ReefGuy's 55gal Journal

[ReefGuy69]

Well Premium Aquatics called me and worked out the shipping of the Rock with me. Its going out on next Wednesday so i should get it Thu/Fri. I picked up some stuff at the LFS today. I think i got all the test kits i need. I have Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites, PH, Phosphates, and Calc. They didnt have an Alkalinity kit, but i think thats one i will need as well. any others or should that be good for now?

I added some sand to my fuge and my tank went cloudy so it isnt as fun to stare at. I thought the entire time i had a hard chunk of sand in the live sand bag but it turned out to be chunks of coral. So im basically going to use it as rubble for the fuge. It was a nice suprise. I got my temp hovering around 77.5 with all the lights off. So when lights are on it will probably be around 78ish... I got all my wiring set (tucked away neatly). Oh i bought a filter bag to polish off the water as well and i figure it will catch alot of the junk from the rock once i get it in my tank and start cycling. I know it will be a pain to keep changing but it will keep the water looking clean.
Sunday im going to paint the back black.

Now i just wait... wait...wait... for my rock.

[framerguy]

This is VERY exciting! Looking foreward to the blossoming. Paste some photos to the front of the tank to help with the imagination, and give the wife something to look at.

One thing. Tropic Marin Pro is a salt designed for aged, established tanks, so you will need it later but not now. Get some less expensive salt and save the TM for down the road. JMO. Save money where you can, ya know. Good luck!

[ReefGuy69]

Yeah i thought of that after the fact with the Pro Marine Salt. Im going to use it until its gone. its a 5 gal bucket. Next time im going with just the Tropic Marine Salt and save the $10-$20 difference. And like you said once more established i will upgrade the salt. Im nervous in curing the rock in my tank. Some ppl say to do so because then you have your skimmer and heaters and everything handy, and others say do it in a bin... I want to do it in the tank so i can observe the rock and get rid of pests and try to save certian things if i can and i want to cycle my tank with it as well so it wouldnt make since to cycle in a bin and then do a 2nd cycle in the tank. I have patience but that is pushing it. LOL

[framerguy]

The main objection with curing in the tank is due to the way you have to stack the rock so that there is room around,above,and below each rock which makes for precarious positioning which could lead to avalanches. In a glass aquarium that could be disasterous. I haven't heard of another objection. Be VERY careful placing the rock to avoid breaking the tank and you can do it. Using a layer of eggcrate to make shelves between layers of rock should accomplish a couple of things; circulation and stability. If you are really industrious you can make sides also and basically make eggcrate "boxes". Just some simple tips to help out.

I would still buy a less expensive salt like Seachem Reef, Kent, Instant Ocean or a few others. We're talking less than 1/2 the cost of TMpro. we're talking $40 vs $100! The TMpro will keep 'til you're ready for it. JMO again. Later..

[ReefGuy69]

oh i see. yeah i can always get a cheap bucket of IO for now. I didnt think of that. I have epoxy i am going to use to bond the rock together. I think they call it aqua stix or something. I have sand on the bottom and i will be careful with the sides. if thats the only problem then it seems like curing in the tank is the way to go. Im going to use 4 inch PVC pipe cut into the same depth as my sand sections to help keep the rocks like 1/4 inch or less of the sand as well as provide supports incase anything shifts the sand around the rock will stay put. Ive had avalanches before and i dont want to do that again. Im Doing it right the first time.

[ReefGuy69]

here are the latest pics of the tank. And by the way the GFI i have saved my life today. I was changing the filter bag and water accidently shot out of the drain tube and got on my powerstrip. I felt a slight tingle just as the GFI tripped. My wife was sleeping so i would have had no one to help me.
But here are the pics.

Full tank shot


Full tank w/ White lights


Full tank w/ Blue lights


Return Area W/ heaters and ATO in place and working


And this is one of the pieces of coral i though was hardend sand in the live sand bag i ordered. Its now in my fuge. Its my pod hotel. Im thinking of drilling 1000 tiny holes in it. Like pores. for them to hide in.


Well i am off to post my picture in the mugshot thread, it seems to be the in thing to do. LOL

[ReefGuy69]

Did a pre test on the water in my tank. I didnt doubt Tropic Marines salt but this is just a precaution. I have to make sure everything is right before i get my feet to wet. All readings for Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, were 0. PH was 8.3 and calcium was at 380 and Phosphates were at 0. Everything looks good to me. Temp fluctuates about 2 degrees from lights off at night to Lights on mid day. Went from 76.9 to 78.4. it was over an 8 hour period so i dont think thats bad. Still waiting for my rock... Anyone have suggestions on Curing Live Rock... I have a feeling im going to be taking alot of pictures for you all on what i should save and what i should ditch.

[Craig Manoukian]

Do a search for the LR curing subject here and you'll have tons of material to review and then condense to specific questions! Good luck and it sounds like your off to a good start!

[ReefGuy69]

Ok so ive done research on curing live rock. This is what i have decided. Please chime in or correct me if i am doing something wrong. When my rock arrives im going to dip in Mixed water with a salinty of 1.030 to hopfully get any bristol worms and Mantis out of the rock (Will have pliars and tweezers on hand and a hammer if i see a mantis..LOL) Then its going in the tank. Im going to do aggressive skimming and little to no lighting (Except when i want to day dream about what its going to look like in a year). Im planning on doing 50% water change each week. Probably two 25 % water changes. One on Wednesdays and One on Sundays (My two days off from work). Im probably going to periodically run carbon as well. The only quesiton i have is someone mentioned about keeping PH stable and i should have a buffer on hand. I dont... I have Kalkawalser and i can drip that if needed. would that work? that is the only part i dont know what to do. Then i will test for Amm and Trites to be at 0. once they are then i know the cycle has completed. I will probably wait another week to be sure and then start adding some hardy stuff.

[Craig Manoukian]

Don't do any water changes until the cycle is complete and you are in the nitrate stage. Bristle worms are very beneficial sand stirring detrivores so I wouldn't remove any but very large ones.

Be on the watch for crabs as well as mantis.

[goldenmean]

doing water changes - especially large ones - while your tank is cycling will greatly increase the time it takes to cycle. As Craig said don't do any water changes until ammonia and Nitrites are 0 and you just have nitrates left. I wouldn't run carbon during the cycle either. I dont think you need to worry about ph fluctuations during the cycle either. You can monitor that after you start adding livestock but you are using a good salt and weekly 10% WC should keep your ph level. After you have cycled add your clean up crew. Then you can start adding the hardy corals

[Witfull]

get a few 2 liter bottles of selzer water. poue into holes in the rock. crabs and mantis hate it and makes them jump out.

also get a few stick up air fresheners. curing rock may be olfactory offensive.

[ReefGuy69]

Ok thanks for the advice. I have plenty of air freshners. I did read it gets stinky but i dont think im prepared for how stinky. I guess i will get to find out thou. Lucky me. Im leaving the stink part out when talking to my wife on what to expect. I plan on sleeping on the couch for a few nights (Which is by the tank, he he he). Now if i am trying to save as much as i can on the rock wouldnt i want to do more water changes even though it will take longer for the rock to cycle? and since im trying to save as much as i can will seltzer water kill everything or its just an annoyance for crabs and shrimp? oh and how do i get a cool looking link as my signature for my tank chronical?

[Craig Manoukian]

Dennis,

Seltzer water is an irritant that will make shrimps, crabs, and other inverts abate their homes in the rock. Pour over a seperate bucket to collect the critters. You can place the good critters back in the tank and the bad guys can go in the sump or any other place you have in mind.

[ReefGuy69]

ok thanks.. I dont mind alot of the critters. Im just not for bristol worms and mantis shrimp. ya know things that can sting you, or bite your thumb off and stuff like that.