Bo Spira Add whole bottle or nah

[Nicknackzz13]

Alright folks, hows everyone doing?

Still a Noob at all this but starting to get the hang of everything (test kits etc)
So i finally got my hands on a big bottle of bio spira, (Tanks been cycling for about12 days)
Ive put in about 20mls of the bio spira (10ml- 10G)
My question is, do i add the whole bottle of bio spira or just a certain amount? cause the instructions at the back dont really say?

(20G tank, live sand, live rock, (NEW live rock in today with an anemone on it!? which i have in another thread) didnt even know until i got it out!!!!!!

anyways anyone know what to do with the bio spira? and how long itd take to help cycle the tank (Roughly)

thanks yall and heres a pic of the Anemone i found on the live rock i bought (theres two)

 

[CodyRVA]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...XX&subref=AA&gclid=CM3RqYbW_MoCFQctaQodJFcJoQ

"Please click on "More Information" for direction for use."

 

[brandon429]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/


based on that you may not be cycling, and no need for that bac at all. You will need to lessen white LED strength and begin algae control as a full working reef in my opinion

its not that adding bac is harmful, its that you don't need it. the action needed now is algae control to head off problems, many however choose to leave it and see what happens as a total option vs just having no algae all the time.

when animals are present in the system, we treat it as not cycling for a specific reason...its so that the actions taken match the stocking of the tank. the living animals stocked here need substrate guidance not the bac.

 

[Nicknackzz13]

I added around half the bottle (more diatoms blooming on rocks but just brown not fluffs of it) specially on the rock that gets hit by the powerhead, i got a chromish and two clowns in there so itll keep them safe until the tank is established (has been cycled for 2 weeks) done a water test today
Nitrites went down to 0ppm
Nitrates at 0ppm
and ammonia is under 0.25ppm

(WHICH, might i add is the same as the water that the clownfish came out of (A very reputable saltwater fish dealer) i tested their water and it is the exact same as mine)

But theyve been in for 2 days now going on three, and theyre doing absolutely fantastic!! they ate the first day and still are (they like frozen brine shrimp better than the pellets) an theyre getting aong great with my little chromish, ive used bio spira which was recommended by a good reef starter videos on youtube, so anyways theyre doing great and my tank is nearly all cycled (within 2/2 half weeks)

 

[CodyRVA]

Good deal! Don't forget to build yourself a clean up crew after cycling.

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Good deal! Don't forget to build yourself a clean up crew after cycling.

got two clownfish doing great in the tank now along with my chromish! so im thinking of a cleaner crew in about 2-3wks ill be adding them, cause i think you cant add more stock just after adding fish? (Added my clowns two or three days ago)

can i have some advice on what cleaner crew i should go after? (Names of the species etc) so i know what to ask for in my fish store?
and also im curious as to how many fish (including starfish, cleaner crews etc ) i can get into a tall 20Gallon tank?? I dont wanna overstock!

Im also gonna be upgrading to a wide 40gallon tank! (3ft length, 18inches tall and 18inches depth) so im also curious how many fish i can stock into that 40g aswell cause once i get 40lbs of live sand ill be setting it up and moving my fish!

 

[CodyRVA]

got two clownfish doing great in the tank now along with my chromish! so im thinking of a cleaner crew in about 2-3wks ill be adding them, cause i think you cant add more stock just after adding fish? (Added my clowns two or three days ago)

can i have some advice on what cleaner crew i should go after? (Names of the species etc) so i know what to ask for in my fish store?
and also im curious as to how many fish (including starfish, cleaner crews etc ) i can get into a tall 20Gallon tank?? I dont wanna overstock!

Im also gonna be upgrading to a wide 40gallon tank! (3ft length, 18inches tall and 18inches depth) so im also curious how many fish i can stock into that 40g aswell cause once i get 40lbs of live sand ill be setting it up and moving my fish!

As far as cleaner crews, I think you get the most bang for your buck out of Trochus snails. They're quick and thorough cleaners, inexpensive, and can usually flip themselves over if they land upside down. They cover all surfaces: glass, rock, and its rare but even sand. You can get a few turbos, they're big and bulky, not as effective as Trochus IMO, but variety is good. I also like Nassarius or a Conch for cleaning the sand bed. A sifting star fish would work as well, but I have never personally owned any. A conch, depending on what type you get, may be too large for your tank, would be great for a 40. Definitely get some Nassarius, they burrow and clean in the sand bed. Hermits are good for fine cleaning your rock work. I would steer clear of emerald crabs, they clean algae really well, but have a large appetite and i've had some tear through some zoas before. There are many other cleaners you can get, check out http://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/tank-cleaners, they're constantly getting new cleaners in stock so check for updates.

The fish question is much more broad. If you have a lot of rock work then less fish, less rock equals more fish. You need to find your actual volume of water. So if you have a 20G tank, minus rock and sand, you might only have around 14 gallons total (this is a guess). Some folks say 1 inch of fish for every 5 gallons. In a 20G tank, i think you could get away with a pair of clowns, a blenny or goby, maybe a file fish, chromis, etc. This is a link specific to small nano fish: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+2124. Steer clear of tangs, triggers, etc. They are highly energetic, require a lot of swimming room, and ultimately such small system won't handle the bio load and you'll have major algae problems. You have more options with the 40. My advice is to start small and work your way up, avoid massive changes if you can!