My 55gal Build

Thanks! Would you recommend anything else as far as media goes?

 

The only media I run is carbon and GFO. You don't need carbon during a cycle, you could add it at the end, or just after. I would wait a few monts for GFO.

 

yeah, I was planning on running at least carbon, but am also thinking of the GFO as well. I have a media reactor too, so that would make it easy. Probably run the carbon in the reactor, and use the GFO in the canister.

 

Just put a cocktail shrimp in tonight so hopefully get some ammonia brewin. So far so good! Anything in particular that I could possibly see happening soon? Diatoms? Algae? Not seeing a bit of algae on the rockwork at all yet.

 

Had the shrimp in for a few days until it totally dissolved to nothing, and ammonia levels spiked, and now nitrite levels are on the downward slope. Also seeing a few brown spots on the rockwork(I'm assuming its diatoms?) So, after nitrite levels are way down, should I do a water change? If so, how much? Was thinking around 15% or so, going off of some info I've seen on here.
Thanks

 

Any suggestions?? Anything helps.

 

Depending on how your nitrate levels end up, but I always like to do a 20% after the cycle is complete and then restest again in a couple days. Everyone is different, but that works for me.

 

Nitrate levels are right around 20 ppm right now, and nitrite is around .5 ppm

 

Hey all,

So, Igot my good test kit about a week ago, everything was testing out good so I did a water change on Monday. Tested all parameters on Tuesday, everything was good, so yesterday I picked up an ocellaris clown! He seems to be doing really well so far, eating fine and everything! He is hangin out in one spot most of the time, and occasionally starts digging in the sand. I'm keeping a close eye in ammonia and nitrite levels and they both seem to be good so far. Nitrite is 0 as well as ammonia, nitrate reads under 5 ppm, pH is 8.2, sg 1.023, temp is 78*. Also have some diatoms getting on the rocks pretty good, should I get a small cuc to start with? I have some pictures as well but how do I go about posting them from my iPod?

 

Ok, I figured it out, here's the pictures!