Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[Buffy]

Hi, am having trouble with what to do. Read soooo much am now confused.
I have 25 pound live rock and 80 pound sand (said live in the bag). Anyway, I followed my LFS instructions and now am thinking I screwed up. He said to go ahead and put the sand in (no rinse/clean needed), and to go ahead and put rock, fill tank and add salt. Then wait for cycle. Umm, I bought a 25' syphon hose and ended up taking it back (was too short) got the 50'. Hate it, it sprays all over my bathroom and popped off and flooded under sink and floor. But now am wondering if I need to remove everything because he said I could use my tap water. I'm finding that is wrong due to chlorine and chloramide stuff. I'm seeing I need RO and don't know how to do it. Am kinda physically limited so I can't carry water. I have a spare bathroom, I want to remove toilet and plug hole and put RO in there with some sort of container to hold RO water. Don't know how make a mix area. Think I neeWd sump too now and no place in cabinet. Am lost. Have protein skinner but is not assembled cause I think I have to drain and start over. Now after I got the live rock I'm see stuff about base rock. And put rock on sand, no don't put it on sand, and now also glueing it. Am thinking to empty my tank, take my rock out, put it in the sun, clean the sand somehow (no clue there either). But I believe I need the other systems set up first (like ro and sump). Not going to the quarantine stuff yet, that's another task later on, for now I want it up and cycling. Sorry so long. Oh and read about water conditioning for tap water and there's mixed ideas that yes it works and no it doesn't but either way I'm trying to do a reef tank (which i need to also figure out the rock/cave stuff) which I believe would do better with an ro unit. I'm in a jam sorta but I know this will be fantastic when done. So first question I guess is how to do an ro setup and what ro to use, then how to build the sump and what size (even rubbermaid is ok) to put my stuff in, how to do overflow box. And finally in what order do I need to get these things done. Am planning corals, fish and invertbrae eventually. Then how to post a pic from my phone. Thank you all for reading and any advice would be helpful.

Tank info is in profile, don't know how to get it here with each post

 

[carey]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

How big is your tank?

I wouldnt' take anything out, if youre concerned about having used tap water, I used tap water for the first few months of my reef. The only thing I ended up with were high levels of phosphate. I would def urge you to get an ro/di unit if you can, it's 100% better than tap in my opinion.

 

[Buffy]

75 gallon. I have all equipment listed in profile but don't know how to get it at bottom of my posts and I took a few pics which I don't know how to upload yet.

 

[carey]

Go into the user CP and go under signature, you can type whatever you want there and it will appear after each post.

As far as pictures, if you use photbucket you can just cut and paste the img link right into the post.

 

[Buffy]

75 gallon. I have all equipment listed in profile but don't know how to make it go to bottom of posts. Just tried uploading a few pics but app crashed. Thextension for my filter is too long. Hard plastic. If I cut it am afraid it will shatter. So filter only goes down half way. Any suggestions for ro's?

 

[Buffy]

Wow one made it lol

 

[carey]

here is the unit alot of people have purchased, its pretty cheap and portable too

0PPM Portable 100GPD Reverse Osmosis RO+DI Water Filter - eBay (item 380255124367 end time Jun-24-11 14:29:53 PDT)

 

[Buffy]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.

 

[Buffy]

Thanks. Found a lot of info but mostly like 3 and 4 years. How do u test for chlorine and chloramide?

 

[fishmonkey]

No idea. but any amount is bad, and count on it that your tap water has it in it, because it does. RO/DI water is what you have to do, unless you want to pay 25 cents a gallon at a dispensary

 

[Buffy]

No idea. but any amount is bad, and count on it that your tap water has it in it, because it does. RO/DI water is what you have to do, unless you want to pay 25 cents a gallon at a dispensary

Not a chance on that one, am getting an ro/di soon, got so many other things to do too, sump, overflow, lighting and many more I'm sure. Trying to figure out how to do what i need to and not lug ANY water as I have to use step stool (see stool next to stand in pic) to do anything in my tank as I'm too short LOL. Am turning my extra 1/4 bath into Tank prep room (not big enough for quarantine tank though-gotta figure that out too) and use pump and run hose when needed to tank. Gonna use the cold water line that goes to the toilet as incoming water. (Removing toilet and plugging/covering hole somehow).

 

[fishmonkey]

you want to plumb the rodi from the toilet line to the tank?
toilet water line ---> RODI unit ---> tank?

 

[Buffy]

Water Chemistry.
6/3/11 Date water, rock, sand, and salt added. No water conditoner for chlorine and stuff.
1st test---6/3/11 4pm; temp-83; ph (didn't test); sal 1.024; NO2-0; NO3-0; Amm-0
2nd test---6/7/11 1:52am; temp-82; ph-84; sal 1.029; NO2-0; NO3-20ppm; Amm-0

Anyone want to tell me what these results mean?

Does this mean my tank cycled and I didn't know it? Also still no water condtion for tap water added. I bought some today from Petco--Aqueon Water Conditioner-neutralize chlorine and chloramines in tap water and aids in restoring a fish's natural slime coat (don't have fish yet). Should I use this conditioner or no?

Thanks for your input and I realize input is opinion....so all opninions welcome......IMHO lol

 

[Sergie]

Your tank won't cycle until you get the chlorine treated. You should always treat your water before adding salt if your using tap water. The chlorine is killing all the bacteria your tank needs to cycle.

 

[Buffy]

I added the Water Conditoner according to the directions. How will I know if it worked or is working? Bottle says instantly neutralizes. But don't know if that is the case since my water has salt already.

Says it should be used when filling for first time, refillling water due to evap, making water changes and adding fish, so I assume this means it doesn't matter that I have salt in my tank? I'm hoping I can get by without draining right now Already filled/drained for leak checks. Then when I do a water change I will treat in a container first, mix salt, heat then add to tank. Can I use one container for doing all that or do I need seperate containers?

Wish the saleman would have told me I needed to do this ahead of time when I first bought my initial stuff.

 

[carey]

I treat my water in between emptying and filling. I take out say 30g, then add the dechlorinator to the tank, based on the whole tank, not just the 30g. Then I add my water and done.

 

[Sergie]

Well hopefully all the little critters on the rocks weren't killed due to the chlorine and chloramine. But if they were they may kick start your ammonia cycle. If not add a piece of raw shrimp and you should be on your way. Since you used all tap water I'd keep an eye on your phosphates. With such high phosphates and your ammonia spike coming up i'd worry about an Algae bloom. Maybe keep lights off during cycle and definately use RO water for PWC. It saved me a load of trouble. All the best.

 

[Buffy]

I wouldn't doubt they were all killed. I'm going to Foster & Smith for more rock and sand tomorrow and buy all that I need (I don't want to add rock and sand later). Before bed tonite, I will be writing the process down for soaking it, how long, then when and how to add to tank. Posted another thread with the questions for sand and rock, please add your input so I can get it tomorrow as with my work schedule I won't be able to go again for another week and a half. Hence buying tomorrow and tinkering around after work each day.

Thanks again.

 

[Buffy]

I treat my water in between emptying and filling. I take out say 30g, then add the dechlorinator to the tank, based on the whole tank, not just the 30g. Then I add my water and done.

When you say you add dechlorinator to the tank, does your tank already have salt and livestock in it?

Also, this is throwing me off. I have 75 gal tank. Don't know how much rock and sand I will end up with BUT doesn't all the rock and sand displace the water so now you don't really have 75 gallons????

Do you know of some kind of meter I can attach somewhere that tells me how many gallons I've removed and how many I added, so I can change equal amounts?

Thanks for all your help too!!!!!!!!! How you do the rep thing? +1? if so then I give ya infinite +'s.

I like this forum, it's up to date, active and very friendly. Soo much time lost on research on other sites that just confused me. Never gonna get frustrated and quit cause I like the challenge and looking forward to the end results in a few years. But there was too much info everywhere and different ways that just confused me. Here I feel I can ask dumb questions. Am learning alot though I've not yet able to piece it all together yet.