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Rain24

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I never acclimate anything, so that above method is fine if you want to.

 

I go home and brush or scrape off all hard skeleton areas, then dropper put perx on on the hard skeletal areas not the polyp, then rinse and install and handguide a bit as the mos go by. no set order, the goal is just to expect to have to do it to the system even though you are trying best to avoid incoming. its circular and lessens in time, it wont start out not needing to be done

 

 

hands off is earned over the years. being assertive and creative and dynamic, training the system to allow full water changes or being in the air for quite some time as you work, all a normal day's reefing. they're tougher than we thought.

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On 3/6/2017 at 9:27 AM, brandon429 said:

I never acclimate anything, so that above method is fine if you want to.

 

I go home and brush or scrape off all hard skeleton areas, then dropper put perx on on the hard skeletal areas not the polyp, then rinse and install and handguide a bit as the mos go by. no set order, the goal is just to expect to have to do it to the system even though you are trying best to avoid incoming. its circular and lessens in time, it wont start out not needing to be done

 

 

hands off is earned over the years. being assertive and creative and dynamic, training the system to allow full water changes or being in the air for quite some time as you work, all a normal day's reefing. they're tougher than we thought.

I hope I'm brave enough to follow your lead and not acclimate. I was just wondering how I was going to float bags in a cookie jar without getting water all over the place. :)

 

A Small Progress Update

 

I've been spending some time manually adjusting my heater to get the temps to where I want them to be in my bucket o'rocks. Here's what I'm getting so far:

 

March 6, 2017, Monday:
Cleaned Hydor Theo 50w heater.

Added heater to bucket of water (~2 gallons with live rock) and set dial at 78 degrees.

  • 11:06am - 66F
  • 11:40am - 70F
  • 12:20pm - 76F
  •  1:06pm - 81F (turned dial down to about 76)
  •  1:56pm - 84F (turned dial down to about 74)
  •  2:40pm - 86F (turned dial down to 73)
  •  3:50pm  - 86F (turned dial down to 71)
  •  4:48pm - 82F
  •  6:50pm - 82F
  •  7:50pm - 82F (turned dial down to 69)
  •  8:40pm - 80F

 

March 7, 2017, Tuesday

  • 8:10am - 80F (turned dial down to 68)
  • 9:20am - 79 to 80F
  • 5:10pm - 78F with the dial at 68.

 

I'm trying to use what I have to start off with and my only heaters are both 50W. I hope that's not too much for 2 gallons. I'm planning on getting a Finnex temp controller when this project becomes even less imaginary. :happydance:

 

So far I'm considering running this barebottom. Will that look weird when I'm starting out with only a few frags? If I do decide that I want sand, am I going to have to wait for that to cycle too when I add it in? I'm just wondering if I'll be stuck with barebottom if I start out that way.

 

Note to self: Figure out how to attach an air pump with an air flow controller and a check valve (what goes where).

 

 

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Based on my own experience with a Hydor Theo, I highly recommend using it only for water change water and cycling lol.  I had to turn it down over and over and it kept my tank consistently in the mid-80's which stressed my poor livestock to the max.  Eventually I had 5.5 gallons of hair algae and not much else. :closedeyes:  What's your other heater?  I do think the temp controller may help a lot.

 

I'm not sure if you'll have a cycle or not, adding sand later.  Maybe a mini cycle but I'd probably just up the water changes.  It's easier to add than to remove, I think.  Frag plugs always look weird so in that respect it may not look weird at all to be barebottom. :lol:

 

I discovered those little L-shaped flow controllers for airline are great for drip acclimation. :happy:  I did read somewhere recently that you want the check valve between your tank and the flow controller, I think it was something about the possibility of creating a siphon (in a power outage, I think) that could leak tank water all over.  Too tired to remember it clearly lol.

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In regards to your concerns about having things look weird with running barebottom, and frags on the bottom, etc, I have a suggestion for you. 

Go look at the tank pics in the first post of the Pico thread linked in my Sig. 

That tank was barebottom and had frags resting on the bottom, and will give you a good visual reference, esp since there's a timeline of pics beginning with only a few things on the bottom in the beginning all the way to being fairly full. 

I'm really weird and have run almost all of my tanks BB. I'm just paranoid about a sand bottom becoming a detritus sink that leads to Cyano and algae issues. 

It actually made me nervous to put sand in my little Waterfall Pico, lol. 

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Yay...look at this!!!!!  I love the pico jar...it's going to be amazing :).  Funny because January/February is the time of year, I too, get more interested in everything reefy!

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On 3/7/2017 at 7:13 PM, Lula_Mae said:

Based on my own experience with a Hydor Theo, I highly recommend using it only for water change water and cycling lol.  I had to turn it down over and over and it kept my tank consistently in the mid-80's which stressed my poor livestock to the max.  Eventually I had 5.5 gallons of hair algae and not much else. :closedeyes:  What's your other heater?  I do think the temp controller may help a lot.

 

I'm not sure if you'll have a cycle or not, adding sand later.  Maybe a mini cycle but I'd probably just up the water changes.  It's easier to add than to remove, I think.  Frag plugs always look weird so in that respect it may not look weird at all to be barebottom. :lol:

 

I discovered those little L-shaped flow controllers for airline are great for drip acclimation. :happy:  I did read somewhere recently that you want the check valve between your tank and the flow controller, I think it was something about the possibility of creating a siphon (in a power outage, I think) that could leak tank water all over.  Too tired to remember it clearly lol.

Lula Mae, my other heater is also a Hydor Theo. :lol: I've been monitoring the one that I have in the bucket. I have it turned down to 67F on the dial and the water is at 76F. Without the heater and with just the powerhead running, I'm at 66F. I will be getting that temp controller eventually. I know it'll get warmer before I know it and a temp controller will help me not fry anything this time around.

 

I somehow came home with 5 pounds of sand today. It just jumped in the cart as I was whizzing by the aquarium section!

 

I'll be getting check valves and flow controllers. How are you drip acclimating? With only about 2 gallons of water, I'm worried about how to do things like float bags and acclimate!

 

On 3/9/2017 at 7:07 PM, fishfreak0114 said:

Following!

Hi fishfreak! Glad to have you aboard!

 

On 3/10/2017 at 3:35 AM, Weetabix7 said:

In regards to your concerns about having things look weird with running barebottom, and frags on the bottom, etc, I have a suggestion for you. 

Go look at the tank pics in the first post of the Pico thread linked in my Sig. 

That tank was barebottom and had frags resting on the bottom, and will give you a good visual reference, esp since there's a timeline of pics beginning with only a few things on the bottom in the beginning all the way to being fairly full. 

I'm really weird and have run almost all of my tanks BB. I'm just paranoid about a sand bottom becoming a detritus sink that leads to Cyano and algae issues. 

It actually made me nervous to put sand in my little Waterfall Pico, lol. 

Hi Weetie! I did look! I was almost all set to run it barebottom until I thought about the plate coral that I might want down the road. So now I have sand. *Someone* didn't seem to have a problem that we went out today for a little ol' bag of sand. :P So now of course I no longer want the rocks to just be in a bucket. I might want to put my jar on the stand...with sand...and with the rocks. But I'm going to be rinsing my sand first because I am also paranoid and may only have a thin layer in there.

 

Let's say I add my sand today, how much longer do you think I should wait before adding things to the tank? I'm coming up on a week tomorrow for the live rock. :happydance: So far, nothing too weird has come out of the rock - just some vemetid snails.

 

My plan is to wash the jar and the sand, add the sand into the jar along with the live rock and leave it on the stand with no lights yet. I'll have the heater and the powerhead in there since I'm not set up with the airline and air pump yet. Sound good?

 

On 3/10/2017 at 9:35 AM, gena said:

Yay...look at this!!!!!  I love the pico jar...it's going to be amazing :).  Funny because January/February is the time of year, I too, get more interested in everything reefy!

 

Hi gena! You found my little pico thread! Yay!!! I can't wait to really get started. This cycling business is always the hardest on me. But, I found some vemetid snails to glue shut, so I'll have something to do in the meantime. LOL

 

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22 minutes ago, Rain24 said:

I somehow came home with 5 pounds of sand today. It just jumped in the cart as I was whizzing by the aquarium section!

 

I'll be getting check valves and flow controllers. How are you drip acclimating? With only about 2 gallons of water, I'm worried about how to do things like float bags and acclimate!

:o That's amazing!  Best keep an eye on that sand, it might set itself up in the reef jar in a hurry!  :lol:

 

For acclimating, I use a small plastic container (like those plastic Gladware containers you can buy packs of, but cheaper) or a small cup (like a Solo party cup), put the item to be acclimated (really only Shelby and the feather duster so far) in the container with its water, then I take my airline (I have airline, then the flow controller, turned pretty far down, then more airline), place one end in the tank and *gently* suck on the other end (I think a syringe could work to create that suction but I don't have one at present)--don't suck hard or you'll get a mouthful of saltwater!  I also wash off or wipe the end my mouth is going over first because ew lol.  I then carefully adjust the flow controller until it's dripping steadily...I don't really have an exact number I go for, just enough that it will take a while to fill the cup/container to at least twice the original volume.  I try to have a gallon or so of saltwater made up to replace the tank water with but sometimes it's a day or two before that happens lol.

 

Definitely give those vermetid's a superglue kiss! :P I think your plan sounds pretty good, and as far as waiting to add things, well, I sorta play it by ear...I like to wait a good 3 weeks when starting with live rock that never stayed out of water (I bring buckets to the LFS to carry it home in water lol) but since I haven't tested in ...a long time... I sorta wait and see and usually start with something like a snail, see how it does, and add from there.  When I made my 2.7 gallon last year, I started with a ReefCleaners order  (just a snail cleaner pack...with a LOT of hitchhiking hermits... <_<).  Someone else might be able to advise you better there lol.

 

Oh--and do you have your airline/pump yet?

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2 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

:o That's amazing!  Best keep an eye on that sand, it might set itself up in the reef jar in a hurry!  :lol:

 

For acclimating, I use a small plastic container (like those plastic Gladware containers you can buy packs of, but cheaper) or a small cup (like a Solo party cup), put the item to be acclimated (really only Shelby and the feather duster so far) in the container with its water, then I take my airline (I have airline, then the flow controller, turned pretty far down, then more airline), place one end in the tank and *gently* suck on the other end (I think a syringe could work to create that suction but I don't have one at present)--don't suck hard or you'll get a mouthful of saltwater!  I also wash off or wipe the end my mouth is going over first because ew lol.  I then carefully adjust the flow controller until it's dripping steadily...I don't really have an exact number I go for, just enough that it will take a while to fill the cup/container to at least twice the original volume.  I try to have a gallon or so of saltwater made up to replace the tank water with but sometimes it's a day or two before that happens lol.

 

Definitely give those vermetid's a superglue kiss! :P I think your plan sounds pretty good, and as far as waiting to add things, well, I sorta play it by ear...I like to wait a good 3 weeks when starting with live rock that never stayed out of water (I bring buckets to the LFS to carry it home in water lol) but since I haven't tested in ...a long time... I sorta wait and see and usually start with something like a snail, see how it does, and add from there.  When I made my 2.7 gallon last year, I started with a ReefCleaners order  (just a snail cleaner pack...with a LOT of hitchhiking hermits... <_<).  Someone else might be able to advise you better there lol.

Oh--and do you have your airline/pump yet?

 

This is like, the total, absolute, best advice, do everything she said. 

She covered, don't gotta add a thing. 

SO glad I have her on my Support Staff!! :P

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53 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

:o That's amazing!  Best keep an eye on that sand, it might set itself up in the reef jar in a hurry!  :lol:

 

Oh--and do you have your airline/pump yet?

 

I don't think this jar knew it was supposed to be imaginary!!! :P

 

Thank you for your detailed explanation on drip acclimation!

 

Also, I do not have my airline or pump yet. I have a Hydor Koralia Nano 240 powerhead. Will that be okay for now pointed at the surface for gas exchange? I will be getting my airline and pump and light in a couple of weeks. This is all just for cycling my rock and sand.

 

 

50 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

This is like, the total, absolute, best advice, do everything she said. 

She covered, don't gotta add a thing. 

SO glad I have her on my Support Staff!! :P

+1 to Lula Mae

 

Hurray! I have the best mentors in my thread. So, Jar? Don't screw this up for us. LOL

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56 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

This is like, the total, absolute, best advice, do everything she said. 

She covered, don't gotta add a thing. 

SO glad I have her on my Support Staff!! :P

Haha happy to help!  I have always been more of a background/behind the scenes type of person anyway.

 

4 minutes ago, Rain24 said:

 

I don't think this jar knew it was supposed to be imaginary!!! :P

 

Thank you for your detailed explanation on drip acclimation!

 

Also, I do not have my airline or pump yet. I have a Hydor Koralia Nano 240 powerhead. Will that be okay for now pointed at the surface for gas exchange? I will be getting my airline and pump and light in a couple of weeks. This is all just for cycling my rock and sand.

 

 

+1 to Lula Mae

 

Hurray! I have the best mentors in my thread. So, Jar? Don't screw this up for us. LOL

No problem!  I think if you point a Koralia Nano at the surface, you may have a water fountain instead of a reef jar!  I suspect it will create a bit of a water storm/whirlpool just pointed at the wall lol.

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3 minutes ago, SeaFurn said:

Yes!!  I vote for that!

I'm really going to try even though I just have a powerhead for circulation so far. :happydance:

 

2 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Haha happy to help!  I have always been more of a background/behind the scenes type of person anyway.

 

No problem!  I think if you point a Koralia Nano at the surface, you may have a water fountain instead of a reef jar!  I suspect it will create a bit of a water storm/whirlpool just pointed at the wall lol.

 

Aww, really? Darn. :( It looked like the Koralia Nano was behaving in the bucket. It's tilted slightly upward so it agitates the surface of the water. Everything does kind of go in a circle since my free-floating thermometer keeps getting jammed up by the heater in the same spot because of the flow. Should I hold off putting the sand in the jar with the LR, the heater and the powerhead?

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Just now, Lula_Mae said:

Not sure, to be honest--I never tried my Koralia Nano in a pico lol.  You can always try it and see, but how big is the bucket? 

It's all I have right now and I'm trying to make do in my excitement to get this going. :lol:

 

It's a 5 gallon bucket with just a little over 2 gallons of water in it with the live rock already in. The cookie jar says it's about 2 gallons, but of course the diameter is smaller. Right now, the flow is aimed at the tall portion of the LR and it seems to not be bothering the small bits of kind of crushed LR on the bottom of the bucket (from the rock accidentally splitting during transit).

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8 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

Hmm it might work then.  Maybe fill the jar with water and drop the powerhead in as a test?

 

This sounds good to me as well. 

I wonder if you could maybe put the sand in the bucket, but in some kind of container to keep it, well, contained. 

Like maybe one of those plastic food storage containers Lula mentioned earlier. 

Seems like that would make it easier to keep it from blowing around while it's in this temporary location. 

Are water temps in the bucket improved now?

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16 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

Hmm it might work then.  Maybe fill the jar with water and drop the powerhead in as a test?

I was totally going to do this. Then I started washing the sand and all of a sudden, it was in the jar and so was the water and the powerhead. :unsure:

 

7 hours ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

This sounds good to me as well. 

I wonder if you could maybe put the sand in the bucket, but in some kind of container to keep it, well, contained. 

Like maybe one of those plastic food storage containers Lula mentioned earlier. 

Seems like that would make it easier to keep it from blowing around while it's in this temporary location. 

Are water temps in the bucket improved now?

 

Bucket? I don't have a bucket at the moment. :lol:

 

This sort of happened:

 

 

image.jpeg

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2 minutes ago, Rain24 said:

I was totally going to do this. Then I started washing the sand and all of a sudden, it was in the jar and so was the water and the powerhead. :unsure:

 

 

Bucket? I don't have a bucket at the moment. :lol:

 

This sort of happened:

 

 

image.jpeg

omgomgomg

 

See, I told you that sand might somehow magically find its way into the jar! :lol:

 

How's the Nano working out in there?  Not too bad a storm I hope?

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1 minute ago, Lula_Mae said:

omgomgomg

 

See, I told you that sand might somehow magically find its way into the jar! :lol:

 

How's the Nano working out in there?  Not too bad a storm I hope?

It was magic! Yes. :happy:

 

Some sand is blowing around a bit, but the LR is protecting most of it. The Nano should do for now until I get my airline and air pump. It looks like the abalone snail survived! It was scooting around the glass when I moved the rocks in. Of course now it's nowhere to be found.

 

I may have to chunk up the rock a little more. It's taking up a lot of the bowl's real estate. We'll see.

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17 minutes ago, Rain24 said:

It was magic! Yes. :happy:

 

Some sand is blowing around a bit, but the LR is protecting most of it. The Nano should do for now until I get my airline and air pump. It looks like the abalone snail survived! It was scooting around the glass when I moved the rocks in. Of course now it's nowhere to be found.

 

I may have to chunk up the rock a little more. It's taking up a lot of the bowl's real estate. We'll see.

 

Hoooraaaaaay!!!!!

I told you not worry bout that Abalone, now didn't I? :happydance:

This is exciting!!!

That jar looks perfect. 

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32 minutes ago, Rain24 said:

It was magic! Yes. :happy:

 

Some sand is blowing around a bit, but the LR is protecting most of it. The Nano should do for now until I get my airline and air pump. It looks like the abalone snail survived! It was scooting around the glass when I moved the rocks in. Of course now it's nowhere to be found.

 

I may have to chunk up the rock a little more. It's taking up a lot of the bowl's real estate. We'll see.

Excellent! :happy: So good about the abalone!  Love little neat hitchhikers. :wub:

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19 minutes ago, SeaFurn said:

Love it!  I think that's a perfect amount of sand too. 

Aren't you surprised how big the rock looks now that it's in the jar?  

I really was surprised at how big the rocklooks now. I'm going to live with it for a bit and see if I want to take some out. My immediate impulse was to see if I could find a bigger bowl. LOL.

 

Next - airline, pump and looking for a fixture for the lighting.

 

16 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

Hoooraaaaaay!!!!!

I told you not worry bout that Abalone, now didn't I? :happydance:

This is exciting!!!

That jar looks perfect. 

You were totally right, Weetie! I thought it had fallen off in transit or something, but the husband was the one who spotted the abalone. I'm glad it's still there. I hope I see it again at some point.

 

I feel like I made real progress today!

 

2 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Excellent! :happy: So good about the abalone!  Love little neat hitchhikers. :wub:

I do like interesting hitchhikers.

 

And as far as unwanted ones, those vermetid snails got their supergluing today. Stay away from my jar!

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