First some background:
------
My 55g (with 60#
LR and 4"
DSB) has been up for 3 weeks. My parameters for the past 3 weeks have been rock steady at 0 NH2/NH3, 0
NO2, 5
NO3, 0
PO4.
Prior to the tank being filled, My
LR was cured in a 44g Brute container for 3 weeks, so technically the
LR has been cycling (at 78 F) for 6 weeks. During that time, my test results measured a minor
Ammonia spike while in the brute container, a major
nitrite spike, and elevated
nitrate levels. These levels eventually dropped to 0 NH2/NH3, 0
NO2, 5
NO3, 0 PO3.
Just last week I witnessed a
diatom explosion, and started growing several kinds of algae, including GHA, some other filamentous algae and some Halimeda. Concerned that the nuisance algaes may over-run my tank, I throttled back my Solaris
Photo Period to 6 hours and bought a small cleanup crew (4 Astraea, 2 Fighting Conch, and 1 Emerald Crab) to help process some of the excess algae. I thought it might be good to gradually start feeding the tank, so I also purchased a Fire Shrimp and 2 Nassarius to eat/scavange small amounts of food.
The
DSB has, by and large - showed little signs of life. There are a few very tiny vertical tunnels that have been dug here and there in the sandbed (the width of a pin - I see several against the glass), and a patch of denitrification bubbles only on one side of the tank. My numerous peanut worms have been littering the tank with their
detritus, which collects in low-flow areas on the substrate.
------
Now my questions:
1) Should I be adding a Detrivore kit (microfauna) to the
DSB at this point, or should I wait?
2) If I should add something, what should I add and how much?
I read that one-page Shimek article that Amphibious recommends, but I have not read Shimek's book. The article is enlightening, but does not go into specifics...
Thanks!
Linear Mode
