23g CCC build (the CCC stands for cheapy chinese cube)

o ya and i think that green stuff on the rock is called grape algae. Im pretty sure you dont want it in there but i could be wrong on that part.

 

Looks great I also love the aquascape.

 

Morning update: Tank has cleared up nicely and skimmer cup full to brim with stinky brown crud.

Thanks for the comments guys. It's easy to do interesting designs when the quality of the live rock is so good.

cira050, thanks for the id help aswell. I did some research on grape algae. But it doesnt appear to be the same stuff as in my tank. Grape algae seems more concentrated in mass and round. The stuff in my tank is a bit more spaced out, and disk shaped.

 

Hi Luc

the pictures are a bit small for these maturing eyes on the ID
but try halimeda - Google Search
this might be what you have?

- tank looks great though buddy

 

Thanks again Steve. Sounds like a pretty accurate description, despite your old man eyes

Next time ill post the original size pics. 2592 x 1944. Will take forever and a day to load up though. lol

 

So what are your stocking plans for this tank?

 

i dont really have any ideas or plans for stocking it yet tbh jhawkor. Depends what my girlfriend gives me the green light for. But i do know she wants a "Nemo" of course. lol Some pretty corals and a shrimp or two. But just gonna take it slowly from now on.

In fact...i dont really know where i go from here now. Haha. I guess just wait for the cycle to finish....right? :S
If i got the rock from a sea water vat, transported it home in less than 30 mins, then put it straight into my tank. Will there still be lots of die off occurring?

 

Oh yeah it will still cycle


you have/ will have a lot of stuff on that live rock, some good, some bad and some indifferent - you need time now to work out which category everything you find is in

the halimeda is good as you now know
hopefully we can encourage all the bad stuff to die off and not bother you in the future.

the important stuff is the bacteria and that will die off until a balance is reached in that the wastes being produced in the tank are pro rata with the bacteria you have established

you could experience any or all of the following

Diatom bloom - brown powder all over everything
various algae outbreaks - micro, cyno, green hair, etc
pest nems like Aptasia and Majanos turning up
pest crabs , which if you find them now, they are easy to deal with than when your tank is stocked with corals

advice
run for 12 weeks without the skimmer as it competes for nutrients with the bacteria you want to encourage
run the same 12 weeks without your lights on - as this discourages any nasty algaes in your rock from giving you a hard time
at week 12 introduce your 1st fish and bring your skimmer on line
bring your lights on line gradually - start with 6 hours per day and build up 2 hours a week until you get to 10 or 12 (again this ensures any algae present does not bloom on you )

others will have different stratergies but thats the one thats worked for me a few times now

Steve

 

please an updated picture with the water cleared up ;D

 

Looks Great I to think the Algae is Halimeda.

Would have loved to have seen the huge LR Pits

J