Anh's RSM 250

[anheezy]

After being out of the hobby for 10+ years i decided to take a plunge back into this, hair pulling, just sitting in place glaring, pocket book draining, wet hobby. Some call me an addict at things and I would have to agree, I have spent countless of hours roaming the forums this past month before i pulled the trigger. So with everyone's guidance, advice, and opinions, i would like to start a build thread. First ever, so bear with me. I wont put too many pictures of the actual building process since this is a red sea max owners club and we all own pretty much the same start up equipment. So here it is on its 10th day cycling still patiently waiting with 2 dead tiger prawn shrimp (only ones i had in the freezer at the time).

Parameters currently:
Temp: 80-83
Salinity: 1.025
Ph: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrite: 2.5 - 5ppm
Nitrate: 20ppm -90ppm ( Isn't this a little too high, should i be doing water changes during the cycling process?)

Thank you all in advance for any opinions, advice, or guidance.

 

[goma]

Welcome! Nice job on the rockwork!

Watch for the ammonia to soar then fall to zero, then the nitrites soar & then fall to zero, then the nitrates soar, once this happens, do water changes to get rid of the nitrates.

 

[Putt]

I'm new also and finished cycle about one month ago, during cycle I had nitrates over 100ppm. I now understand that nitate test will show high if you have nitrites, the test are very similar. When my nitrites dropped to "0", my nitrate test dropped to about 20ppm. After water changes down to 5ppm. After four days on CPE and Purigen, nitrate "0". Don't bother testing nitrates until nitrites have dropped. If someone says I’m wrong, follow their advice, they are probably right. Good luck and have fun, the people on this forum have many combined years of reef keeping experience, do as they say, things were good when I did, no so good when I thought they can't be right....they were.

 

[goma]

Good luck and have fun, the people on this forum have many combined years of reef keeping experience, do as they say, things were good when I did, no so good when I thought they can't be right....they were.

Nicely said, I think we've all been down this path!

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary and the RSM Club, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Congrats on the new 250 - great start & beautiful rock & scape ! Thanks for starting a tank thread - sound to me like your cycle is progressing nicely

 

[anheezy]

Thanks guys! Took me three tries to get it where the aquascape is at now. I kinda just pushed the rocks until i felt pressure from the glass. Should i be glueing it if i want it to be permanent? Will snails or anything else push it over? Putt i was also thinking about getting a intank media basket but also was thinking about picking up a sump and refugium setup. How do you like you're media basket? Are you ever thinking of upgrading to a sump and refugium? I am currently looking at the life reef filter system.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

My rocks are just stacked, no crashes so far

Stevie media basket works great, many of us run them... with a sump, I don't think you would need one though...

 

[goma]

Yep, if you go sump you won't need the media basket.

My rocks are also just stacked, not glued. You'll end up changing them 3 or 4 times over the next few months so gluing now would be a bad thing.