A Finally Five Gallon

[KrackerG]

HEY CHYENDRA...NICE TANK! I love the way you did the background. Plus that's an interesting shape for a tank.

 

I have one of those red feather duster tube worm thingys...do you know what they really are?? I have regular featherdusters too but none red...

 

Install fans at each end (in/out) should keep things cool. You could use the same power supply powering the ballast box fan (the one that powers the blue LED fan:P ) to power the hood fans. You just have to run a small 2 pair wire up to the hood...

 

GOOD JOB!!!

[OxInYourBox]

Looking good.

 

To cut down on the bubbles you could put in a thin layer of sponge where the water outputs from the skilter. My friend sold his so I can't go check it out to make sure.

 

Love the background.

 

For cooling I you could put the fans on the open portion of the hood. One on oneside pushing in and the other one on the opposite pushing out. This way all you need are the fans and some case screws (your computer buddy should have some) and you won't have to drill the hood sides. Definitely love the hood.

 

I would get a swing arm hydrometer for now instead of of the refractometer. A bit cheaper and it will allow you to get one of Physh1's top off setups which you'll need soon with that MH in the hood. A surface skimmer should attach (DIY will work as well ) to the skilter which would take care of the inevitable surface scum.

 

Looks good. Keep us updated.

[1fish2fish]

Actually the little filter pa that came with the skilter is usually pretty good for cutting down on the bubbles. If you don't have it installed you might want to try it.

[Von digity]

You wanna know the best way to get rid of bubbles from your skilter?

 

Throw away all the skimmer junk and turn it into a fuge

 

Thats what I did, works great, just glue in a baffle and throw a bookworm over it.

 

Anyways, looks like your off to a really good start.

[onthefly]

 

2x 40mm comp fans (one in/one out) should take care of the heat from the MH (assuming a 70w'r?)!

 

EDIT: I need to read the WHOLE post......forget what I said, Jojo already was on it.......you can keep the smiley face though!

[Chyendra]

Thanks everyone!

 

Kracker: The adding the extra two fans to the one in the ballast case is a good idea. We'll do that when it comes time to set it up. I'm not sure what kind of tube worms they are, but I like them and hope they make it through the cycle.

 

OxInYourBox: I'll try the sponge idea, but i thought haveing a sponge in your system was a bad idea because of the excess nitrate build up? I'll give it a shot though, and see if it works. I have a swing hydrometer, but I don't feel like it's acurate enough. It's working good for now... but when I can, I want to buy a refractormeter.

 

Von digity: Well there is room in the skilter next to the heater and skimmer tube for some LR and Macro, so it will be a fuge once I find some chaeto. I may or may not take the skimmer part out yet.

[Chyendra]

Heres another fan worm, and a snail shell (it hasn't moved.... i think it's just a shell) And the one on the right is a little polyp (I hope it's not apista (sp?)

[OxInYourBox]

Sponges aren't bad if you keep them clean. My 2 Remora skimmers use them as the bubble catchers and I clean them every week as well as the sponge pad that I use to soften the water drop in my Alife. You could also run a filter sock (with carbon a few days out of the month) which will help to stop the bubbles.

 

I'd take your swing arm into your LFS and ask if you can compare it's reading to their refractometer (or a fellow hobbyist if you know one that has one). I bought one for ease of use between 7 tanks and my swing arm was measuring the same as it.

 

Unfortunately that little polyp is aipstasia. Get it before it spreads.

[Chyendra]

dang... i was hopeing it wasn't... i'll get some kalk next chance I get.

[OxInYourBox]

Next time you're at the grocery store look for Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime or for that matter any pickling lime. Same thing as kalkwasser and cheaper. You could always go with a peppermint shrimp as well but they are hit and miss.

[jojopus]

Chyendra, it looks like the airstone in that skimmer is awfully high. They tend to work alot better if the bubbles are able to pass through as much water as possible to give the protiens a chance to stick to them, i would say make sure that it's all the way at the botton of the skimmer. That may cut down on bubbles escaping into the tank. Another thing about the bubbles, they may just subside after your skimmer has a chance to break in. When i first got my bakPak it put tons of bubbles into the tank but after a few days to a weeks it stopped. HTH.

[KrackerG]

yup, sorry to say...that little polyp looks like Aiptasia. forget all that pickles and kalk...just give it a HOT INJECTION!!

 

using a NEW turkey baster or syringe, inject boiling hot distilled water directly in it/at it. you could even do it without removing the rock.

 

hot water = free

hot water = no chemicals

[fishtankbabe]

I love your background, that looks super sweet.

 

I know what you mean about waiting, I've been waiting almost a year myself.

[Chyendra]

Got some computer fans from my friend, today. I can't wait to get my lights started...!

 

OxInYourBox: I'll look for the pickleing lime next time i'm there. I'm going to need to either does kalk or some other source of calcuim later one when I get some corals (sps!) I don't really like the peppermint shrimp so much... besides i plan on getting a skunk cleaner later one anyway

 

jojopus: I know the airstone in the picture is high, I was hopeing it would help cut down on the bubbles in the tank, but it really hasn't. I've moved it back down, and maybe i'll just give it some time.

 

Kracker: Hot water huh? that sounds like a good idea. I was going to get some suringes at work today but I forgot.

 

fishtankbabe: All the wait just makes it that much more exciting when it comes time to finally set it up

[Chyendra]

I got the little aiptasia bugger.... I over turned all my rocks and found one more as well.

 

There are two tiny little orange worm things that wiggle out of a hole in the LR every so often too.

[shinken]

Looooks nice, just 1 thing to add. I had apstaisia in my 100 gal and peppermint shrimps seemed to get rid of them! but in a 5 gal maybe the injection thingy may work betta!

 

Good luck

[Cellenzweig]

Looking good!

 

I have heard lots of people tell me that the hot water injection is sometimes successful, but often causes the aiptasia to spread. There is some stuff called "Joe's Juice". It is supposed to be THE BEST for killing aiptasia with no side effects. I know a few people who have tried it and have been very happy. Check it out at http://www.joesjuice.com

[yodahart]

That joe's juice stuff does work really well. I killed a dozen aptasia in my 29 gallon with it.

 

Your setup looks really nice. You're on your way to becoming a DIY pro.

 

I would be careful with dosing kalk. In a tank that small it can do wonders to your Ph. You should be able to control all the chemical levels with routine water changes. My 2.5 gallon is full of livestock and I only change 3 cups of water a week. I don't have problems with nitrates or anything else. You don't really need a skimmer either on a tank that small if you do weekly water changes. But that's just my opinion.

 

The ro water from walmart is good enough for the tank too. I tested it with my tds meter and it was constantly 40 ppm, which isn't too bad for a reef. If you want perfect water, you can buy distilled water from there. That has a tds reading of 0.

 

Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see it full of livestock!

BTW, where are you going to college?

[Chyendra]

Thanks for the advice... i'm going to try the hot water for now.. but if they start coming back i'll look into that joes juice.

 

I won't dose kalk or anything until after testing my water for Ca and Alk.

 

My bulb came today (thanks digitallinx) so I'm going to attempt to wire it all up in my worklight fixture this weekend. My friend is going to help me and i have a couple of fans to install as well. I can't wait! The tank is starting to grow a bit of algea (brown slime, some hair, and this purple/mold algea?)

 

i'm getting some chaeto for my fuge from HuBu, and hopefully a few leds for a moonlight soon too.

[KrackerG]

Originally posted by Chyendra

... and hopefully a few leds for a moonlight soon too.

 

 

Doah....i could of sent you some w/ the ballast. I have 5 of 'em...all wired and ready to go! ... very easy to install !!

[Chyendra]

That would have been cool, But I found some cheap ones anyway.

 

I was trying to fit the bulb in the socket today and i accedently chiped a small piece of ceramic of the end of the bulb! Will it still work?? Can it be glued back on or fixed some how? The glass is fine, just the ceramic chiped.

[Smokin-Reefer]

I'm pretty sure if you wedge it just right the bulb will still be ok.

but again, I'm not acoustic, professional Fire hazard investigator!

[Chyendra]

BTW, where are you going to college?

 

I'm going to Michigan State, in East Lansing for zoology. I can't wait! I want to join the polo team.

 

I've heard that there is a a really good LFS in East Lansing MI so I will have to check that out.

[Scorched]

For your background did you use gloss or flat? And if others have sprayed theirs, what seems to look better?

[Scorched]

Oh, forgot to ask, any specific brand? I too would rather spray mine than use a taped on plastic sheet. I want to make sure it sticks but is also somewhat scratch resistant (I wanna use my mini mag float on the back to keep it clean)