Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[Buffy]

Update:

Ordered RO/DI tonite.and ordered 100lb of base rock.

Questions:
There are no hoses supplied correct? Just the end fittings that I connect to my own hose?

Does base rock need anything more than a rinsing?

How long can RO/DI water be in a storage container without salt?

Thanks for tagging along, remember now I like extra butter

 

[Buffy]

Yay!!!!!! Got my RO/DI unit in mail today.

 

[carey]

Grats! One of the best investments you can make in my opinion. Do you have a refractometer? Thats second on my list.

 

[Buffy]

Grats! One of the best investments you can make in my opinion. Do you have a refractometer? Thats second on my list.

Not yet. Gotta work tonite so I refuse to open the package cause then I would call and not go to work LOL.

Base Rock should be here any day now too.

Trying to sort out lighting stuff now.

 

[Buffy]

Gotta an appt, then some shopping for containers and stuff to set up RO/DI. No clue so I will be walking around the store looking at my phone. Wonder if I'm gonna walk into anyone while reading LOL. Hopefully rock will be here when I get home and I can get something done before I have to be gone for tonite.

LOL, am gonna copy people and sit on my floor using my coffee table to "design".and a movie while I work.

 

[Buffy]

Icky Live Rock

Question: The live rock I had in tank doesn't look so "live" and actually kinda scary. Is it ok to take it out, rinse under tap water and let sit outside for a few hours or overnight and reuse?

Thanks

 

[carey]

I wouldnt do that. lol Just let it do its thing. You can brush off with a wire brush anything hanging or looking gross. All that yuck will help your cycle too though.

Do you have a pic?

 

[Buffy]

Was on hold

I wouldnt do that. lol Just let it do its thing. You can brush off with a wire brush anything hanging or looking gross. All that yuck will help your cycle too though.

Do you have a pic?

No pic yet. Size of a golf ball (flattened and irregular) with light green in spots. Then along the side the rock has turned like a tan color and looks kinda soft like a leather look. All the rest appears fine. I don't know how to get the debris out that ended up floating and sinking without removing everything and wiping the inside down again and this time lightly rinsing the sand and rock too. No equipment has been on all week. Put it on hold due to my schedule and waiting for ro/di and rock.

 

[carey]

Do you have an old hang on back filter lying around? that way it could get the particulate matter out. Also, did you get your powerheads? That will move the gunk off the bottom.

 

[Buffy]

Do you have an old hang on back filter lying around? that way it could get the particulate matter out. Also, did you get your powerheads? That will move the gunk off the bottom.

No no and no LOL. I only have the stuff listed below. Ie starting with basically nothing. Totally noob. On my way to store. I know I need a tub/can for ro but no clue what else. Hoses/tubing no clue. Am shopping to get ro going. Think I need heater and pump. Anyone got ideas for what I need? I have same ro/di as Carey . No time to drive to lfs. Too far and I didn't see much at PETCO and petsmart for sw. am on cell so cant link it. Thanks for helping .

 

[carey]

I would get two garbage cans, one for ro/di water and another for mixing your salt.

I ordered the one with the garden hose attachement so I had all the hose I needed included.

Do you know which adaptor you got?
If you have a heater why do you need another?

 

[Buffy]

I have one heater in my 75. Got the one they send if you don't specify. The sink one. 2-32 gal? Am gonna hook to sink and drain down in sink for now. This place has maxi-jet pumps. 1 @ 1175 Max gph for 129.99 and 1 @ 1385 Max gph for 139.99. Is. Either what I need for my 7 5gal?

 

[carey]

You can get a cheaper and better powerhead online for sure. Those prices are bit excessive in my opinion.

 

[carey]

I was running 2 750's in my 55g so think around the 1200 gph would be good. Are you going with 2 ph's?

 

[Sarcothelia]

You don't need a wavemaker, but having at least 2 strong power heads on opposite sides of the tank pointed at each other or pointed at opposite corners of the tank would help reduce dead spots. Point your return towards the surface of the water to aerate it, keep the surface from being stagnant.

 

[Buffy]

Thanks.

Carey, yeah that was a "hardware store" close to home, I bought my glass tank from them. I don't like their prices on anything for the most part. They are limited on what they have but they do have sw and fw fish and equipment (albeit not much) and their tanks are FILTY, would never buy fish there. After I sent post, I saw one each of all different sizes. I am going with that brand because of the reviews I've found. I was able to find 2 10 gal Brutes. (friggen 17.00 apiece) I figure I can get started with those and then use them for other things. I don't have time to go to Home Depot or Walmart til at least tomorrow.

Here is the RO/DI I bought:

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

Will my Power Filter 400 take care of filtering for now?

I have a 300 watt submersible heater in the tank (unplugged). Is it better veritical or should I put it horizontal some where?

I only have openings at the back for now. 2-24" glass lids that came with it which already has salt build up.

I work this week 12 hours, so I won't be able to go to Foster & Smith til next weekend sometime.

Lastly, so far no base rock today :-( And since the water in the tank has cleared enough LOL to see, I don't think I'm going to be using the 40lbs of sand I bought. However I am going to use some of the black still for a splatter type look.

Now am gonna open up my RO/DI package since I have a few hours before I go take care of my grandkids for the night so mommy and daddy can celebrate their 3 year anniversary.

Sorry so long.

I'll take a pick and try to post.

 

[Buffy]

You don't need a wavemaker, but having at least 2 strong power heads on opposite sides of the tank pointed at each other or pointed at opposite corners of the tank would help reduce dead spots. Point your return towards the surface of the water to aerate it, keep the surface from being stagnant.

Should they be positioned at the back and point toward the front crossing the flows that way or does it matter as long the flow path crosses each other to create the turbulence?

I thought about getting a wavemaker later on. But I need to do lights, sump, overflow and everything else first I'm thinking. LOL WOW ton's to do but I'm loving it when I'm awake.

Is it stupid that even though my tank has barely any water in it, 3 pieces of rock, looks filthy to me I still like looking at it when I'm sitting here and too exhausted and sore to even get up to go to bed?

 

[carey]

Your filter should be fine for now. The heater placement is up to you, as long as it's submerisble you can put it where you want. I kept min back center towards the middle of the tank.

I would get the salt creep cleaned up so it doesnt get into the water, that happens enough and I think it might affect salinity. It won't matter much right now but I'm nuts about the darn salt creep. LOL

The ro/di is pretty staright forward and the ebay listing has directions linked in it if you get stuck.

 

[Buffy]

Your filter should be fine for now. The heater placement is up to you, as long as it's submerisble you can put it where you want. I kept min back center towards the middle of the tank.

I would get the salt creep cleaned up so it doesnt get into the water, that happens enough and I think it might affect salinity. It won't matter much right now but I'm nuts about the darn salt creep. LOL

The ro/di is pretty staright forward and the ebay listing has directions linked in it if you get stuck.

I remember you saying that bout the directions and I've read them a few times already while trying to decide if I wanted it or not. Hehe see I remember something.

I kept something of everything I have bought (lol will have to gather receipts later and see what I've spent so far and to keep a "tally").

My heater is a submersible Visi-Therm by Marineland and is 300 Watt. I read somewhere I should have two (one for backup or something) but that was after I bought this one. 300 Watt is not too much is it?

Posting again in a few minutes. Am uploading a few pictures.

 

[Buffy]

Pictures

My RO unit. The yellow envelope that came with unit on the right was empty. Have no clue what if anything was supposed to be in it. At the bottom of picture is a black plastic piece that goes with my power filter that I need to cut. I believe someone told me 2" from the top of the sand.

The power filter in my tank as you can see is too short. And the extension is too long so I bought a hack saw today.

And my favorite picture....my bestest friend and my baby Bailey.