Diary of my first saltwater tank...Awesome.

[Speakerman]

I'm not using the carbon for any specific reason. Since I don't have access to RO water, I'm just assuming that there may be something in my tap water that the carbon could help with. I also treated the water with prime. In a couple weeks I will remove all of the carbon from the filter as it isn't really needed unless removing medicine ect...

The water is flowing through the sacks. If you look closely you will see that the water pouring into the sump is aimed directly at the sacks. The water then flows around the sump, through the filter floss, then back up to the tank through the powerhead.

 

[roka64]

Cool, sounds like a plan.

 

[SeeDemTails]

I used to put carbon in panty hose in my sump in my 100 gal FOWLR...It works, albeit not as well as if the water is flowing through it.

 

[clubsuperduty]

EDIT: hey Alex you can come check it out tonight if you want.

Dam my bad I just got online right now. I should have checked back last night. What do you have going on this weekend? I think I am going up to Houston this week Il hit you up and see if you want to go to aquarium world or aquatic world.

 

[Speakerman]

EDIT: hey Alex you can come check it out tonight if you want.

Dam my bad I just got online right now. I should have checked back last night. What do you have going on this weekend? I think I am going up to Houston this week Il hit you up and see if you want to go to aquarium world or aquatic world.

Sounds good man.

----------------------------

I just built some tops for the fuge and for the overflow box.

The box was making soo much noise that I cut a piece of acrylic to fit as good as I could...and siliconed it in place lol...That way I can't hear anything...Seams to still be working ok. I thought sealing it up may have caused a problem, but I think it is just fine.

As for the top in the fuge, I just did that for looks/anti-evap.

----------------------------

I started to get my first diatom growth. It's just darker splotches of sand every now and then. When I swirl the sand they go away.

----------------------------

Well I just checked my parameters and I still have around 1+ ppm ammonia, I am seeing a jump in nitrite to around .5-1, and I have around 20 ppm nitrate.

I think another week and the cycle might be near completion...another 2 weeks and I can probobly get a fish.

However once I put my huge lighting on it, it will cycle again slightly. Jumping from 40W to 205 w will make it happen...I was told.

 

[Speakerman]

Well my ammonia is down to 0, no nitrite, and about 20 nitrate.

My fish supplier here in town has placed an order for some fish that will be ariving tonight around 2 AM.

I'm getting two RED clowns with brilliant white stripes. They are bright/deep red color on the body and dark red around the tips of their fins. With brilliant white stripes, not yellowish. I've never seen any like this before...They are perhaps the most beautiful Clown's I've ever seen...seriously...amazing. I'll get some pics when I get them.

I can't wait to get them. I hope they like me heh heh...yay...

I will probobly wait another month or so to start getting coral. I've got a 175W 14k metal halide kit coming in a couple days. That will put me at 205 w since I also have a 40w 10k coral-life.

That, coupled with a turn-over rate of about 30 times per hour...I think I'll be in good shape.

 

[roka64]

Sounds like either Ocellaris Clownfish or Maroon Clownfish, if maroon, they have cheekspines and should not be netted. You may want to get a pair, one that is smaller than the other, otherwise you might be in for some fighting.

 

[Speakerman]

Yeah I am going to get a pair. I think it is a maroon clown, but it's not a normal one...The one I saw was rediculous...I'm so excited...!!!

 

[Guest]

Cycle

Speakerman,

Everybody wants to help but I have to honestly say that I believe you are setting yourself up for disaster.

You started your cycle September 12-13 and On September 25 you are acclimating new fish. I think that is way to soon no matter what your levels say.

I hope for the fish's sake I am wrong.

 

[Speakerman]

Aight, so you think I should wait then...I don't have a problem with that...I will tell her to save them for me.

 

[Guest]

fish

Yes I would wait. You and the fish will be happier in the long run. Are you sure you cycled that quick? You saw spikes in both amonia and nitrite? How much of the LR was really live? Did you use a shrimp or just the LR?

Either way you got to give it a few weeks at least. Even if you did fully cycle I would feed the bacteria and let the tank stabilize for a little. Are you going to get any more LR?

 

[Speakerman]

ALL of the live rock was live, about 55-60 lbs of it, I even got actual live sand from a lady I know...She had all of this rock and sand in a bunch of tanks that are set up and cycled...My sump has a lot of LS, LR, and macroalgea. I've got tons of coraline growing on several of the rocks...And a lot of little critters and worms in the sump.

But anywho...I'm going to wait a while and see if the algea can release some of those nitrates.

 

[SeeDemTails]

Nitrates only go away with water changes.....If you do nothing expecting them to go away on their own, they will only get worse!

PWCs are in order, especially if you want to add those clowns!

 

[Devilishturtles]

I agree. Do a nice big water change and then test again for a few days. You want to make sure your tank can handle the addition of something. It sounds like it may be cycled now, but for very little bioload. So when you add fish, you could see ammonia again.

About the maroon clowns, even the gold stripped ones have white stripes as juvis. Just be warned that they may turn gold with age.

 

[Speakerman]

Actually If it is cycled, It's probobly ready for a pretty big load...I add a block of brine shrimp everyday...

All 60 lbs of live rock was being used in tanks that were set up with fish and all that. Along with the live sand for my sump that was being used in an established tank as well.

I have sponges on the bottomes of each of the power heads...The little shrimp gets stuck in there and I'm sure that is also where a lot of the benificial bacteria is growing.

Anywho, I'm going to see if I can find some RO/DI water tonight and do a good sized water change.

 

[westsidebill]

This has been a very interesting and educational thread to read through. Thanks to Speakerman for starting it and all those that have contributed to it. This thread encouraged me to register for the forum and post a new topic of my own at:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=87290&pc_tzo=-25200&pc_d=20060926&pc_t=72805

 

[SeeDemTails]

...I add a block of brine shrimp everyday...

Overfeeding is one of the easiest ways to foul your water I can think of.......and in your case nothing is even eating the food, it is just rotting on the bottom!

Your tank will never finish cycleing if you keep adding ammonia producing waste to your tank.

You need to stop adding stuff to it immediately, and begin some water changes so you will be able to eventually add those fish!

 

[Speakerman]

I don't see any remanance of the brine shrimp at all. My reason for adding is to feed the ammonia reducing bacteria. I'm not worried about bad conditions right now, I just want the bacteria well established.

Anywho, I think I've got enough bacteria established, I'm just going to focus on getting my parameters right for now. Then add the clowns.

 

[SeeDemTails]

You will never be able to get your params right if you keep adding a block of brine shrimp to your tank everyday with no fish or cleaners to consume it.......NH3/4 and NO2 will creep back up on you!

And you do not need to feed the bacteria anymore, All it needs is a jump start, like one piece of shrimp or a block of brine....This is not something you need to repeat!

 

[Speakerman]

Well my water conditions have been stable for a while now and I went ahead and added a Sally lightfoot crab, a maroon clown, 5 small hermits, and 2 bumble bee snails.

They have all been in the tank for a week now and everything is doing very well. Here are a few pics.

This is my latest aquascaping. I need a bit more live rock IMO.

Here is my Maroon Clown, I named him Arron.