Let the games... BEGIN!!

[kilralpine]

My best advice would to be start slow, do WAY too much reading and then decide if your ready for a bigger tank. When you are purchase the basics, tank, stand, sump, and plumbing and get it running with salt in it first. Let it do its thing for a few months, maybe add a fish or two after the cycles done (this will take time anyways). After the first few months decide whether or not its in your interest to keep corals, if so; what kind? If your answer is SPS slowly build up the necessary equipment over the next half a year or year and keep soft coral until then if you'd like. If you only want to keep fish or soft corals at this point your probably already done and out the door under $1000. SPS is really where reef-keeping starts to become QUITE expensive. More flow, More Light, Cleaner Water, and More headaches. :doh:


O yea and be patient on equipment, alot of times if you wait 2-3 weeks after you decide on something you want it will show up here half the cost used like 1 month lol.

Including a picture here so that you can get an idea of what im at, sry for the blur:

>https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t1.0-9/1534316_10154202242020393_746994068836546101_n.jpg</a>

>https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t1.0-9/10006199_10154370309275393_476885142379430936_n.jpg</a>

$2000 and I still cant afford anything to take a decent picture with :lol2:

 

[oceandeep85]

Thanks so much, Kilral-

I've been working with JDavid on what I need for a good beginner setup and I think we're going to work something out in the near future, so I'm excited.

As much as I love SPS, I know it's not for me just yet. I'm perfectly happy with LPS and softies. There are some, to be honest, that I like even more.. so I'm not in a total rush to run with the big boys.

JC K - yeah, brother, I'm just like you, man. I'm addicted, but on a budget. I have heroin tastes on a crack budget... so I'm trying to figure out how to make things work. I can afford this hobby, it's just a strain at times- otherwise I wouldn't have started.

Also, instead of buying your water at the store... honestly.. (holy sh*t I have a legit tip to give!!!) check out Publix purified water. It goes through reverse osmosis, UV sterilization, AND Ozone.. and it's $.83 a gallon.

 

[jdavid]

You never know if they are changing their filters often enough though.

You could test the tds with a handheld unit

 

[kilralpine]

OceanDeep85;968794 wrote: Thanks so much, Kilral-

I've been working with JDavid on what I need for a good beginner setup and I think we're going to work something out in the near future, so I'm excited.

As much as I love SPS, I know it's not for me just yet. I'm perfectly happy with LPS and softies. There are some, to be honest, that I like even more.. so I'm not in a total rush to run with the big boys.

JC K - yeah, brother, I'm just like you, man. I'm addicted, but on a budget. I have heroin tastes on a crack budget... so I'm trying to figure out how to make things work. I can afford this hobby, it's just a strain at times- otherwise I wouldn't have started.

Also, instead of buying your water at the store... honestly.. (holy sh*t I have a legit tip to give!!!) check out Publix purified water. It goes through reverse osmosis, UV sterilization, AND Ozone.. and it's $.83 a gallon.

http://www.publix.com/wellness/food/nutrition-center/Bottled-Water.do">http://www.publix.com/wellness/food/nutrition-center/Bottled-Water.do</a>[/QUOTE]

This is a good tip, it is decently safe water to use. BUT if you have plans to keep tanks for a while or have a large tank it will never be an end solution. 250$ and 250 gallons later its paid for and keeps making water you can trust; at home. No one wants to run to publix as soon as they find out their in dire need of a water change, just a thought.

 

[kilralpine]

You never know if they are changing their filters often enough though.

^^^^ This is my primary concern, even with FISH stores ^^^^

 

[jc_k]

JDavid;968797 wrote: You never know if they are changing their filters often enough though.

You could test the tds with a handheld unit

That's why I never buy it lol. Plus I'm to lazy to mix the salt. My lfs sales saltwater for 1$ per gallon and freshwater for ro 50 cents. I'll probably end up buying a rodi unit when I get a job lol.

 

[oceandeep85]

yeah... that's true. I didn't think about how often they are changing their filters, but you can see the production date and the exact process the water went through, so, for someone like me- it's been pretty great.

An RO/DI unit is definitely on my Christmas list.. but I have to keep priorities in line.. right now I need a 30-40 gal tank, stand, skimmer, rock, sand, probably another powerhead, will need better manual filtration, UV sterilizer, more salt... haha. I'll shell out the $40 for Publix Purified water for now... I'll look like one of those Doomsday preppers, but it'll be good enough.


also- while we're on the topic, what SG do you guys try to run? I try to keep mine between 1.024 and 1.025

 

[oceandeep85]

and, JC K, I think it was you that said something about the 40 gallon breeder style... yeah.. I don't know why, it's just my preferred size and style. I did see a 36 gallon 'kit' at petsmart not long ago that was running about $150 that I almost got. I can't remember if it was a bowfront or not. I'm always worried that the bowfront is going to have that weird distorted view effect. Never been brave enough to try it.

 

[jc_k]

I keep mine at 1.025

 

[bulkrate]

Wow... your thread done blowed up!

I still suggest that you do your learning now on the tank you've got rather than upgrading right away - what if you find your just not as interested as you thought, or find as one of my friends regards himself "salt-cursed"? (he has killed everything that lives in a saltwater environment that he's tried in the past 2 years). Plus timing is everything - (as pointed out) a lot on that list can be acquired slowly over a period of 6-month to a year and when sales/deals come up rather than in one blow-out extravaganza of shopping.

Main reason I brought up the subject of using an innoculant is due to your comment about the stalled cycle and free ammonia being present. I don't have direct 1st hand experience with their use, but most of the products I listed are available locally and have at least some testimony (admittedly online) of being effective. Will they make a cycle complete instantly? No but if you've nuked your rock down to being base you'll need something to provide a population of bacteria and I've read of several builds that have used them to good effect (think 1-2 week cycle versus months).

A missing step in a lot of these products (and probably a source of the "doesn't work" comments)... once you add the starter you need a source of nutrients to fuel the bacterial colony's growth if not going the dead shrimp route. In your case you don't need to dose ammonia like many guides recommend - your fish will take care of it.

Good luck, and PM me if you've got any questions or want to bounce something off me.

 

[oceandeep85]

Aweseome, Bulk- thanks, man. I definitely will.

so, an update. Got home, tested the water...

Ammonia is coming down. Instead of a rather ominous shade of forest green over 8ppm, I can comfortably say it's got to be between 4 and 8 ppm according to the liquid test kit (API)

Also, there is the slightest, faintest hint of purple in the nitrite test.. my best guess is that it's somewhere below the 5ppm range, but enough to show a tiny bit of color. it's a negligable amount, but better than 0

Nitrate is at 0


I'll keep dosing with Prime and see if I can't get some Bio Spira or something in a day or two if it's not chugging along fast enough

also, Damsels are happy, out and swimming around and the frogspawn isn't exactly waving happily in the current, but it's partially out and well colored.

 

[joseayes]

Your thread need pics hehehe

It's trending up right now!

 

[oceandeep85]

this site seems pretty stingy about pics.. I had to take a pic down just to put the one up earlier in this thread..

There's really not much to take a pic of, unless you want to see test vials of ammonia... ha ha

 

[jc_k]

OceanDeep85;968845 wrote: this site seems pretty stingy about pics.. I had to take a pic down just to put the one up earlier in this thread..

There's really not much to take a pic of, unless you want to see test vials of ammonia... ha ha

Yep... Everyone wants pics. So post some lol

 

[oceandeep85]

haha... ok ok... sorry. I've been pretty neglectful of the lady lately so I was making her a nice dinner and cleaning and stuff like a good boy before she gets home. Call me whipped, I don't care. She's hot and puts up with me.


What exactly do people want pics of? I mean, I'll take 'em, no problem, but what do you want to see? haha

 

[oceandeep85]

What do you mean by the thread is trending up? I must be missing something... haha sorry. New to Forums...

 

[jc_k]

It means that their is alot of Intrest in the thread..

 

[seth the wine guy]

I only skimmed the thread since there seemed to be a bit of filler so forgive me if my point been made already.
FWIW- My first reef tank was a 10g in 1995. The difficulty of keeping such a small biosphere in an age where little to nothing was known about the hobby made things much easier in comparison for me down the road. If you can have success with what you have now, you can do anything...

Ever play baseball? While on deck you would always swing the bat with a weight on it right? Why? So, when at the plate facing the pitcher your bat all by itself felt so much lighter and you could get around on the ball quicker.

Hence, pico is your weighted bat. Swing away buddy.

 

[oceandeep85]

Nice, Seth. That's a hell of an analogy and quite the encouragement. Thanks, man!

 

[jdavid]

Seth The Wine Guy;968928 wrote: I only skimmed the thread since there seemed to be a bit of filler so forgive me if my point been made already.
FWIW- My first reef tank was a 10g in 1995. The difficulty of keeping such a small biosphere in an age where little to nothing was known about the hobby made things much easier in comparison for me down the road. If you can have success with what you have now, you can do anything...

Ever play baseball? While on deck you would always swing the bat with a weight on it right? Why? So, when at the plate facing the pitcher your bat all by itself felt so much lighter and you could get around on the ball quicker.

Hence, pico is your weighted bat. Swing away buddy.

Right on!