Starting my first 55G FOWLR tank - Page 4 - Aquarium Advice

borlaracing9 · 10-21-2009, 05:10 AM

Tank is coming together now! I want to thank everyone for all your help and advice! I really appreciate you guys getting me on the right track for my first SW tank the 1st day i joined the forums

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Progress so far... both my canister (fluval 305) and hang on back filter are setup and running...
Tank has a very thin layer of live sand and i am waiting for that to clear before i go purchase some live rock to begin my cycling!

I will update you guys with my water conditions after all the sand settles and everything runs for 24 hours, but for now heres my numbers:

PH- 8.1
Alkalinity - 300 PPM
Nitrite - between .3 and .5 PPM
Nitrate - 20 PPM
Water Temp - 80.7 degrees F

thincat · 10-21-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borlaracing9

yeh thats what i thought.. the reason i asked is because i read on in article on cycling that sand can hide harmful pests found in your live rock.. so they recommended you dont put the sand in til the rock cycles. But i do agree with the concept of the sand as a cushioning.. thanks for your advice!

You don't want to much sand under your rock because when you put in your CUC, some will dig under your rock and that could cause a "landslide" which could crack your glass. IMO I go all the way to the glass with the rock.

borlaracing9 · 10-22-2009, 12:37 AM

Day 2: The sand is really starting to settle and my numbers are starting to make progress.. or atleast seems they are? Heres a pic of the tank settled down after 24 hours of running with the filters on.
PH - 8.3
Alkalinity - 300 PPM
Nitrite - 0 PPM
Nitrate - 18 PPM
Water Temp - Between 80.5-80.7 Degrees F.

borlaracing9 · 10-22-2009, 01:08 AM

What is your guys take on a protien skimmer for a setup like mine? I was thinking about the "Sea Clone 100 protein skimmer as well as Coralife Super skimmer for tanks up 65 gallons, or the Seaclone 150.. Also just making sure its alright to run both my HOB filter and Canister filter with the sand in the water like it is.. 1 last question about my equiptment is.. Power heads. Should i get powerheads for a FOWL with my equiptment and if so how many GPH would i want on the powerheads..
-Thanks guys!

thincat · 10-22-2009, 06:51 AM

What is your Ammonia Reading?
300 ppm? that seems high do you mean mg/L or meg/L, DKH? What test brand are you using?

borlaracing9 · 10-22-2009, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thincat

What is your Ammonia Reading?
300 ppm? that seems high do you mean mg/L or meg/L, DKH? What test brand are you using?

I apologize still tryin to get the hang of all this stuff hah its 300 KH and that was for Alkalinity and i am using "sea and salt medical and scientific quality 5 in 1 quick dip tests." I dont believe i have test strips with Ammonia cause the 5 listed on my strips are PH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Alkalinity, and hardness of water.

borlaracing9 · 10-22-2009, 11:58 PM

Day 4: Got my live rock and put it in my tank so just waiting for the sand to settle before i add my dead shrimp to begin my cycling! I am getting so pumped to finally see the light!

Current water conditions:
Ammonia: .50 mg/L
Nitrite: 0 mg/L
PH: 8.1
Nitrate: 10 mg/L

I'll post some pics later on today when the sand settles of the live rock in my tank.. Got a couple good potential caves made once i fill the back with my left over 30 or so lbs or lives sand.

borlaracing9 · 10-24-2009, 03:51 AM

Here are some pics of the almost completed first week of my tank. Things are going pretty smooth for the most part. Got my live rock in there prob gonna add another piece on the far right side to even things out a bit. I again want to thank all of you for your help to keep it running as smooth as it has been (knock on wood lol). Here are my water conditions as of today 10/24/09: