planning phase of a new 180 tank ???

[cracker]

I'm doing one more water change & going for it ! Ok looked back in my log book. September 2016,
No3 12 , Po4 around .010 . Now I have to figure out how I want to aquascape & lift the rock up & off the sand bed. I tried agrocrete columns didn't work . I experimented with1 1/2 pvc pieces laid flat like a log to at least keep the larger base rock from being buried.Doesn't look too bad. This round, It will be a shallow SB. I could promise pics soon but Hey,

 

[Squatch XXL]

Glad to see you are taking your time still. Nothing great happens quickly in this hobby! I am still watching and waiting. I know when I got my base rock, I cooked it for 8 months in the dark, and 3 months of curing/cycling. I had a one week cyano outbreak, and then nothing else. It was well worth the wait.

 

[cracker]

Thanks for that info ! I'll be back !

 

[cracker]

I got some rock in the 180 today ! Pics soon I promise .

 

[cracker]

hope this works
Ok I think I got it. still using photobucket .So we shall see.

So I think I have about 150 lbs of the old rock in here The entire system has 198 gls. I have a good amount of rock left but don't want to crowd the tank. I do have room for more if I want. I think I can come up with other methods of nutrient export. Like Good sized refugium or scrubber Biopellet reactor ect.
I have 3 separate rock piles with plenty of free space. I really like how it looks & very pleased !

 

[Pat24601]

hope this works
Ok I think I got it. still using photobucket .So we shall see.

So I think I have about 150 lbs of the old rock in here The entire system has 198 gls. I have a good amount of rock left but don't want to crowd the tank. I do have room for more if I want. I think I can come up with other methods of nutrient export. Like Good sized refugium or scrubber Biopellet reactor ect.
I have 3 separate rock piles with plenty of free space. I really like how it looks & very pleased !

I like the scape. It looks really majestic!

 

[cracker]

Good evening ! So it's been a week since adding the Lr . I ran the 1st tests last night
Am, 0
No2, 0
No3, 1
I put sand & 46 lbs of dry base and salt Last November. I have been feeding a little bit since then. Mostly the left over's from the 75. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I can add a couple of bait shrimp & start a strong cycle.or just feed it a little more each time ,keeping track of the N03. Any Op's ? Thank's

 

[cracker]

Installed 3 Chinese 65 watt fixtures I had in storage. I was surprised by the amount of light I got. I have since turned them way down. I will run them for just a couple hours in the evening to see in there. I have the back of the tank covered so no natural light from the window And very little light from windows at the other end of the room. 21 feet away.

 

[cracker]

Tonight I tested fro Am,No2&N03. I,m trying to kick start a cycle. Not sure if I would call it a "strong"cycle. By that I mean adding a lot of shrimp to get a lot of Ammonia. I'm using oyster in this case. The 1st chunk took a while to disintegrate, the 2nd went a lot quicker. so I have been ghost feeding for some months . Added sand and dry base fall of last year. Still no AM but did see nitrite
and a little nitrate.
Am 0
No2 .
No3 1
I'm kinda at a loss right now.The tank may have slightly cycled over the months . Also I have no idea what adding over 100 lbs of cooked Lr has changed things and where to go from here. I don't want to blow this very important time in this tank's life. Any OP's ? Thanks !
ps I'm going to reread Prow's cycling thread. That has a lot of very good info .

 

[cracker]

added more oyster until I decide where to go at this point. This will be a fish only with a few softies down the road. I'm tired of the Man at my LFS saying " That isn't reef safe" . This tank will be not safe reef fish !
For the 1st fishes I want 3 bannerfish,sold under the name of Heniochus. My research tells be the difference between the 2 is very difficult to tell.

 

[mr_tap_water]

just to give you some idea ,
There is at least four different types of Bannerfish under the name of Heniochus,
The first one Can grow to 10 inches and is not reef safe, The second one can grow up to 8 inches for reefs with caution, The third one grows up to 7 inches and is not Reef safe, and the last one out of the four can go up to 8 inches and is the only one they class as reef safe.

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[cracker]

Thanks mr tap didn't know they got that large. Guess I didn't do enough research !

 

[mr_tap_water]

Thanks mr tap didn't know they got that large. Guess I didn't enough research !

You're welcome .
They probably won't reach that size.


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[cracker]

Thanks again, So now I have the task of working out a fish list. I've seen banners in large aquariums at say a restaurant & at the lfs. I like the look and schooling behavior. They appear to be fairly hardy and a good 1st choice.

 

[mr_tap_water]

Thanks again, So now I have the task of working out a fish list. I've seen banners in large aquariums at say a restaurant & at the lfs. I like the look and schooling behavior. They appear to be fairly hardy and a good 1st choice.

This is just my opinion but if you really like them you should go for it, but some may advise against it,
Also have you looked at the pyramids butterfly's Worth Considering to.


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[cracker]

Hello mrtap I'm not familiar with thes fish . I'll check it. Thanks. I know The Man at my LFS will special order. for certasin customers. I should be on that list.considering how much $$$ I spend there !

 

[cracker]

As You may know, I've been cycling this tank for months kinda. I had 46 lbs of dry base. filled it up with saltwater hooked up ato started running the pumps etc. THe tank run this way for over 6 months Then about a month ago I added the over 100 lbs of "cooked" rock(in dark barrels). I started heavier feeding & tested. No am ,no no2, a little no3 . So I added a pair of clowns. It was an impulse buy & not wise. So anyway a couple days later I had slight Ammonia! A couple of big water changes took care of that. I thought the tank had cycled enough for fish.. I was certainly wrong. I saw a tiny bit of pale HA. I took these small pieces of rock and scrubbed. Also it's been lights out since. I have the Back of the tank blacked out & very little light makes it into the front. Like right at twilight.
I already have a couple of fish in it. So now I have to "slowly" cycle this tank. It will take a long time which I have. I just feed the clowns a couple of times a day now. & I will keep testing every 2 days or so.
All I did by adding these fish was make this 100 times more complicated ! Lesson learned "NO Impulse buys " ! Any OPinions would be appreciated .

Testing right now I will post results in 30 mins or so.

 

[mr_tap_water]

Hi there
If I was in your shoes now and you say it's been a few months and still not cycle properly I would want to be speeding things up now , I would take the two fish out and take them back to the shop They could even look after them or you could get credit back on them ,
then I would buy some Colony by ATM this will cycle your tank within a few days when you're ready to go.


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[cracker]

Good evening everybody, I figured it was time to drop in. There's really nothing to new. The pair of clowns are eating well & hanging out around their rock pile. I'm feeding the tank pretty heavy,( more than the fish eat) There was no way I could physically remove them from the tank. so I'm slooowly trying to cycle this tank. I got all the time I need to do this. I moniter AM, NO2 & 3 every 3 days or so. The only changes are the nitrates are slowly rising. I run 1 light about 4 hours a day. I did see a tiny bit of very pale ha trying to get a start so they get no light. That has been a while since. Like I was saying no big news. I think I should wait till I get a good amount of No3 before I do a water change. Not sure where to go at this point. Thanks !

 

[cracker]

OK, I have a change, something new ! So last night I was doing the usual Am, No2, No3 tests, Thetre was a good 2 or 3 Am ! So instead of freaking & doing water changes I waited 24 hours. So just now it's back to ZERO ! That's a good sign right ?At least there was enough good bacteria to take up the AM quickly.