Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[Mike-words]

I use h2ocean salt seems to work good. Woth your ph readings do you have any calibration fluid. You got the saltwater ph test right ( if it truly matters) have the lfs check your water and take a sample your self at the same time and compare notes.

 

[mr_X]

seachem reef salt, oceanic, tropic marin, red sea coral pro, D&D ocean, coralife, kent marine...all of these worked fine for me. yes, i buy reef grade salts, not instant ocean which i consider a FOWLR salt mix.

 

[huma-huma]

Just a quick question, is it possible for salt to go bad? Say if it sits too long or gets moist?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Not really unless contaminates are introduced.

 

[Buffy]

I'm going to use a different salt then. I'm also going to down my light times too cause of algae.

 

[carey]

Sounds like a good plan. Trying another salt might get your water to where it needs to be. I've been contemplating switching myself, but the $47 for 200g is sooo tempting with I/O.. LOL Plus I;ve been having alkalinity issues and slight ph issues as well. But I just may have to dose is all since I have so much in the tank. You shouldnt have to with what you've got in yours.

 

[Buffy]

Well I submitted my order for BRS and added Red Sea Coral Pro Salt. Just for 55 gal though. I'll get more later, it'll get me started. I figure I will get 2-3 water changes with that. Then the other should be diluted down enough that this one takes over the majority.

 

[Buffy]

Got my order from BRS today, UPS was my alarm clock today LOL and it only went off a half hour early.

Had to do factory reset and reinstall operating system on laptop so just got it working again. Hopefully I can get the important programs I was using back installed without data loss from the backup.

Gonna open my BFS order in a few, (long nights at work this weekend, am exhausted). Gotta find my brace first, can barely walk.

Another or continuning algae outbreak. Most of the brown was gone after pwc and vacuuming. Now it's brown and green. Some areas so dark green on glass can't see through. Algae scrapper I got doesn't clean very good all.

Everything is pretty much covered. Not enough that all you see is brown and green rock and sand but enough over everything that it wouldn't take long to just see algae.

Have no clue where my Scarlet Reef Crab is. I can't see the legs on alot of the snails so I can't tell where my red legged friend is. (No I can't tell by the shells yet....His shells looks like a snail shell too LOL)

Once algae is done, gonna take pictures of the different shells in my tank and try to figure out who is who.

 

[Buffy]

Reactor Setup Problems..Help please

Ok, So I got my BRS Phosphate Reactor and took it out of the box. Read the directions. Directions are pretty basic (looks like they are typed in Word), I swear how hard is it to include pictures? The directions don't match up with the equipment.

Now when I ordered this I thought it was HOB, well looks like it can be if I could figure out how to attach it to my tank.

I'm pretty sure I can figure out how to connect the thing without the directions, but.....what do I put over the intake tube so my little critters don't get sucked up?

If I get this thing hung on the tank do I just put the pump in the tank and let the intake hose dangle in the tank too?

Uggg. I need a darn sump!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cause this really looks like it should have been labeled on the sight as in sump, though it says can go in, mind you IN the tank. YUK!!!!

Can anyone help me get this thing hanging on the back of the tank (temporarily) please?

Also am running around u-tube while restoring my computer here (had to factory reset) looking for maintenance and stuff. I would like to know if anyone has a very good AND easy link somewhere to help me get a sump/refugium made please?? Pretty please???? LOL. At this point I don't care if the sump sits next to my tank on my end table lol.

Thanks for helping everyone, ya'll been fantastic, I don't know what I'd do without this forum.

I have 2 1/2 days off and very little finances so hopefully I can get my lights hung, (the last sink drain done), all maintenance done on tank and a useable sump done (and a few household things too, and maybe eat if I have time LOL).

 

[carey]

You are always in a whirl I tell ya LOL

I ahve no idea how to make the brs reactor hang, unless you mount it behind the tank with screws as I think it has a screw mount on it, correct? The maxi jet 1200 should have come with a few doo dads in the box one of which can add a little filter thing to the intake to avoid fishie disaster.

I wish I could help with the sump idea, but alas, I am useless in that capacity.LOL I just bought a premade one and went from there cause I am a woos.

 

[Buffy]

Yep that's me, so much to do and so little time. yes it has two screws but what would I screw it to LOL. I don't see how this is a HOB if I have to screw to my tank/stand or to the wall. Nope don't want to do that. Not drilling/cutting/walls. I don't mind the ceiling cause I can alway hang a plant if the tank gets moved.

Oh well, off to buy some plexiglass, chain link and a few eyebolts for my Light Hanger. Besides I need an in ice cream cone before too much cold weather sets in.

Salt is mixing and heating up. From what I read, the salt I bought says for 50 gallons but only does about 30 if I'm lucky. Hmmm. Plus there's no "guidelines" for mixing. So we'll add a few and test and keep going that way. Not gonna test til temp is up though.

Then to do a pwc. While getting stuff for Light Hanger gonna look and see what I can find to hold this reactor on the tank without damaging or modifying anything. Dang what happened to plug and play LOL.

Will update late with how far I got with what.

Wish me luck LOL

 

[carey]

Good luck with your adventure! an ice cream sounds pretty fantastic right now. lol

The salt should be about a half cup per gallon and should get you to 1.022 if I'm not mistaken. I've gotten and "eye" when adding salt to get to 1.025, its kinda just a rounded half cup...hard to explain but you'll figure it out I;m sure.

 

[coffeetwitch]

Yeah that's the good And the bad about online forums like these, you meet so many interesting people but none of them are next door to help or be helped. And all we can say is wow that's a lot on your plate, good luck.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Take a standard sized container and add salt until you are shy of the salinity you want. Note how many cups it took to get there. Then I use my refractometer to add salt a little at a time to get precisely the value I want. For me, it is 40 gallons of water at .025, so that is 10 cups of salt, then I add 2 more slowly as I test. I don't like to just dump pre-measured salt into water as you can end up with salinity too high or too low.

 

[carey]

Yep, use your refractometer after you've mixed with the first load of salt to fine tune it to your salinity that you want.

I've gotten quite good I must say at figuring it out. I was just a tad short earlier on my pwc bucket of saltwater for my cube I'm gonna use today, and the refractometer was key in zoning in the right salinity.

 

[rdnelson99]

I do 5 gal PWC once a week for my 45. As soon as I am done I start mixing my water for next weeks. I go with 2.5 half cups and let it stir for a day or two then check it to fine tune it. That way I have a couple days left to tinker if I need to get it just right. LOL

 

[Gregcoyote]

I do 5 gal PWC once a week for my 45. As soon as I am done I start mixing my water for next weeks. I go with 2.5 half cups and let it stir for a day or two then check it to fine tune it. That way I have a couple days left to tinker if I need to get it just right. LOL

It does seem to take a while for the salinity to settle down after mixing salt. At least a few hours before you can get a real positive test.

 

[Buffy]

Thanks for all the input. I generally use 1/2 cup per gal. I cut it short about 2 cups though and then test and slowly add. It's been mixing about 2 1/2 hours now, I'll be testing soon. Gosh I'm tired and sore lol. Long weekend, not enough umph to do much. Definitely not doing anything that requires strength or much energy.

@Carey yep ice cream was good.

Went to store, got everything I need (I think) to finish my Light Hanger, bought some acrylic for the sump and guess what? Got home and found I left the 2 sheets of acrylic at the store, yep I'm tired. So called them up and am just gonna pick it up tomorrow when I go to petco or petsmart and try to find some aquarium safe silicone. I couldn't believe I couldn't find any at Home Depot.

So black chain from corners to center of light and mixed there with cable to go up and through pulley. Yep, gonna be sweet. Hmmm gotta find a crank yet though.

 

[Buffy]

Oh yeah, gonna figure out that reactor and get it installed tonite too. Matter of fact gonna start on that now.

 

[Gregcoyote]

If you or Carey want a LED panel, I am upgrading. My SPS load is increasing and I am upgrading to a more powerful LED as my central light. Leaves me with a 120 watt panel left over. About the equivalent of a 250 watt MH. 2/3 are white and 1/3 are blue, I think there are 130 1 watt LEDs. Pretty simple fixture, just on and off. Has been used about 2000 hours, roughly 48,000 hours left. I will keep it for a frag tank if one of you guys don't need it. PM me if you are interested.