Jason Rhoads April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 lol don't you remember your first tank? Testing every day was part of the fun ......made you feel like you had some control in an uncontrolled situation Hahaha, very true! Please disregard, and carry on testing. It is a great habit to get into, and keeping the water quality up is ~90% of keeping a healthy reef tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 BTW the tank looks great! my only thoughts are that you may want to stagger the powerheads so that they aren't directly combatting each other...maybe put one higher or lower and instead of directly across from each other a bit apart so you get more of a back and forth flow....or point one towards the glass etc...play with it until you see a good flow pattern... really good job! Your kids are going to be thrilled with your new adventure and it looks like you have a good eye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 17, 2013 Author Share April 17, 2013 Thank you very much! As for the testing... lol it does make me feel like a biologist! So I will continue on with it... I just posted on "whataboutme's" thread... he added some soft coral to his tank about a month a half of starting is tank... will I be able to do that after my cycle is complete... yes, keeping in mind to add a little at a time guess I’m just looking for something to get excited about! I will do a 10% wc tomorrow, (I have to mix the salt up (Reef Crystals) and let it acclimate (PH, salinity, temp) to add tomorrow. I guess about 3 or 4 gallons Sure can't wait until I get a R/O Unit! Sam's is making a killing off of me!!! Will defiantly make a little adjustment to the powerheads as well, thank you! As for adding more rock to the tank... can I continue to add "dry" rock to the tank? Will it affect the cycle if I do it... I’m sure I will be causing movement to the sand...? Any advice for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 it looks like you have plenty of rock in the tank now...any particular reason you want more? you can add corals and fish etc as soon as your parameters are stable. The anemone is just different because they need a very very stable environment because if they die they can take your tank down with them....that is why there is a wait on them....so a healthy established tank is what you need...over the next few months your tank will have ups and downs as you add your bioload...it will be a while before it is stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 and a 10% change is a good idea. Once you get your tank up and running and filled you can do 20% every week or so and it will replenish your nutrients so that unless you have a huge demand from corals it should keep you from having to dose for the most part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 I may get flamed for saying this, but just use tap water and Prime (declorinator). You don't have anything that is sensitive in your tank yet, no need to spend the money buying water. Download a water quality report from your area and you will probably be surprised at how clean the water is. I would add any rock you are thinking of putting in now while the cycle is going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 (edited) I may get flamed for saying this, but just use tap water and Prime (declorinator). You don't have anything that is sensitive in your tank yet, no need to spend the money buying water. Download a water quality report from your area and you will probably be surprised at how clean the water is. I would add any rock you are thinking of putting in now while the cycle is going on. Jason step away from the computer ....Tech don't listen to him LOL...don't do it....use RO/DI water from the start and set yourself off right....you don't want your rock and sand to absorb stuff and give you heck later on when you can't get rid of the algae.... but agree if you need to add more rock do it now before your cycle has moved much Edited April 17, 2013 by sachabballi reef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howaboutme April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 I just replied to you on my thread...But just some background. I got those corals for free from another club member. Just another perk for joining and we have a tradition for handing new members some beginner corals to get going. If I were paying..I would have waited another month or so just to make sure my routine is down, water is good, etc. But generally, yes you can start adding corals after your cycle. But keep it slow. I was (and everyone else, I'm sure) just as excited and impatient as you but impatience often leads to loss of livestock and money. You're lucky that the damsel is still alive though you may want to give it away later anyways. And..I mentioned about the lights in the other thread... And yes..I don't agree w/ Jason. You'll be behind on trying to export the extra nutrients if you start with tap water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 17, 2013 Author Share April 17, 2013 To all: Okay, so it looks like I’m on the right track (thanks to all of you)! Jason, thanks for sticking your neck out for me... this hoppy has sure proven to me that I have to have a couple duckies stashed away Sacha... It's only 25lbs. I wanted more rock because everyone else's tank looks to have way more than I do... when I start to add the coral, there won’t be much room for them to go So, I figure that I needed more... Basically, whatever I end up with once the cycle is over is what I will have... so that I don’t risk re-cycling is what everyone is saying right? Now I understand in regards to the anemones, sure hope I can get in the club here soon, I feel like an outsider!!!! :-) Thanks. After thinking about doing the WC... It almost makes me scared to bother it because Im afraid my number will get all thrown off, but I guess it would just lower the Ammonia a little and of course the Nitrates should lower hopefully... it only a 36g tank so, my water changes won’t send me out the door surfing!!!! Oh... I have a HOB Filter... when should I change the carbon filter?? I haven’t changed it out yet since I started the tank 29 March.... although, I did remove the BIO Wheel like I was told... my wife yelled at me and said "how much was that" :-)... the sooner she see the gorgeous colors exploding from my ongoing reef hobby... THE BETTER! I think I can, I think I can..... Here goes nothing!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 18, 2013 Author Share April 18, 2013 Oh wow found another Britte star in the rocks last night! Cool! so I'ev had that 3 gallons sitting in a closed bucket with the temp at 80 since last night for the WC today. Going to give it a little stir and swap in out with the old when I get home :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads April 18, 2013 Share April 18, 2013 How is the shrimp looking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 18, 2013 Author Share April 18, 2013 As of last night he was still under his same rock... Rovking back and forth lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 18, 2013 Author Share April 18, 2013 So I did a little bit of researching on the forums today and realized... It wouldnt hurt to build some sort of water station... Not to sure where I would put it without getting laid out by my wife but... It will make things a lot easier on me in the long run! also adjusted the powerheads per sacha's guidance... Mad a world of difference! Staired at the tank last night for I know 40 mins lol notice a lot of feather dusters small ones lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 18, 2013 Share April 18, 2013 You don't have to create anything permanent for a system... break the wife in slowly...once the tank is established and you catch her spending time staring at it you're in like Flynn and can become a reefing hoarder like the rest of us. You can just get a tap adapter and put it on the day before water change and disconnect it when done. Just buy a dark grey commercial 10 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can at home depot etc.. with lid. Happy wife happy life Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 April 18, 2013 Share April 18, 2013 You don't have to create anything permanent for a system... break the wife in slowly...once the tank is established and you catch her spending time staring at it you're in like Flynn and can become a reefing hoarder like the rest of us. You can just get a tap adapter and put it on the day before water change and disconnect it when done. Just buy a dark grey commercial 10 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can at home depot etc.. with lid. Happy wife happy life Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2 Soooo... If this hasn't happened yet in the 5 years we were dating and 2 years we have been married when can I expect it to happen? HAHAHAHA If I were you I would just get two five gallon buckets. Add smallest heater and powerhead you can find. Start mixing salt one night and do waterchange following day. Empty tank water into empty bucket at same level as new water, and dump in new water. 5 gallons a week on 36 gallons is fine imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads April 18, 2013 Share April 18, 2013 If I were you I would just get two five gallon buckets. Add smallest heater and powerhead you can find. Start mixing salt one night and do waterchange following day. Empty tank water into empty bucket at same level as new water, and dump in new water. 5 gallons a week on 36 gallons is fine imo. This is exactly how I do it with my 100g. Its not much trouble at all, and you will soon have your WC technique down like clockwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef April 18, 2013 Share April 18, 2013 That's how I do it with my 50g... 10g at a time... Though I have a bathroom 6 ft away from my tank that my Ro/di stays hooked up to my sink faucet all the time and I have the buckets in my bathtub (in case I forget and leave the water running,lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 18, 2013 Share April 18, 2013 Soooo... If this hasn't happened yet in the 5 years we were dating and 2 years we have been married when can I expect it to happen? HAHAHAHA . Which part? The happy life or getting the wife hooked on the tank? Lol the former is probably harder to get around Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howaboutme April 19, 2013 Share April 19, 2013 Oh... I have a HOB Filter... when should I change the carbon filter?? I haven’t changed it out yet since I started the tank 29 March.... although, I did remove the BIO Wheel like I was told... I would take everything out of the HOB for now. There is no reason to run carbon. Things like this (carbon, GFO, etc), you will figure out w/ experience when you'll need it and how to use it. You have a new tank, let it run as is. Your skimmer will be enough. You can, in fact, use your HOB as needed so it doesn't have to stay on your tank at all times. You sound excited. You're sucked in....Isn't this hobby great? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 19, 2013 Author Share April 19, 2013 You don't have to create anything permanent for a system... break the wife in slowly...once the tank is established and you catch her spending time staring at it you're in like Flynn and can become a reefing hoarder like the rest of us. You can just get a tap adapter and put it on the day before water change and disconnect it when done. Just buy a dark grey commercial 10 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can at home depot etc.. with lid. Happy wife happy life Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2 Oh ok, that is music to my ears as far as not need to build a water station ! Tap adapter would mean I would be using Tap water right? You said not to.. Oh boy you've got that right... 18 total years and 11 married!!! Oh I know all about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 19, 2013 Author Share April 19, 2013 This is exactly how I do it with my 100g. Its not much trouble at all, and you will soon have your WC technique down like clockwork. That's how I do it with my 50g... 10g at a time... Though I have a bathroom 6 ft away from my tank that my Ro/di stays hooked up to my sink faucet all the time and I have the buckets in my bathtub (in case I forget and leave the water running,lol) Okay guys, I will stick to my little 6 gallon tub over here and do like I did with this WC today :-) levels tonight 5 hours AFTER the WC: Salinity: 1.023 PH:8.0 Ammonia: .25 Nitrite: 0 (???) Nitrate: 10 crazy numbers right?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 19, 2013 Author Share April 19, 2013 I would take everything out of the HOB for now. There is no reason to run carbon. Things like this (carbon, GFO, etc), you will figure out w/ experience when you'll need it and how to use it. You have a new tank, let it run as is. Your skimmer will be enough. You can, in fact, use your HOB as needed so it doesn't have to stay on your tank at all times. You sound excited. You're sucked in....Isn't this hobby great? Ok, so I should just unplug it... I'll do that now... well when do I need to run the HOB Filter w/carbon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxTech MoneyxX April 19, 2013 Author Share April 19, 2013 Oh... and most defiantly am hooked!!! I talk to everyone at work about it and what I've learned, about you guys helping me :lol: Checked on the shrimp tonight too... he is still kicking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef April 19, 2013 Share April 19, 2013 Oh ok, that is music to my ears as far as not need to build a water station ! Tap adapter would mean I would be using Tap water right? You said not to.. Oh boy you've got that right... 18 total years and 11 married!!! Oh I know all about it you hook up an rodi unit to the closest tap faucet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef April 19, 2013 Share April 19, 2013 Ok, so I should just unplug it... I'll do that now... well when do I need to run the HOB Filter w/carbon? if that is your only filtration other than rock then you can keep it going...only need to run carbon or chemipure after youve been running it for a bit and when is needed...it will help with water aeration...but if you have good powerheads then you dont really need to run it...until you need it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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