50g FOWLR Setup

[CMG]

I got a TDS meter today in the mail that I ordered on ebay.Put it under the sink and got around 257-260. Then in my tank I got no reading. Maybe that means 0 because the same thing happened in my bucket of RO water. It doesnt say 0 though, it just doesnt give a reading. Weird.

I didnt do much today since I was busy trying to sell my 55g and stand to a guy who ended up not even taking it. Wanted it for his snake. I will re-arrange the light bulbs in the morning and do a water change too. OOOOOOOOO.....plus I got two visa gift cards at work today and the fiance is going out of town in the am so guess who is going to the LFS BABY!!!!!! haha.

[JoJo]

hey i see you've been busy. i didnt know you had to acclimate fish to lighting as well. glad to hear you're not getting a reading on or water, i think.

[tbittner]

JoJo, his tank isn't a FOWLR anymore. He has corals now. Big surprise, eh?

A lot of us have done that, CMG. I just wanted a couple of beautiful, colorful saltwater fish.

[JoJo]

disregard tha last post, i thought i read that he was acclimating a cardinal to the lighting, thats what happens when you party until 2am then have to get up at 7am because 3 dogs think they're alarm clocks!

[CMG]

hahahahaha....we have an alarm clock cat....4am sharp

I wanted to change the title of my chronicle since it says FOWLR in it and it should be more general like Chirs's Chronicle or something. Anywyas, my tank is now partially reef since mushrooms and zoanthids are in there now. Thats why I am putting in the sump/fuge, which I think we should do even if we had fish only since the chaeto will help eat the nutrients and the reverse lighting will maintaine the ph. I mean the whole point of this hobby is to try and provide a good-perfect living environment regardless of what creatures they are.

OK well hope everyone is having a good weekend, I still await my package containing my overflow & testing kits. Got a test tomorrow for graduating college. Called the WEPT. Its a writting proficiency exam to make sure us degree holders can write Korektly and all that good stuff. If I dont pass I cant gradimatate!

[JoJo]

yea, kim has a fat cat that plop on the bed about 6am, i kick her off she starts "singing" feed me, & then the dogs start barking....its a chain reaction.

good luck with the studying & the test

[CMG]

I did my first calcium test today. Here are my results for all tests done today.

Calcium 420-440 ppm
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Salinity 1.026
PH 8.3
Alk 5.5

So according to these tests my alk is too high and my calcium is decent but not the greatest. i think I read that 450 ppm is what you want for calcium and absolute minimum is 400 ppm. And I read that alk should be 2.5-4.5 and mine is 5.5. I see a lot of stuff about how to raise alk but not how to lower it. So I am just going to go with it for now and see how it fluctuates.

[JoJo]

hmmm.... i wonder if wonder if water changes lower your alk. someone who knows about this stuff will chime in

[CMG]

Ok, so heres the last 24 hrs update:

Woke up to what appears to be a sick green clown goby. Looks like he got a sun burn and is now peeling?? I posted in the Saltwater Fish / Desease section but only one person replied to my horrible blurry photos. I have prepped a QT tank for him and will try and put him in there after this post.

Got some stuff in the mail as you can see below. An Eshopps overflow, Phosphate test kit, phosphate filter pad, and lock line to pvc fitting (I think).
Grrrrr..hang on photobucket isnt working....ok:

Is this the piece I need for attaching the PVC to the locline??


Here is the total package:


I am assuming this is how it fits together since there were no directions!

[tbittner]

Pic #1, yes. It will screw into the either a 3/4" or a 1/2" threaded pvc connector. You locline attaches to it.

Pic #3 yes. I can't tell but make sure the gasket is on the inside of the overflow box. The filter slides down over the pipe in the overflow box. Make sure you pull that filter out and clean it each and every week once you have this up and running.

[JoJo]

i hate when there's no instructions, i guess they assume we're men & we're just going to throw them away.

congrats on the HOB overflow, can you take pics of the loc-line assembly, i've never seen it being installed

[CMG]

Originally Posted by tbittner

Pic #1, yes. It will screw into the either a 3/4" or a 1/2" threaded pvc connector. You locline attaches to it.

Pic #3 yes. I can't tell but make sure the gasket is on the inside of the overflow box. The filter slides down over the pipe in the overflow box. Make sure you pull that filter out and clean it each and every week once you have this up and running.

#1: thank you.

#2: is the gasket the rubber thingy that looks like a big washer or donut? If it is then yes, I put it on the inside. Also the threading on this thing is huge! I hope the pvc connector that attaches here will fit onto a 1" inch pvc pipe.

Jojo: I will take a picture of the loc line when I get this up and running. Unfortunately I have my monthly military drill for the marines so I am leaving tomorrow and wont be home until sunday so this wont get started until next week. grrrrrrr....

[CMG]

Also, I was not planning on leaving the overflow pipe like that. i want to make a J out of it with a pvc peice, apparently this really helps with noises. So I may end up cutting the prefilter thingy to fit that, but I may not use the pre filter, maybe instead I will use some phosphate padding to get rid of phosphates in my water?

Any thoughts on these two ideas?

So here are my first two corals ever!! I got them at the LFS with my nifty gift cards:

Fungia during the day:


Expanded at night about double size:


Bubble Coral:

[tbittner]

Beautiful Corals!

Be careful with your hands around that bubble though, they have a very potent sting.

[CMG]

Originally Posted by tbittner

Beautiful Corals!

Be careful with your hands around that bubble though, they have a very potent sting.

Wow I had no idea! thank you. I dont remember my book mentioning that, I will have to go back and look. I am very proud of them though. I watched the fungia eat the other day. Soooooo awsome to watch.