avoiding uglies in new reef

[Ninic Luka]

i will be setting up 12g nano macro aglae tank AIO 10g display and 2g rear filtration. BUT it will be first time i will be using 100% of DRY ROCK kinda... i was planing adding sand rock all dry after i fill the tank up bring it up the temperature. 24h after filling it up add some maxspect bio balls to the back "sump" that have been in my systems for 2.5 years now. BUT its in refugium under chaeto so i was thinking during cycling and testing for everthing or when its over add macro bacter clean so uglies have less chance of becoming a problem. when tank is cycled will add pods myscis shrimp.... as well starting to dose phyto for pods and after 2 weeks turn on light a bit (AI prime 16) at around 10% and slowly start adding macro algae and when there is a lot of pods add probably only or two fish blue stipe pipefish and coral croucher. what do you think abiut my plan. TIA

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I'd do a quick internet search anyway though...you aren't too far from Austria and Germany, both of which have plenty of hobbyists and shops might be willing to ship....never know...

 

[Ninic Luka]

I think he might have finally found a place in the Netherlands that sold live rock...if you're really sure there's none around then your original plan sounds as good as any I've heard... personally, I'd probably still try to use some rock from the 150 but if that's not something you want to mess with then go with your original plan and let us know how it turns out

i can put rock rubble in display and also after month of cycling and when i add pods would add micro bacter clean and give it week or two before turning lights on at around 10% and over month and a half or even two months will slowly ramp up the light to wanted intensety

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

i can put rock rubble in display and also after month of cycling and when i add pods would add micro bacter clean and give it week or two before turning lights on at around 10%

It sounds like you've got the right idea...idk how well it'll work but it's worth a shot...isn't Croatia on the coast?

 

[Ninic Luka]

I'd do a quick internet search anyway though...you aren't too far from Austria and Germany, both of which have plenty of hobbyists and shops might be willing to ship....never know...

thanks

 

[Ninic Luka]

It sounds like you've got the right idea...idk how well it'll work but it's worth a shot...isn't Croatia on the coast?

yes it is and im at the moment at costal city for next week

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

yes it is and im at the moment at costal city for next week

Idk how warm or tropical the water is there because I've never been there but if it's legal you could probably use some pieces from there along with sand...but I feel like it needs to be at least somewhat of a similar environment to what you're trying to recreate in your tank in order for that to work because the bacterial species might be different....

 

[Ninic Luka]

Idk how warm or tropical the water is there because I've never been there but if it's legal you could probably use some pieces from there along with sand...but I feel like it needs to be at least somewhat of a similar environment to what you're trying to recreate in your tank in order for that to work because the bacterial species might be different....

its not tropical duting summer it is but during winter it isnt. also s.g. is 1.030

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

its not tropical duting summer it is but during winter it isnt. also s.g. is 1.030

I doubt the salinity would be much of an issue tbh if you did at least some type of slow acclimation... aquarium refractometers are off all the time and salinity gets to levels like that...that's like 39 ppt vs 35 ppt. I would definitely expect a good number of bacteria to survive as long as the rock is kept wet and doesn't get really cold or anything like that

 

[Ninic Luka]

I doubt the salinity would be much of an issue tbh if you did at least some type of slow acclimation... aquarium refractometers are off all the time and salinity gets to levels like that...that's like 39 ppt vs 35 ppt. I would definitely expect a good number of bacteria to survive as long as the rock is kept wet and doesn't get really cold or anything like that

thanks

 

[rtparty]

Do not go crazy trying to source and use live rock. Your plan of adding all dry rock with some sand and then using bio balls from your current tank is a great idea.

You can NOT totally skip the uglies and it is futile to try. Some uglies are going to show up as the ecosystem tries to balance itself out. Pods, and lots of them, are a great way to keep uglies at bay best we can. It is also a 10g tank so a thorough scrubbing and 50% water change is like a 10 minute ordeal.

Hobbyists are going to have to accept that ocean live rock is not the future. No matter if it is "better" or provides more success. It will go away in the end for the majority of us. Our job as a hobby is to move past that obstacle and figure out the road map for success.

I have started at least a dozen tanks with dry rock. Some have been an absolute pain. Others progressed very nicely. I have also started a dozen tanks with true live rock. Some were an absolute pain and others weren't. The best thing I have found is to get media/rock from an established system and get it added day 1. Get corals added early as well since they will bring biome and filtration into the system.

 

[Ninic Luka]

Do not go crazy trying to source and use live rock. Your plan of adding all dry rock with some sand and then using bio balls from your current tank is a great idea.

You can NOT totally skip the uglies and it is futile to try. Some uglies are going to show up as the ecosystem tries to balance itself out. Pods, and lots of them, are a great way to keep uglies at bay best we can. It is also a 10g tank so a thorough scrubbing and 50% water change is like a 10 minute ordeal.

Hobbyists are going to have to accept that ocean live rock is not the future. No matter if it is "better" or provides more success. It will go away in the end for the majority of us. Our job as a hobby is to move past that obstacle and figure out the road map for success.

I have started at least a dozen tanks with dry rock. Some have been an absolute pain. Others progressed very nicely. I have also started a dozen tanks with true live rock. Some were an absolute pain and others weren't. The best thing I have found is to get media/rock from an established system and get it added day 1. Get corals added early as well since they will bring biome and filtration into the system.

i know i cant avoid them 100% but dont want to have GHA kingdom for example.

 

[Ninic Luka]

Do not go crazy trying to source and use live rock. Your plan of adding all dry rock with some sand and then using bio balls from your current tank is a great idea.

You can NOT totally skip the uglies and it is futile to try. Some uglies are going to show up as the ecosystem tries to balance itself out. Pods, and lots of them, are a great way to keep uglies at bay best we can. It is also a 10g tank so a thorough scrubbing and 50% water change is like a 10 minute ordeal.

Hobbyists are going to have to accept that ocean live rock is not the future. No matter if it is "better" or provides more success. It will go away in the end for the majority of us. Our job as a hobby is to move past that obstacle and figure out the road map for success.

I have started at least a dozen tanks with dry rock. Some have been an absolute pain. Others progressed very nicely. I have also started a dozen tanks with true live rock. Some were an absolute pain and others weren't. The best thing I have found is to get media/rock from an established system and get it added day 1. Get corals added early as well since they will bring biome and filtration into the system.

all my tanks in the past have been started with dry rock that was in mature system for few years with only room light at friends place but he doesn't do that anymore

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

all my tanks in the past have been started with dry rock that was in mature system for few years with only room light at friends place but he doesn't do that anymore

Honestly, don't stress it...your original plan will turn out fine when all is said and done, ok?

 

[Ninic Luka]

Honestly, don't stress it...your original plan will turn out fine when all is said and done, ok?

thanks im bit nervous using dry rock for the 1st time

 

[T828k]

Why is everyone so dead set on skip this or that ? Do yourself and a tank a favor and let the tank mature correctly..

This is why so many tanks nowadays have such problems with success. Everyone is so ready to have an instant reef tank.

Just use Brightwell Aquatics QuikCycle for an ammonia source and dose Brightwell Microbacter7 and wait it out.

Just filled my 125gallon with a 20 gallon (when running) sump about 3 weeks ago now, I put live aragonite sand and live rock which my LFS had in a big tub of saltwater (that is mature so to say) before I had thought about using brightwell, I have between 0-5 nitrate and 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite.. would this be considered cycled/matured and or maturing? I'm not trying to question you as I agree to wait it out, I'm just curious

 

[Steven Garland]

Just filled my 125gallon with a 20 gallon (when running) sump about 3 weeks ago now, I put live aragonite sand and live rock which my LFS had in a big tub of saltwater (that is mature so to say) before I had thought about using brightwell, I have between 0-5 nitrate and 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite.. would this be considered cycled/matured and or maturing? I'm not trying to question you as I agree to wait it out, I'm just curious

Using live rock,sand and I guess "mature" water I guess works. Maturing the right way would be to use little to no bottled bacteria to get the tank started and stablized.

When you have coralline algae growing,its well on its way to a matured state for sure.