About to start my 55gal tank

Keep us updated I would love to see some pics as it comes along!! Good luck 50JC

 

Thanks...I'll take some pics and post tonight. I just noticed a area on the sand bed that has alot of dark sand spreading around. not sure what it is, but i'll take the pic and maybe someone can tell me what's growing in the tank.

 

Looking good so far. Just one think you may want to keep in mind, Im not even sure it applies, but I also have a 55 gal. tank and didn't initially leave room between my rock work and glass to clean all parts of the glass. I highly recommend that if you have a magnetic cleaner you drag it all around to make sure it fits in all the places or if you are using a scrapper that you can get to all of the parts of the glass.

 

Thanks Guitarman....there is enought space. I made sure of this. Also I have one powerhead pointed behind my rockwork to keep circulation back there. Here are the pics that I promised earlier...




As you can see from the pic, I have something growing in the tank. I have left the lights off for the whole time (only turned the lights on to take the pics). anyone knows what it could be?? looks like "ants". Should I suck this stuff out of the tank? let me know.

 

anyone knows what may be speading on the sand there?? It seems to be covering more area daily.

 

Looks like Diatoms are beginning to form, They will consume the silica in the tank and then go away just as fast as they appeared.
I have just about the same set up as you have cycling now with 80lbs of Marco Rocks and 10 lbs of live fiji rock, 80lbs of dry Aragonite and 10lbs of live sand.

I didnt see any ammonia, nitrite or nitrates in my tank for the first week, I had 1 piece of shrimp in my sump then added 6 more yesterday and now I am reading .50 for ammonia, .25 for nitrite and 0 for nitrates. I removed the shrimp this morning, wooooh did they smell.

Your coming along fine.

I have the diatoms forming on my sand also and the Marco Rocks turned the same light brown. Id say your off to a good start, just sit back and let nature take its course.

Heres a few shots of my tank before the cycle and during. The first photo was taken today, the second was taken just after I filled it up last Monday.

 

I see I still haven't figured out how to enlarge the pictures yet, sorry