SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 This is legitimately my first attempt at keeping anything in a tank. period. I moved to Dallas TX from San Diego CA a few years ago and I found myself missing the Ocean so much (not to mention bored to death) that I decided to start a Nano-Reef. I'm 2 days into cycling. After Extensive reading of this forum which is amazing! So Informative! I purchased the following: -biocube 14 -13ish pounds of live rock -20lbs of live sand -LFS RO Salt Water -Thermometer -Heater I skipped the test kit cause the LFS said I could bring my samples to test, but I'm itching to do it myself... I ordered some "API 5 in 1 Aquarium Test Strips" off Amazon cause they were cheap. If anyone has opinion on those I would appreciate the insight. I also ordered a "Hydor Koralia Nano Aquarium Circulation Pump 425" also if anyone has input. Here are a few pics from day 2. Would love anyone's input or knowledge and I really just wanted to post to establish with the forum. I look forward to making lots of new friends! IMG_2372 by Michael Marella, on Flickr IMG_2373 by Michael Marella, on Flickr Link to comment
xAyanex Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 This is legitimately my first attempt at keeping anything in a tank. period. I moved to Dallas TX from San Diego CA a few years ago and I found myself missing the Ocean so much (not to mention bored to death) that I decided to start a Nano-Reef. I'm 2 days into cycling. After Extensive reading of this forum which is amazing! So Informative!I purchased the following: -biocube 14 -13ish pounds of live rock -20lbs of live sand -LFS RO Salt Water -Thermometer -Heater I skipped the test kit cause the LFS said I could bring my samples to test, but I'm itching to do it myself... I ordered some "API 5 in 1 Aquarium Test Strips" off Amazon cause they were cheap. If anyone has opinion on those I would appreciate the insight. Welcome to Nano-Reef!! I'm fairly new myself. I have a biocube 29 that just finished cycling with 23 lbs of live rock and 20 lbs live sand. I mix my own salt water. I used the API test kit (bottles and test tubes) to monitor my cycle although a lot of people have had problems with it in the past (ex. ammonia "stalling" at 0.25-just google it). I had no issues with it. I would recommend not relying too heavily on test strips as I think they are even less accurate, but they'll at least give you a general idea of where you are. HOWEVER, since I am extremely new you're welcome to take everything I said with a grain of salt. I'll bet a more seasoned reefer will chime in soon Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 23, 2016 Author Share Posted May 23, 2016 Welcome to Nano-Reef!! I'm fairly new myself. I have a biocube 29 that just finished cycling with 23 lbs of live rock and 20 lbs live sand. I mix my own salt water. I used the API test kit (bottles and test tubes) to monitor my cycle although a lot of people have had problems with it in the past (ex. ammonia "stalling" at 0.25-just google it). I had no issues with it. I would recommend not relying too heavily on test strips as I think they are even less accurate, but they'll at least give you a general idea of where you are. HOWEVER, since I am extremely new you're welcome to take everything I said with a grain of salt. I'll bet a more seasoned reefer will chime in soon Thank you! slightly off topic, but do you know how to rotate the pictures you post on here? mine are oddly sideways Link to comment
xAyanex Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Thank you! slightly off topic, but do you know how to rotate the pictures you post on here? mine are oddly sideways I do not know how. I take all my pictures with my phone because it has a better camera than my years-old digital camera. I can rotate them on my phone before uploading them to Flickr. Also, I upload my photos to Flickr instead of Nano-Reef (which is just personal preference). Edit: You can probably rotate photos in Flickr. Link to comment
SaltwaterShoup Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Welcome to the hobby! I started my 28g nanocube about 6 months ago and it's really taken off... all the hard work and research in the beginning has done me wonders. I agree with the statement about using the API test strips to get a general idea of where you are but they're not the end all be all, especially when your LFS will test your water for you. As your tank develops and get an idea of what levels you need to monitor,you can start to buy more specific tests. Good Luck! Link to comment
Elizabeth94 Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Welcome to the forum and saltwater! It is a rewarding, but ever so frustrating hobby And I am sure you read this everywhere, but take it SLOW and you will more than likely have a positive experience starting out. This is legitimately my first attempt at keeping anything in a tank. period. Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 23, 2016 Author Share Posted May 23, 2016 Welcome to the hobby! I started my 28g nanocube about 6 months ago and it's really taken off... all the hard work and research in the beginning has done me wonders. I agree with the statement about using the API test strips to get a general idea of where you are but they're not the end all be all, especially when your LFS will test your water for you. As your tank develops and get an idea of what levels you need to monitor,you can start to buy more specific tests. Good Luck! Thats what I was thinking was that I will just have them test it. I just feel like I'm going to want to test it frequently lol Link to comment
tanacharison Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Thats what I was thinking was that I will just have them test it. I just feel like I'm going to want to test it frequently lol If you do become a testing addict like some, most test kits you can get 30-40 tests for $30-$50 depending on the brand. Much cheeper than LFS and sometimes more accurate. If you buy a RODI system next you can have complete freedom from the LFS... Well except to buy new friends. Plus it will save a lot of $$ in the long run. Link to comment
KnH Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Welcome to Dallas, If you haven't found them yet, there are two Local groups and a few FaceBook pages for the DFW area. DFWMAS & North Texas Reef Fanatics Both groups hold frag swaps on a regular basis, If have the time you can pick up most anything used Lots of turnover in the area. Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 23, 2016 Author Share Posted May 23, 2016 wow thanks Welcome to Dallas, If you haven't found them yet, there are two Local groups and a few FaceBook pages for the DFW area. DFWMAS & North Texas Reef Fanatics Both groups hold frag swaps on a regular basis, If have the time you can pick up most anything used Lots of turnover in the wow thanks for the heads up! I'll check it out! I d If you do become a testing addict like some, most test kits you can get 30-40 tests for $30-$50 depending on the brand. Much cheeper than LFS and sometimes more accurate. If you buy a RODI system next you can have complete freedom from the LFS... Well except to buy new friends. Plus it will save a lot of $$ in the long run. i didn't see RODI in the glossary... and I hate to sound like a newb but can i get some details? That certainly sounds like something I would be interested in Link to comment
xAyanex Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 wow thanks wow thanks for the heads up! I'll check it out! I d i didn't see RODI in the glossary... and I hate to sound like a newb but can i get some details? That certainly sounds like something I would be interested in RODI is reverse osmosis deionized water Link to comment
tanacharison Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 When making saltwater or using water to top off your tank you should always use RO water but at 60¢ a gallon over time its cheaper just buying a RODI machine so you can make it at home for like .03¢ a gallon. With your tank already filled buying a few gallons a week won't be really bad. Link to comment
dpoltsdsu Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 RODI freshwater is used for top off. It's freshwater that has been through an extensive filtration and purification process. It's very pure and does not hold anything like phosphates and chemicals that some regular tap water has. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Welcome and congrats on the new hobby(aka addiction) Tank looks good! The koralia pumps are great, I've used them for years and never had an issue. What you can also get is the hydor rotating attachment and put tht on you return which will give you some nice rotating flow. Are you planning on corals? If so, once you add those down the road, you will want to invest in these test kits. Its important to test weekly to make sure the params stay in normal ranges. Magnesium(if this drops your calcium and alkalinity will be very difficult to maintain) Calcium Alkalinity Phosphates Nitrate Some advice going in so you encounter less frustrating issues: - go slow, slow and steady wins the race - use ro/di, ro, or distilled water - do weekly waterchanges, vacuum the sand lightly at this time(excluding deep sandbeds), use a new turkey baster to blow detritus off rocks, change filter floss 1-2x a week - do scrub the back chambers and syphon this area, it can collect alot of stuff: i recommend keeping a snail or 2 back there -clean out pumps, hoses, etc 1x a mnth - feed lightly, stock the tank lightly with fish. Have fun:) Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 24, 2016 Author Share Posted May 24, 2016 Welcome and congrats on the new hobby(aka addiction) Tank looks good! The koralia pumps are great, I've used them for years and never had an issue. What you can also get is the hydor rotating attachment and put tht on you return which will give you some nice rotating flow. Are you planning on corals? If so, once you add those down the road, you will want to invest in these test kits. Its important to test weekly to make sure the params stay in normal ranges. Magnesium(if this drops your calcium and alkalinity will be very difficult to maintain) Calcium Alkalinity Phosphates Nitrate Some advice going in so you encounter less frustrating issues: - go slow, slow and steady wins the race - use ro/di, ro, or distilled water - do weekly waterchanges, vacuum the sand lightly at this time(excluding deep sandbeds), use a new turkey baster to blow detritus off rocks, change filter floss 1-2x a week - do scrub the back chambers and syphon this area, it can collect alot of stuff: i recommend keeping a snail or 2 back there -clean out pumps, hoses, etc 1x a mnth - feed lightly, stock the tank lightly with fish. Have fun:) I actually do have a lot of questions about cleaning. Most of the threads seem to deal with algae which I don't have yet... There are some streaky spots inside my tank I would like to clean but I'm not sure of? Also I'm not familiar with vacuuming the sand? or filter floss for that matter? My tank is still stock. so in the back I just have the heater, the bio balls, the filter, and of course the stock return Link to comment
Clown79 Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 Can you post a pic of the streak you are concerned about? Algae is a common issue in tanks. Algae is a normal aspect and part of the ecosystem but there are certain types which are nuisance algae. Research the following algaes: diatoms, cyanobacteria, green hair algae, bubble algae. These are the common nuisance algaes. If you keep your phosphates and nitrates low, you won't run into huge issues. Phosphates and nitrates can easily increase and that often occurs due to poor quality water use, over feeding, maintenance issues, and over stocking the tanks with fish. The chambers in the back of the tank is the filteration system- you most likely have a filter basket in the back. The basket is used to place filter media in it- usually floss and chemical filteration. Filter floss- used to trap detritus/particles in the water column. This is replaced 1-2x a week depending on how dirty it gets. If not changed regularly it will cause nutrient issues (nitrates) Chemical filteration- most use carbon or gfo. Each product is used for different issues. Carbon clears up the water and aids in removing any toxins released by corals. There are products like chemipure blue, chemipure elite, phosban, phosguard- these aid in removal of nitrates/phosphates etc. Most start out using floss and carbon. Later when needed one may choose to change/add to their chemical filteration but do so upon the need. These are placed in a media bag and added to the filter basket. I personally rinse my media bags during a water change to remove any detritus on them and you change out the media according to product direction. Bioballs- these are debatable. Some love them with no issues but they most commonly cause problems for ppl. They get dirty and if not cleaned regularly- will lead to nitrate issues. I personally would get rid of them and make your life easier. Its less maintenance for you. Vacuuming sand. If you have a sandbed 1-2 inches high its a short sand bed. Alot of detritus builds up in the sand and rockwork. If not taken care of will eventually lead to issues. You can buy a gravel/sand vacuum at the lfs. This has a hose attached which syphons out the water. There is a technique to vacuuming sand-so you don't syphon out the sand. Check out videos on you tube Its a good idea to have a few new turkey basters for the tank. I have always blown the rocks before syphoning my water on wc day. This helps removing any detritus. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask:) I added a pic of the vacuum Link to comment
Pjanssen Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 Welcome. Love your scape- looks like a dragon! I can picture some red macro if some kind up towards the top in the future! Link to comment
Astinus Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 Welcome. Love your scape- looks like a dragon! I can picture some red macro if some kind up towards the top in the future! Indeed it does! Welcome to NR! Everyone has given u excellent advice! I too am newish and have had my bumps in the road but, things are working out Don't hesitate to ask any question! If u don't know, u don't know. This is a great community here, to learn from. Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Can you post a pic of the streak you are concerned about? The streaks def. formed while adding in the sand and water. I'm pretty sure their not algae. I'm not even sure you can see them in the pix. They look like the kinda streaks that get left in windows when cleaned improperly. Or like water spots. I haven't purchased a float or anything like that yet, but I would really love to get my glass cleaned up. I just dont feel comfortable shoving my hand with a sponge into my cycling water you know? I have this fear of putting foreign things in the water right now cause I don't want to offput the cycle. Which may be crazy talk considering im new... lol any suggestions? IMG_2379 by Michael Marella, on Flickr IMG_2380 by Michael Marella, on Flickr IMG_2381 by Michael Marella, on Flickr IMG_2382 by Michael Marella, on Flickr Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Welcome. Love your scape- looks like a dragon! I can picture some red macro if some kind up towards the top in the future! Thank you so much! That was actually something I was really nervous about posting because everyone always has such cool scapes on here! lol Link to comment
Pjanssen Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Thank you so much! That was actually something I was really nervous about posting because everyone always has such cool scapes on here! lol You're be surprised at how often a lot of us actually rescape! Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 You're be surprised at how often a lot of us actually rescape! I didn't realize you could rescape once you have fish and corals in there I'm very worried to mess things up lol Link to comment
Pocket_Tamales Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 I've got a biocube and my glass got the exact same streaks when I set it up. I just wiped it away, wonder if it's residue from the sand or just streaks that were on the glass... Either way, I wiped it off with my hand. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 The streaks are most likely dust from the sand. You can put your hands in the tank, it won't disturb the cycle. Any sponges, turkey basters etc. Should always be new and for tank use only. You can get a mag float to clean off the glass as well. I wouldn't leave the lights on during cycling, it will cause more algae than needed. Link to comment
SideCar_Falcon619 Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 I wouldn't leave the lights on during cycling, it will cause more algae than needed. I've left them on 24/7 since i set it up... so like 5 days? The LR in the middle came with some green algae on it, so I figure the light would be good to sustain it? Should I start timing the light cycles? Obviously there are a MILLION different opinions on light cycling on this site... lol Link to comment
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