Dasani Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I did weigh it, and it was just over 15. Would be 40 with water weight!!??!! Seriously like this rock. The LFS can't come close to this. Just gotta wait for stuff to start growing on it now. Dang, must be really light. Usually 3-4 pieces weigh about 15 lbs. That's a lot of rock. Nice! Quote Link to comment
cees Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 That is some nice rock! Cant wait to see the final scape Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 (edited) Water treatment filters set-up and producing 0 tds water! Going to load up the rock in a bucket and soak them overnight. I'll up date the weight gain then. Edited June 4, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) Ladies and Gentlemen... It's ALIVE!!! I was only able to use about 1/2 of the 15# of rock. Used what I think were the best pieces and did the terrace look with the flat top rocks. UPDATED PHOTOS Front: Side: Other side: Front island: Edited June 5, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Looking good! Post pics when it clears! Did you glue or stack the rock? Are you getting a piece of live rock to seed the dry rock? Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) The rocks are just stacked. The ones on the main area linked up good, and with a good pressing down they are pretty solid. The little island I will need to glue the two pieces together. Yes, I'm planning to seed with LR or some rubble. Currently doing a fish-less cycle with DrTims (I know guys, I've read the posts. I wanted to spend $$ on bacteria and get rid of this burning in my pocket. And the thought of pee'ing in my tank was cool!) Edited June 5, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Looks good, only got to use 1 piece of the dry rock I ordered... Ill be following your thread! Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) Did the first water test today. I will be buying a refractometer!!! But seriously folks... Day 1 pH 8.0 Ammonia: 3ppm Nitrite: <.25ppm Nitrate: <5 ppm Salinity: 1.022 Temp: 77.6° F Edited June 6, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Added two small pieced of live rock from LFS, about 1#. Has some feather dusters on them. The wife likes how cute they are. Might have the green light for sure now!!! FTS w/full lighting: FTS w/moonlights: Edited June 7, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Im with you on the need for a refractometer!! Getting the green light from the wife is great! Means more toys/tanks! My gf was annoyed at all my time spent researching for the tank and now after its set up she loves it. I often find her with her face against the glass if i leave the room for awhile. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) Tank is much clearer today. Changed out the blue pad filter as it was coated in sand film. The ammonia is down to 1.5-2 ppm from the 3-4.0 ppm peak. I'll continue daily testing until it's 0.0 ppm. Getting ready to order the clean-up crew. But was wondering, if there's no algae, what will they eat? Looks like the family likes the Firefish Goby, and so do I. And a couple of Clowns are what our plans are for livestock. Edited June 8, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 The algae will come! I have hair algae on some of my rocks.. Im going on a cruise next saturday for a week... Im scared to see what the tank will look like when i get back!! Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 (edited) Wednesday update: Day 4 pH 8.0 Ammonia: 1 ppm Nitrite: +5.0 ppm Nitrate: 30 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 85.5° (It got hot today and no one turned on the a/c!) And looking around the tank I happen to find a rock turning bright green... Edited June 9, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
garrettparson Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Thats some really awesome live rock man! Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 11, 2011 Author Share Posted June 11, 2011 (edited) Well today is the one week mark. I see more bright green popping up on the rocks. Which is a good thing for the CUC that was ordered. Appears that it's starting to have a pod bloom/sand storm going on too. Hoping it's pods. I'm having issues with the temp swings thinking it might be the Ebo heater. The tank has been dipping to low 70° even though the heater is set for 78°. I've done some adjusting and hope it's fixed. The cycle looks to be midway through. The ammonia spiked on day 3, and the nitrite is now dropping. Nitrate has stayed steady at 40 for the last couple of days, so getting prepared for the first water change to come. Day 7 pH 8.1 Ammonia: <0.25 ppm Nitrite: 4-5.0 ppm Nitrate: 40 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 78.5° Edited June 11, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) Well today the family and I took my middle daughter to SFO for her summer nanny job in Ill. On the way back I stopped into Neptune Aquatics in Milpitas. WOW, was I impressed with the huge selection of frags!!! The staff was great. I will make the trip again to get some stuff because I wasn't prepared to transport anything today. Here's their BC14 sitting on the front counter. When I got home, the water level was down 3 qts, so I topped it off before I did my daily tests. That's 2 days worth of evaporation. The ammonia has hit 0.00ppm!!! The nitrites and nitrates are the same as before. Hoping they will end their part of the cycle soon. I have finally got the temp calibrated better on the Ebo-Jager heater. Temps on the heater dial have matched the thermometer as close as I think I can get for two days. I did program the house a/c to maintain 78° which has helped too. Day 8 pH 8.1 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: <5.0 ppm Nitrate: 40 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 77.8° Edited June 14, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
gabe3eb Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Very well documented build thread and nice unique scape you have. Good luck with the tank. Any stocking plans? Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 Coral... still looking and planning. GSP is nice. I like frogspawn and elegance too. So many choices, so little room. Fish... family has decided clowns. I decided on a Firefish Goby. I want a Flame Angel, fell in love with it on first sight, but alas, tanks too small. But if PetCo is doing the $1 a gallon sale, a 75 or 90 gal would fit quite nicely on the other wall!!! Quote Link to comment
Neptune Aquatics Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Wow...this a GREAT build thread! Thanks for stopping by and checking us out. Robert Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) Today I have noticed another algae popping up. This type is a yellow/olive color and is covered in tiny air bubbles. Start of the diatom bloom?!? I will assume this is normal and nothing to worry about. Unless it sprouts fangs and tries to attack me, right? John from ReefCleaners.org sent out the CUC today. Can't wait to get them in. The thought of visible life in the tank is 'cool', to quote Dr Who. Day 9 pH 8.1 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: 2-5.0 ppm (somewhere between those two colors) Nitrate: 40 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 79.9° Edited June 14, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 (edited) Diatom bloom!!! OK, maybe not a full bloom like I've read some have had. But I got home today and I no longer have bright white rock. Nitrites are dropping! When I do the test, the water doesn't instantly turn purple. Nitrates are testing between the 20-40 color. Looking like the cycle is in its last leg... YEA!!! Also added some hermits from LFS to start working on some of the algae. I went with Scarlet Hermits after hearing about blue leg hermits being agressive. The CUC should be here tomorrow. Day 10 pH 8.1 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: <4 ppm Nitrate: 30 ish ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 79.8° Edited June 15, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Well folks, nitrite has spiked!!! Diatoms are all over the rocks today. I'm happy actually, it's almost finished the first cycle!!! CUC will be here tomorrow, just in time to find low nitrites and food to eat. Day 11 pH 8.1 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: 1 ppm Nitrate: <40 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 80.6° Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) CUC has arrived! Wow, 10 of those dwarf snails multiplied to 80-ish during shipping. Larger ones are taking a little longer to want to move around. Cheeto floating in main tank before I moved it to the 2nd chamber. Hasn't turned my fingers orange though! Day 12 pH 8.1 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: <0.25 ppm Nitrate: <20 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 81.8° Edited June 17, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Attack of the snails!!!! Quote Link to comment
Squared Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 nice tank can you say "attack of the blue cloves"? Quote Link to comment
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