Coral QT setup questions

[Brisay01]

Hi All , Happy 2018 to everyone! I have a couple of questions regarding setting up and maintaining a coral/invert Qt. I have read a
Couple of excellent articles on R2R which have a ton of info but I’m still confused on an issue .

One question I had was : After I cycle the tank) planning on doing a fishless cycle with ammonia along with a bottle of bacteria as I’ve done with my Dt and fish qt) what keeps the cycle going long term ? Meaning , without fish in the tank , how do corals and snails alone create enough waste/ammonia to maintain a healthy bacterial colony ?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on inexpensive lighting options for a 20 long coral Qt? I was thinking possibly the base model Sb reef light, or possibly the base model orbit marine Led . Both priced roughly around $130, which would be the max I would want to spend on a qt light . Thanks in advance .

 

[Brew12]

Hi All , Happy 2018 to everyone! I have a couple of questions regarding setting up and maintaining a coral/invert Qt. I have read a
Couple of excellent articles on R2R which have a ton of info but I’m still confused on an issue .

One question I had was : After I cycle the tank) planning on doing a fishless cycle with ammonia along with a bottle of bacteria as I’ve done with my Dt and fish qt) what keeps the cycle going long term ? Meaning , without fish in the tank , how do corals and snails alone create enough waste/ammonia to maintain a healthy bacterial colony ?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on inexpensive lighting options for a 20 long coral Qt? I was thinking possibly the base model Sb reef light, or possibly the base model orbit marine Led . Both priced roughly around $130, which would be the max I would want to spend on a qt light . Thanks in advance .

The aquarium only needs to maintain a level of bacteria in relation to the bio load in the tank. The bacteria population will grow to match your feeding habits. If you feed your coral/inverts heavily, you will have a much larger population than if you feed them lightly.

For a coral QT I feel you can get away with either of those lights. The SB reef light would probably be my preference but the orbit marine will work. Your goal is to keep them healthy in a QT system, not necessarily obtaining maximum growth.

 

[Brisay01]

The aquarium only needs to maintain a level of bacteria in relation to the bio load in the tank. The bacteria population will grow to match your feeding habits. If you feed your coral/inverts heavily, you will have a much larger population than if you feed them lightly.

For a coral QT I feel you can get away with either of those lights. The SB reef light would probably be my preference but the orbit marine will work. Your goal is to keep them healthy in a QT system, not necessarily obtaining maximum growth.

Hey happy new year and thanks for the advice . So just so I’m clear , cycle the tank the way I normally would, And when the cycle is complete , I can begin to add frags/colonies (after dipping) and basically the bacterial population will adjust itself to the amt of waste produced by the corals and by how much feed? . And thanks for the light advice . Think I’ll try out the SB.

 

[Brew12]

Hey happy new year and thanks for the advice . So just so I’m clear , cycle the tank the way I normally would, And when the cycle is complete , I can begin to add frags/colonies (after dipping) and basically the bacterial population will adjust itself to the amt of waste produced by the corals and by how much feed? . And thanks for the light advice . Think I’ll try out the SB.

Yup. It really isn't an issue with corals. Many corals process ammonia directly from the water. Inverts can be a little more sensitive but snails and hermit crabs won't care much.

 

[Brisay01]

Yup. It really isn't an issue with corals. Many corals process ammonia directly from the water. Inverts can be a little more sensitive but snails and hermit crabs won't care much.

Ok great . Thanks again for the info !