Oleo's RSM130d..starting from zero.

[Oleo1975]

I just bought a RSM 130d a few weeks ago and trying to get it going. I have my bucket filling right now with fresh RO water and my live sand and salt mix should be here in 2 days. I decided to go with Coral Pro Salt and CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink sand. I bought some live rock but after hearing some horror stories about HH I decided to let it sit in the sun for a few days and kill everything off. I found a link to the pump upgrade from RSM, that shipped last week. So hopefully I will be ready to start my first cycle in 3 days.
I look forward to using this form, tons of info.

 

[goma]

Looks like you've made some pretty good choices. You're gonna love that tank and you've chosen a good salt mix. Looking forward to seeing some pics.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Cheers for starting a new tank thread & sharing your tank with us so we can follow along - we love pics

 

[Oleo1975]

Ok, salt mix and sand got here last night so I finished up getting everything set and filled. The rocks didn't go in the tank as I had them arranged on the floor (probably never do), but I like the look and hope it will workout ok. I'll post pics soon as I get that technical part figured out

 

[goma]

Many members here use photobucket for hosting their pics:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...ay-post-pics-photobucket-nanoreefing4fun.html

 

[Oleo1975]

Thanks Goma...now I just need 5 posts......there that should do it

 

[goma]

Nice rock work! Caves are always good to have!

 

[jrbass]

Looks great! I like the sand you picked cause that's what I picked when I first setup my tank in Feb. However since then I have been nothing but frustrated with how fine and lightweight it was and having a pistol shrimp just made it worse. Cloudy water and all so last week I actually removed all of it that I could and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and you guessed it rinsed a bag of spec grade reef sand and replaced my sand bed and couldn't be happier. Just a thought cause that sand is so fine if you get an MP10 like most of us do it will blow it everywhere.

 

[Oleo1975]

Thanks Jr, Yes I quickly discovered that when I added it to the tank it was very fine. I mixed most of my salt water up, then added the sand as I was making the RO in small batches. I read that someone here added the next coarse into this mix and has had good success, however I added both 20 lb bags(40# total) so I don't know if I should remove some now or wait..........figure I have a while to figure it out.

 

[jrbass]

Thanks Jr, Yes I quickly discovered that when I added it to the tank it was very fine. I mixed most of my salt water up, then added the sand as I was making the RO in small batches. I read that someone here added the next coarse into this mix and has had good success, however I added both 20 lb bags(40# total) so I don't know if I should remove some now or wait..........figure I have a while to figure it out.

To be honest if you are really thinking about the switch the time is now. Before your cycle! Before Hundreds in Coral and Hundreds in Livestock. A $45ish dollar bag of sand! Trust me I said rinse and rinse and rinse because I was so afraid of throwing my tank into another cycle when making the switch. I ended up using 25 gallons of RO water to do final rinsing of the sand after using a garden house to do the intial rinsing of sediment. Just my opinion not trying to tell you to do it. My tank is less than a year old and I am learning new and great things here on a Daily basis from ALL of these great educated and trial by fire people!:fingerx:

 

[Oleo1975]

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Tanks has cleared up a lot.


I couldn't wait....went and bought 10 small hermits and rearranged the rocks to make them more stable. Cleaned the "foam" filters out that were saturated in sand dust from adding the sand after the water was already in. I think I'm going to see how this sand does, I add the pump upgrade and so far it's all cleared up.

 

[Oleo1975]

Well I hit the week mark. N3 has almost spiked. N2 is 0 and ph is normal. So hopefully another week and we can start adding some life to this thing.

Hermit crabs are doing well and my kids are getting more excited now that there is some movement.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

After seeing them rise, when your ammonia hits zero & your nitrites hit zero - do a 30 to 50% water change & your ready to add cuc, 1st coral, 1st fish

Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change.

 

[Oleo1975]

Nano, So If I understand correctly. Today my Ammonia is at zero and Nitrite are at zero, However my Nitrates (NO3)are still climbing, so I should do a water change and i'm good to add one fish and one coral? Sorry this is all Greek to me.....

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Correct

You can add a cuc (clean up crew) like snails - bio positive

a coral - pretty bio- neutral - then even one every week or so...

fish = bio load one a month or a pair once a month - go slow adding fish...

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

You did see your ammonia rise & then fall & then your nitrites rise & then fall, before your nitrates started rising, correct ? If not, your tank may still not have cycled & needs an ammonia source, like a rotting shrimp. If you saw the above, do a large water change & you should be good to go, just go slow adding fish and start 15% weekly water changes & start running some chemical filtration - like chemi pure elite & purigen

 

[Oleo1975]

So I wasn't testing my Ammonia levels It's now at zero, however I don't know if it ever rose? Any ideas? Should I hold off on the the livestock and add a shrimp first? Although this morning I did see some brown colored alge growing on the inlet cup?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

You can never go wrong adding a deli shrimp, it's just like when a fish dies in the rockscape & rots, if your tanks ready to go, it will handle it - to be sure & safe, add one & mush him up a bit to speed up the rotting & test for another week.

if you want to go the speculative route, if you saw nitrites, that is what the ammonia converts too, so you can be fairly assured you just missed the ammonia spike

a great read...
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...something-cycling-breaking-new-reef-tank.html

and one tip every experienced sw reefer agrees on...

A collection of sw reefing tips for success - can you spot the recurring theme?

Be Patient. Ecosystems do not develop over night!
Go Slow, relax and enjoy every step of the process.
Have lots of patience, don't rush it.
Nothing good ever happens fast in a saltwater tank.
Learn the art of GO S-L-O-W!! patience will be your biggest virtue.
Just remember to go slow and do your research
Go slow....slower than you think
The trick is to go slow...
The best advice anyone here has give me is GO SLOW
Rules for Reef tanks 1. Go SLow 2. Go slow 3. GO slow
Nothing happens fast in a salt tank except bad things so go slow
The biggest advice that I could give you is that you should go very slow
Just go slow. Slow, slow, slow is my best advise
Go slow and do things right and your setup will thank you for it later
Remember the number one rule of reefing,,GO SLOW...
Go slow and enjoy..never rush any decisions ever..do nothing on impulse.
Go slow, and during that time, read, and practice the maintenance routines of water changes
A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash
"gospel" of reef tanks ... go slow...

 

[Oleo1975]

OK.....this whole patents is a virtue it totally going to the extreme with these things!! Just did a 20% water change and everything is at zero...so I'm off to the LFS to score me a clown fish......

 

[Oleo1975]

Well I got a good looking clown last night. The LFS told me he was a "picasso". I think that just means more money.....but he looked the best of what they had. They had no coral (except mushrooms that were unimpressive)so there is a private individual that is about 30 min away who sells frags. I might try and get one today to add. Here are some updated photos....he wasn't very good at holding still so they aren't the best.

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