New tank - cycle nearly finished, lots of ???

[saltyfilmfolks]

It only gets better from here!


One of my favorite things to think about is , if it's dry rock and none of it has ever really seen the ocean and no life has ever been in the tank, where does the things that cause the ugly phase come from?
Some hate the pase and fight it and dump bottles of money in to stop it , I personally think it’s a miracle.

Be patient, have fun, get the toothbrush ready.

 

[abraha]

Great job aquascaping. Looks great! You are doing it right, slow and steady wins the race.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

It only gets better from here!


One of my favorite things to think about is , if it's dry rock and none of it has ever really seen the ocean and no life has ever been in the tank, where does the things that cause the ugly phase come from?
Some hate the pase and fight it and dump bottles of money in to stop it , I personally think it’s a miracle.

Be patient, have fun, get the toothbrush ready.

Agreed. Prepare for the uglies

Lots of brushing and sock changing

 

[drino]

Have you seen the live aquaria site? They have a great filter function of their offerings. Input your tank size and desired care and aggression levels, and it filters down to what they suggest. Their suggestions seem very spot on compared to what other members on here have advised. It is a great way to create and tweak your stocking plan. Fish are individuals however, and your mileage may vary. For example, my Royal Gramma is, well, a jerk. You have a nice big tank. Elbow room is a big factor in managing aggression. I would also be wary of what the LFS tells you. Sometimes the sale is more important to them than your success. I like to go to the LFS without my wallet and talk to them a lot, then come home and do research without making a purchase on that particular day. One more thought, a stocking plan is a great idea, but don't be afraid to alter it as you progress. Mine changed several times.

My 32 gallon biocube is 140 days old, and it has been tons of fun (with some heart ache and algae and ich and cyano mixed in...)!

What a great tip! I’ve visited the site, but didn’t know they have this - thanks so much for sharing! Just got home from the LFS and knew we couldn’t buy anything, but didn’t stop us oohing and ahhing over all the frags. Now it’s research time. Thanks!

 

[lion king]

Tank looks great, you are doing everything right. if you got your info on cycling from the Dr Tim's website, yes it seems scary because everything is going so smoothly. That's the way it really works, when you actually do things right.

I never have a problem running my lights to get the natural progression of algaes and such started, it's coming one way or another. A cheat I stumbled onto, as soon as the cycle ends, I add a macro algae reactor, or the chaeto you mentioned in the refugium. This seems to absorb some the nutrients that would usually fuel the uglies, which in turn I've skipped them all together.