meknudson2
Active Member
It is looking really nice. Waiting is the hardest part for things to get ready or done.
PCDS -The reef story
- Thread starter PCDS
- Start date
PCDS
Active Member
I'm not going to rush from now. I just needed to get this far so that I could tidy up some of the buckets/ mess in the room. Two young children and 3 dogs will be running riot in the house next weekend!
Oh and the heater you can see is temporary until I can get the overflow cycle going. The proper heater is in the sump.
Oh and the heater you can see is temporary until I can get the overflow cycle going. The proper heater is in the sump.
PCDS
Active Member
I used a lot of aquarium epoxy putty to fix the rock work together. I noted later that some shifting when I was fixing later pieces means that not all the fixation points are ......em fixed. The whole structure seems stable. It passes the wobble test.
I should have waited for the first pieces to set before continuing...... My bad.
I'm wondering if I should leave it or redo the whole thing. I would need to get more putty, and the same thing could happen again. Since I think I was overdoing it in the first place, I think I'll resist the temptation.
I have tried to create some caves hideouts for fish as well as flat surfaces at different levels for corals.
The last of the water is mixed and waiting. I'll finish the fill, and test the system tonight. Fingers crossed!
I should have waited for the first pieces to set before continuing...... My bad.
I'm wondering if I should leave it or redo the whole thing. I would need to get more putty, and the same thing could happen again. Since I think I was overdoing it in the first place, I think I'll resist the temptation.
I have tried to create some caves hideouts for fish as well as flat surfaces at different levels for corals.
The last of the water is mixed and waiting. I'll finish the fill, and test the system tonight. Fingers crossed!
PCDS
Active Member
Gutted!! Slight leak from the return pipe work. I've tried to fix it but will need to wait 24 hrs before checking it under pressure. 
On the plus side the siphon worked a treat and the pump setting matched perfectly. I checked how much the sump filled on switching off the pump. It looks like I will be able to fill it to a fairly high level without risking a flood ( as long as my plumbing holds).
I've put in some thawed mysis ( part of a frozen cube of fish food) to start the cycle. - about 1/4 of the cube. Do you think that will be enough? I didn't have anything else suitable. I could put some more in tomorrow .
On the plus side the siphon worked a treat and the pump setting matched perfectly. I checked how much the sump filled on switching off the pump. It looks like I will be able to fill it to a fairly high level without risking a flood ( as long as my plumbing holds).
I've put in some thawed mysis ( part of a frozen cube of fish food) to start the cycle. - about 1/4 of the cube. Do you think that will be enough? I didn't have anything else suitable. I could put some more in tomorrow .
PCDS
Active Member
Still no further leaks. I put in a whole cube of frozen food in yesterday - I am wondering if I will get a significant ammonia rise as I have had these rocks with circulating / warm water since the beginning of December.
There may have been a cycle already done with the initial die off. And obviously a lot of fresh salt water when I filled the tank/ sump.
I plan to check ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tonight and will repeat tomorrow if no ammonia detected today. If I just see rising nitrates, but no ammonia or nitrites over the next few days then I may assume that the cycle has been done. But I will still watch and wait a while before adding anything.
The cleanup crew will be a combination of snails and a few small hermit crabs.
More aptasia for my " future " peppermint shrimp have appeared!
There may not be much in the tank till April-will that be a problem? I really want to get at least the lower level corals placed and thriving before adding fish. ( please note- this is the logical me typing and not the weak-willed impulsive fishee buyer!) I will be feeding the corals so I don't think fish have to be there to keep the cycle going- am I wrong?
There may have been a cycle already done with the initial die off. And obviously a lot of fresh salt water when I filled the tank/ sump.
I plan to check ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tonight and will repeat tomorrow if no ammonia detected today. If I just see rising nitrates, but no ammonia or nitrites over the next few days then I may assume that the cycle has been done. But I will still watch and wait a while before adding anything.
The cleanup crew will be a combination of snails and a few small hermit crabs.
More aptasia for my " future " peppermint shrimp have appeared!
There may not be much in the tank till April-will that be a problem? I really want to get at least the lower level corals placed and thriving before adding fish. ( please note- this is the logical me typing and not the weak-willed impulsive fishee buyer!) I will be feeding the corals so I don't think fish have to be there to keep the cycle going- am I wrong?
meknudson2
Active Member
I am glad you fixed your leak. I have that problem with one of my pipes on the back of the tank there is a little salt creep and when I was cleaning the pumps the pipe opened up created a huge flood in my living room. That was a fun day LOL. Your cycle sounds like it is getting off to a nice start. 
PCDS
Active Member
Thanks. I'm going to add the sand after the weekend and then wait. The clean up crew will be added when the cycle is complete and I will start on the corals in April. It's easier to be patient because I have the main tank to keep me busy- if anyone is tempted to have too many tangs in their tanks remember that they produce a lot ( and I really mean a lot!) of waste. I may need to do twice weekly water changes or bigger changes!I am glad you fixed your leak. I have that problem with one of my pipes on the back of the tank there is a little salt creep and when I was cleaning the pumps the pipe opened up created a huge flood in my living room. That was a fun day LOL. Your cycle sounds like it is getting off to a nice start.
meknudson2
Active Member
Sounds really good.
PCDS
Active Member
Well, I'm not going to have much to update you on my nano tank for a while so.......back to memory lane..........
When I was house hunting, I saw the breakfast room in my current house and thought- perfect for a big fish tank. Probably the main reason I bought this house! I did contemplate a 5ft tank but this gives me space on either side for maintenance and my topup water container.
I had the kitchen redone and asked the builders to make sure I had a flood proof floor. The other tank in the picture is my turtle tank. 2 normal musk turtles and 2 razorbacks. I built ( well.... Designed and got the builders to make for me) a koi pond in the garden. I like fishees!
When I was house hunting, I saw the breakfast room in my current house and thought- perfect for a big fish tank. Probably the main reason I bought this house! I did contemplate a 5ft tank but this gives me space on either side for maintenance and my topup water container.
I had the kitchen redone and asked the builders to make sure I had a flood proof floor. The other tank in the picture is my turtle tank. 2 normal musk turtles and 2 razorbacks. I built ( well.... Designed and got the builders to make for me) a koi pond in the garden. I like fishees!
PCDS
Active Member
The cycle is proceeding at its usual slow pace. Brown discolouration of rocks which I know is expected.
Still a trace of ammonia ???( getting a new test kit thi weekend)
I can't believe it my LFS had my "last on wish list fishee" - a red dragonet!
I'm proud of myself fellow reefers! After drooling near the tank it was in for way too long- I walked away!
I was worried it would fight with my mandarin dragonet if I got it for my main tank and not sure if the copepod population would be enough for 2 dragonets and my six line wrasse who I believe also eats copepods. It will be at least a year before my nano tank is likely to be ready for one of these !
Still a trace of ammonia ???( getting a new test kit thi weekend)
I can't believe it my LFS had my "last on wish list fishee" - a red dragonet!
I'm proud of myself fellow reefers! After drooling near the tank it was in for way too long- I walked away!
I was worried it would fight with my mandarin dragonet if I got it for my main tank and not sure if the copepod population would be enough for 2 dragonets and my six line wrasse who I believe also eats copepods. It will be at least a year before my nano tank is likely to be ready for one of these !
PCDS
Active Member
Okay . No nitrites and no ammonia. Nitrates above 50 ppm. 25% water change done. Today added some CUC to the tank. 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 snails and 3 hermits.
Can I maintain the cycle without fish if I feed my shrimp regularly?
I don't want to add fish till I've got my first ( lower level corals in place at least)
Oh also got a couple of new corals - in main tank at least for now.
Just at the bottom of the tank for the moment.
Can I maintain the cycle without fish if I feed my shrimp regularly?
I don't want to add fish till I've got my first ( lower level corals in place at least)
Oh also got a couple of new corals - in main tank at least for now.
Just at the bottom of the tank for the moment.
congrats on completing the cycle... your tank will be maturing for many months...
a good read...
The Mature Aquarium
a good read...
The Mature Aquarium
PCDS
Active Member
Yes I have 4. All girls. Two standard musk turtles who must be about 8 years old and two razor back musk turtle who are about 4 or 5 years old. The live with a load of guppies but are too slow to eat them! I wasted a lot of money designing a turtle tank with a basking area - forgetting that musk turtles do not bask out of the water!Do you still have your turtles? I have a 3-stripe mud turtle in a 40g bowfront tank with breeding guppies for turtle food. Morla the turtle is about 22yrs old now. She used to lay an unfertilized egg a year.
I don't have names for all of them.
Michele ( me shell) and Terry were the first 2. I know very sad!
One of each type seen here. Sorry for the poor photo.