[Mel]

I am in the process of cycling my tank. It is a 75 gallon tank. We added 35 pounds of live rock (10 pounds a week) so far along with 40 pounds of live sand and 40 pounds of sythetic sand. We then added two chromis and a freekin nemo. After around 16 days we had this brown film which I am assuming is the "wonderful bacteria" we have been waiting for. We then added 10 small hermits and 2 snails. After another week (week 4) we added 10 more baby hermits. It is still very brown on the surface of the sand and on the rocks and glass. Is this normal? :? I have also noticed some pretty aqua and pink colors spreading over my rock. I hope this is a good sign!

 

[usmc121581]

All it is, is brown algea To get rid of it test your water for nitrates and phosphates. If there high(Nitrate over20ppm and 1.0ppm phos.) do weekly water changes until they lower.

 

[Mel]

Thank you!

 

[TXGargoyle]

Question....

Just trying to figure stuff out..... You added fish during the cycle? I think that the things I have read say not to but I have read so much I think I'm more confused now then ever :?

 

[Lupin]

When cycling, it's best not to add fish. They won't last long this way. Chromis are ok but they may not survive long enough while cycling is on process even if they are hardy. Amphiprions are also hardy but again, I wouldn't recommend adding fish in the course of cycling.

 

[Mel]

I guess I should have specified I am doing a FOWLR and I only added the lil cheap guys to add waste. I was advised that this would be okay. I was also told that they were hardy. They are very small and cheap. I will add the big boys later. Sorry to confuse! :wink:

 

[usmc121581]

The best fish to use are the domino damsel or the 3-striped demsal to cycle a tank. They are very hardy. The only thing about those are people use them to cycle the tank and when it's done people don't want the fish anymore. So they try to catch them to return them and end up tearing there tank apart tring to catch them. So I would ensure that you want to keep that fish, if you are going to try and cycle the tank that way.

 

[Mel]

Well everyone is getting along now! The two chromies, the clown and the dogface puffer. I know this is a wierd combination however, they seem to do fine. The tank is 75 gallon so everyone has room to move around. I do realize that the puffer will get larger and I may have to relocate the chromies. Hopefully the clown will get large enough that the puffer won't mess with him. Only time will tell.

 

[usmc121581]

If you have a anenome for the clown to live in, you shouldn't have problems with it. My marroon clown stands his grounds with my bigger fish.

 

[Mel]

Don't I need special lighting for the anemone? I have been told I can do some leather and maybe some polyps with the basic lighting I have.

 

[Michael]

Wouldn't his dog face puffer eat the anenome? I was told that my dog face puffer would eat any invertebrates. Or no because they are the ones that sting? I just remember Nemo telling Dorry that he couldn't be affected or as affected by jelly fish because he lived among anenome... I think. Actually, I don't remember.

Mel, it sounds like we have similar setups. I have a dog face puffer, a baby clown trigger, a bi-color damsel, two new clown fish, and a bi-color angel.

If you have a anenome for the clown to live in, you shouldn't have problems with it. My marroon clown stands his grounds with my bigger fish.

 

[usmc121581]

I dog face puffer will eat inverts. Snells, hermits, ect. All anenomes sting some you can barely feel others are worse. The baby clown trigger always will pick off inverts to.

The lighting you will need is called a 50/50 buld it has half actinic and half day light. This is the bulb you will need for any time of corals even the leathers and polyps need that kind of bulb.

Micheal what type of clowns do you have?

 

[Mel]

Awesome! I have been told alot of things about what I can and can't put in with the dogface however, he has a very odd personality. I think if he ever got hungry he would have a feast. I have a starfish and a cleaner shrimp and he doesn't mess with them. The only time he has messed with anything is when we first put the noobies in. He does like to munch on the snails but has yet to eat any of the 20 hermits. I guess I am trying for the best of everything. I wanted a tank with my dogboy and a cleanup crew. So far so good but, he is only 4 inches right now :twisted: As far as you can or can't do this or that, I simply experiment but I try to use common sense.