boostforfun Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Just getting this tank up and going. It's my first foray into salt. Mostly comprised of stuff I had laying around. Tank is a 10 gallon petco special. HOB filter, little filter pad and a bag of carbon going in there. Little heater I had laying around from a recent project. SunSun circ pump. Current saltwater LED light. Pukani dry rock. Carib-sea Fiji Pink live sand. Using Stability to start the tank. I have done a lot of reading, but am wide open for suggestions. Here are some pics of a cloudy sandstorm from today, day 1. http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/brian_tackett/Mobile%20Uploads/20160824_203044.jpg http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/brian_tackett/Mobile%20Uploads/20160824_203035.jpg http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/brian_tackett/Mobile%20Uploads/20160824_203057.jpg http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/brian_tackett/Mobile%20Uploads/20160824_203144.jpg Link to comment
seabass Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Welcome to Nano-Reef.com! You need a better stand. That's going to stress the seams. I see you have a large tank too. What lives in there? Link to comment
msparklym13 Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Welcome to Nano-Reef.com! You need a better stand. That's going to stress the seams. I see you have a large tank too. What lives in there? Yay welcome, Seabass is right- Looks great but you definitely need something to stabilize your awesome project- Your carpet will thank you ;-) Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 oh, I know about the stand. It's just temporary while I build the other one. figured I may as well get it cycling. As for the big tank, that is my daughter's Red-eared slider, aptly named Cutie Pie. Spoiled turtle. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 A few pictures after the sandstorm subsided a bit. Is there too much rock in there? Link to comment
seabass Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 I think the amount of rock is fine. But it will be difficult to clean the left side panel. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 I think the amount of rock is fine. But it will be difficult to clean the left side panel. Very good point. I could always move it out a bit to give access. Thanks for that. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 ran first tests tonight: CAL: 500ppm Carbonate: 179ppm Phosphate: 0ppm Nitrate: 0ppm PH: 7.8 Ammonia: .50ppm Nitrite: .50ppm Temp: 77 deg. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 You don't need to waste tests on alk, ca at this point. I'd wait till you add coral. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 water test today: CAL: DNT CARB: DNT Phosphate: .25 Nitrate: 0 Nitrite: .50 Ammonia: 2.0 PH: 7.8 I am still adding Seachem Stability as recommended. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 also started to notice this little purple stuff showing up in about 3-4 places. Don't know what it is, if anything. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 It looks like coralline algae. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 28, 2016 Author Share Posted August 28, 2016 today's test results. This is before the daily dose of Seachem Stability. Ammonia: 2.0 ppm Nitrite: 2.0 ppm Nitrate: 0 ppm Phosphate: 0 ppm temp: 78.8 (got a digital, much easier to read.) Hopefully seeing progress here? Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 28, 2016 Author Share Posted August 28, 2016 Nitrites seem to be beginning to spike a bit, but ammonia is not falling yet Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 today's test results: Ammonia: 2.0 ppm Nitrite: 2.0 ppm Nitrate: 5.0 ppm Temp: 79.1 (middle of bright light cycle) Thoughts? Look normal for 4 days in? Link to comment
seabass Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 Seems pretty normal. That Pukani dry rock must have had a bunch of organics on it. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 Do you say that because of the persistent ammonia levels? I rinsed it but didnt cure it or anything. Link to comment
seabass Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 Yeah, if it were clean, you wouldn't get an ammonia spike. Pukani is known for this. The bacteria will eventually break it down. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 Sounds good. Im in no hurry. Am I OK to top off with RODI while cycling in the meantime? Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share Posted August 30, 2016 NM about RODI topoff. Researched it and figured it out. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share Posted August 30, 2016 Couple pics from this morning. Starting to look like a few little blops of algae. Am I right? This means the tank is continuing to cycle normally, correct? Should I reduce lighting to get rid of it, of just let it go? Link to comment
seabass Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I'd shut the lights off completely. The algae is probably more of a sign of phosphate than anything to do with the cycle. Which phosphate kit do you have? Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share Posted August 30, 2016 API. I didn't phosphate last go around, but I will tonight when I get home. I will shut light off completely. Link to comment
boostforfun Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 definitely worse tonight. About 15-20 spots all over the rock. Ill test in a bit then post result. Lights are off for good until it clears up. Link to comment
seabass Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 The target range for phosphate is 0.03ppm or less. You need a low range phosphate kit to determine this. API's kit is a high range kit and goes up in 0.25ppm increments. So by the time you can detect it with that test kit, it's already 10 times higher than it should be. Link to comment
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