50 Gallon Peninsula Build (formerly known as 40 Gallon Peninsula Build)

[griss]

Yes, looks great.

(also, don't mind the copper pipes in the background of the third picture, that's part of the house's heating system. I'm not running an invert poisoning operation here )

This cracked me up.

 

[Protandrous niña]

Well, our LFS just closed down. Now the closest non-petco store that sells saltwater fish is about four hours away.
On the bright side, I now have a bunch of really good second-hand equipment and various other items that I got for cheap.
Top to bottom:
secondhand hydor pumps and a tube of epoxy for aquascaping
refugium light
red sea reef salt
remora skimmer

 

[griss]

Well, our LFS just closed down. Now the closest non-petco store that sells saltwater fish is about four hours away.
On the bright side, I now have a bunch of really good second-hand equipment and various other items that I got for cheap.
Top to bottom:
secondhand hydor pumps and a tube of epoxy for aquascaping
refugium light
red sea reef salt
remora skimmer
View attachment 32403927View attachment 32403928View attachment 32403929View attachment 32403930

That really sticks about the LFS closing. The St. Louis area used to have about a dozen scattered around. Now, there’s only about 5 and all are 30-45 minutes away each way. I used to have 3 within 10 minutes of my house…2 closed and the remaining one has hardly any SW and is expensive as hell.

 

[Dustin07]

Now the closest non-petco store that sells saltwater fish is about four hours away.

That's a bummer. none of ours are 'close close' buit we have probably 6 that I can think of within about 60-90minutes.

In my local reefers FB group the local petco guys post occasionally. They take orders, let people know about overstocks, sales etc. With any luck maybe you could get to know the guy who runs your local fish dept...

 

[griss]

In my local reefers FB group the local petco guys post occasionally. They take orders, let people know about overstocks, sales etc. With any luck maybe you could get to know the guy who runs your local fish dept...

That would be worth a try but, IME, it's really going to depend on the Petco and the Fish Manager at that store.

I used to have 2 Petcos within 15 minutes of my house. One was hit or miss with SW livestock and would not take orders for livestock. The other had a great Fish Manager and had great (healthy, wide variety) SW livestock and would take orders. Unfortunately, they closed both those locations and consolidated them into a (new) location geographically located between the two former locations. Since then, quality, variety, and availability of SW livestock is hit or miss and they will not take orders.

Another Petco about 30 minutes from my house has an incredible SW livestock selection and will order livestock for you. I've spoken to the Fish Manager at that location and she told me that corporate dictates how much and how (take orders) each location will receive based on sales. In fact, this location also has a dedicated frag tank with SPS, LPS and Tridacna always available.

So, a location that has low SW sales only gets a limited amount of SW livestock/cannot take orders, while a location that has high SW sales gets essentially whatever livestock they want and can take orders. This seems a bit strange to me because, if you increase availability/variety of livestock, you should see an increase of sales at that store. If you restrict availability/variety, you're not going to get a lot of sales.

For example, the Petco close to me with hit or miss livestock regularly has Damsels, Clowns, Pseudochromis and the occasional Royal Gramma. Once is a blue moon, I'll see a Tang or two, maybe a leather coral frag or two, and on very rare occasions I've seen anemones and T. Derasa. If this store would have a greater variety/quality of livestock, I'd be buying there all the time.

 

[Protandrous niña]

With any luck maybe you could get to know the guy who runs your local fish dept...

I'll look into this next time I'm in town (the closest petco is still two hours away).

Also, I go down to Minneapolis (where said four hour away saltwater LFS can be found) every couple months for transition-related medical appointments, so if I time things right I can probably pick up livestock et cetera on my way home. My next appointment is in a couple months, so by then hopefully I will be ready for CUC and hopefully a hard fish or two.

 

[Protandrous niña]

Live rock is officially curing. (also, should I be lighting this while it cures? there is some really pretty purple coraline that i want to keep alive but if it doesn't need the light...)

 

[griss]

Live rock is officially curing. (also, should I be lighting this while it cures? there is some really pretty purple coraline that i want to keep alive but if it doesn't need the light...)
View attachment 32404172

Nice

 

[Reefing102]

Whether the rock needs light or not depends on if it’s painted/colored rock (like carribsea life rock) or if the coralline is actually real. If it’s real, yes it needs light. If it’s fake, no need for light unless there’s other life you’re trying to save besides bacteria

 

[Protandrous niña]

There are rocks that are half or partially encrusted with coraline, and others that are encrusted with a more pink variety, so I am assuming that at least some of the purple rocks have real algae. Ill keep them lit until they go in the tank

 

[griss]

I’ve always kept rock under lighting when curing.

 

[Dustin07]

I'm too impatient not to have the light on.. even if the tank is empty it looks more interesting with lights lol

 

[Protandrous niña]

Adding RO water.

Btw is this clouding normal? I haven't added salt yet, and the water has been sitting for a couple days. Is it possible that this is a bloom of fresh water bacteria? Should I add some salt before the tank is full to kill it?

 

[griss]

Hard to tell from the picture. Could be bacteria or could just be from the rock.

 

[Protandrous niña]

The rock is a definite possibility. When I began adding water, a lot of powdery stuff from the rock entered the water column right away and didn't settle overnight. Once the tank is full, I'll try a fine filter sock (or maybe some filter floss) and see if that clears it up.

 

[griss]

Sounds like a plan.

 

[Protandrous niña]

Cycling!

 

[griss]

Nice, now the fun part starts.

 

[Protandrous niña]

So I tested my water today, and the results were...interesting. There are no fish/organisms yet but I have been adding pellets and other food to feed the bacteria populations.

Params:
NO3: 0
NO2: 0
NH3+NH4: 0
PO4: 0
Mg: 1250
Ca: 425
KH: 6.7 dkh
PH: 8.10
Salinity: 1.026
Everything seems pretty normal, except for the lack of nitrogen compounds or phosphate whatsoever and the extremely low KH (which I tested 3 times because honestly I was kind of in shock). Last time I tested the KH (on the 18th of this month) it was 10. Ca was 445 and on the 22nd Mg was 1280. PH has been pretty steady, depending on the time of day/photoperiod it has been between 8 and 8.15. Not a peep from Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, or Phosphate this entire time.

Anyone know what is going on and have recommendations on how to raise KH?

Thanks

 

[griss]

Soda Ash or dripping Kalk could help increase Alk.

Also, Alk and Ca have an inverse relationship, too high Ca will drive Alk down and vice-versa.

If you’re wanting corals in the future, you’re going to want some NO3 and PO4.

Reef Tank Water Parameters

Need to know reef tank water quality specs? Save this reef tank water parameters chart as a handy reference.

www.bulkreefsupply.com