Reef Journal - First Build Ever!

[myvwrock]

ryanh487;344859 wrote: i was the same way when i was 16, no harm done on my end. he's a pretty bright kid for a stubborn teen though, especially if he's the one building those custom tanks i've seen floating around

Thanks man I am not doing all the work on the tanks but I am helping him.

 

[skriz]

Vox;344463 wrote: Skimmer modification:

RSM Skimmer was making a LOT of noise. I did some research and found this solution, http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/37316-skimmer-question.html">http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/37316-skimmer-question.html</a>.

One drill + 1 drill bit + one skimmer lid = peace and quiet. :yes:

The next project is to get my temperature regulated. I bought a digital thermometer that suctions to the outside of the tank with a sensor that suctions to the inside of the tank. I positioned the sensor far from the heater. I'm trying to dial in a water temperature of 79 degrees Farenheit but it's fussy. I'm right at 82 degrees right now and would rather not deal with a chiller. I'll keep you posted.[/QUOTE]

Welcome to the ARC.

What digital thermometer did you get? If it's the coralife, go ahead and trash it as it is guaranteed to be wrong.

Also, check out the sponsor page; [IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=122">air, water, ice </a>gives ARC members a good discount on great units. These are top of the line rodi's which are well worth the money.

 

[skriz]

I like the shrimp method. I used a single shrimp to cycle a 800g system; pretty stout stuff!

 

[vox]

What digital thermometer did you get? If it's the coralife, go ahead and trash it as it is guaranteed to be wrong.

It is indeed the Coralife thermometer. :doh: What would you recommend instead?

 

[grouper therapy]

Vox;344954 wrote: It is indeed the Coralife thermometer. :doh: What would you recommend instead?

I would dip my finger and guess before I trusted a coralife thermometer. May be some one could recommend a good one .I use a ranco temp. controller on my heaters and use it as a temp gauge.

 

[vox]

Water test, day 2:

Here's my results from Day 1 for comparison:

First up, the Hydrometer: Salinity of 1.023, the trick here is to make sure you don't have air bubbles on the needle. I'm happy with the salinity and it seems to be in line. The target for reef + fish is 1.0235?

Next, the API Test Kit:
PH: 7.8 (low, I'll need to fix this)
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
Nitrite: 0.5 ppm
Nitrate: 0.0 ppm
Alkalinity: n/a in this kit

Now to compare this with the Jungle Quick Dip Aquarium Multi-Test Kit:
PH: 7.8 (the same as the API Test Kit)
Ammonia: n/a on this strip
Nitrite: 2.0 ppm (seems to be a BIG difference )
Nitrate: 10 ppm (seems to be a difference but not a big one)
Alkalinity 300 ppm

Today's Tests (API, then Jungle):
- Temperature: 79.5 F
- Specific Density: 1.023
- pH: 8.2 & 8.0
- Ammonia: 0.25 ppm & n/a
- Nitrite: 1.0 ppm & 2.0 ppm
- Nitrate: 7.5 ppm & 20 ppm
- Alkalinity: 180 ppm

I added some more Alkaline 8.3-P KH buffer to bring the pH up just a bit more.

I added my bottle of Bio-Spira. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing any of the good bacteria as my live rock (2/3 of it anyway) sat in a saltwater bath for almost 2 weeks in my garage while I was waiting for the tank.

I added a dead shrimp from the friendly neighborhood Kroger. Now that should give the bacteria something to munch on.

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In his new home:

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[vox]

Live stuff:

I was studying my tank today and lo and behold, I have live things! :yay:

Here's the pics (sorry that some of them are blurry, I'm still getting the hang of taking pictures of my tank):


This is exciting, I have some sort of tan polyp and some purplish coraline and what looks like stoney coral on this rock.

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Some tiny branching coral here.

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A bright pink flat something here.

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So exciting!

 

[myvwrock]

lookin good

 

[vox]

I have a few questions for you guys and gals that have done this before:

1. With this shrimp... do I leave him in the tank until he is all grungy and nasty? I'm thinking that at a particular Ammonia level I need to yank him out so that Ammonia doesn't get out of control and kill off the good stuff in my tank.

2. I also have my protein skimmer OFF right now, is that right?

3. Is it important to test my Magnesium and Calcium at this point?

 

[one dumm hikk]

Vox;345027 wrote: I have a few questions for you guys and gals that have done this before:

1. With this shrimp... do I leave him in the tank until he is all grungy and nasty? I'm thinking that at a particular Ammonia level I need to yank him out so that Ammonia doesn't get out of control and kill off the good stuff in my tank.

As soon as you start reading ammonia, remove it. You don't need a lot and enough to read on the test kit is plenty.

Vox;345027 wrote:
2. I also have my protein skimmer OFF right now, is that right?

That depends on who you ask. Personally, I prefer to run one while cycling. Especially if its a new skimmer. Let it break in, get dialed in, tinker with it, during the cycle rather than after the cycle.

Vox;345027 wrote: 3. Is it important to test my Magnesium and Calcium at this point?

No, as you have nothing removing them from the system. And what little may be being used by something in the system will get replaced during water changes.

 

[myvwrock]

1. the shrimp will just disintegrate and when you get a clean up crew the crabs will take care of what ever is left over.
2. It is ok to have your protein skimmer off ,because you really have nothing to skim and what waste is in the water is just going to help the tank cycle better.
3.I would go a head and start getting the Mag/calcium were they need to be or close to it. You can't over dose magnesium but you really want you calcium to be around 420-475ppm
Chris c

 

[fish scales2]

The picture of the "polyp" you posted is an aptasia or also known as a glass anenome. Not a good guy to keep as they will reproduce rapidly and will sting and hurt any coral that you plan on adding. There are several ways to get rid of them, one of the more common ways is to use Joes Juice or Mrs. Wages pickeling lime.

The BioSpira is truly beneficial to your system, great to help colonize certain bacterias that actually will not establish themselves. I have not used it myself YET but I am sure I will before to long. Just add livestock slowly.

Thanks for stopping by the store last week, my wife said you guys had a gret conversation.


Chris

 

[one dumm hikk]

myVWrock, since you think you should adjust Ca up, I have a question. If the Ca is at 380 (just a number) and I want it at 450, on a newly cycled tank, then I add Ca (from whatever method you want to choose) to get it to 450. I have no Ca load in the tank at all (Its new). When I do a water change, I am going to have to re-adjust it to get it back to 450. And whatever I added during the initial stages went down the drain. Whats the point in wasting the time, effort, and materials to adjust the levels if all its going to do is be a waste and go down the drain since nothing in the tank is going to be using it anyway? Especially not during the cycle.

 

[one dumm hikk]

Fish Scales2;345044 wrote: The BioSpira is truly beneficial to your system, great to help colonize certain bacterias that actually will not establish themselves. I have not used it myself YET but I am sure I will before to long. Just add livestock slowly.

If/when you do try it, are you going to simply try it on a new tank or do it as a test where you have two tanks? I think three 10 gallon tanks would make an awesome experiment. Tank one, dose with biospira. Tank two, you dose with ammonia, tank three you dose both, biospira and ammonia. No sand or live rock in either tank. That way all three tanks start out on the same setting, the only difference would be the way you attempt to kick start the cycle. Then track the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels every day until the cycle has been completed. See what happens with it. I have never used it personally. Its supposed to be nothing but bacteria for the cycle though.

 

[vox]

The picture of the "polyp" you posted is an aptasia or also known as a glass anenome. Not a good guy to keep as they will reproduce rapidly and will sting and hurt any coral that you plan on adding. There are several ways to get rid of them, one of the more common ways is to use Joes Juice or Mrs. Wages pickeling lime.

That is so sad. :sad: I was excited about having something alive and that anenome is the coolest living thing I have in the tank right now. Can't I just grab him with a pair of tweezers and yank him out of there?

Thanks for stopping by the store last week, my wife said you guys had a gret conversation.

Jenn is your wife? She's awesome! She set me up with some fantastic live rock that is VERY live and colorful. All of the rock on the left side of my aquarium came from Imagine Ocean.

 

[vox]

I did some research and that Joe's Juice seems to be a good solution. I want to get this little bugger fast before he has a chance to do any damage or reproduces.

On another note, how does one edit older messages? Somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes the "edit" button disappears as an option.

 

[fish scales2]

No my wifes name is Julie, you stopped by a store way on the other side of town called FishScales, I could be wrong. A gentleman had came in, had 4 kids, guinea pigs, was trying to talk wife into a snake. Lived in Woodstock, just bought a Red Sea Max at Marine fish. Sir you might have a twin living right next door to you.

Either way you on your way to a sucsessful reef, I love the way you put your build story together.

Chris

 

[vox]

More life:

I solved (I think) my Glass Anemone problem by extracting the rock where it lived, getting tweezers and removing the little bugger. Then I scrubbed the area with a bristle brush and fresh water and now it looks to be bare rock, i.e. I got all of him. I'll keep an eye out for any more of those suckers!

While I had the rock out I did a careful examination and lo and behold, another critter! :wow2: This one was a snail with a long foot and so I wanted to isolate it while I tried to id him via a quick search. I tried to pick him up and "pop", off comes his foot. He held onto that rock with all he had but me at 185 lbs put him at a severe disadvantage. It turns out that he is a Stomatella Varia and losing his foot is a self defense mechanism. He is in the good category per

 

[vox]

No my wifes name is Julie, you stopped by a store way on the other side of town called FishScales, I could be wrong. A gentleman had came in, had 4 kids, guinea pigs, was trying to talk wife into a snake. Lived in Woodstock, just bought a Red Sea Max at Marine fish. Sir you might have a twin living right next door to you

That's crazy. I must have a like-minded twin. The only aquarium stores I have been in over the past month are Marine Fish (East Cobb) and Imagine Ocean (Canton). I have not been over to Flowery Branch although I would love to see your shop some day. I should look this guy up as we live in the same bizarro world.

Sorry for the confusion and matching you up with Jenn by mistake. :blush:

Either way you on your way to a sucsessful reef, I love the way you put your build story together.

Thanks for the affirmation. I'm having a blast figuring everything out.

 

[fish scales2]

Vox;345102 wrote: That's crazy. I must have a like-minded twin. The only aquarium stores I have been in over the past month are Marine Fish (East Cobb) and Imagine Ocean (Canton). I have not been over to Flowery Branch although I would love to see your shop some day. I should look this guy up as we live in the same bizarro world.

Sorry for the confusion and matching you up with Jenn by mistake. :blush:



Thanks for the affirmation. I'm having a blast figuring everything out.

You can match me up to Jenn anytime, she is extremely knowledgeable and helpful to many in this hobby.:yes: