Tank almost finished

[B216adkins]

Hello friends!! My tank is almost finished cycling the day it was be completely cycled it Oct 1. everything is going great the water has turned clear and little hair is growing on the live rocks. But the water level has dropped a little like 5% is that normal? Also I have figured out what I want as my clean up crew. I want a bubble tip anemone, cleaner shrimp and 2 snails. If anybody doesnt want their invertebrates or has a great deal I am willing to compromise. Also my hydrometer keeps on saying my gravity is (36 1.026). Did i put too much salt in the tank in the beginning? Will water changes lower this? How much salt is equal to one gallon?

[Coral Hind]

It sounds like the water is evaporating from the tank. That is lowering the water level and causing the SG to rise. You have to add fresh water to the tank to replace the water that is evaporating. My 120g tank loses about a gallon of water each day. I suggest getting an ATO (auto top off) system to make the chore of adding water a little easier on you.

[B216adkins]

It sounds like the water is evaporating from the tank. That is lowering the water level and causing the SG to rise. You have to add fresh water to the tank to replace the water that is evaporating. My 120g tank loses about a gallon of water each day. I suggest getting an ATO (auto top off) system to make the chore of adding water a little easier on you.

 

ok thanks and how do you add a picture on here. I have tried everything and the thing said not capable. Also should I buy inverts offline?

 

 

 

[quazi]

The best way to add pictures is post them on photobucket.com or similar, and then add the pic (use the URL provided from photobucket) with the "insert image" button (second from the smiley button ^).

 

Inverts are widely available locally. Please update your profile with your LOCATION, so we can direct you to stores near you.

 

What size is your tank? Also, are you filtering your tap water that you are making your salt and "make up" water from?

[B216adkins]

The best way to add pictures is post them on photobucket.com or similar, and then add the pic (use the URL provided from photobucket) with the "insert image" button (second from the smiley button ^).

 

Inverts are widely available locally. Please update your profile with your LOCATION, so we can direct you to stores near you.

 

What size is your tank? Also, are you filtering your tap water that you are making your salt and "make up" water from?

 

I have a 12 gallon nano cube. No I did not filter the water. i just put the salt mix in and waited 24 hrs. How do you filter the water? And thanks for helping me with the pictures.

[BowieReefer84]

Tank looks nice. I just got a cube myself. I see you do not have too much rock in there. If you are looking I have some rock / easy corals for sale if you are interested. Check out my forsale thread. My rock was in my old tank, and was there for 3 years. No pests of algae.

 

Also, how do you know it will be done cycling on the 1st of October? There is really no set time on this step of the process. You want to make sure you have had a complete cycle. The first tank I set up a few years back I thought had cycled after only a few weeks. I was wrong.... Just keep checking ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

 

Also, fyi the powercompacts in the nano tanks are NOT good enough for an anemone. I really want one, but I am not gonna do it. They will not make it long term from EVERYONE I have spoken with. Food alone is not sufficient, they need the light.

 

Also, if you used tap water I would recommend mixing a new batch with either RO water or Distilled water (i use distilled). It is only 12 gallons, and you will be happy in the long run.

[B216adkins]

Tank looks nice. I just got a cube myself. I see you do not have too much rock in there. If you are looking I have some rock / easy corals for sale if you are interested. Check out my forsale thread. My rock was in my old tank, and was there for 3 years. No pests of algae.

 

Also, how do you know it will be done cycling on the 1st of October? There is really no set time on this step of the process. You want to make sure you have had a complete cycle. The first tank I set up a few years back I thought had cycled after only a few weeks. I was wrong.... Just keep checking ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

 

Also, fyi the powercompacts in the nano tanks are NOT good enough for an anemone. I really want one, but I am not gonna do it. They will not make it long term from EVERYONE I have spoken with. Food alone is not sufficient, they need the light.

 

Also, if you used tap water I would recommend mixing a new batch with either RO water or Distilled water (i use distilled). It is only 12 gallons, and you will be happy in the long run.

 

I have some more live rock in the back. What is RO water? this tank has been used before thats why it has the white stuff all around the tank. The person I brought it from had an upgraded light put in.

[BowieReefer84]

RO is reverse osmosis. Some stores sell it. I have always bought jugs of distilled water from the store. They are like 98cents, and on a small tank it's not a big deal. In the long run RO is way cheaper, but I have not converted. If your tank is over 30 gallons RO should be a easy decision, but on small tanks the upfront cost of the unit is around $120 +/-

 

You can hook it up to a sink when you need it. Air water ice in the vendor forum sells the units.

[armymedic]

Hey brandon,

I am not sure where your located but if you ever need RO water, i have a 7 stage RO/DI unit (google it) and can make around 100 gallons a day if needed. That pretty much goes for anyone who needs it.

[B216adkins]

Hey brandon,

I am not sure where your located but if you ever need RO water, i have a 7 stage RO/DI unit (google it) and can make around 100 gallons a day if needed. That pretty much goes for anyone who needs it.

 

ok that would be great IM located near the DC side. When can I come pick it up? Also do I add this water every time I do a water change? I have been getting my water from the bath tub.

[quazi]

For a small tank, it is probable worth it to get RO water from a LFS or perhaps a grocery store. Beware of distilled water, as it may have copper in it from the distillation process. You can also get a line line water filter which will help (make sure it has carbon and a sediment filter).

 

Of course, a nice close WAMASer is the best source!

 

Good luck!

[BowieReefer84]

For a small tank, it is probable worth it to get RO water from a LFS or perhaps a grocery store. Beware of distilled water, as it may have copper in it from the distillation process. You can also get a line line water filter which will help (make sure it has carbon and a sediment filter).

 

Of course, a nice close WAMASer is the best source!

 

Good luck!

I do not think distilled contains copper anymore for the most part. I have been using distilled for the past year, and I have snails, shrimps, crabs and all are OK. They die everyonce in a while, but I do not believe the copper is the cause. I go with deerpark or giant brand. I run a polyfilter and it turns a certain color if it is removing copper, and I have never had this problem.

[quazi]

I do not think distilled contains copper anymore for the most part. I have been using distilled for the past year, and I have snails, shrimps, crabs and all are OK. They die everyonce in a while, but I do not believe the copper is the cause. I go with deerpark or giant brand. I run a polyfilter and it turns a certain color if it is removing copper, and I have never had this problem.

 

Right, that is why I said "may" have copper. It depends on who is distilling and how. Since you have identified good sources, then there is an excellent source of water!

[BowieReefer84]

Right, that is why I said "may" have copper. It depends on who is distilling and how. Since you have identified good sources, then there is an excellent source of water!

 

Yea, I used to use spring water too LOL. I was concerned about distilled at first. Just STOP with the bath water. It will cause a lot of unwanted algae and what not imo.

[B216adkins]

Yea, I used to use spring water too LOL. I was concerned about distilled at first. Just STOP with the bath water. It will cause a lot of unwanted algae and what not imo.

 

 

ok when my water level dropped I added two bottles of deer park water in it. So now I know to do water changes with bottled water.

[BowieReefer84]

ok when my water level dropped I added two bottles of deer park water in it. So now I know to do water changes with bottled water.

 

If using bottled use distilled. Also, never let it get so low you have to add two bottles (not sure what size bottles you have, I use gallon jugs). Top off a little each day. Helps stabalize salinity which is very important.

[Origami]

Brandon, you're asking some very basic questions here and, while we're happy to help advise in any way we can, there are so many easy mistakes that can be made that I'm not sure that we'll cover them in the course of a single thread. I don't want you getting discouraged should you fall into committing a simple mistake like replacing evaporated water with salt water or doing water changes with fresh water, placing expensive livestock into an environment that does not provide for their needs (as might happen with an anemone in an underlit, poorly controlled environment), or having inadequate biological filtration (live rock, live sand, macroalgae etc.) or chemical / mechanical filtration (skimmer, polyfilters etc.) to handle the waste coming from your livestock (aka bioload).

 

There are a lot of great resources that you should be looking at getting your hands on. I'm sure that some people will jump in to suggest the best, single book that will give you a good introduction to the hobby (which is also affordable).

 

There's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner, for example.

http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Professional/dp/1890087998/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

 

Or, less expensive (but much more basic), is The New Marine Aquarium by Mike Paletta.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Marine-Aquarium-Step-Step/dp/1890087521/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

(This book does not set you up for corals, though.)

 

Be mindful of the old adage, "Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef aquarium." Take it to heart and learn patience.

 

As for the basics about water, I suggest that you follow this link and scroll down just a little bit and read the 4-part series that Randy Holmes-Farley put together called the "How To" guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners. Start with Part 1: The Salt Water Itself. It's free.

 

There are also some very nice things you can quickly read through that are pointed out in the first post of this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1696795. Also free.

 

There's a lot to enjoy as part of this hobby. Learning new things is a big part of the enjoyment. I can't stress that enough. Happy Reefing!

[WaterDog]

 

There's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner, for example.

http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Professional/dp/1890087998/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

 

Or, less expensive (but much more basic), is The New Marine Aquarium by Mike Paletta.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Marine-Aquarium-Step-Step/dp/1890087521/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

(This book does not set you up for corals, though.)

 

Be mindful of the old adage, "Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef aquarium." Take it to heart and learn patience.

 

+1 I can't say enough good things about these books. And yes, patience is a virtue in this hobby.

[Origami]

By the way, Brandon, I was not trying to blow you off of asking basic questions. I hope that you didn't take it that way. The advice to get a good book is something you'll hear frequently, not because we're not more than willing to help where we can, but because we believe that if our information is incomplete, for whatever reason (perhaps the right question were not asked), bad things can happen. Livestock can die, money can be wasted, and the you can get discouraged and quit. That would be a true tragedy, especially if all the fallout could be averted with a concise presentation targeting the entry level aquarist. As a point of reference, I'm sure that just about every one of us "seasoned veterans" in this hobby have books on the shelf going back to our entry into the hobby. (Are there really any seasoned veterans? It seems like we're always learning, stumbling, and learning a bit more.)

 

Anyway, pick up a book, ask questions, take it slow and easy, and enjoy the ride. This really is a pretty cool hobby.

 

Here's a good link that we have stickied here at WAMAS for some additional reading:

http://www.wamas.org/forums/topic/3425-links-for-beginners/

[B216adkins]

By the way, Brandon, I was not trying to blow you off of asking basic questions. I hope that you didn't take it that way. The advice to get a good book is something you'll hear frequently, not because we're not more than willing to help where we can, but because we believe that if our information is incomplete, for whatever reason (perhaps the right question were not asked), bad things can happen. Livestock can die, money can be wasted, and the you can get discouraged and quit. That would be a true tragedy, especially if all the fallout could be averted with a concise presentation targeting the entry level aquarist. As a point of reference, I'm sure that just about every one of us "seasoned veterans" in this hobby have books on the shelf going back to our entry into the hobby. (Are there really any seasoned veterans? It seems like we're always learning, stumbling, and learning a bit more.)

 

Anyway, pick up a book, ask questions, take it slow and easy, and enjoy the ride. This really is a pretty cool hobby.

 

Here's a good link that we have stickied here at WAMAS for some additional reading:

http://www.wamas.org...-for-beginners/

 

 

No i didnt take it the wrong way I totaly understood what you were comming from. Im checking at my local library for books as well