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Cultivated Reef

Another noob bites the dust


hyperope

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Hi there.

 

So I am starting up a reef- Coralife 29. Have had "reefs" in the past many years ago. My most recent attempt about 7 years ago, was a futile effort. I purchased a 55 acrylic tank, stand, sump, pumps, skimmer, lights, sand from a guy on ebay. Picked it up and set it up. Went slow. Live rock, added a d***ed damsel, which ate everything else I tried to put in until I finally cought him and disposed of him as the lfs didn't want him back. No inverts will survive, shrimp, brittle stars, etc. Water was good. Did some research and inspected my set up closer. Discovered a big brass valve in the middle of the system that was corroded green. Copper poison, I assume. I assume everything, pumps, tanks, etc, is contaminated, although it has been dry for 6 years. Hense- starting anew.

 

So my new cube is here and I am setting it up. Have tank, stand, salt, skimmer (won't install yet), testing supplies, etc. Leaving town soon for 10 days. Would like to have my tank set up, water (have ro/di ordered, will be in tomorrow or next day) in, and sand/live rock in to start the cycle while I'm gone (someone will still be home for emergencies and top-offs). Is this a decent idea to leave it for that time frame. I haven't ordered the rock- assume if I order in the next day or two I can get before travel day Christmas Day. I'd like to make good use of the 10 days for cycling instead of having it sit there soing nothing for 10 days. I know there are lots of other things to consider as I go along. I'm not in a hurry, but I want to get this ball rolling. Thoughts?

 

Eric

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Hey man - I think tossing a bunch of LR in there will serve as a good basis for getting the cycle going. If you want to just get going now head down to an ACE hardware store and pick up some PURE ammonia - no additives or scents. It's clear and a dollar. Put in half a capful and see where that gets you on the test kit.

 

I also juice mine up to about 3 or 4ppm. Then you can sit back and wait - the only trouble with this method is that you might actually be gone when the nitrites kick in, which would be time to add a bit more ammonia to keep things fed and happy.

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I would just add the LR now, skip the Ammonia and let it set while you are gone.....skip ammonia only because you will not be there to monitor levels. The LR will get things going just fine.

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personally, I like the pure ammonia method and base rock. Takes longer, but you don't risk any bad hitchhikers getting in the tank at the get-go

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I did the ammonia and base rock. It worked but I have to admit - it would have been nice to already have coralline and stuff growing in. I've been up for about 3 months and I'm just now getting wide spread purple growth.

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So I have the tank out of the box. After careful inspection with magnifier and light, found no cracks in the tank. Have assembled the stand (Thank you, corallife for printing instructions in REAL English). But I just realized that where I want to set the unit is directly adjacent to my a/c and heat thermostat on the wall. I know the lights will generate heat. Does that heat dissipate from the vents on the front of the tank or from the rear? If a significant amount of heat emminates from the rear, it will affect the thermostat I'll be forever sorry I put the unit there as I will have to adjust it constantly. This is really the spot I wanted to use. But not worth calling an electrician to relocate the thermostat. Thoughts?

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What light does this one have? The MH/HQI version is going to put out quite a bit of heat. You might be ok with the T5 or LED version. You could also mount a small fan above the tank blowing downward. Wouldn't need to be fast at all, just enough to redirect and escaping heat away from the thermostat.

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I did the ammonia and base rock. It worked but I have to admit - it would have been nice to already have coralline and stuff growing in. I've been up for about 3 months and I'm just now getting wide spread purple growth.

You can get a coralline scraping from someone and just let it grow. Even then, if your parameters aren't right or if the species of coraline isn't right for your system, you won't always get it to grow. IMO, purple isn't wort gha, aipstasia, or bristle worms getting in the tank first thing.

 

I agree with the fan idea. If you're industrious and want to build a hood for your hood, you could install computer fans to dissipate the heat. That way the fans will be mostly hidden and appear apart of the unit.

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Found another location that works. Have the T5 version, I believe. Have had the lights on for a few hours. There is a cooling fan running when I turn the actinics on. Inside tank doesn't seem to be getting too warm. Not much heat coming out the vents. Seems like a really good design. Had to level the stand due to floor irregularites. Used wood shims I had left over from a carpentry project that did the job nicely. Feel better not being next to the a/c thermostat. Wife would blame me and my tank for every temperature irregularity in the house, real or perceived. So the stand is in place, solid, and leveled. Tank is clean and bio balls are in the proper chamber after digging the stray one out of #1 and #3. Ready for my ro/di so I can start mixing water. Shipping time from marine depot is claimed to be 2 days for live rock. So I'll place the order as soon as I fill the tank.

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My ro/di unit will be delivered today. I will order LR as soon as I verify it is working properly. I have seen many opinions on LR sources. I know Marine Depot can get LR to me in 2 days. Any ideas about the others? Marine depot has a 26 pound package and a 52 pound package. I am leaning towards the 52. I want a few fish in the tank, but more interested in inverts, so more rock seems OK. More than the 1.5 to 1 rule. Also want 2 inches of sand as I want diggers, like gobies, pistol shrinp, etc. Marine depot good source? Other suggeations?

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Just curious where you're located at. Our LFS's have good live rock and after factoring in the costs of shipping, it's would make sense to try and source some good stuff locally if possible and if you're not going to go the dry rock route.

 

http://realreefrock.com/ this stuff is absolutely awesome as well. There's quite a few online and retail vendors that carry it.

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I live in rural north Georgia. A few local pet shops, but no good sources for LR.

 

Think I will go with gulf live rock. Looks to be the best fit for what I'm doing. I'll be ordering it and 25# live sand today as my ro/di unit came in. I'll start making/mixing saltwater tonight. I will put the sand and rock in when I receive it. A couple days later, I'll be gone for 10 days, but will have someone at home who can check on it for me. Do I need to do anything else for that time frame other than possible top off's? I will get the cleaning crew after the ammonia is gone. Anything else I need to order before I put it together and leave it?

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I have mixed up my water in preparation for my live rock, which will be delivered Wednesday. The spec gravity is 1.024. Temperature 78. NH4, as expected, is 0. I don't have the tank filled fully, leaving about 6 gallons less to allow for displacement by the LR. So the tank's filtration system will not work as the powerhead chamber does not fill up. I have a spare powerhead in the tank itself to keep things circulating and keep temperature consistent. My water is mildly cloudy. It does not appear to be microbubles. Any idea why the new water appears cloudy without having added any LR, sand, or marine organisms? Water was ro/di and I used Red Sea Coral pro salt.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK. 10 days after setup and LR addition. Came home from trip. Gulf live rock has pretty anemones and sponges all over it; they appear happy for now. Lots of red and green algae in sides of tank and on LR. Filter media light brown and and very stinky. NH4 0 ppm NO3 50 ppm NO2 1 ppm PO4 1 ppm. Plan 20 pct. water change tomorrow.

OK so far?

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