Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[KAhner]

She dont have them in the tank that is cycling. Im sure itll be a really mild cycle. I would just be doing daily pwc on the bucket. It probably wont be more than a couple days.

 

[Buffy]

Water Chemicals

Livestock still in bucket with it's tank water. circulation pump and heater.

pH of RO/DI was 7.5. 75G tank before transfer 8.3, after transfer same 8.3, Salinity 35ppt tem 79.5

QT tanks (2 of them) pH 8.2 on both, temp 79.8 and 80.1, Salinity on 1 is 39 and another is 40.

Salinity on 75G is 35 and on 10gal is 41. I have no clue how these got like this, I'm glad everyone is good, I'm trying to adjust them to get them where they belong, but I have no clue how the salinity's went up sooooo much.

On my 75 and 10 gal, my pH readings were inconsistent.

75gal - 8.4, 8.2, then down to 7.8 (all today within a short time).
10gal - consistently 8.0, then 7.1, then 7.6 and stays there.

I calibrated my pH tester and it reads what it is supposed to during calibration.

My refractometer is acting weird too, one time the salinity level line and up is all blue like it should be and the next time it could be like that again, or a blue "hue" in the middle, say between 35ppt and 45ppt it's blue and the closer to 45ppt the less blue and above 45ishppt it's white.

Any suggestion, I've calibrated the refractometer also. I don't want to increase or decrease anything til I find the true numbers, as I said everyone is doing good. If these numbers are right then the 10G is gonna be used longer because any changes I make has to be small and slow.

I'm lost. Why would my pH change like that so much and lastly if I add pH Buffer would it adjust it too fast. (I have API proper pH 8.2).

 

[needmorecowbell]

Did you top off with saltwater? Thats all I can think of other than evaporation.

 

[Buffy]

Yeah, I did, crap that means the salinity is accumulative. Would that mess up the pH also then?

 

[needmorecowbell]

It could I'm not sure. I would keep doing pwc and filling with freshwater in small increments and test the ph then.

 

[Buffy]

It could I'm not sure. I would keep doing pwc and filling with freshwater in small increments and test the ph then.

Am on it, after I googled different ways, I found that's what it is. I found a "guide" to slowly change the salinity also, but I'll wait and I'm sure the PWC's will take care of that. Geeeeeeez how dumb could I have been, I know to top off with plain RO/DI. The way my brain has been though, I more than likely forgot that I put salt in.

Well this time I didn't put any salt in. I think I'm gonna buy another container or use one of my 10g's when I'm done. Use the 10g for top off only and still mix in my 32 for pwc's.

 

[Buffy]

Broken Glass in Tank

My glass thermometer broke when I accidentally hit it with a rock. No livestock in tank. 150 pounds rock and 130 pounds sand.

Unless someone has some ideas, I'll be taking it all out again. Rinse and brush everything off, make new saltwater and go through cycle, or should I buy new sand? It'd be safer to buy new but oh jeeezzzzzzz.

Should I set up a 10 or 20 gallon first and get my all livestock in there, instead of this bucket. I wish I had lights for these guys. 48" is rather long for a 10 or 20 gallon.

This is friggin pissing me off. I have other things I have to do instead of draining, refilling, transferring, wash rinse repeat repeat constantly!!!!!!!

I hate when dreams become nightmares instead.

 

[Hondatek]

I had a thermometer break on me before. It should be just alcohol inside . It didn't make a difference in my fish only tank not sure about corals though.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I don't think thermometers have mercury in them anymore. Was the line that tells the temperature silver in color (that would be mercury)? If it was red, that's just alcohol and would not harm anything in the concentration it presents. Be careful to collect the glass so you don't get cut.

 

[Buffy]

I'm not concerned about Mercury. I'm concerned about the glass in the substrate and livestock getting injured.

I vacuumed the area really good and took out 95% of the water. Making new water now. Gotta order more salt soon.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Well good luck, that really stinks :/

 

[Buffy]

So I'm still making water. I don't know if I got all of the glass out but as much as I vacuumed that area (was like a 6" x 6") area and sucked out a tank's worth of water in that one spot, the glass has to be gone.

I am definitely gonna have a cycle. Matter of fact I may just go ahead and jump start it with ammonia again, just to be sure that it's cycled before I put everyone in the tank.

 

[TLTGF]

Buffy, you are the poster child for an AMAZING aquarist. You have had so many setbacks, and issues along the way, and yet you've had so much passion and determination to keep going. Once things start coming together, I have no doubt that you will have an aquarium to envy.

I wish you the best in your upcoming endeavors and of course I'm still following!

 

[coffeetwitch]

Buffy, you are the poster child for an AMAZING aquarist. You have had so many setbacks, and issues along the way, and yet you've had so much passion and determination to keep going. Once things start coming together, I have no doubt that you will have an aquarium to envy.

I wish you the best in your upcoming endeavors and of course I'm still following!

very well said.

 

[carey]

I totally agree. Buffy rocks. keep up the hard work buffy, it wille ventually be done and THEN you can relax and totally enjoy your endeavors. Always worth it in the end.

 

[Buffy]

LOL thanks guys, but just my luck, there will never come a time where I can sit back and relax. Well except maybe when I can't physically move. I don't think I'll ever have a tank to envy, but thanks for the compliments. Yes it has been one thing after another but I keep chugging along.

I hope my critters that are spread out in 2 10g tanks and 1 10 bucket all survive. I don't even have a heater left for my dt tank, and am down to one pump for that LOL.

But hey I'm glad I did that petco dollar sale otherwise I'd be having everyone in tons of cereal and mixing bowls.

Well you guys know I painted the tank black, well when I did have water in it again, I put the heater on the back wall and then looked through the back to see if it was working, stood up, bumped my head on the shelf laughing cause I forgot I painted the tank and couldn't see the heater through black paint LMAO, so I moved the heater to the side (which is now out of the tank LOL).

Hopefully I won't run out of energy by 5:00 that when the grandkids get picked up. I'm hoping I can do stuff during nap time, but they never want to take a nap here, they just wanna play, lol and I don't even have much kids stuff anymore.

Is there a particular kind of pvc pipe that is safe for sw tanks or is any pvc pipe ok?

I mean since everything is pretty much out of the tank again, I'm thinking I may use some under the sand.

Also, I have Seaflor Special Reef Grade Sand....Is this ok for sandbed or do I need "finer". I want to have a functional, and thriving sandbed. There's no way I can measure it, and I'm not 100% sure that's what I have, but am pretty sure cause mine looks pretty close to it.

 

[coffeetwitch]

any pvc from the hardware store will work and be safe. just rinse it. i have the same sand one of my tanks. its what the lfs recommended and if you read the write up they did it sounds good. but its still a good question to have answered by someone with more knowledge than me.

 

[Buffy]

Going PVC shopping now....tonite......HELP

Thanks. I am heading to home depot/menards now. I'm not sure what size, how long, nor how many elbows and such, so I may end up with more than I need.

Does anyone have like a generic shopping list for pvc? Small shopping list, I don't want to bring the store home AGAIN lol.

I'll check back in on the forum with my phone when I get there, hope someone has some suggestions.

Also, anyone got any opinions of the "sand" I'm using? Up above is what I believe I have "Seaflor Special Reef Grade Sand", package says 1.0 to 2.0mm. I can't find the receipt for what I have but I also mixed it with some black stuff too. Hmm maybe I'll go back to the beginning of my thread and see if it's there. Am not buying any sand tonite, but if I need to replace, I need to do it ASAP so I don't have to tear this dang tank down again. (I have either 1. Lost Count, 2. Don't have that many fingers and toes, or 3. Can't count that high LMA).

Hope to hear from people soon, lol, like in an hour or so. hehehehe, I don't mean to be or sound pushy lol.

Thanks ya'll

 

[coffeetwitch]

i think your sand is fine( again i think we have the same stuff). lots of life in mine. everyone that wants to sift can. your ok there.

as far as pvc. its cheap buy a 10' stick of 1" and hand fulls of 90's, couplers for the oops, and 45's. i would also suggest a union or two if you plan on easy removal of anything. and any adapters you think you need for pumps and what not. for less than 40$ you will have more than enough and can take back what ever you dont use. also if the store has it. "christy's red hot blue glue" for the pvc cement. its all ive used for my tank. not saying anything else wouldnt work as well just all ive got to go off of.

hope that helped.

 

[Buffy]

i think your sand is fine( again i think we have the same stuff). lots of life in mine. I did have lots of life in mine, :-( but they were swimming and then floating at the top of my waste can that I use for draining the icky water from the tank. everyone that wants to sift can. your ok there.

as far as pvc. its cheap buy a 10' stick of 1" Got 'em ^ a tad more and hand fulls of 90's Yep, couplers Yep for the oops, and 45's Yep. i would also suggest a union or two got 'em if you plan on easy removal of anything. and any adapters you think you need for pumps and what not. I don't know anything about what'd I would need for pumps and stuff yet, I think you mean sump pumps right? If so I am clueless for that still. for less than 40$ you will have more than enough and can take back what ever you dont use. also if the store has it. "christy's red hot blue glue" for the pvc cement. I have the purple pvc cement already, but I'm not going to glue or cement any of the pvc together. its all ive used for my tank. not saying anything else wouldnt work as well just all ive got to go off of.

hope that helped.

Thank you, yes it helped alot, cause it got my brain focused a little that going in as mush. Gosh now I have to bring all the junk inside.

Any body got idea's what to use to cut pvc with (blades) and what drill bit's to use for holes?