320g build/journey/experiment :-)

[tmcgee]

I agree. You say there is a leak and not explain? I hope it is just in the pvc pipe or something. Still isn't a good thing to have a leak you must repair with that much water involved.

 

[Greenmaster]

The leak is in one of the lines that drops down to the sump... it's after the valve so I can just shut it off and fix it, also because I have at least 2 of everything I can shut down the half for a day or two without any issues... but at only 1 drip every 60 seconds... it could make a nice stalagmite. lol... I got more important things to worry about atm then the leak... so we will see how it goes.
On a side note... just for fun I put some brine shrimp eggs in there... I have life in my tank, there is something that I can watch swimming around

 

[mdaniel2882]

So on controllers I'm stilon the fence about the controller I'm going to use... Neptune Apex or Digital Aquatics RKE. The main function for me is the light's going on and off as well as the moonlights... I will probably use the other stuff later on but my main thing is those two... does anyone have a preference or an opinion on them? Possibly even experience.

The RKE is great!!! there is nothing it won't do. ATO, Lights, true lunar cycle, heater, fans, whatever. it will control up to a couple of hundred outlets and they are stackable so you can make multable if/then, and or or statements and do ANYTHING. the RKL is a great system that will control upto i think 60 outlets. I would go with the RKE on your system though. calicum reactor, media reactor, cool lighting effects including controling some dimmable balasts. That is the one!

 

[Smitty]

The leak is in one of the lines that drops down to the sump... it's after the valve so I can just shut it off and fix it, also because I have at least 2 of everything I can shut down the half for a day or two without any issues... but at only 1 drip every 60 seconds... it could make a nice stalagmite.

I can understand having something better to do but don't you have wood floors there? Even a small leak can eat things up faster that you think. Not only that but if it is small now, how long until something else happens and it becomes large?

Just thinking of how much time and energy you have put into the absolutely wonderful build just to leave something like a small leak untouched...

 

[Greenmaster]

So here is an update on my water parameters.
After 2 days these are my current levels.

Ammonia 0.6
Nitrite 0.2
Nitrate 5

I did use an additive by Seachem... it's called Stability® here is a quote off the bottle: "...contains synergistic blend of aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative bacteria..."
I don't know why they put it like that... by the sounds of it it's all one type of bacterium.

mdaniel2882
The apex I hear can do all of that too... I'm interested in the moon lighting... Moon lighting is the main reason I plan on getting a controller. Everyone who owns an apex says it's da... stuff and the same about the RKE... I guess I just need to look at them closely and decide what one has the best style for me I guess... oh well. Thanks for your comment all of them help me to decide.

Smitty
Don't worry it is a laminate floor... and the drop dries before a second one appears... plus I think with all the sediment that was floating in my water it is finally plugged. I don't thing the leak can become large... the pipe is glued well... there is just a small path that was not filled with glue properly so a little water could get through...

 

[Hinds04]

I made rock the same way as you did. My question is, what did you test the water for to make sure its safe? I'm talking before your cycle. However I used type 1 gray portland cement because it's really all I could find. I let the rock sit in a creek around my house for about a month and I plan on letting it sit in the new tank and test for a while before I introduce anything live.

 

[Greenmaster]

Test your PH... that's about the only thing you can do... make sure that it is siting in heated salt water for about a week then test... try and get one that goes fairly high... like 8.8 or 9.0 something like that... just so you can see if it is way off... my PH is about 8.3 or 8.4 my first test I did it wrong and left the vile sit for a few minutes while I did up other tests so I thought my PH was off the scale... lol

 

[Hinds04]

ok, so you don't need to test for heavy metals or anything like that?

 

[Greenmaster]

No once the PH is good then the rock is good... so I have heard... this is my first DIY rock tank. From what I have read the rock is good once the PH has normalized.

 

[Greenmaster]

Parameter update.

Ammonia is at 0 (or very close)
Nitrites are at 0 (there may be some slight color but not even a 10th the color of the lowest reading)
Nitrates are dropping... it's at less then 5 now... I would say 2 or 2.5
PH is at 8.1-8.3... hard to tell.
I will have KH and Calcium tests tomorrow.

 

[Hinds04]

time for the first fish

 

[maxima423]

NICEEEEEEEEE, and yea!!! first fish

 

[Greenmaster]

... no... I will wait a bit still I don't want to rush it... I have 5 prawns in there and they are still not decomposing very fast.

 

[maxima423]

i must of missed it somewhere in the thread or maybe i forgot, but what will you be adding first??

 

[mupwi]

taging along awsome have you thaught about piping the heatsink water through a heat exchanger in the sump for heating the tank you could probably need a couple of valves to controle the flow between the outside exchanger and the one in the tank so as to not over heat it but it could save on the heating bill for the system

 

[Jimbo7]

... no... I will wait a bit still I don't want to rush it... I have 5 prawns in there and they are still not decomposing very fast.

Bump the temp and flow up. What your ammonia reading?

 

[Greenmaster]

I will be adding Cardinals first.

My ammonia is 0... I made 2 of my shrimp disintegrate so I'm thinking it will be higher tonight.

 

[Jimbo7]

Make sure you get lots of flow so chunks don't get caught somewhere and make your cycle excessively long.

 

[Greenmaster]

So now the results are:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
PH 8.1-8.3
KH 80
Calcium 360
Salinity/SG 1.0255

I will be adding one prawn every 2 days till I order my fish... 5 days before my fish are supposed to come I will add 5 prawns and take them out the night before my fish arrive.

Jimbo7... my cycle is over... even though the chunks are still hanging around

 

[mdaniel2882]

You are not going to add fish til sept. 6 right? I told my 3 yo (about to be 4 on sept 6) that you were adding fish for his b-day.

I think I can trick him. just make sure you let me know before you post pictures cause he follows this thread.

when he gets home from school he says "daddy, can we see the giant fish tank." and then I must read every post to him