+capty99 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 and any suggestions on a ballast would be appreciated. are they normally about 100 bucks for a 70 watter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 its a double ended halogen fixture. i ordered the Ushio 70w 14k double ended MH from marinedepot.com $49.99 i got the ballast (advanced 70watt) from ebay $39.00.. i did some checking around and the cheapest i found a 70watt pendent or retro was 149.99 so it saves 50 bucks or so to build this light... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) this guy work? http://cgi.ebay.com/70-Watt-Metal-Halide-Ballast-M98-4-TAP-Pulse-Start-MH_W0QQitemZ370089671411QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item562b103af3&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116#ht_1356wt_939 Edited July 22, 2009 by capty99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 So you can run a MH bulb in a standard bulb socket? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 no get eletronic start. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=200314967311&Category=26261&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D2 like this guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 first real purchase for this tank. huzzah -- thanks again i think i'm good to go, hopefully can get this stuff in next week, put the light together, the rock will be in there after the meeting sat and we can start a cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 the light i bought has a double ended halogen bulb like the MH does its a little different then the 250 i have but not much maybe a little smaller.. then like he did i bought a 70watt MH ballast and the Ushio 70watt 14k bulb.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 got my rock from prof today -- thanks prof. put some sand in. whats the correct salt reading i need. hydrometer box says something different than salt bag. its at 1.0225 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 1.026 is normal. Mine fluctuates between 1.026 up to 1.028 without any obvious issue. Hydrometers are notorious for being off, be sure to bang it a few times to knock off any bubbles on the swing arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 On hydrometers... don't waste money on them. Get a refractometer. They are about 40$ but you'll only ever buy 1. I use the marinedepot brand and am very happy with it. I have 3 hydrometers across 2 brands. All three give different readings on my bucket of change water I have going right now. My Refractometer is dialed in and says it is 1.26. The hydrometer readings are 1.22, 1.24 and 1.28. The 1.22 and 1.28 are both the exact same brand. Some research was done at http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/lines but i disagree with thier conclusion. I think you could be in for some issues if you went with the only hydrometer you had and it was reading .05 off and you dialed into a 1.31 salinity. On a personal note, the reason I switched was that I had a friend of mine use his refractometer on my tank and what I thought was a 1.26 salinity was really 1.21. If you can't get a refractometer then use a buddies so you at least know how "off" your hydrometer is. If your in NW austin I'll be happy to let you use mine if you could bring over a water sample. Only a few CCs are needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 +1 on the refractometer. It's the only way to go, I just forgot to mention it. Only need 1 drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 not real worried about the hydrometer since i've worked with them before in the beer making process (kind of funny how my tubes / buckets / tools are just getting turned into this hobby -- but will never be turned back - gross) but I may take you up on that offer to compare my readings against your refracto just to see. if anything goes crazy that will be my first guess then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 On hydrometers... don't waste money on them. Get a refractometer. They are about 40$ but you'll only ever buy 1. I use the marinedepot brand and am very happy with it. I have 3 hydrometers across 2 brands. All three give different readings on my bucket of change water I have going right now. My Refractometer is dialed in and says it is 1.26. The hydrometer readings are 1.22, 1.24 and 1.28. The 1.22 and 1.28 are both the exact same brand. Some research was done at http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/lines but i disagree with thier conclusion. I think you could be in for some issues if you went with the only hydrometer you had and it was reading .05 off and you dialed into a 1.31 salinity. On a personal note, the reason I switched was that I had a friend of mine use his refractometer on my tank and what I thought was a 1.26 salinity was really 1.21. If you can't get a refractometer then use a buddies so you at least know how "off" your hydrometer is. If your in NW austin I'll be happy to let you use mine if you could bring over a water sample. Only a few CCs are needed. and you meant 1.022, 1.024 and 1.028 right? or am i 2 tenths of a point off haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 /blush I dropped a 0. Its how i read it in my mind so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 day 1 of waiting : can i add fish yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 question : Since I got the rock from prof, and its all LR, and it was out of the tank for about 15 minutes, I guess I'm not going to get a cycle going right? I read on reef central one guy suggested drop a couple table shrimp in there to kick start a cycle of some sort. Is that the thing to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshman1204 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 The key to success in this hobby is patience! I would never suggest doing anything to speed up a cycle. Just add the rock, sand, and water and let it set for several weeks while you test the water. You will probably get a small cycle but you will still get a cycle even using fully cured LR. Just set it up and wait it out until you test out at 0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 joshman is correct. There really should be no need to speed things up. If you got "live" rock, you will have some die off from it being out the water, which will have the same effect as the dead table shrimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 k - thx. Got a few questions. 1) you can look @ these crappy pics and see where I have my tank. It fit sort of perfectly under this shelf that divides my kitchen / living room so would be a nice place to be seen from both sides -- but is that shelf going to cause problems -- aka major heat issue? My plan right now is to have the lamp that I'm building sit on that, and then hang over the open side of the tank. The lamp that is currently there is only for my purposes when I was moving stuff around inside, but it does seem to hit all corners of the tank even under the shelf. It looks pretty bad in the pic but its a cool little spot in the house for a tank if it works. 2) Should I get rid of this little guy that came on the rock -- or is it not a problem? 3) What should I be monitoring right now -- I have the 'master reef test kit' from a LFS that does : calcium (420) phosphates .5 ppm carbonate hardness (alkalinity) which is my problem right now - 4 dKH and nitrates are at 0. salinity is a tiny bit low i think, double checking that via a refractometer tomorrow (gonna order one soon) it seems when you guys report you have a lot more info than me. much. appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 That offensive thing is an aiptasia. You do not want that. Wait till the cycle finishes, then get some peppermints. Or, pull the rock, and roast it with a propane lighter/torch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 ah, the lovely aptasia, read many a thread about it on RC, thanks for the ID, will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 During the cycle you will want to check Ammonia and Nitrites. You will see the Ammonia go up first, then the Nitrites, then both of them drop back down to 0. When that happens your tank is cycled. Until then, you can pretty much skip all the other tests (well, except salinity). This will save on the chemical testing supplies Don't think you would much heat issues, but depending on the strength of the lamp you plan on using, the side under the shelf is going to get a lot less light. Probably so much so that you won't be able to keep a lot of photosynthetic corals on that side. But, there are non-photosynthetic corals such as sun corals and certain gorgonians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I kept a 1.5g pico for several months with a Yasha Goby and pistol shrimp. I had a couple mushrooms and Zoas in there. I loved having it on my desk but the upkeep caused me to break it down. The biggest worry with a nano is top-off. You can't exactly put a float switch in the tank. (I guess you could but it would look ugly) So just make sure to stay on top of it. I second the idea of buying your water from a LFS. The small amounts you will need won't break the bank and it is better than taking the risk of a machine at HEB. Nanos are obviously doable since so many people have them. It just takes diligence and patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 k - thx again. also, thanks msmmze who came over to grab 10 lbs of sand and gave me a nice one hour crash course in what i can do with my tank - i needed the info. question about my MH light. Just got everything rigged up as far as wiring goes (though I still have to make the fixture correctly) and plugged the bulb in, after letting it warm up for about 5 minutes I started to smell it a little bit -- normal or is my wiring f'ed up? The ballast has a shut down if wiring is screwed so I think I'm good just making sure a little smell is normal for a first time start up ($50 bulbs make you over cautious) Also, anyone have experience putting a hole in a metal bowl haha - I thought it would be an easy deal with a hammer + nail or screwdriver to punch one through but I can't get it. Only recourse I have now is a drill I guess. Anyone who could spare a punch or something? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+capty99 Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 http://anythingsaltwater.com/fission-nano-skimmer-p-1560.html is this a good buy for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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