Am i on the correct path?

Ok i belive that my tank cycled. this is what i got. 40g breeder, 20 sump/refugi i just added 40 lbs of LS for a 5 inch SB in sump and 1/2 inch in the DT. I also added 50 LBS of Figi LR that was being used in someones DT. lets just say the LR looks amazing. i also just my Tek 4 39w T5 unit thanks to UPS and i know have it on the tank (fyi perfect fit)
this are my numbers.

DATE 2-2-10 2-4-10 2-6-10
@noon
Ammonia 0.5 0.35 0.0
Nitrite 0.5 0.35 0.0
Nitrate 15 5 or 10 5
PH 8.0 8.3 8.3
Salinity 1.022 1.023 1.021
dKH 220 179 143.2

Oh yah i almost forgot. their is a few things on the LR that seam to be TRYING to stay alive. Such as a Toadstool mushroom and some kind of Anemone or two. their is actuly 4 -5 of the little red Anemone looking things in the tank that are about the size of a nickle. im not sure if this are bad or not and im not sure what they really are so please advise

Any ways, time for the good stuff.

2-6-10 @ 3pm

2 Ocellaris Clowns added and two Turbo Snails. I also turned on my skimmer (Octopus 150) just after the Clowns and snails where added.

2-7-10 (today) the clowns look like they love the place, and they seam to eat a lot for just 2 fish. the snails seam to be doing good also. they sure are fast for snails

Im about to test again. results should be up in the next 20 min or so.

BTW should i feed one or twice a day?

Your thoughts would be great.

 

I like your aquascaping and stuff looks good so far. Since it was rock from another persons DT, I can understand why your cycle was so short

The anemone is not good, it is an aptasia and you will want to kill it...

 

I am no expert, but you might want to read this information that I compiled on Salinity/Specific Gravity. Your reading seem a little low.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/blogs/mmcdonald/specific-gravity-notes-307.html

Also, are you testing for Calcium and Magnesium?? I think you will find that you want to if you aren't already.

Just thoughts, looks great so far.

Mark

 

Really nice rockwork,lots of places for coral placement.+1 on the anenome,looks like aptaisia,try to get rid of them now,could be a real problem later.Might be good to raise your salinity a little to about 1.025.It's best to do it slowly,you can do this by adding salt water rather than fresh to make up for evaporation,just be sure to check it after each addition to see where it is.

 

Thanks Dingo, so i need to kill that little red things. what should i use?

Results for today 2-7-10

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
PH 8.3
Salinity 1.022 i just topped off with Salt mix water after results.
dKH 143.2
Calcium 340
i did my Phosphate but forgot to check the results LOL


Thanks sailorguy just saw your post after i reposted.



Would it be a good time for my first water change?

Is my clean up crew sufficient? 2 turbo snails and 2 very small star fish that happen to migrate with the LR.

When should i look to add my Craetomorpha Alga to my sump?

The big question, what next if anything?

 

The next step for me was to dive into ATO system and Two-Part Dosing versus Calcium Reactors. My reading lead me to believe that stability in water parameters was a big key to success. You are definitely going about it right because you are asking lots of questions.

I am only a few months ahead of you on the learning curve. I continue to ask tons of questions. My only regret is not asking more. Keep it up.

You will probably want to raise your calcium level to around 420.... hence two part dosing or Ca reactor.

Mark

 

By the way, on CuC talk to John at ReefCleaner.org. John is a GOD. Extremely knowledgable. Very helpful. Best prices you'll find. I have significantly more in my 55 gal for my CuC.

M

 

Nice rock work. Get Joe's Juice or Aiptasia-X to get rid of the aiptasia. Put the chaetomorpha in the sump now.

 

a general rule of thumb is to do at least 20% water change every month... you have a very small bioload and no nitrates are built up yet so I do not see any reason to do one right yet. They also add trace elements to the water that are used up by corals and such.

 

Thanks for the compliments on the rock layout. i must say i never would have thought it was so hard to stack rock and get it to look nice. of course thanks for the other reply's as well.

So i need to get some joe's juice to kill the red things, need to add Creato and get a couple levels adjusted. Should i look to add to my clean up crew or is the 2 turbo snails good for the time being since my bi-load is low and all?

another thing i did notice is a few little green bubble algae i believe its called. nothing major yet but their is a few bubbles hear and their. Whould the Creato take care of this or should i look to get a crab?

Oh yah the lady at the LFS that sold me the "turbo snails" where turbo snails but from reading and looking up turbo snails. Im starting to wonder if i have turbo snails. The ones i have stay under the sand and they stick their nose (or what ever it is) up out of the sand. it looks like a little tube sticking up out of the sand. know as soon as i put some food into the water they are on the move with their long nose thing leading the way.

THEY WOULD DEFINITELY WIN A SNAIL RACE BY A NOSE LOL snail joke

so any idea if they are or are not turbo snails? i just want to be sure.

ONCE AGAIN THANKS FOR THE KIND WORDS ABOUT THE ROCK.