Sara’s IM 25g Lagoon

[cconnolly]

Once the tank is established, I want to add a fuge in the second (or fourth) compartment with Cheato, then start with pods and try a captive bred green spotted goby. And if the fuge thing doesn’t work out I will just bail on that and get a goby/pistol shrimp pair.

The fuge is really easy to get going. Just remember its going to strip a ton of nitrate and phosphate as soon as you get it going. So be prepared to test very frequently when you first set it up and adjust the photo period on the light to tune it up or down with how much its exporting for you. Even if you dont end up wanting a fish that needs pods the fuge is an amazing tool to control nutrients with and worth the effort

 

[jcolliii]

Be careful with clowns - they can be terrorists to fish that are inherently peaceful (like cardinals). Before I moved my clown to my office tank where it is the only fish, my cardinal was so terrorized that he often wouldn't eat. Each morning I would see how much of a tail that poor cardinal had left. Tank is so much more peaceful now!

I would also suggest that if you add Xenia, keep it on its own isolated island rock where not even the stalks can contact another rock. They'll stick, then suck on, detach, and you'll have Xenia everywhere! It is pretty stuff, but a whole tankful of it is a bit much!

 

[saramachen]

The fuge is really easy to get going. Just remember its going to strip a ton of nitrate and phosphate as soon as you get it going. So be prepared to test very frequently when you first set it up and adjust the photo period on the light to tune it up or down with how much its exporting for you. Even if you dont end up wanting a fish that needs pods the fuge is an amazing tool to control nutrients with and worth the effort

Thanks! I was going to get the fuge going’s make sure I can keep the water stable, then start to add pods. If i can manage those, attempt the goby. I plan of taking each step, letting things stabilize, and then taking the next step. So hopefully. And if the goby isn’t a possibility, I will investigate other compatible pod eating fish.

 

[saramachen]

Be careful with clowns - they can be terrorists to fish that are inherently peaceful (like cardinals). Before I moved my clown to my office tank where it is the only fish, my cardinal was so terrorized that he often wouldn't eat. Each morning I would see how much of a tail that poor cardinal had left. Tank is so much more peaceful now!

I would also suggest that if you add Xenia, keep it on its own isolated island rock where not even the stalks can contact another rock. They'll stick, then suck on, detach, and you'll have Xenia everywhere! It is pretty stuff, but a whole tankful of it is a bit much!

When I had my tanks before I had a pair of clowns. I was hoping to get a pretty small pair. If the Cardinal seems to be getting terrorized I’ll rehome it. I’d rather the tank with just the clowns.

Thanks for the info on the Xenia! I do like them, so I’ll have to take info int careful consideration when stocking the tank!

 

[saramachen]

I saw this on another thread last night.


They purchase RO water, and run it throw the DI canister. I think that’s the route I want to go. Max water flow sells a double DI canister add on. The whole contraption can sit in the brute container when not in use, and I don’t have to deal with the waste water from making RO.

 

[Ksturg]

Thanks! I was going to get the fuge going’s make sure I can keep the water stable, then start to add pods. If i can manage those, attempt the goby. I plan of taking each step, letting things stabilize, and then taking the next step. So hopefully. And if the goby isn’t a possibility, I will investigate other compatible pod eating fish.

I had a dragonette that would eat freshly hatched brine shrimp. If you get something that eats pods you can always try to supplement with those. I used them so he wouldn’t demolish the pod population.

 

[KaitCorals]

Jan 6 2022

Hubby got up to pee at 3:30am and guess what, water was low and pump was sputtering away. Added about 1/2g of water and went back to bed. Today my jug for my ATO arrived, and I just finished getting it all set up. No more early morning water top offs for me!

After the kids logged into school, I added the bottle of One & Only to the tank followed by the ammonia. So the fishless cycle has officially started.

I plugged in the lights today. I plan to leave them off while it cycles but curiosity got the better of me. So I joined a FB group for the AI primes and watched a bunch of YouTube videos and basically I have no clue lol. I think what I will do is watch for tank set ups similar to mine and copy their preset, then get a PAR meter (hope a store around me rents them) and do some mapping and figure out a good intensity and then I can buy corals that need what I have, instead of buying corals and trying to make what I have work.

and then last night started to read about algae growth. And I have now added the Hanna checker for phosphate to my aquarium depot wish list. That list is getting bigger every day!

Looks Great!

Would you be willing to plot out par for your tank in case you use a par meter?

- Love Kait

 

[saramachen]

Looks Great!

Would you be willing to plot out par for your tank in case you use a par meter?

- Love Kait

Yup I def will plot it out!

 

[cconnolly]

When I had my tanks before I had a pair of clowns. I was hoping to get a pretty small pair. If the Cardinal seems to be getting terrorized I’ll rehome it. I’d rather the tank with just the clowns.

I've got a BG Cardinal in with 2 Maroon Clowns in my BioCube. They all get along pretty well. I did the same thing with adding the cardinal first and they all settled in when I added the clowns. My clowns are aggressive only when someone tries to get too close to the coral they have claimed as home.

 

[wesleyferrell94]

I had ordered the IM desktop Nuvoskimmer but it appears to be out of stock everywhere in Canada - I question if it’s being discontinued… but seeing as it’s a new set up, I can figure if and what skimmer to get later.

I didnt see anyone respond to your skimmer question, I recently upgraded from my old Nuvo skimmer I got back in 2016. On my IM 25 lagoon I am using eshopps nano protein skimmer. I have had it on my tank a month now and I am very happy with it.

 

[saramachen]

I didnt see anyone respond to your skimmer question, I recently upgraded from my old Nuvo skimmer I got back in 2016. On my IM 25 lagoon I am using eshopps nano protein skimmer. I have had it on my tank a month now and I am very happy with it.

Thank you! I have that one in my cart, as from my research it was one that fit and seemed to work well!

 

[wesleyferrell94]

Thank you! I have that one in my cart, as from my research it was one that fit and seemed to work well!

yes, that was my biggest hang-up, I was on the fence until I saw someone else with the same tank that had it. I put it in the second chamber after my overflow. it fits perfectly.

 

[saramachen]

Water tests today according to the Dr Tims directions.
salinity (just because ) 1.025
pH - 8.2
NH3 (ammonia) - 2ppm
NO2 (Nitrites) - 0.1ppm

 

[Rmckoy]

Water tests today according to the Dr Tims directions.
salinity (just because ) 1.025
pH - 8.2
NH3 (ammonia) - 2ppm
NO2 (Nitrites) - 0.1ppm

Still 2ppm ammonia .
Now time to wait for it to process .
What kits are you using for testing ?

 

[saramachen]

Still 2ppm ammonia .
Now time to wait for it to process .
What kits are you using for testing ?

Im using the Red Sea.

The instructions say to add ammonia again tomorrow, but not if your reading today was not 2ppm (which mine was). So I wonder what level of ammonia was added yesterday, maybe 2ppm is a decrease from yesterday… I should have tested just to see lol.

It’s all just a waiting and testing game now.

 

[Rmckoy]

Perhaps @Coxey81 can offer his knowledge seeing as he just recently completed his own experiment dosing ammonia and dr Tim’s and measured ammonia throughout the whole test as well as timed to see how long it takes to process. .

a little different not having live rock in the new system

 

[Rmckoy]

Im using the Red Sea.

The instructions say to add ammonia again tomorrow, but not if your reading today was not 2ppm (which mine was). So I wonder what level of ammonia was added yesterday, maybe 2ppm is a decrease from yesterday… I should have tested just to see lol.

It’s all just a waiting and testing game now.

It’s very hard waiting .
It’s like watching paint dry …,,,

I think what ever you dosed was correct .
but the system isn’t processing ammonia yet .

 

[ThePewFactor]

I recommend checking out the Icecap k1 skimmer. I've had it in my 25 lagoon for a few weeks and really like it

 

[saramachen]

Perhaps @Coxey81 can offer his knowledge seeing as he just recently completed his own experiment dosing ammonia and dr Tim’s and measured ammonia throughout the whole test as well as timed to see how long it takes to process. .

a little different not having live rock in the new system

I just read his thread about the drops of ammonia not being correct. That def could explain why I’m still at 2ppm. Now I wonder if I add the 4 drops/gallon tomorrow, or maybe reduce it to 2.5 or 3.

 

[Coxey81]

I just read his thread about the drops of ammonia not being correct. That def could explain why I’m still at 2ppm. Now I wonder if I add the 4 drops/gallon tomorrow, or maybe reduce it to 2.5 or 3.

I would not do 4 drops per gallon at all.

Sorry haven't read all you have done, but if you are reading 2ppm now, I would wait until that is processed. Then I would dose 1 drop per gallon and test. Then add some more based on that.

We found that Dr tims instructions lead to a mass overdose, about twice as much as intended.