First Time Build

[Planeden]

Productive night last night. last night's tests showed ammonia dropping to 0.5 ppm, nitrite up to about 2 ppm, and nitrate up between 10 or 20 ppm.

So, I went ahead and set up my fuge light. It is a bit of a DIY project, and I need to go to an auto parts store to pick up some diametric(?) grease - the waterproof electrical grease they use on motorcycles/cars where things may get wet. I think that this will waterproof it enough and protect it from any splashing. I'm not sure it will allow it to fall into the water, but I imagine if that happens I will have plenty of other problems (broken glass and mercury poisoning for example).

it was very simple. i mounted a power strip ($3.50) to the underside of the shelf (with screws, the velcro is just there to keep it from sliding around. the sell 60W lightbulb sockets that plug directly into an outlet ($3 each). I can only get three per strip because the bulbs hit each other if they are too close. The bulbs are 23W CFLs putting out 800 lumens at 6500 PAR ($5 each). Total output is 2400 lumens at 6500K. This will be enough, right? If not I bought enough stuff to double it, if need be. Total cost is $25 each, plus a couple of bucks once i get the grease.

Since the cycling is going well, I also went ahead and set up my QT. It's a marineland (Petsmart) 10g starter kit. Came with the tank, heater, bio wheel filter, lid and a non-plant light. I set it up in my office so I can look at it all day when I am on conference calls that I only need to half pay attention to, or whenever the mood strikes. I am usually in the office 10 hours a day. Sometimes 8, sometimes 20. Life of a contractor. I added the biowheel to reduce splashing (didn't work) but left the filter cartridge cooking in the sump.

I think that a $300 light is a bit of overkill, and may sell it and get something a bit more reasonable to the task. But I want to QT corals and fish, so i need the spectrum. I have the water level lower than I want, causing a lot of noise from the filter, because the light mount goes so low into the tank. It is
all plastic, including the clamping screws, but submerging it in saltwater still seems like a not so great idea.

I have some PVC elbows to put in it. I may also put in a little macro algae, mostly for aesthetics. The baron wasteland just bugs me. Since it is a quarentine tank, and not a medicating tank, I may break some rules and put in some substrate (don't taze me, bro). It'll also help so I can QT my jawfish. For that I'd have to put the lid on it and use the cheap light. Hmmm, that'd be a problem for macro algae...more brainstorming required...but i digress. I ordered a Pico Evo-Mag Powerhead yesterday, which may also have an impact on substrate (180 GPH, but can be lowered with a controller).

Anyway, QT is started, but clearly still a bit of a work in progress.

see, diatoms. my beautiful display tank . It's also evidence that I need a hanging kit (AI Sol or DIY) since the algae is only in the center or tank. The Sol mounting kit is $50, but all the design is already done.

[JamesL]

Even though I don't run a QT, having substrate in it sounds like a bad idea. Part of the idea of the QT is to be able to medicate if necessary. And even if you don't medicate, I could see the substrate has place for nasties from new corals to take root and hide. Seems like a lot more work to me than what is really needed. n What it really sounds like is that you need a display tank in your office

I think the diatom phase is the worst, because it just makes a tank look "dirty". It frustrates me to clean it one day, and the next they are back I had a mini bought of it when I upped my mights on my large tank. Soooooooo glad that they are gone once again. I put white sand in, and darn it, I want to keep it white!

[Planeden]

Even though I don't run a QT, having substrate in it sounds like a bad idea. Part of the idea of the QT is to be able to medicate if necessary. And even if you don't medicate, I could see the substrate has place for nasties from new corals to take root and hide. Seems like a lot more work to me than what is really needed. n What it really sounds like is that you need a display tank in your office

I think the diatom phase is the worst, because it just makes a tank look "dirty". It frustrates me to clean it one day, and the next they are back I had a mini bought of it when I upped my mights on my large tank. Soooooooo glad that they are gone once again. I put white sand in, and darn it, I want to keep it white!

yeah, i know, i know...no sand just a dull tank. i think i have the will power to keep it bland...i think. I have always talked about getting a tank in the office. my current scheme is to convert this to a DT when we finish our initial stocking. Then suddenly remember that we still need a QT and go get a new one . My girlfriend is pretty bright though, i doubt that really works.

[JamesL]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that QT'ing a jawfish, they should be fine with the PVC pipes to hide in. When buying them on-line, a lot of vendors will ship them in small PVC pipes in the bag.

[Planeden]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that QT'ing a jawfish, they should be fine with the PVC pipes to hide in. When buying them on-line, a lot of vendors will ship them in small PVC pipes in the bag.

awesome, thanks.

[subsea]

Very good on your refugium bulbs. With Chaeto, you do not need a lot of light. The Chaeto is a perfect matrix for growing pods. The light will grow microalgae for the pods to eat.

Patrick

[Bpb]

Yeah I grew chaeto for a long time using only one of those bulbs. I think three will be plenty.

[Planeden]

Cool. Thanks guys. I may bank or down to two then. There are a couple of chambers with macro, so I want to space or the light a bit. But the stand is kitten very warm. I don't have s thermometer yet, nut curious if it'll drive my temps up. Thermometer has been ordered, but with free shipping url probably not be here until next week.

[Planeden]

Short update as I'm late to dinner with the inlaws. I went to Subsea's yesterday and had another nice chat. I bought one of his fuge kits and couldn't be happier. I got a few different macros, some sand, and snails. I also got pods. But I'm not sure that word does it justice. These guys are plentiful and large. I stared at one for a while unsure if it was a pod or baby shrimp.

I need to anchor the macros and then I'll try to get some pictures tonight.

With three different sands, amounting to about five cups, I think my sand bed will be well seeded. I may buy another kit, or something, to get some other little things in there. More for fun than for filtering. I just like the worms and stars that are on about my evolutionary level. Just kinda floating through life full of....detritus most of the time.

[Planeden]

Ok, so I added macro algae on Friday. Various types, both in the display and the sump. I tested before adding the algae, sand, snails, etc. from subsea and was at 0.25 ppm ammonia, 2.0 ppm nitrite, and 20 ppm nitrate. Today: 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and 5 ppm nitrate. no water change, no cheating, 15 ppm drop in nitrates over 2 days.

So, I'm cycled? All indications would be yes. I even did lots of things that I thought would trigger an ammonia spike and I still have my shrimp sitting in there getting dissolved. So, I think it is cycled.

I spent a bit of time today tieing marco to rocks. not quite as fun as it sounds, but it is nice to have them staying put. I turned my lights up for the following photos. It is 100% on whites, blues, and super blues. I like the look of the even ratio. So I'll probably stick with it, at least until I get something else that may look better under different light.

FTS Right now:

A bit of a close up while i was waiting for my girlfriend to come over and help.

FTS: Future - girlfriend is holding lights to give the effect we should have when the lights are hung. Much nicer this way.

Now, the scaping is a little haphazard yet. The marco is strewn about a bit to see what light levels it likes. I'm hoping that the feather caulerpa is happy enough where it is that it will spread out a bit and sort of cover the back wall. Also, I would like to get more of the eh...the other green one. I have put most of what I got in the sump. But I think it is pretty. So as it grows there I will take more and spread it around the tank. With all the macro types available, maybe I wont need corals at all.

So, in a few days or a week, I will try to head to the aquadome some more members of the clean up crew. I'm already well on my way with snails, but i would like a brittle star and maybe a sea cucumber. i need to do more looking and discussing with the committee. I know that there may be a sea urchin in this tank's future, but there does not seem to be enough algae growth to support it.

Also, I will take my QT filter out of the display and plug it into the QT. I'll add something degradable (shrimp pellets have worked well in the past) and see if it is cycled as well. I am a bit concerned because I tried to set up a small QT for FW, but it never would cycle. I don't think I had the correct filter for it. Since my one filter (and the little bit of glass) is all that will hold any of the bacteria, I ordered a half dozen filter cartridges that I will chunk into the sump, so they will be ready as needed.

So, that said, while the CUC is doing its thing in the DT, I think I'll be looking for my first inhabitant for my new tank. That way, it can be quarantined for a month while the CUC does it's job.

I would appreciate feedback here, but it seems that most people add (easy) corals first. Is that right?

thanks for joining me for today's installment of my quest.

[victoly]

Looks like you're in good shape ! Word of caution, your nutrients dropped precipitously because the macro is exporting. If the nutrient input exceeds your LR:LS AND your macro, you might see it creep up.

That being said, I think due to your timing, you're probably cycled. Just take livestock additions slowly.

Looks great though !

[Planeden]

Looks like you're in good shape ! Word of caution, your nutrients dropped precipitously because the macro is exporting. If the nutrient input exceeds your LR:LS AND your macro, you might see it creep up.

That being said, I think due to your timing, you're probably cycled. Just take livestock additions slowly.

Looks great though !

i'm not sure i fully follow what you are saying. i understand the nutrient input = output part. but so long as the macro is healthy and happy it will continue to export, right? it's not something like it was starving, came in and gorged itself, and will now fast for a few weeks, right?

i will continue to test the water as i wait to go to the store. i want to keep 0 readings (am. and trite) for at least 3 days or so to make sure it is not some sort of anomaly. i will also take a sample in to the store to verify my results.

and, i'm all for slow additions. but that is the one part i haven't really figured out in my migration to salt. with freshwater there was a nice rule of thumb. add 3 fish every couple of weeks to allow your tank to rebalance. here there seems to be no such rule (especially with corals). the closest thing i have read is to add fish one species at a time to avoid aggression issues.

[Planeden]

sorry, i think i just figured out what you meant. basically, right now everything is being broken down as fast as it is going in. but that doesn't mean i can add 17 tomorrow and it all still keep up. cycled doesn't mean i have a full blown colony of detoxifiers like a full established system. that will continue to happen over months/years/decades...etc.

is that it?

[victoly]

You got it ! Your bio load is super light right now, and your bacterial colony is young and probably not maximized. Your macro is helping your bacterial colony get rid of nutrients.

I don't know that there is a rule of thumb per se, but I don't like adding more than a few fish at a time.

[Planeden]

Thanks victoly. I will certainly take it slowly.

[JamesL]

What size of brittle star were you thinking? I have heard some of the large ones can be predators in the tank and capture fish... just a word of warning.

Congrats on the cycle!

[Planeden]

What size of brittle star were you thinking? I have heard some of the large ones can be predators in the tank and capture fish... just a word of warning.

Congrats on the cycle!

Thanks James. Hopefully a small enough one that he won't eat a fish. I just really think they are fun to watch. Of course, part of that is because they kinda look like a sea monster as the crawl around and reach their tenticles out of rocks.

It seems that just about everything that goes in these tanks seems to have the potential to eat someone else. I mean, there are shrimp that eat crabs. Pretty miraculous group of livestock we can choose from here, but it also severely complicates the "peacful-community tank" possibilities. I'll look around and see if there are some that have a lower fish eating potential, or stays small enough that he will have trouble get his grubby little feelers on one. Perhaps leave some of it to Darwin. If a fish cant figure out tat a sea monster is bad, may he doesn't belong so hi up on the evolutionary chain to be a pet .

But, if there are more Disney version of sea monsters then I'll look for those. I'm not sold on a particular species yet.

[+KimP]

Brittle stars are so fun! I had one in my old seahorse tank and it always freaked out any guests that saw it, lol. It was fun to watch eat and was actually out a lot. I'm definitely getting another one! I don't know much about them but I've only heard the green serpent stars are hunters.

[+SChrisEV]

What size of brittle star were you thinking? I have heard some of the large ones can be predators in the tank and capture fish... just a word of warning.

Congrats on the cycle!

I've read this before, but not sure I buy it at all. They are GREAT scavengers and if you have a dead organism it will be one of the first to get on it. They are opportunistic so maybe, MAYBE if a fish was weak and dying it might "speed that up" but even then I'd have to question it. I just think people see it eating a recently dead fish and assume it was the killer. Would love to see proof otherwise. I have a serpent star in my main display tank, and brittle star in my sump.

[Planeden]

What size of brittle star were you thinking? I have heard some of the large ones can be predators in the tank and capture fish... just a word of warning.

Congrats on the cycle!

I've read this before, but not sure I buy it at all. They are GREAT scavengers and if you have a dead organism it will be one of the first to get on it. They are opportunistic so maybe, MAYBE if a fish was weak and dying it might "speed that up" but even then I'd have to question it. I just think people see it eating a recently dead fish and assume it was the killer. Would love to see proof otherwise. I have a serpent star in my main display tank, and brittle star in my sump.

i think it may chalk up to different species and also inner-species temperaments. now that Ms. P mentioned it, the green serpent is the one i usually hear about being the most guilty. but i have seen a youtube video of a green serpent pawing at a feeding fish and the fish just swimming away without even looking annoyed. but i have also heard from people on here that i trust saying they have seen it. so, shrug. i will probably avoid the green serpent just in case.

[+SChrisEV]

My current two are not green, the two I had 10+ years ago... also not green. So maybe it's just the green ones. But I think I'd have to see it to believe it.

[JamesL]

What size of brittle star were you thinking? I have heard some of the large ones can be predators in the tank and capture fish... just a word of warning.

Congrats on the cycle!

I've read this before, but not sure I buy it at all. They are GREAT scavengers and if you have a dead organism it will be one of the first to get on it. They are opportunistic so maybe, MAYBE if a fish was weak and dying it might "speed that up" but even then I'd have to question it. I just think people see it eating a recently dead fish and assume it was the killer. Would love to see proof otherwise. I have a serpent star in my main display tank, and brittle star in my sump.

i think it may chalk up to different species and also inner-species temperaments. now that Ms. P mentioned it, the green serpent is the one i usually hear about being the most guilty. but i have seen a youtube video of a green serpent pawing at a feeding fish and the fish just swimming away without even looking annoyed. but i have also heard from people on here that i trust saying they have seen it. so, shrug. i will probably avoid the green serpent just in case.

Yeah, now that Kim mentioned it, the serpent star sounds more right. Was just adding some warnings. As always, it is a fish-eat-fish world out there

[Planeden]

Yeah, now that Kim mentioned it, the serpent star sounds more right. Was just adding some warnings. As always, it is a fish-eat-fish world out there

i genuinely appreciate the advice. i may not take all of it, but i really appreciate getting it. so thank you so much for all your help.

in a couple of years i should have some frags to give everyone that has been such a big help in my endeavor. assuming my tank works out. if it doesn't, well clearly all ya'll were wrong since i know that user error will never be a factor. . of course, ya'll will have to be satisfied with idiot level corals.

[subsea]

What size of brittle star were you thinking? I have heard some of the large ones can be predators in the tank and capture fish... just a word of warning.

Congrats on the cycle!

I've read this before, but not sure I buy it at all. They are GREAT scavengers and if you have a dead organism it will be one of the first to get on it. They are opportunistic so maybe, MAYBE if a fish was weak and dying it might "speed that up" but even then I'd have to question it. I just think people see it eating a recently dead fish and assume it was the killer. Would love to see proof otherwise. I have a serpent star in my main display tank, and brittle star in my sump.

Green Serpent Stars will capture healthy fish. I had no camera when I saw it happen. Be sure it was not an accidental process. They are potent predators.

Patrick

[Planeden]

i think i can avoid green serpents. i'm not really picky on looks and color. i've always been attracted to brains...wait, not applicable here. i will do some research and find some that are not so predatory.