Looking for ideas! :)

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Cool, good call. Well I'll update this thread with some pics and questions I have along the way. Starting this weekend, have to sell my freshwater livestock back to the lfs.
 
Well, sold all my fw stock, purchased my salt. Going to start this project tonight! :) this is a pic before, I will update threw out the build. Going to start building my sump in a few weeks!
 
Dont know if you have shopped there, but Blue Reef Aquatics is also awesome. They and Chad from Reptiles and Reefs are friends and very trustworthy!
 
spoonman said:
Dont know if you have shopped there, but Blue Reef Aquatics is also awesome. They and Chad from Reptiles and Reefs are friends and very trustworthy!
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm building my nano from blue reef aquatics, also I go to Atlantis aquarium. Both of those store strive to help aquarist! Love them!
 
Well, added the salt to the tank. Right now salinity is measuring 1.018. It is still pretty cloudy however. I'll start working on that when it clears. Also added the raw shrimp.

My question is, is 1 jumbo shrimp enough to start the cycle or should I add another one? Again, this is a 60g. :)
 
Did you use pure water for your salt mix (RODI)? If not, please do so for water changes to avoid nuisance algae outbreaks. Typical tap water has enough algae fertilizer to end up making you crazy. It generally doesn't bother the fish, but makes things ugly.
 
I did use tap with declor. however, I will be doing RODI changes. I ordered a unit off eBay a few days ago (thanks carey). Lights will be off during the cycle in order to slow the algae process.

Edit. Just traded my 48in 50w twin T5 for a 48in marineland LED fixture. the LEDs are .06w so looking at about 6w total. Hoping this helps control algae. Big difference from my nano-601. That has 25 3w LEDs.
 
Any idea how long "instant ocean" salt takes to clear up. Just curious. 24 hours later and it's still hazy. Im in it for the long haul, but it would be nice if it was crystal clear! :)
 
When I mix up my water, I mix it up in 5 gal buckets. I then leave it overnight with a small powerhead and a heater in it. After 24 hours it shouldn't be hazy unless you really over salted it...or that it is cold. Hot water will absorb more salt more easily.
 
Sniperhank said:
When I mix up my water, I mix it up in 5 gal buckets. I then leave it overnight with a small powerhead and a heater in it. After 24 hours it shouldn't be hazy unless you really over salted it...or that it is cold. Hot water will absorb more salt more easily.
Click to expand...

I may have failed miserably lol. I cleaned the tank out, added new sand (cleaned it), filled it up with 65f water, Declorinated, added power head. Added half cup of "instant ocean", watched it "melt" into the water. Added heater and turned it to 78f (current temp). It is just staying slightly cloudy. Hydrometer reads 1.021 at the moment. Shrimp is breaking down. It's just hazy.

I added the salt directly to the tank. But I was under the impression this was ok since there is no stock. I will be doing my water changes mixed in a 10g bucket.
 
Sniperhank said:
That looks fine. Also, don't do water changes during your cycle, you'll make it last longer than needed.
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Gotcha, I can kinda smell the shrimp a little under the hood, I know it's working lol
 
It smells HORRID! I put a shrimp in my tank, and it was in my room. A week later i couldnt take the smell and i chucked it into the river.
 
Lol, maybe I'll let it decay for 3-4 days then pull it out. Haha, I'm like you and don't do well with smell. I'm sure it will spike the ammonia enough in a few days to get this cycle moving!
 
Well, went to the lfs today to check up on my nano reef coral issue. Mentioned I'm doing this fish only build. The put the scare in me about using the silica sand an how I would be fighting diatoms like crazy. So without taking any water out I managed to get all of the silica sand out and add arginate sand. I rinsed the sand a few times, but apparently not enough. Lol, I thought it was cloudy earlier???!!!!?! Ha, now look at the mess I made. Hopefully this clears by morning!
 
I have argonite and it is great, i didnt even rince it! It wasent cloudy at all.... What did you do?!? Lol

Oh and your dog did something bad i can tell, haha. Go check your room to make sure she didnt barf on your bed or something. Lol
 
Lol I don't know what I did, bag to bucket, rinsed with hose, sand to tank. Ha crap! Guess I'll find out in the am.

You know it, this dog always has a guilty conscience. Can read it all over his face! More than likely he jumped up on the table and cleaned a plates or something.
 
Haha we just dumped it in the tank because we were lazy and everything turned out fine in a few days! Just make sure all of your powerheads and stuff are off..
 
Yup i would turn em off! You dont want a ton of sand in your filter media, lol. It also stirrs things up alot!
 
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