Rollermonkey Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 The cycling thing is boring. I think I saw some tiny things swimming in the refugium this morning before the lights switched over, but it might have just been detritus that missed the sponge. I don't think there's enough eddy currents to explain what I was seeing if it was just gunk, though. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 This is kind of funny. I ordered an Apex Lite last week, on Tuesday. Next day I get an e-mail saying that it's out of stock and has been backordered. OK, that sucks. I click on the link back to the item page, it says they expect to have them in 2-3 days. I wish it said that when I placed the order, in case I wanted it quickly, I might have bought elsewhere. I called just now to ask what's up, and was told that they arrived on Friday, but they haven't made it out of receiving yet. Sigh. I am apparently #1 of 3 orders received, though. Worse is the sand I ordered on the 25th. Got an e-mail on the 29th acknowledging the order, and a week later, it still hasn't shipped. Sigh. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 I guess I spoke too fast. I never got a shipped e-mail from Premium Aquatics, but the UPS guy just brought my sand. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Raggle Fraggle... Stupid Hydor Slim Skim doesn't fit. Height is fine. The width and depth measurements are the exact opposite of what they need to be. Even to fit it in rotated, I'd need to trim the same inner ledge I trimmed to allow the media basket to come out without dismounting the light, only this time all the way to the corner of the tank. Even if I rotate it, the surface skim will be up against a wall. That would also mean the magnets would be on the side, working through the plastic and the glass. I shoulda waited for the new Tunze, or just bought the AquaticLife 115 from InTank. Link to comment
Deleted User 3 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I guess I spoke too fast. I never got a shipped e-mail from Premium Aquatics, but the UPS guy just brought my sand. This happens to me all the time! I never get a 'it shipped' or if i do it never updates, and voila it's here... PS I want pics Got any more hitch hikers? Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 Took all the rock out today and set it in a tray full of SW. I worked on the first three pieces of my aquascape plan: I used the marble chips I picked up at Lowes and epoxied / super-glued them to the "bottom" of three pieces that I want standing straight up. The chips act like feet. I let them cure for about 15 minutes each before dunking them in the tank. Two of the three pieces are pretty much where they will end up, the third had to be moved aside because I got hungry, and I put the rest back in the tank in a loose pile. I went to the LFS and grabbed the AquaticLife 115 skimmer they had and dropped that in chamber 1. It's a tight fit even after cutting the rest of the ledge off the back wall, and I still can't close the hood with the collection cup on. Looks like I need to Dremel out a hole for the cup to stick up out of. Yay. And since Ms. Tulip wants pictures: Feet! You'll get a FTS when I'm good and ready. Next steps will be to connect the arch, place the rest of the rocks I'm going to keep then rinse and add the sand. I might be able to do the arch before the weekend. The rest will need to wait until Monday, probably. I have a lot of NO2 and NO3 to get rid of before I need to be ready for anything else, so I can take my time. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 Forgot to mention: did a 10% water change as a part of the aquascaping today. Just added the AquaticLife mini skimmer. It's gurgling along merrily, even with the airline mod. I put it on the same time cycle as the moonlights and refugium lights. My HOB filter and heater for my QT arrived. That's complete now until I need lighting to acclimate / QT corals. On that note, I drew up a proposal for the QT lid and sent it to a shop for an estimate. Materials would be like $13, so I can't wait to hear what they come up with. If it's not too bad pricewise, it is going to be one sexy QT. Yay! Ammonia is finally down from 0.25ppm. OK, it's not zero yet, but down is good. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 I'll be honest, I'm confused by my tanks parameters. Ammonia is almost down to zero. (already?) It sat at 0.25ppm for 5 days, then started to taper down. Nitrites started at 5.0ppm, took a dip to 2.0ppm for three days, and has gone back up to 5.0ppm (or higher). Nitrates started at 60ppm, climbed to 120 for the same days that the nitrites dropped, and is now rapidly dropping. This doesn't seem right. Link to comment
Bakenn Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Your cycle seems like its doing the right thing but in a weird way if that makes any sense. By the way I can't wait to see a FTS with the rock in! Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 There's a way to see that, even though the scape isn't ready yet... Weird is right. I half wonder if the bulk of my die-off was the bacteria that convert nitrites to nitrates, and they haven't come back yet. (The rock was sold as pre-cured and shipped overnight, but I can still smell the rocks from a couple feet away from the water.) I have my sand on hand, so as soon as my nitrites start to dive, I'll rinse and add it. Made some salt water today just for that task. (I'll do another 10% water change on Tuesday if any of the numbers are still elevated. Link to comment
Bakenn Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Oh so your suppose to rinse "live" sand, I was debating whether or not to rinse mine when I set up my 29 gallon next week. And I just clicked your sig, I didn't know you weren't finished yet but it looks like a perfect amount of live rock. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Yeah, I'm going to have a high arch in the back, and an arc of rock along the bottom. The two arms of rocks should step down from the arch towards the front corners. I have one neat rock that's going to go in the middle. It's shaped like a toadstool, and has a base that I added two rock chips onto for stability. It won't be just a big pile of rocks when I'm done. I just can't work on it easily with the 2-year-old around. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Welp, I got an Elos Nitrite test as a second opinion today. We'll see what I get tomorrow. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Well, the Apex Lite is STILL on back-order, but I have a wifi adapter for it now. Amazon got this to me in under 48 hours with the free shipping. Woot. It's super tiny, like 2.5" X 1.5". Sweet. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Marine Depot is now listing the Apex Lite as a 1-2 week back order. Ordered it a week ago, when it was listed as in stock. Then it went to 2-3 days back order. Then they told me it was in recieving, and I was #1 to get it. Then they said they didn't actually get it. WTF. This is BS. I'd have gotten it elsewhere if I knew they were going to keep pushing it off. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Nitrites were off the chart on the Elos test. (It only goes up to 2.0) Back to the API until the cycle is done, I guess. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 Reefquake! Fortunately, it was just the stuff I had stacked in the front, not the pieces I glued together the other day. 2YO was messing around with the magfloat. I think I'm going to have to keep it in the stand until I need it. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 I think I get what's going on now... The ammonia isn't hitting zero because stuff is still rotting. I can see things like sponge fragments in holes I can't scrape out. The longer it sits in the tank, the more crap is decaying and falling out of the holes. The nitrites might finally have taken a downturn. Those bacteria may have finally gotten a foothold and started to take off. The nitrates have spiked again, those bacteria got overwhelmed again now that the nitrite guys are finally on the job. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Diatoms? Present. Scaping is done. I used my SW to keep my LR wet while finishing up the scape, so I didn't have any left to rinse the sand with. Did another 10% water change instead. Slow and steady, eh? Link to comment
Jai1985 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Trust me it will pay off in the long run.... Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 So, I actually opened the box my sand was in... CaribSea says don't rinse it. Drs. Foster & Smith want it rinsed. I split the difference. Since the bags were wet, not dry like I had assumed, I dumped both bags into a big Rubbermaid storage tray I have, added a gallon of tank water and mixed the two bags together. (One bag is AragAlive Special Select, the othe Fiji Pink.) With the pump and MP10 off, I then scooped the mixture into the tank, 1/2 cup at a times spreading it as evenly as possible with all the cloudiness. I shoved it under the openings in the LR, and tried to get a depth of about 2 - 2.5 inches. I added the first bag of Purigen and the first bag of ChemiPure Elite to the media basket and a new piece of floss. (Third or fourth time since putting the rock in.) The cloudiness is retreating now. I'll add some pictures shortly. Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 FTS Right side Left side Top view Yummy yellow-brown water. So, there's a big arch in the back, an open area in the middle, and that rock front-center has a ledge like a toadstool. Link to comment
eddiecorrea Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Looks pretty good. I like it. I would change glass cleaners though. Look into a nimble nano super. They are small and clear. Will take longer to clean your glass but isn't big and bulky like a mag float. Also when you order your CUC don't go to Barrier. Order from John at Reefcleaners. He is a sponsor here and will give you WAYYY more then you order. His CUC is designed to your aquarium and are supposed to be kept in our tanks for the long haul. Unlike the big turbo snails Barrier sells. Heck his stuff is so good I haven't had to clean my glass in weeks. Just pick out one of his "quick crews" Link to comment
Jai1985 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 +1 on going with John... great guy and great customer service too! Link to comment
Rollermonkey Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Originally, I did have a nimble nano in there. I had to go fishing for it off the bottom a few dozen times. Next, I got the micro-sized MagFloat. I had to pluck that off the skimmer grates repeatedly. Now, when my 2-year-old daughter tries to "help" me clean, I can 'pull' it through the side glass without pulling the lid off. I've already gotten a recommendation from John for my Custom CUC through ReefCleaners. As soon as I start to see algae, the order will be placed. Link to comment
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