New picture of my 125 gallon tank...now Saltwater!!

[Midnight Star]

Sweet!

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Mike.

 

[agilis]

Hi sasscuba

The method you are using is organic cycling, as opposed to chemical cycling. It's basically the method I've always used. It results in a high nitrate reading after the ammonia and nitrite spikes drop off, so a substantial water change is a good idea after the cycling is complete. After that, the live rock will help keep nitrates low.

 

[Hank49]

After that, the live rock will help keep nitrates low.

What about having an external tank with benthic algae that you circulate the water through, even after you have all the fish in it, to keep down nitrates? I was told years back that you actually need that to keep lobsters (among other sensitives like Moorish Idols) alive for any length of time. I used a system like this in a recirculating Macrobrachium rosenbergii (fresh water prawn but larvae culture is at 15 ppt) hatchery back in 1984.

 

[melissassm]

That's gorgeous!
I'd love to have a saltwater tank someday. I guess first I need to put my $$ towards a wedding, new car, and fun stuff and the like.
But definitely someday!

 

[agilis]

Hank, algal filters of the kind you describe have been in use for a long time. They can work, but require a lot of plumbing, space, attention, careful design, and specialized lighting. Most use some variety of Caulerpa as the active element. This plant must be harvested regularly, and watched closely. I've seen these systems set up on a reverse lighting schedule to help maintain a steady pH across day/night periods. It's also been demonstrated that plants accomplish their nitrate reduction not so much by removing nitrate as by immediately uptaking the ammonia before it can be converted into nitrite and nitrate. Algae filtration operates, in a sense, like a good protein skimmer, which removes organics before they begin to degrade.

In most cases, high quality porous live rock in sufficient quantity, along with a protein skimmer, will keep nitrates very low, even near zero in aquariums with light fish/ invertebrate loads. External adjunct filtration can be quite labor intensive and demanding.

 

[Pathfinder]

Great looking tank, and stand:14:
I'd love to have an aquarium in the house, but I'd end up killing whatever I put in the tank. So, I just put an undersea DVD into the machine and enjoy the images on the plasma screen. I get to see my fish and nobody dies

Dave

 

[fairybasslet]

What could have been a downpayment for our first house went into my late husband's 150 gallon salt water tank. While it was beautiful, it was just way too big and cost too much money. Not only that, he was constantly fixing some kind of leak with his trickling filter. He moved it to where he worked because we didn't have enough room in our apartment when we were expecting a baby. The morning I went into labor, he left me to check on his tank before taking me to the hospital. He almost didn't come back because, sure enough, the damn tank was leaking. Needless to say, I don't have a warm place in my heart for salt water tanks.

 

[sasscuba]

Algae filtration operates, in a sense, like a good protein skimmer, which removes organics before they begin to degrade.

In most cases, high quality porous live rock in sufficient quantity, along with a protein skimmer, will keep nitrates very low, even near zero in aquariums with light fish/ invertebrate loads. External adjunct filtration can be quite labor intensive and demanding.

That is exactly what I have, a top of line Aqua C Remora Protein Skimmer and lots of live rock.

 

[sasscuba]

Hi sasscuba

The method you are using is organic cycling, as opposed to chemical cycling. It's basically the method I've always used. It results in a high nitrate reading after the ammonia and nitrite spikes drop off, so a substantial water change is a good idea after the cycling is complete. After that, the live rock will help keep nitrates low.

I also added live bacteria, Bio-Spira. I have used it for years in Freshwater and have always had good results. Still don't put fish in within 24 hours like the package says. I will wait a few weeks to make sure cycle is done.

 

[Hank49]

Hank, algal filters of the kind you describe have been in use for a long time. In most cases, high quality porous live rock in sufficient quantity, along with a protein skimmer, will keep nitrates very low, even near zero in aquariums with light fish/ invertebrate loads. External adjunct filtration can be quite labor intensive and demanding.

I hear you. I had to "mow the grass" every week during the cycle. I kept it out in full sun and shaded the larval tanks at 70%. The biofilter had a piece of plywood giving it 100% shade. (pre bioballs and fluidized beds that we now use in recirculating shrimp broodstock facilities)This was also before I knew how to decapsulate artemia too, so I had a lot of unhatched cysts tangled in the algae. But it worked. I had 75% survival and the first post larvae in 18 days. Back then that was as good as it got.