Just set up a Red Sea Max 4 days ago...

you need more rocks. 5-8lb more. i have 30lb LR still my no3 is 10 ppm i think that will help for me, so better to start with good amount of LR

 

Just confirmed that my digital thermometer is 100% accurate with a floating thermo. Also, I do plan on getting more LR, but I think I like what I have for now.

Also, it looks like I have something like:



growing on one of my rocks. It looks just like that, but much smaller, and just one mushroom. It's coming out of a crevice, so it's sort of inverted. Would there be any chance at all that it's mushroom coral? Or what could it be? It wasn't there a few days ago - at least I didn't notice it until today.

 

Do these tanks have bioballs? If so, I would ditch tham and fill the area with LR, smaller pieces. These tanks are designed w/ small fish in mind. The bigger the fish, the more food they require, the more they poop the higher your nitrates are going to be.
Nybatu...I truely believe you are pushing the limits with your bio load. You are always going to have high nitrates with those fish. Actually, there is no reason why you can't feed those fish flake only. I have a YT, CB, 6line, clown and a LB, in a 75G, and feed only flake. Keep nitrates down and fish are really healthy.
About the mushroom...probably a hitchhicker, lucky you.

 

The biocubes have the bioballs, the RSM has "[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Highly porous ceramic biological filter media".

Also, here is an actual picture of what I am talking about - hopefully it's clear enough for identification:


[/FONT]

 

looks like a shroom!

I don't know anything about Highly porous ceramic biological filter media. I had a 24G aquapod and ditched the bioballs for LR. In all my tanks I depend on LR as my main filtration so I always have more than I need.

 

where in So Cal are you? I am in So Cal too!

 

I live in Ventura County.

Also, is mushroom coral not as sensitive to poor water parameters as other corals? I mean, my ammonia levels are at 0.25 PPM, and my nitrite and nitrate levels are hight right now too, since my tank isn't done cycling.

 

My tank is up to 84 F today... I really need to get a chiller . I suppose I could leave the hood open a bit during the day, but like I said before, I have way too much dust floating around my house, and I don't want it in my tank.. and of course, the cats. Besides, a chiller makes for good insurance, no?

Also, it looks like my rocks carried some feather duster worms, too - I hope they do well!

 

take two bottles of water, like 12 oz ones and freeze them, then drop them whole, unopened, frozen, in the tank rinse then refreeze them and alternate them.........works for me

 

would make a dramatic decrease in temp in a 34g, not sure i'd do a 12oz bottle of ice, maybe like 1/2 full, if your lazy like me and you like everything automated just buy a chiller

jbj makes great ones btw