HELP! I'm just starting my saltwater tank..
AKA DiLLy DiLL
I purchased a 55 gallon, with stand, filter, skimmer.. EVERYTHING.. even an
unopened bucket of salt.. for $265!! I have it all setup and running. I have
added Kalkwasser, reef builder and calcium chloride to the tank. It has been
up and running for about 24 hours now. my only question is what should I do
now? Should I just wait for the water to run for awhile.. should I add
anything else?? I have a test kit with all the tests in it.. but as of right
now, I don't know what I should be looking for when I test it. I mean I know
how to read the meter..but I guess I don't know what I am suppossed to do if
the level isn't in the range it should be. I really appreciate any help ya'll
could give me. I was referred here from the guy I bought it from, and I can
bet you'll be seeing much more of my girlfriend and I. I hope to put up some
pics once its all going. sorry, 1 more thing.. my protein skimmer.. I don't
see any bubbles going up into the the chamber. I feel the motor is warm, so
I'm pretty sure its working. Is there a way I can find out forsure, without
taking it all the way out? Thanks again
-Dylan
Dragon Slayer
ahead of your horse already, your adding things that you don't need to add
this soon. do your homework, it will make for a more pleasant experience in
the long run.
"AKA DiLLy DiLL" <akadil...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030531212959...@mb-m05.aol.com...
AKA DiLLy DiLL
anything good to read that will help me out?
Thanks!
Richard Reynolds
know what your doing.
the only thing i would test tonight is your salinity dont let it change fast, and make
sure its in the 1.024 ~ 1.026 opinions float around but it should be stable and somewhere
in there, if its not make very very slow changes now to adjust it i wouldnt change more
than 0.001 in a 12 hour period only bad things happen fast so take it extra slow.
after its been up a week ish, test everything and post the results and one of the many
people here can help you to make sure everything is running nicely
as for the skimmer there should be 2 parts one should be full of water and have tons of
white bubles in it, the other as the tank has been moved might not be functioning it might
take a few hours/days to settle down. it would help to know what brand/model skimmer you
got so we can help you more.
--
Richard Reynolds
Richard....@usa.net
"AKA DiLLy DiLL" <akadil...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030531215812...@mb-m05.aol.com...
Marc Levenson
Congratulations on your new tank (great deal!) and welcome to the hobby. Feel
free to ask questions, but also use the search feature in Google to find answers
that have been posted before. It is a nice way to find answers immediately,
instead of waiting until a reply is posted.
http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search?hl=en Just fill in some blanks,
and away you go. :)
Here is something I just put together, to give you a brief overview of what you
are dealing with today, learning how it all works:
http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/melevsreef/overview.htm
It talks about equipment and general info.
Feel free to visit my site for pictures and information.
http://www.melevsreef.com Be sure to click on "Marc's Helpful Links" as well, as
there is a lot of good subject matter listed by topic.
Here's another handy thing to read about setting up a saltwater tank, courtesy of
reefcentral.com:
http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1
It's about 9 pages long, but definitely worth reading at this point, to get your
more familiar with what is to come.
So let me make sure we know where you are at this point. You have a 55g set up in
your home, and it is filled with saltwater, and you have a protein skimmer.
You do not have any sand, rock, a heater, no fish, no crabs, no corals, nothing,
right?
What is the type of skimmer do you have?
What is your water source that you have chosen to use? Tapwater? Reverse
Osmosis? Distilled?
Do you know what you want to eventually see in your tank?
What kind of lights do you have, or will you be buying?
Marc
AKA DiLLy DiLL wrote:
--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com
AKA DiLLy DiLL
going to ask the guy to come over and just make sure I have it setup right.
I went ahead and tested the salinity.. and it measures about 1.020-1.021. Is
that normal for after one day? What do I need to do to get it to the correct
level?
Thanks!
-Dylan
AKA DiLLy DiLL
you put together about Finding Nemo.. that and the one on reef central, I
already have printed out to refer to ;)
Heres what I already have going...
55 gallon tank with crushed coral on the bottom. Below the tank, I have this
big clear *box* type thing. It has 3 chambers to is. The far left, has a hose
going into it, which comes from the overflow area. Also in that part of the
chamber is where a long tube rests' in, with a smaller chamber on top of that.
From that chamber, water flows into the middle chamber. There is white foam on
top, then it drips down through bioballs and into the bottom of that chamber,
where I have my heater. From there, the water passes through a sponge, into
the 3rd chamber. There I have a sump, which pumps the water up to a wave
generator *thing* resting on the back of my tank.
As far as the water, I used tapwater which I added chlorine remover to after I
put it in the tank (My LFS said that would be fine, only when starting my
tank). For lights, I have Dual bulb tank light with 1 actinic, and 1 full
spectrum bulb.
As far as what will I have... I have NO clue. I'm not thinking that far ahead
yet.. or should I be?
To give you a better idea of what all I have.. heres a link>>>>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20755&item=2324987883
Thanks for everything!
-Dylan
Richard Reynolds
you might consider removal of the crushed coral while now its no bigie down the road it
may become more of a pita than its worth, bump the salinity up by adding more salt, a
little at a time, mix and retest if its high add fresh water (declorinated), what
replacement sump pump did you get ??? dont add things like calcium/ buffers and such until
you have something to consume it, i took a guess that you had livestock as you stated the
owner said to add those things, an empty tank doesnt need them.
if you are going to be making this into a reef, remove the bio balls, if its a FO leave
them, or if it will have LR added at a very slow rate leave it in, and remove it as you
add LR
do try and find out what kind of skimmer it is, go to one of many online places
drsfostersmith.com
fishsupply.com
.... in no order
and search for there skimmers, comparing to yours.
--
Richard Reynolds
Richard....@usa.net
"AKA DiLLy DiLL" <akadil...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030601000954...@mb-m05.aol.com...
Marc Levenson
Thank you for that link. That is perfect to give us a perfect view of what you have now.
Because the tank is empty, devoid of life basically, I'd go ahead and increase your salinity. We (or at least I'll say me for sure!) like to get as close to Natural Sea Water (NSW) for our (my) tanks. When you read your hydrometer, the glass floating tool that determines how much salt is in your water, you want the water's temperature to be about 78 degrees. Looking at the hydrometer in water, you'll notice the water curls up the edges of the glass a little bit. You want to ignore the curl, and visualize a straight line with the water's true level, to determine which mark is the one that represents your "specific gravity" or salinity. I'd raise this to 1.026.
Because there are no fish or creatures in the tank, you can just add a little saltwater (mixed to 1.026 each day as water evaporates from your tank. Within a week, your salinity will be up. After you reach the right reading, you *only* add fresh water without salt to replace what has evaporated. Salt stays in the tank, water evaporates. Of course, take a moment each week to verify the salinity is unchanged. Better safe than sorry.
I'll comment more in your paragraphs below.....
AKA DiLLy DiLL wrote:
Hey and thanks for all that good info. I had already read that AWESOME page
you put together about Finding Nemo.. that and the one on reef central, I
already have printed out to refer to ;)
Good! Glad that helps. :)
55 gallon tank with crushed coral on the bottom. Below the tank, I have this
big clear *box* type thing. It has 3 chambers to is. The far left, has a hose
going into it, which comes from the overflow area. Also in that part of the
chamber is where a long tube rests' in, with a smaller chamber on top of that.
From that chamber, water flows into the middle chamber. There is white foam on
top, then it drips down through bioballs and into the bottom of that chamber,
where I have my heater. From there, the water passes through a sponge, into
the 3rd chamber. There I have a sump, which pumps the water up to a wave
generator *thing* resting on the back of my tank.
First of all, you got a pre-drilled tank. Very very nice. Even I, Mr Melev, don't have a drilled tank at this point. <grin> You are ahead of the game. The box is a wet/dry combo sump, with a built in skimmer. That little thing *will* work, but it won't work well, in my humble opinion. I had one just like it for a while on my 55g (go to that page on my site, and you'll see a picture of it, before I build my "mega sump"). I'd like to suggest that you think about saving up for an Aqua C Remora Pro. You might buy one used, btw, because people always upgrade. The "Pro" is rated for a tank up to 125g, so you'll be able to use it now, as well as in the future if you go a little larger. I recommend a good skimmer that is rated over your own tank size, so it will do a good job and not just an okay job.
I have a Remora on my 29g, and a Aqua C Ev-200 (rated for 200g) on my 55g.
I don't like Bioballs, and don't recommend them because they create nitrates. That is their job. And while nitrates are not toxic to fish, like ammonia or nitrites are, they are toxic to invertibrates, which includes, snails, crabs, shrimp, anemones, etc... so we endeavor to keep Nitrates at 20ppm or less. Water changes will keep them down, but bio-balls create them, so it can be a losing battle. Your better choice will be to start buying Cured Live Rock, which is full of critters that you can stare at with fascination and wonder, and it will denitrify your tank when when you aren't looking. <grin>
Crushed Coral is considered a no-no, unless this is going to be a fish-only tank. However, that being said, my 29g reef is sitting on CC that is 4.5 years old, and the tank is gorgeous. I vacuum the CC about 4 times a year, reaching whatever I can, and ignoring what I can't. You can use your CC, which looks nice, but it will not remove nitrates from your water like Live Sand can. That is why we encourage Deep Sand Beds for reef tanks. You can't ever vacuum it, but it does remove nitrates automatically, as it is processed in the layers of sand. You see small bubbles on the surface of the sand, and those are nitrogen bubbles. They rise to the surface and pop, and remove a little more nitrate at a time. How cool is that? ;)
As far as the water, I used tapwater which I added chlorine remover to after I
put it in the tank (My LFS said that would be fine, only when starting my
tank). For lights, I have Dual bulb tank light with 1 actinic, and 1 full
spectrum bulb.
I'd recommend if you continue to use Tapwater, then buy a bottle of Seachem's Prime when you can. One capful to 5 gals of water will make it safe for your tank's inhabitants. However, tapwater can contain nitrates, chlorine, and phosphates. The first and last will encourage algae growth - not a good thing. Prime will remove the middle one, so no worries about that.
Your best choice is to get RO/Di water, and what I did was buy a unit that hangs in my laundry room. It makes pure water for the tank, and great drinking water for the household. Just think about it for now. I know you don't want to keep spending and spending right now. But this hobby is expensive, and certain things need to be done right to have success.
Your lighting is probably Normal Output, which is pretty weak. If you can describe the shape of the bulbs, or read any text (maybe on the spare set), we can determine that for a fact. More bulbs across the tank will open up possibilities for some really cool stuff!
As far as what will I have... I have NO clue. I'm not thinking that far ahead
yet.. or should I be?
Yep, you need to start thinking about what you want to see in your tank. And then I'd suggest you post those items, so we can tell you want is safe with what, what is aggressive, what hides a lot, what wreaks havoc, what is poisonous, etc... <grin>
To give you a better idea of what all I have.. heres a link>>>>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20755&item=2324987883Thanks for everything!
-Dylan
Marc
Thomas Bishop
Take it out now. Go to the lfs (that's local fish store) and buy enough
aragonite sand for 4-6"; someone can let you know how many pounds to buy.
If you plan to have corals then crushed coral is not recommended. For a
fish only you can get away with it, but not for a reef. Planning is
important. Decide if you will ever want corals; certain changes and
additions need to be made in order to have a healthy reef tank. Take Marc's
advice and search Google for "deep sand bed."
> Below the tank, I have this big clear *box* type thing. It has 3 chambers
to is.
It's called a sump. It's listed in the auction, fifth line down in the
inventory list.
> As far as the water, I used tapwater which I added chlorine remover to
after I
> put it in the tank (My LFS said that would be fine, only when starting my
> tank).
> For lights, I have Dual bulb tank light with 1 actinic, and 1 full
> spectrum bulb.
Again, plan ahead. You need to find out what wattage bulbs they are. I'm
almost certain it won't be enough to keep most corals. 4 watts per gallon
is a general guideline for a reef tank. Come to think of it, I've got a
light system (220 watts) that I had on my 55 for a few months. I'll sell it
to you if you want. I'm not telling you that you need more lighting so I
can sell mine. Whether you buy lights from me or from the LFS or online,
you need more if you want corals.
> As far as what will I have... I have NO clue. I'm not thinking that far
ahead
> yet.. or should I be?
Yes, you should be. It will save you much time and money in the long run.
> To give you a better idea of what all I have.. heres a link>>>>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20755&item=2324987883
Sounds like a good start. Along with those tests you'll also need ammonia
and nitrate tests immediately. Search Google for cycling.
Man, I need to finish the FAQ.
Marc Levenson
Thomas Bishop wrote:
> Man, I need to finish the FAQ.
LOL.
Marc, running off ....."tee hee hee..."
AKA DiLLy DiLL
all of this. I would rather start now, then have something happen in the long
run. I did get the skimmer working as well. Turns out there was some gunk
stuck in the propeller.
I decided to start with some argonite, and live sand on the bottom. Do you
think that will be fine if I'm planning on doing reef?
>That little thing *will* work, but
>it won't work well, in my humble opinion. I had one just like it for a while
>on my
>55g (go to that page on my site, and you'll see a picture of it, before I
>build my
>"mega sump"). I'd like to suggest that you think about saving up for an Aqua
>C
>Remora Pro.
I think I'll stick with my pump for now, and hopefully save up for a nicer one
down the road.
>I don't like Bioballs, and don't recommend them because they create nitrates.
>That
>is their job. And while nitrates are not toxic to fish, like ammonia or
>nitrites
>are, they are toxic to invertibrates, which includes, snails, crabs, shrimp,
>anemones, etc... so we endeavor to keep Nitrates at 20ppm or less. Water
>changes
>will keep them down, but bio-balls create them, so it can be a losing battle.
>Your
>better choice will be to start buying Cured Live Rock, which is full of
>critters
>that you can stare at with fascination and wonder, and it will denitrify your
>tank
>when when you aren't looking. <grin>
I read a few places that I should take out bioballs, as I add live rock. I
plan on staying with only the sand and argonite for a few weeks or so, until
all the readings are fine.. then adding a little bit of rock at a time.
>Crushed Coral is considered a no-no, unless this is going to be a fish-only
>tank.
What about having a small layer of coral on the bottom? Will that hurt
anything? Make it look nicer?
>
>Your lighting is probably Normal Output, which is pretty weak. If you can
>describe
>the shape of the bulbs, or read any text (maybe on the spare set), we can
>determine
>that for a fact. More bulbs across the tank will open up possibilities for
>some
>really cool stuff!
My lights are both Coralife. The first one is labeled: Coralife 50/50 6000K
Actinic FR40-T12-180 -BP This bulb has half normal looking light, and other
half a silver lining.
The other bulb is labeled: Coralife Actinic 03 F40-T12-BP
Am I going to need to upgrade right away, or will I be fine for a little
while??
>Yep, you need to start thinking about what you want to see in your tank. And
>then
>I'd suggest you post those items, so we can tell you want is safe with what,
>what
>is aggressive, what hides a lot, what wreaks havoc, what is poisonous, etc...
><grin>
>
Still deciding what to put it ;)
Thanks again!!
-Dylan
Marc Levenson
AKA DiLLy DiLL wrote:
> Thanks for all the info. I went ahead and decided to start over after reading
> all of this. I would rather start now, then have something happen in the long
> run. I did get the skimmer working as well. Turns out there was some gunk
> stuck in the propeller.
Yep, that is probably a little Rio powerhead powering that skimmer. You'll need
to clean it carefully about once a month.
> I decided to start with some argonite, and live sand on the bottom. Do you
> think that will be fine if I'm planning on doing reef?
Yes. Put 4" of aragonite, and then get some LS (Live Sand) from a local reefer or
from a refugium at the LFS (Local Fish Store). You'll only need 2 or 3 cups
worth, which you will pour into 3 small mounds on your aragonite. The LS will
spread and propagate slowly over time. This process will speed up as you add LR
(Live Rock) to your tank. In 6 months, you'll have a fully matured DSB going.
> I think I'll stick with my pump for now, and hopefully save up for a nicer one
> down the road.
I understand. You'll be surprised by the difference, when you get it later.
> I read a few places that I should take out bioballs, as I add live rock. I
> plan on staying with only the sand and argonite for a few weeks or so, until
> all the readings are fine.. then adding a little bit of rock at a time.
Since your tank is brand new and you have no creatures of any kind, just pull them
out now and don't worry about it. You will not develop nitrates in a tank full of
water. It occurs if you have bioballs, foam blocks, excessive feeding, tons of
fish 'poo'.... But just running a tank of saltwater with a starter DSB will not
create any issues at this point.
> What about having a small layer of coral on the bottom? Will that hurt
> anything? Make it look nicer?
You can, but it will settle through your sand over time. It has been said here
that the sharp edges of CC (crushed coral) can actually damage the little
creatures you want to live and breed in your sand.
> My lights are both Coralife. The first one is labeled: Coralife 50/50 6000K
> Actinic FR40-T12-180 -BP This bulb has half normal looking light, and other
> half a silver lining.
> The other bulb is labeled: Coralife Actinic 03 F40-T12-BP
>
> Am I going to need to upgrade right away, or will I be fine for a little
> while??
Those sound like VHO (Very High Output) to me, so you should be off to a good
start. Can you tell me what ballast you have running those bulbs? Is it perhaps
an IceCap ballast? If so, tell us the model #. My 55g came with an IceCap 430
and 2 bulbs, but that ballast can run 3 bulbs so I've got 330w of light over my
tank and my corals look very happy in there.
> Still deciding what to put it ;)
>
> Thanks again!!
>
> -Dylan
Okay, think away. :)
AKA DiLLy DiLL
>them
>out now and don't worry about it. You will not develop nitrates in a tank
>full of
>water. It occurs if you have bioballs, foam blocks, excessive feeding, tons
>of
>fish 'poo'.... But just running a tank of saltwater with a starter DSB will
>not
>create any issues at this point.
Does that mean it will create any issues at some point? I plan on letting the
DSB run for a few weeks.. then slowly starting to ad a couple pieces of live
rock at a time. Once I get all those in, is when I plan on adding fish. I
guess that last sentence just scared me a little bit ;) I'm a bit paranoid at
this point. I just want to do it right...
-Dylan
Marc Levenson
You've got the tank, and (soon?) you'll have all your sand in there. You must
seed your tank with LS (actual sand from a refugium at the LFS). Add your LR in a
few weeks, then wait a good month before you add your first fish. Seriously,
don't rush the beginning, because you don't want to throw your ecosystem out of
balance right off the bat.
During the few weeks you are waiting for things to "seed", your LR will be quite
entertaining, during the day time as well as at night (with a flashlight).
Marc
AKA DiLLy DiLL wrote:
> Does that mean it will create any issues at some point? I plan on letting the
> DSB run for a few weeks.. then slowly starting to ad a couple pieces of live
> rock at a time. Once I get all those in, is when I plan on adding fish. I
> guess that last sentence just scared me a little bit ;) I'm a bit paranoid at
> this point. I just want to do it right...
>
> -Dylan
--