brandolando4 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 hey all, i just got my bc 14 up and running and decided to do one of theses forum journal thingys. Anyway its been up for two days now, and i have done all the usual mods to it, i have added: pico evolution 1200, hydor flo reflector, cut the tab, stevie media rack ( i plan on adding chemipure elite and chaeto), and i bought a koralia nano but it broke so im waiting to see if stevie will exchange me a new one. I added about 18 lbs of caribsea arag-alive reef sand, and about 5.5 to 6 pounds florida LR (it has all kinds of crap on it) and one big chunk of fiji LR (9ish pounds, it was way cheaper lol) im debating breaking the big piece up into smaller pieces. I kinda like my scape currently so i dont know if i want to. Ill let u guys help me to decide. FTS 1/22/2012 FTS 4/28/2011 Sal-1.024-1.025 im using a hydrometer and its like in between the two, pH-8.0- i bought a buffer yesterday im hoping that will raise it up Ammonia-0 Trite-0 trate-0 Ca-480-500 the rock i got was mega cured so im hoping the cycle will be short, here are some pictures can anyone id those two algaes for me? and the orangeish poof ball on the 6th picture?? Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 oo yah the temp is at 76 ish Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 i added 1 more pound of lr today Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 can anyone identify this crap? is it good or bad? Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 this is the updated scape with the new lr. I also bought some some stability from seachum, on a whim, im hoping it will speed p the cycle. I love the tank, just trying to keep up with water top offs and water chemistry. Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 Saw my first hitch hiker today it was an aipastasia but I'm just happy to see something living in the water besides plants and sponges!! Link to comment
beefus Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Saw my first hitch hiker today it was an aipastasia but I'm just happy to see something living in the water besides plants and sponges!! Ahh I remember that feeling, just being excited to have something living. If I could go back in time and tell myself to burn it with fire.. I would. Seriously you will probably live to regret not snuffing the life out of that little bastard while you still have control of your tank. If you do not get control now you will not have the same excitement when you come home and find that you have 3 more, the next day you have 8.. You get the idea. Congrats on the sweet tank. Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 i was planning on getting a peppermint shrimp once my tank cycles, im not allowed to have blow torch cuz i live in the dorms. can i use a lighter? Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 My levels for today 1/18/2010 pH-7.8-8.0 Ammo-0 Trite-0 trate-0 temp 76 sal-1.023 ish i ordered refractometor today, becasue i have a ####ty hydromoter Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 PH is kind of a ignored parameter.I would not use the buffer keep all your other parameters such as alk and calcium in order and PH will follow.I would get a pepermint shrimp it will keep the aiptasia in check for you.Tank is looking good keep up the good work. I would also raise the salinity to 1.025 Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 I didn't know that about ph, i plan on raising my salinity to that but im trying to wait for my refractometor from stevie, i wish i read that hydrometers sucked. also my kh test is api and brand new but every time i use it i have to use more drops then are in the chart for it to change color!! the aipastasia is tiny a peppermint shrimp should be able to keep little ones in check correct? Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Peppermint usually keep the small ones in check.My peps ate all the small ones and I hand killed the 2-3 larger ones.What is your calcium reading?I wouldn't raise your salinity until you get the refracometer. Add about 5 drops of KH fluid and then cap the tube and shake.Add 1 more drop cap and shake.Keep doing this until the fluid turns a light green.Then the next drop should take it to yellow. Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 i dont kno if i suck at testing or what, but it seems like it took one more drop then 26 drops so im assuming it is at around 520 ish!! idk tho Link to comment
JerseyChick Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I like the scape! Cavish, yet able to get a mag flo all the way around the exterior glass without bumping any rocks on interior... In the future I would raise the temp a little (but thats just me I keep mine at 79) while it cycles your ph will seem very low at night but thats normal. I wouldnt worry about ph until you've completed your cycle and have inhabitants. Please wait a little while to add the peppermint, they will not survive a still cycling tank and its a semi expensive mistake to make, plus a living creature Welcome and congrats! Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Make sure you cap and shake after every drop once you get to about 15 drops. Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 Thank you i plan on waiting a couple of weeks,i use the two little fishies scraper its mega tiny, so it fits! the heater i have is 50 watts and i dont like it i ordered a 75 watt today from stevie that will hopefully maintain a better temp seeing how my tank is next to the window because i live in a dorm and thats the only place for it and the 50 watt i have now keeps the temp about 2 degrees below what i set it. i was also testing nitrates today, and it seemes like the color was in between the 0-5 ppm and i was wondering if that was possible because i have not seen a ammo spike or a trite spike, maybe im jst reading too much into these stupid colors!! any way thanks for the help Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 What 50 watt heater do you have? Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 marineland, i had to buy it saturday night because i bought walmart heaters and it turns out those dont work in saltwater so i freaked out and thought everything would die in my tank with 60 degree water, so i ran to petco and bought the 50 watt Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Does it have the red/green light on the top?Or is it just the old red dial one? Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 red green light, it turns green all the time and i check my thermo, which is digital and its ususally a degree and a half lower. Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 PM me if you want to sell it I am looking for one just like that for a small pico I have. Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 i dont have a paypal and i way over payed for it at the time because i was scared for my tanks health, lol, i payed 40 dollars for the thing and i bought stevies 75 watt for 21 dollars, anyway i called petco and told them it was broken and plan on returning it, im sorry lawnman!! Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 OK no problem I was just under them impression you did not like it.It is not broken heaters are usually off by 1-3 degrees.Digital thermos are junk they can be off by 2-5 degrees.Stick with a basic old alcohol one. Link to comment
brandolando4 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 do u know of a good one of those? i got one from walmart and i couldnt tell the exact different temps!! Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 The one you have in your tank is what I use.It is just stuck to the glass in my sump. Link to comment
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