Finally Gonna go Saltwater - 29 Gallon build

[spoonman]

How much rodi water can you make in a day? Your going to have to do a couple of large pwcs to get trates down when youre done cycling, so if youre joping to be done soon which looks possible, then youre going to want to be able to knock out those pwcs

I can make about 35 gallons a day. I just hope the trItes come down in the next few days. I can have 3 20 gallon tubs ready to go in a couple days. I could make the RODI now and then mix the salt the day before I need it right?

 

[kurtyboh]

Yep, just make sure its fully mixed, the rodi water will keep. I always have 20gal on hand just incase

 

[spoonman]

Day 10 results. Looks like ammonia at .25ppm, nitrIte at between 2 and 5ppm and nitrAte still around 80ppm. I think the nitrItes are dropping. Hoping for finish this weekend.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Hoping for FinISH this weekend.

Fixed it

Lookin good Tim!

 

[spoonman]

Thanks man. You were right when you said this is the most annoying thing I will ever do. It is killing me. Gonna go check out your build and see how far you have come.

 

[spoonman]

Test results for day 11. Ammonia 0ppm, nitrIte 1ppm, nitrAte 80ppm. NitrIte is starting to drop, possibly due to a top off with RODI water last night of about 3 gallons. I put in half of the bottle of start smart on day 1 and the rest of it on day 7. Looks like I will be cycled in about 2 weeks. Opinions?




Sick of my testing yet?

 

[spoonman]

Readings for day 12. 0ppm ammonia, .25ppm nitrIte and 80ppm nitrAte. I am thinking big water change tomorrow night and fish this weekend.

 

[kurtyboh]

Looking like it, like i said you may need to do more than one to get trates down

 

[mfdrookie516]

Looks like you're right at the end! I have probably missed it, but what's your stocking plan?

 

[spoonman]

@kurtyboh, I have 20 gallons of saltwater ready to go. @rookie, only things I know for sure are O.C. clown pair and ywg. Open to any other ideas.

 

[spoonman]

Day 13 water test: 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrIte, 80ppm nitrAte. Did a 50% water change and will test again in an hour. Planning a trip to my LFS tomorrow to pick up a pair of O.C. clowns and maybe a yellow watchman goby. Too much? Making another 15 gallons of saltwater in case I have to do another water change.

 

[mr_X]

So, you probably cut your cycle in half with the bottled bacteria?

 

[spoonman]

Thats what I think. It looks like I got nitrItes way faster than most. If I had to cycle another tank I would use it again. Worth the $16 in my opinion. Do you think it is too soon to put 2 clowns and a ywg in this weekend? Also, I have a chance to get a nice torch coral for free. Think it would be ok in this VERY young tank?

 

[spoonman]

Here is a pic of the torch. Too soon?

 

[mfdrookie516]

I think there's enough speculation to prove either way, Tim. Since you seeded with LR, it's very possible that is the reason your cycle happened so quickly. At the same time, it's equally as possible that the bottled bacteria sped it up. Without a control, I'd be curious as to whether it did anything or not. Regardless, you're ready for fish! I'd stock slowly, maybe start with the clowns, then get the goby after a couple weeks of steady parameters. That's my plan.

No idea on the coral. I'm getting two frags tomorrow, but I've got a few weeks on you. I'm not certain that they'll do any good, but a local guy is giving them to me on the cheap as 'testers'.

 

[spoonman]

I think there's enough speculation to prove either way, Tim.

C'Mon Jonathan, drink the cool-aid, everything will work out.....LOL! But, you are right. The reason I think it helped is the fact that I only had about 10lbs of live rock out of about 50lbs. And, I am pretty dissapointed in the live rock. I have not found one hitch hiker. I think it had live bacteria on it but that is all. I will probably get the torch this afternoon and the pair of O.C. clowns. Will post pics and let everyone know how it goes. Thanks to mr_x, Kurtyboh, carey and you for helping with this project so far! Couldn't have done it alone!

 

[spoonman]

So, did a 60% pwc last night and another this morning. Got the NitrAte down to 5-10ppm and all else 0ppm. Going to the LFS this afternoon for an Ocellaris clown pair and am getting a free torch. 14 days from filling the tank with water to having fish. Very excited now! Thanks to all for your help!

 

[carey]

Good luck! Show us some pictures once everything is in the tank or qt!

 

[spoonman]

@carey, Thanks for the good wishes and all the help making this happen!

 

[kurtyboh]

As long as your parameters stay stable, the torch will be fine. Keep up the tests for a while to make sure. After they stay put for a week or so you can start scaling back to every other for a while and so on