If parameters jump up then right back down, that is a good sign. even better if you get no spikes. LOL

Once you get some $2 FW mollies to live for 2-3 weeks or so you have a very good indication the more expensive and delicate marine only fish should thrive also.

And the LFS might give you store credit.

my .02

Mollies have to be acclimated like crazy. Not even close to a good idea. They’re a freshwater fish and although they can live in saltwater, you’d have to bring your alkalinity way down first

 

[Indytraveler83]

I hate to hijack my own thread, but while I think I've got this figured out, my filter story is a totally different and very frustrating issue. I appreciate the advice/help on this topic. If any of you feel like you can help with my filter issues, I'd appreciate it: www.reef2reef.com/threads/help-with-filter-drama.595567/#post-6025700

 

[brandon429]

That is purely a matter of preference. You have the option to run no filter, sand and rock alone, and it will still grow corals. If you choose to use s filter it’s simply an option, so there is no right call. The minimum req is heat, light, water pump, rocks sand tank and water changes. Anything you add beyond that is optional and not required

Skimmer vs no skimmer, matter of choice etc there is no right way

 

[Indytraveler83]

That is purely a matter of preference. You have the option to run no filter, sand and rock alone, and it will still grow corals. If you choose to use s filter it’s simply an option, so there is no right call. The minimum req is heat, light, water pump, rocks sand tank and water changes. Anything you add beyond that is optional and not required

Skimmer vs no skimmer, matter of choice etc there is no right way

Interesting statement, which I very much appreciate. I think the hardest part of getting into a reef setup is you may be the first person who had said something like that. Everyone else says something to the order of "You must have a skimmer," or "You must have a sump" or "you cannot run a canister filter." I've heard arguments for "clean" systems and "dirty" systems, but no one seems to have essentially said "its your choice."

 

[brandon429]

Yes I refused to follow any of their rules I only reef in a fishbowl. The hobby gets my bare minimum cash but I still want corals, so we just made it work how we wanted with wal mart parts.

Pico reef keepers change water weekly and skimmer users don’t have to as much, these are the differences


Trick of the year for your planning: fish require all the supports but if you w practice on corals and clean up crew long before you add fish, all the bells and whistles can wait. Fish cause you to need the fancy stuff, but if you like corals we grow $3000 worth inside fishbowls you’ll have no trouble in a multi gallon setup

When you want headache free, easy learning reefing you set up a small accessible rock stack and plant a bunch of corals and practice growing them on it. Doesn’t require a skimmer. When you are ready for fish, then get into the constant headache of choices of what to buy game, fish are the headache the corals are easy

Fish will amplify your challenges bigtime, do save them till you want more worry lol

Make your system balanced, aged, corals locked into place before you add fish, your new reef will go ten times easier. Fish rush= invasion coming fast

 

[ScottR]

Interesting statement, which I very much appreciate. I think the hardest part of getting into a reef setup is you may be the first person who had said something like that. Everyone else says something to the order of "You must have a skimmer," or "You must have a sump" or "you cannot run a canister filter." I've heard arguments for "clean" systems and "dirty" systems, but no one seems to have essentially said "its your choice."

One thing I’ve learned in this hobby is: never say never. I thought it sounded crazy when people started dosing vodka. AIO tanks without a sump. A beautiful SPS garden in a one gallon fish bowl!!! Don’t let anyone hold you back.

 

[beaslbob]

Interesting set of ideas. I can certainly understand the idea that the tank essentially can handle the equivalent of a 10ish gallon aquarium.

I won't be adding mollies to the tank. While I trust it is cycled enough to handle a little bit of life, my experience with mollies is that they are some of the most unhealthy fish in the trade right now (I have 3 in my freshwater tank, and 2 of them spend more time in QT than in the DT.) I'll never bring another molly into the house, and certainly don't want to put something in my new DT that I know they have...

The result of all of this is that I ordered a CuC appropriate for a 20 gallon tank, with the idea that I won't try to add any fish until at least the beginning of June.

FWIW Mollies do much better is full marine than FW. I had a cottony white fungus in FW that started pealing off after adding some FW aquarium salt.

Just my .02 and of course I respect your observations and don't mean to disagree in any way.

after all it's just my .02.

 

[beaslbob]

One thing I’ve learned in this hobby is: never say never. I thought it sounded crazy when people started dosing vodka. AIO tanks without a sump. A beautiful SPS garden in a one gallon fish bowl!!! Don’t let anyone hold you back.

+1

Bravo that.

 

[Indytraveler83]

FWIW Mollies do much better is full marine than FW. I had a cottony white fungus in FW that started pealing off after adding some FW aquarium salt.

Just my .02 and of course I respect your observations and don't mean to disagree in any way.

after all it's just my .02.

I totally agree with you. Mollies do better in brackish/salt. At the same time, I feel like mollies are pretty reliable disease carriers, and even though they do better in salt, they are not part of my long term stocking plan. Therefore I don’t wish to introduce any disease they may have to my salt DT that will eventually be carrying fish and coral 20-50x (or more) their price.

I’m far more willing to use a half staffed clean up crew to build up my tank and be patient with fish. That way I’m not introducing any creature (or disease) to my tank that I don’t intend to keep.

Edit: I am having issues with mollies that have that same white fungus, and it seems to become more salt and medicine resistant each time I treat it. It’s also not the first time I’ve dealt with this (why do I keep getting these fish??) That specifically is damaging my opinion of mollies in any DT, fresh or salt.

 

[Indytraveler83]

Bit of a water parameters update:

Added about a half size CuC, which entered the tank on Saturday. I don’t think the Florida Cerith snails made it here alive (reefcleaners says to give them a full 3 days before declaring them dead).

Ammonia has been blipping up to .5 and once even to .75, then falling back down.

Nitrite has stayed flat at 0. I’ve never read even a bit of nitrite on this tank.

Nitrate was climbing toward 20-25 ppm, but after the GHA outbreak has stayed between 5 and 10.

Ph has remained solid at 8-8.1.

Do you think the ammonia blips are the ceriths and any other CuC that may have crawled somewhere and died?

The GHA really exploded for a few days, but now seems to be more trying to maintain, and the hermit crabs and snails are starting to slowly gain ground on it. (Side note, blue leg hermits absolutely love GHA...). Would you do anything else about it, or just let it run it’s course for now?

(Edit: This is not an impatient “Can I add fish yet?” question. June 1 is the absolute earliest I planned on adding fish, to let the rest of the dry rock catch up to the live.)