Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[Buffy]

Tons of questions....Got time to read?

I have 3/4ths of my tank empty. The glass is icky with salt and some build up by the glass cover. What should I use to wipe the glass with? It looks like a very poor window cleaning job lol. And I mean poor, like they left a film of windex on the window except this is with salt.

Also should I clean out my power filter? It has 2 blue filters. I have one on each side, it came with two on the left side and nothing in the right side. Spot for some other filter maybe? There are two bio-wheels, and I believe those I am supposed to leave alone.

I placed the power filter on the back left side of tank (when I'm facing).

I don't know if my base rock will come tomorrow, I hope it does, cause I'd really like to get water in it.

Do I need to have power heads for cycling? Would like to know if I buy 2 of them, which ones would be good and for future use I do plan on having them hooked to a controller so I would like them to be compatible though I've not looked at controllers yet.

I need an overflow and sump or something eventually but is my power filter enough for now?

I'm planning on ordering lights this weekend, but all I know right now is that I believe I need 4 bulbs, 2 ?watt x something and acinetic. No clue what brand is good. Those will be automated eventually also. Don't want to buy another set, so I'd rather do it the first time. Also I don't have a way to hang them. My ceiling is pretty high and slopes from center of house to outside of house.

I have an one outlet next to tank with an "extension cord" plugged in. It is a power centry, holds 7 plugs, is GFCI and has an on off switch so I can kill power to all that is plugged in. Is this okay for now? Right now I have a nail in the wall above and to the right of outlet. Should I place it somewhere else.

Tank is 16 inches from left wall to tank and from back wall to tank is 8 1/2 inches.

Hope this is enough information. Please feel free to advise and give me your "imo's". I've never done a sw before so all the help you are willing to share, I'll just try to be a sponge and absorb. Years ago was FW but didn't have it very long due to moving.

Am doing the jig LOL

Thanks, follow along and see this 75Gal take "shape".....Warning....I'm not rushing!!!!!!! I have alot to buy which means shipping times too. (Thank god for tax returns)

 

[Homedog98]

Vinegar and a diluted bleach solution would help with the glass... But I don't know the ratio...

 

[Buffy]

And more questions

FYI-I started with nothing, no equipment, no tank, nothing old laying around.

Display Tank:

Has 2" sand, couple pieces rock. 1 submersable heater, glass lid, power filter with bio-wheel & 2 carbon filters. Sticky thermometer. Stock light (1 bulb).

Display Cabinet:

1 door on each side with a shelf in each, center of cabinet is open except it also has 1 shelf. (No room in cabinet for sump)


RO/DI:

Got the old faucet out of sink in bathroom. Was gonna put in new one and found I had no plumbers putty. Stores closed, and those that are not, don't have it. I went to 6 different places. Waiting on an adapter from RO/DI company. When that comes in and I get the putty this week, I can start making water.

Rock:

25LB in tank and 100 LB is due sometime this week.
1. Do I rinse this with RO or is tap ok?

Overflow:

None yet, need one. Help please.

My Display Tank is NOT drilled, so I think I need a HOB.
1. How do I get the Sump and Overflow "hooked" together.
2. What size overflow box do I need?

Sump:

None yet, need one. Help please.

Need to buy cabinet for sump. Sump will be perpendicular to DT. Like the letter L.
1. What size sump do I need for 75 Gallon Display Tank.
2. How much room do I need in the cabinet for everything?
3. I think I need lights in there too, is that correct?

Electrical:

1 outlet near tank, I have a GFCI powerstrip that accommodates 7 plugs plugged into it.

1. How many plug spots am I gonna need?
2. Is the one outlet gonna be able to handle it?
3. If the one outlet is NOT going to be able to handle it, what do I do?

While I'm working on my RO/DI set up, am going to do more shopping for sump and overflow. I hope to get enough input to order what I need tomorrow night so maybe it can all be here on Friday when I start vacation.

Thanks for helping everyone.

 

[Sarcothelia]

I clean my glass with cleaning grade ammonia (contains surfactants and other stuff too, don't want this in your tank). I just damp a paper towel with it and in one swipe it completely cleans up my glass.

Rinse rock with RO. Chlorine in tap water will kill bacteria on touch, beneficial or otherwise. Not sure if it would leech into the rock and keep bacteria from colonizing in the future.

Not sure about overflow, make sure it's an overflow rated for at least 100 gallons to be safe. Sump size depends on whatever sized skimmer, filtration, whatever you need. If you get something like 20 gallons you can fit in a lot of chaeto and pretty much ensure your tank has no algae growth in the display, reduce the need for PWC so long as you take clumps of it out periodically.

 

[Gregcoyote]

This is a good article;

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=59

 

[Buffy]

Thanks

 

[Buffy]

Pictures

My Tank Area
View attachment 41030


View attachment 41031

No place for sump
View attachment 41032

My one outlet with GFCI 7 plug power strip
View attachment 41033

Want to put cabinet with sump inside where salt/sand is.

 

[Buffy]

YAY!!!!!!!!! 100 lbs Base Rock arrived

YAY!!!!!!!! My base rock arrived today, however, I'm a little nervous to open and see that it may have turned into rubble.

After 12 hrs work and 2 hours sleep, I don't think I can lift that much today. So gonna relax a bit, then go outside and open the boxes out there and bring it in a little at a time.

Here's a pick of our wonderful delivery people, the part of the box touching ground that is tan--well that's a rip in box....and...Note the Big Red/Black Label on the side of the box.........

 

[Homedog98]

Wonderful... Absolutely wonderful. that's deserving of a phone call wonderful.

 

[Buffy]

Base Rock

Well, I got the first one in the house. When I picked it up, it didn't sound too pretty and that was the box not caved it. Sounds like I definitely got some rubble there.

YIKES!!!!!

God I'm getting to old for this lifting sh--. I need to find a decent trainer for my pooch, cause he ain't listening to me when I say "Fetch" "Fetch the box boy"

 

[Grizz]

Wow was that Unighted Parcel Smashers. this page read like lab report lol Dont use bleach, try vinegar and water worst thing to happen is you'll mess up the ph. Bleach will nuke the tank. Be shure the cords have drip loops

 

[Buffy]

This is a good article;

Live Rock and Live Sand Acclimation and Curing Guide

Thanks, was a good article. Wish I'd read it in the beginning instead of listening to salesman. Side note: The process in which I put the initial live rock/sand and water came from a DFS salesman because that was where I'd also bought it, unfortunately it was not at all like the article.

 

[Buffy]

Wow was that Unighted Parcel Smashers. this page read like lab report lol Dont use bleach, try vinegar and water worst thing to happen is you'll mess up the ph. Bleach will nuke the tank. Be shure the cords have drip loops

I'm sorry it read like that, I figured once an for all I'd lay it out so I don't keep babbling trying to explain.

I don't plan on putting bleach near my tank (notice in beginning of thread I used TAP water). Thank you.

 

[Buffy]

Pics of my new rocks-come peek see

Left-Undamaged Box Right-Damaged Box
I ordered two kinds and as of this moment I don't see a difference. I hope there a difference cause one cost more than the other.

 

[carey]

Where did you order from? The pieces all look the same to me

 

[Buffy]

Where did you order from? The pieces all look the same to me

From where you suggested. I just got done typing John a nice long letter. I will be taking the rock out of one box laying it on my coffee table, take a picture, put it back and then do the next.

Will post and see if someone can show me the difference somehow. I also told John I will be taking the pictures and forwarding them to him so he can show me the differnce too.

One kind was more expensive than the other, I hope they are different, but I'm so noob I can't tell. Their website showed the difference pretty well.

 

[carey]

I didn;t realize they had two different kinds. I've only ever ordered just the plain ole base rock.

 

[Buffy]

As far as I am concerned they are different. The one- 50 pounds for 90, looked flat like shelves and the other one looked more "shapely" and round, same name but I thought were different because of that and because the price was different too.

And I wanted both "kinds" to build shelves and caves.

Like furniture and tvs and stuff, same brand, different styles, different prices = different kinds.

 

[Grizz]

I'm sorry it read like that, I figured once an for all I'd lay it out so I don't keep babbling trying to explain.

No it's great save tons of questions
The rock looks the same to me

 

[Buffy]

Pic of one of my boxes of base rock

Full picture of 1 of the boxes on my coffee table (pink underneath is the foam I used between my stand and tank). The next two are the same, just one side of the table and the next, you can see where they overlap. Tomorrow I will do the same with the "damaged" box.

Whatcha think of this base rock?