Its Alive!

[joeyprice]

Water in the tank, circulation pump running. I am going to turn it off before I go to work tonight because the whole thing is stressing me out! After fully enclosed and canopy tanks of back in the day I find the open top very disconcerting. Will take some getting used to I suppose. Also, I have not run power failure simulations yet. The water is slowly clearing from my rookie mixing mistake. There is some debris in the bottom of the tank that is too heavy to suspend, so I'll have to syphon that out. Thanks to eveybody for their insight and help, especially ActiveAngel, who spent a large amount of his Sunday replying to a thread on something as pedestrian as salt mixing.
Joe

 

[ActiveAngel]

Anytime! Myself and everyone else here are super happy to help anytime we are able! We know that getting started can be daunting, and there is a lot to absorb (haha, salt-mixing pun).

Keep up the great work! And keep asking questions. If I am not available, someone else will likely step up to help. We have a wonderful community here.

 

[snarky shark]

Looking good, can't wait to see rock scape.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[joeyprice]

Looking good, can't wait to see rock scape.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

Going to need some rocks first! I really like the shelf look, but am hesitant to order that type of rock thru the mail, because I'm afraid it will show up in tiny little shelf pieces. I also need to re-think my substrate choice. I think i'll see if I can return the black to a petco store and just order regular sand.
Were you the one with the brute full of dry rock? I'm a little behind schedule if you couldn't tell.

 

[ichthyoid]

That’s a beautiful system!

 

[Adam]

Nice job getting it together. Many like the look of black but it generally will leech metals into the water. I'd exchange or return it too. For the "regular" sand I wouldn't use Caribsea's "Live" sand either unless to don't plan on using any other bacteria products.

Most of the places you can buy rock from online do a pretty good job packing it so it doesn't break in transit, it can still happen but not likely. Buying online will be the most cost effective way to get decent amounts, you can occasionally catch someone here selling rock, it just may not fit with you schedule.

You seem to be off to a good start, fire away with any questions you have. We're here to help.

 

[jcook54]

It looks great and I did the light fixture mount.

 

[Trizzino]

I like the mounts for the lights. Is there enough clearance for a mag cleaner to get that section of the glass?

 

[joeyprice]

I like the mounts for the lights. Is there enough clearance for a mag cleaner to get that section of the glass?

No. I could and may put some sort of stand off between the verticals and the stand to make room. They're only an inch and half or so square, so I may be able to get close enough without it.

 

[joeyprice]

Nice job getting it together. Many like the look of black but it generally will leech metals into the water. I'd exchange or return it too. For the "regular" sand I wouldn't use Caribsea's "Live" sand either unless to don't plan on using any other bacteria products.

Most of the places you can buy rock from online do a pretty good job packing it so it doesn't break in transit, it can still happen but not likely. Buying online will be the most cost effective way to get decent amounts, you can occasionally catch someone here selling rock, it just may not fit with you schedule.

You seem to be off to a good start, fire away with any questions you have. We're here to help.

If I skip the live sand do you have any suggestions? It kind of feels like the default. I am bummed about the black, I like the look

 

[joeyprice]

I am also really unhappy with how cloudy it still looks. I hate to say it, but I may have to drain it and start over with the water

 

[gainesvillereef]

I make my light mounts from 80/20 too.

With all that precip your alk and Ca are going to be off. It can be fixed. But you do not want to do that during cycling. You will end up with a similar mess. Learned this the hard way. I would recommend starting over with a new batch of water.

You can't learn without making mistakes. There are a lot of good people here willing to help and cheer you on.

 

[Adam]

If I skip the live sand do you have any suggestions? It kind of feels like the default. I am bummed about the black, I like the look

Caribsea has dry sand. Tropic Eden is another very good option. Then get a bottle of Brightwell MicroBacter Start XLM or Fritz Aquatics FritzEyme for the bacteria.

I wouldn't worry about your water either. You're already going to need to remove about half from the display so you can add the rock work and sand. (Remember put the rock in first then the sand. All the rock on the bottom should be on the glass, not on top of the sand.) Then top off with fresh mixed salt water and you'll be fine.

 

[joeyprice]

Caribsea has dry sand. Tropic Eden is another very good option. Then get a bottle of Brightwell MicroBacter Start XLM or Fritz Aquatics FritzEyme for the bacteria.

I wouldn't worry about your water either. You're already going to need to remove about half from the display so you can add the rock work and sand. (Remember put the rock in first then the sand. All the rock on the bottom should be on the glass, not on top of the sand.) Then top off with fresh mixed salt water and you'll be fine.

Well, the brute can I mixed the water in has a white film all over the inside, and I'm pretty sure the tank glass now has that same thing, so i think I'm going to have to drain it all the way to clean the glass.

 

[Adam]

Well, the brute can I mixed the water in has a white film all over the inside, and I'm pretty sure the tank glass now has that same thing, so i think I'm going to have to drain it all the way to clean the glass.

Sounds like you not only added too much salt but put it in too quickly. Since your going to drain the system, view this as a leak test. Once empty and clean add your rock & sand before filling it again. When you mix the next batch add the salt slowly to the Brute with a decent clockwise circular flow in there, don't add it so fast that a bunch of undissolved salt settles on the bottom, there will be some but you don't want it piling up. Err on the side of adding too little than too much, it's much easier to add more to get to 1.025 than it is to have to add more water. After you've done it a few times you'll get the hang of it.

 

[ZapataInc]

Sounds like you not only added too much salt but put it in too quickly. Since your going to drain the system, view this as a leak test. Once empty and clean add your rock & sand before filling it again. When you mix the next batch add the salt slowly to the Brute with a decent clockwise circular flow in there, don't add it so fast that a bunch of undissolved salt settles on the bottom, there will be some but you don't want it piling up. Err on the side of adding too little than too much, it's much easier to add more to get to 1.025 than it is to have to add more water. After you've done it a few times you'll get the hang of it.

Why clockwise? Just curious.

 

[Adam]

Why clockwise? Just curious.

Why fight gravity and the spin of the planet? South of the equator it's counter clockwise.
Going with the water's natural propensity to spin in one direction will get it moving faster.

 

[ZapataInc]

Why fight gravity and the spin of the planet? South of the equator it's counter clockwise.
Going with the water's natural propensity to spin in one direction will get it moving faster.

I thought that was the reason but the reason why i asked is because I watched a video about this from a Youtube channel called Smarter every day and Veritasium about water swirl. And yes in "perfect" conditions the flow of liquid does go in certain direction depending on what hemisphere you are on. It seems to be very negligible force. And Northern hemi is counter clockwise....so youve bee fighting your water all this time...lol These are cool videos to watch.

 

[Adam]

I thought that was the reason but the reason why i asked is because I watched a video about this from a Youtube channel called Smarter every day and Veritasium about water swirl. And yes in "perfect" conditions the flow of liquid does go in certain direction depending on what hemisphere you are on. It seems to be very negligible force. And Northern hemi is counter clockwise....so youve bee fighting your water all this time...lol These are cool videos to watch.

TIL!

Interesting, I can honestly say in all my years I've never seen a sink drain counter clockwise. I wonder if the threading in some sinks help cause the direction it spins.

*Edit* In my last mixing station I had enough flow that a clockwise vortex formed at the top of the 55 gallon Brute, it would make it all the way to the drain at the bottom. Interesting to watch when salt or baking soda was added.