16G BowFront --> 29G Reef Tank Build

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
DanS180 said:
You always know exactly what to say :) haha you're great!

Okay so GFO media bag for my filter for phosphates.. and what's pickling lime? Something I can just add to my bucket of top off water?? Guess I'll do a lil reading about maintaining calcium.
Click to expand...

What do u use for salt mix. I switched to reef crystals instead of regular and that brought my calcium up to were I wanted it.
 
22engine said:
What do u use for salt mix. I switched to reef crystals instead of regular and that brought my calcium up to were I wanted it.
Click to expand...

Actually, your two tanks are similar. That's a good idea.

Dan, the first step is to test some newly mixed saltwater for calcium to see if it's either low at the source or if it's being used by your corals. If you see that it's low to start with you could just switch salts.
 
CorallineAlgae said:
Actually, your two tanks are similar. That's a good idea.

Dan, the first step is to test some newly mixed saltwater for calcium to see if it's either low at the source or if it's being used by your corals. If you see that it's low to start with you could just switch salts.
Click to expand...

The instant ocean reef crystals are know to have higher calcium. That's what I use. I went up to 480 after the switch and my corals are loving it. My toadstool has never been so open. I have had him for a month and a half and all he did was put out little nubby looking polyps. Since the switch he looks like the pic I posted.
 
Oh wow that's awesome.. I use Oceanic salt mix. Guess I'll mix up some water in a cup or something and see what my calciums at and just go from there
 
DanS180 said:
Oh wow that's awesome.. I use Oceanic salt mix. Guess I'll mix up some water in a cup or something and see what my calciums at and just go from there
Click to expand...

That is what I used before I switched to and that took care of the calcium for me.
 
22engine said:
That is what I used before I switched to and that took care of the calcium for me.
Click to expand...

Okay sweet so I guess I'll just skip the testing and just go with reef crystals lol
 
DanS180 said:
50 gallon bag I should say.. not 50lbs lol
Click to expand...

I'll let it mix in the tank for awhile first. Couple hours should turn it over enough times.
 
22engine said:
I'll let it mix in the tank for awhile first. Couple hours should turn it over enough times.
Click to expand...

Careful and make sure that the bag is sealed tight cause mine started getting hard and formed clumps so I had to break it all up
 
Yeah I hear ya on the clumps, I had that problem in a small bag of oceanic salt before lol ok well i think I'm just gonna do like a 3 gal change today cuz that's all I have for top off water lol then one my next day off I'll do a 10-15% water change.. can u believe I haven't done a water change in 2 weeks lol something is taking care of my nitrates bc they're only at 5ppm
 
22engine said:
Careful and make sure that the bag is sealed tight cause mine started getting hard and formed clumps so I had to break it all up
Click to expand...

This is why I only buy buckets now. Also if to much moisture gets to it then it can throw off the alkalinity in the mix much like overdosing a tank causing a "snowstorm"
 
Mrc8858 said:
This is why I only buy buckets now. Also if to much moisture gets to it then it can throw off the alkalinity in the mix much like overdosing a tank causing a "snowstorm"
Click to expand...

Snowstorm huh? That might explain my problem.. I thought it was just bubble from the skimmer but now I'm starting to think its bc of the salt mix
 
Most tanks have tiny debris floating around that's normal what I'm talking about is a fine silt that's created by the calcium in the water.. if you add your salt to the water to quickly it can happen though.
 
Mrc8858 said:
Most tanks have tiny debris floating around that's normal what I'm talking about is a fine silt that's created by the calcium in the water.. if you add your salt to the water to quickly it can happen though.
Click to expand...

Oh well nvm that's not what I have lol, guess what I got is normal
 
I was just thinking, what's a good size CUC consist of for my tank... right now I have
1 scarlet hermit
1 blue legged
1 Halloween crab
6 nerite snails
3 snails(starts with M.. maybe margite?)

Should I have more? Less? And if more what should I add?
 
Humm.. It depends on weather or not you see a need to add more. There really isn't a good rule on it other than maybe "Man, look at all this algae! Wish I had more hermits to clean up my rock and snails to help with the glass". If you need a bigger crew, you'll know! lol
 
CorallineAlgae said:
Humm.. It depends on weather or not you see a need to add more. There really isn't a good rule on it other than maybe "Man, look at all this algae! Wish I had more hermits to clean up my rock and snails to help with the glass". If you need a bigger crew, you'll know! lol
Click to expand...

Haha yeah i hear ya, well my glass and sand are still very dirty. A couple of my rocks are covered in diatoms still. What else is there to get other than crabs and snails?
 
Hermits and snails are the best. Maybe a few more blue legs and various snails would be a good idea. I like red serpent stars or brittle stars. I always like to have one in a tank. They really make it seem like the tank is a mini ocean.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Refurbishing journey of a 70 gallon 1/2 circle tank
Replies
2
Views
752
Slipstreme
S
C
Back To Basics When Breeding Fish
Replies
1
Views
2K
Colin_T
C
kphilly2017
Cleaning and breaking down large tank
Replies
12
Views
1K
kphilly2017
kphilly2017
kphilly2017
*Restarting my 98G Tank*
Replies
9
Views
835
kphilly2017
kphilly2017
J
Custom nano-reef tank questions
Replies
0
Views
760
Jacob Morgan
J

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom