Australian College Insanity - One Cubic Foot of Reef

[Avalon_Princess]

It better, the tank and everything else will be here tomorrow. My poor mother, my requests were a tad eclectic. Neither of my parents drink, but they live literally next door to the Hunter Valley Vineyards and have a very impressive collection of wine gathering dust. I also crochet so she's bringing wine, wool and a tank plus accessories.

 

But yeah the courier so does not come this far inland, so hopefully they just dumped it off with Auspost so it'll be beaten up but intact, otherwise it's gonna be sitting in the corner at the Coffs Harbour depot gathering dust. That depot though the closest one is very very far away, and it would then have to eventually be returned to sender, then even longer to get a refund...

[Avalon_Princess]

So it worked! my package turned up this morning via Auspost. Everything arrived intact except for one of the light stands, but I guess if worst comes to worst I can just balance the light across the tank.

 

It was a complete lottery with the expiry dates on the test kits, but all the important ones last for between 2-5 years, the silicate one expires next month and nitrites in December but anyways...

[Avalon_Princess]

Okay I am officially impressed with Armidale water.

 

Phosphate- 0.05

Silicate- Negligible (not quite 0 but no where near 0.03

[Avalon_Princess]

So the results from the test kits

Nitrite- 0

Calcium- 300ppm

Alkalinity- 15 kH

Magnesium- 1350 ppm

Phosphate- 0.05ppm

Silicate- Negligible

 

So Calcium and Alk is out of whack but I was trying a new salt so I'm just gonna use the one I normally use now.

[BigBad82]

Is Armidale water ur tap water?

[Avalon_Princess]

Yep. So I'm finally back with tank and all accessories, plus I'm rather ill. So the tanks set up but I probably won't post pics till later...

[Jacobnano]

You should probably test/get a test kit for Ammonia and Nitrate if you don't already

[Avalon_Princess]

Yep that arrived with the tank. So as to my arsenal of test kits I have

Older API set

Ammonia

Nitrite

Nitrate

High range pH

 

New Salifert Set

Calcium

Magnesium

Alkalinity

Phosphate

Nitrite

Silicate

 

Plus a refractometer, a hydrometer and like five different temp gauges. LOl I think I'm set.

[gulfsurfer101]

So you got your lights in then, too bad to hear about your light stand but hope you can figure it out.

[Avalon_Princess]

I think I may be able to get a new one sent, the shop guy didn't seem overly fussed either way LOL.

 

Anyway I actually have a picture of.... a tank! LOL. I'm quite happy with it, the scape came out exactly as planned...

 

[BigBad82]

looking good, and that tap water aint' too bad either you should easily be able to keep it in check.

[DaneMarx]

Yay! FTS at last! Congrats! :-)

[Avalon_Princess]

Yeah I was impressed at how low the phosphates and silicates were. I have GFO here as well just in case, but apart from the normal blooms I don't think I'll have too bad an algae problem.

[Avalon_Princess]

Gah the AquaClear didn't like the move, its rattling again, meh am so over the noise...

[Avalon_Princess]

And I'm an idiot I didn't even consider what would happen when I lifted the AC of the tank and the siphon kicked in. So now the pretty mirror bottom effect in the tank is gone because water got under there, meh LOL. The rattling is still there but is less of a grating buzz then it was, stupid filter LOL

[Avalon_Princess]

New Test Results

Temperature- 27.7 degrees Celsius (still fiddling with the heaters)

Specific Gravity- 1.027

Ammonia- 0

Nitrite- 0

Nitrate- 7.5

pH- 8.3

Calcium- 325

Alkalinity- 13.6

Magnesium- 1290

 

So I'm currently just dosing the calcium component of the two part additive I bought and I'll keep an eye on Mg and may start dosing that as well...

[supernip]

what kinda sickness you gots

[Avalon_Princess]

LOl you mean the testing thing? It's fun LOL, or why am I actually ill? mainly exhaustion, I had so much going on for the past two weeks, and it pretty much all finished on Sunday, so collapsing time LOL.

[Arkayology]

Yay for water in the tank.

[Avalon_Princess]

Sp the diatom bloom has begun and there are some microscopic strands of macro poking their heads up now the lights on. I still don't have a timer for the lights, but will buy one long before corals find their way to the tank.

 

I'm being really indecisive as to what corals I want, I started out thinking a softy tank but seeing it now I have to say the tank leans more towards a few select LPS. So I dunno, but anyway I'll let it go through it's algae blooms first, I may add a snail or similar at some point and I'll just keep waiting for inspiration to hit.

[straydog]

Dont get me wrong, I like reef tanks to but should'nt you be out getting to POOOOSAY being a college kid and all ?

So that's how your mother taugh you to speek to a lady.

[nano_keeper30]

So that's how your mother taugh you to speek to a lady.

 

LoL Deleted, Didnt see the OP was not male oooops

[Avalon_Princess]

LOl yes a girl, also a very devoted Christian, living in a girls only block by choice, oh and I don't drink. So yeah, I have a different view on life than most people...

[gulfsurfer101]

What a loser, lol. A christian girl, that is not even cool to post. I'll stop before I get into trouble and lets get this thread back on track.

[Avalon_Princess]

Oh yes definitely. If you've ever been to a college I'm one of the ones always on the periphery's, entirely by choice. It doesn't help that my hair is bright blue and my university is very conservative. But I prefer it this way, I was never the sort who enjoyed parties, and I still can't see why people drink so much alcohol, it tastes foul, but that's just me. But hey I have no problem with it and my block is so used to me that they don't even bat an eyelid when they see me walk around with salt and test tubes of colorful liquid.

 

Of course Christianities not cool, but I learned a long time ago to do what I enjoy and screw what other people think, it's a philosophy that works quite well. Most of the Christians at my college can't even believe the church I go to, I chose the most traditional, stuffiest one I could find, coz I love ritual and tradition, but they don't understand why I don't go their church with all its flashy lights and modern music. So I don't fit in anywhere but it all works out in the end.