My Rockin' Flower Garden!

[gena]

I'll have to check the box and see if that second hose is in there. I know I bought a hose at the store for the drain, the one time I set it up when I went on vacation. Dummy me if that hose is in the box LOL.

[FlowerMama]

One should be for the airline, the other for the drain line. That's how every skimmer, including the octos, have had both.

 

Well, they did not do a great job of explaining that. They give a diagram of parts w/ kinda how it goes together and that's your instructions. I'll have to look at it more closely tomorrow. I'm really tired right now and going to sleep. I love sleep, need my sleep. Man, when I was younger, 10:30 is when you headed out to party, now it's 12:20 and I just want to cuddle up w/ my cocker spaniel in bed and get some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZS.

 

My little Aquaticlife for my 34 is so different. I'm not used to BIG parts.

 

Sun I hope to go to Lowes to check out hosing for these connections underneath for straight down from the overflow to the sump and then from the right side w /the pump and up n' over to the left for the return. I heard you can put it in the dryer to soften it up to bend it if it's vinyl tubing. I'm afraid if I went with pvc I'd not connect it or seal it right and I'd get leaks.

[Horerczy]

Yeah you can take a hair dryer to vinyl tubing no problem. In fact I'd recommend it considering how tightly it's wound on them big old spools.

[NorthGaHillbilly]

Having a light on the sump at night will help limit ph swings

[FlowerMama]

Having a light on the sump at night will help limit ph swings

 

Oh, ok. I didn't know that.

[Mirya]

Photobombing your thread in honor of Caturday!

 

BTW...picked up two new flavors of Ben & Jerry's today .

 

[NorthGaHillbilly]

 

Oh, ok. I didn't know that.

Yea that's how I understand it. I saw some rock flower nems today at a frag expo, I was tempted and made me think of your tank. Excited to see how the swap turns out

[FlowerMama]

Photobombing your thread in honor of Caturday!

 

 

 

more ice cream!!!!!

[Horerczy]

There is never enough ice cream.

[Nanofreak79]

I had to go get some chunky monkey. Haven't had it in awhile. Is it me or do they put all the good stuff towards the bottom half of the container? Pinot just this one but others.......make you eat more, me thinks.

[lokipsl]

Just got caught up on your thread today. Really sucky with the whole tank ordeal, but it looks like it worked out for the better. The shallow rimless tanks are awesome. Especially when they are filled with nems!! I just set up the 80 gallon version last weekend..

[FlowerMama]

Just got done. Thank you to FlCandy and her hubby Andrew for helping me hook this up!!! Looks wonderful. TIme to clean it w/ some vinegar & water and make some more water.

 

 

 

I won't have the plumbing done but I will get some sand and put it in the tank and start making water and then fill it up to below where the overflow holes begin so I can cycle with more water and put all the rock in there. Now I'm going to Lowes so I can get some tubing, an ATO container, double sided velcro so I can attach the American DJ Powerstrip later to the stand. Hit one or 2 petshops to see if I can get my live sand!!!

[Mirya]

Exciting!

[Spiderguardnano]

looks great! what live sand are you going with?

[FlowerMama]

I don't know if I should go w/ Nature's Ocean Bioactive live Aragonite. OR

Carib Sea Oolite (they have a 40lb bag for 34.99 on Big Als but you have to buy $75 for free shipping)

Ocean's Direct Oolite live (they 40lb for 37.99 on Pet Solutions & free shipping).

 

There's also a Petco across from where I work so I could get it right away for instant gratification and get it in the tank tomorrow if I don't mind paying tax.. Otherwise I'll be waiting for a couple days.

 

I think I was told I'd need like 70-80 lbs for an inch. I don't want anything chunky.

 

Darn it, was at the store and forgot to buy vinegar to use that and water to clean the dusty tank.

I did buy a 27 liter ATO container like I use for my 34 to put under the right side of my tank and I bought some 2 sided velcro to stick the DJ American on the side of the stand on the right. I don't want to deal w/ salt creep since it is all metal so the right side will be fine and the 20g will be on the bottom left. Once all is said and done I'll need to get a little light for under there so I can check if everything's ok.

looks great! what live sand are you going with?

 

I decided I wanted them to sit on what they sit on in the ocean. So it will be live sand for sure.

[gena]

Nice work with the light!!!! Looks great .

 

 

 

Photobombing your thread in honor of Caturday!

 

 

Is Caturday an official day?

 

I saw that flavor....I'll have to get it next time .

[FlowerMama]

Very exciting and Yep, Gena, you would know since you already use it. Funny thing, it was just put up and Randi is playing w/ the setting and already was like, Oh, just press the button, turn it, press it again, and that's it. I'm not as hands on, I need to someone to show me and I have to read it first I was laughing at myself cuz I don't just jump in. But then I read things and get confused, like the dang directions for the Tunze ATO. She thought it looked more sleek in person too.

 

Exciting!

 

Nice work with the light!!!! Looks great .

[Mirya]

I don't know if I should go w/ Nature's Ocean Bioactive live Aragonite. OR

Carib Sea Oolite (they have a 40lb bag for 34.99 on Big Als but you have to buy $75 for free shipping)

Ocean's Direct Oolite live (they 40lb for 37.99 on Pet Solutions & free shipping).

 

Nature's Ocean does have a "black beach sand" color. Just sayin'.

 

Is Caturday an official day?

 

[FlowerMama]

Oh, checked Nitrite- zero. Checked Nitrate- zero. I didn't believe zero from API so I checked w/ Seachem since that's all I use later when I'm in nitrate only phase. was a 5. But is it still possible that nitrites took only 2 days and that's it? Come to think of it I had a short nitrite timeline as well using the KP Aquatics live uncured rock for the 34, almost nonexistent there too.

 

Well, Mirya, I keep having hesitations about black.

 

I don't want the light to be eaten up by the dark sand.

I've heard it will look grey instead of black once it's in the tank.

Will it be too pinchy/pointy since it's volcanic for the little babies?

Will there be too much iron like I've heard and will it stick to the magnet?

 

Also- need help with how to best utilize the Pond Matrix and Denitrate since I don't know their best application like this.

 

When I've heard people say "fill the sump with the denitrate and pond matrix as full as you can" .....is it just the full middle section like 9 high x 15 x 12? or should I do do something like have it first fall into a 7 x 12 x 5-6" section of pond matrix and then another same size section for the denitrate?) and then let it flow under and over into the pump section?

 

So do I leave the middle section large and put pond matrix first and then top off w/ the denitrate? or do I devote a section to each on it's own and have that be like 6-7 inches high or higher (max is like 8.5)?

 

I did find that Fluval had some 10 inch long 1/2" foam that I can put under the baffle for the water flow before it goes to each section.

[pgrVII]

Light looks awesome! I like my razor nano on my 28 cube a lot. Solid lighting system.

[Nanofreak79]

I've hated every kind of black sand I've tried. It's all magnetic, from my experience. Very annoying if you use magnetic algae cleaners. Some of it looks a duller color than others. I'm really partial to the oolite that you said you were looking at.

[FlowerMama]

Light looks awesome! I like my razor nano on my 28 cube a lot. Solid lighting system.

 

You have a pic of your cube?

[Nanofreak79]

I don't know anything about the pond matrix. Where did you find the foam at?

[pgrVII]

Yes it's under the title my official build thread I actually just posted pics.

Added link to tank in my signature

[FlowerMama]

 

I don't know anything about the pond matrix. Where did you find the foam at?

 

Petsmart. Fluval. it's like 2"w x 10L and width is 1/2". The 20g is 11.5 wide so it's almost there anyway.

 

Fluval® Canister Filter 404/405 Foam Blocks- has 2 of them in there and I can cut them down the middle and have 4 of them for $7.50 but I don't think I'd have to change it out but every 6 mos. It's coarse, has a plasticky feel and porous.