55gallon

[SpartaReef]

OK so my tank started it's cycle last night... Pictures are in an album on my profile. Realized I have too Much salt... I think I killed whatever pods were on my live rock... Gonna add more fresh rodi water tonight when I get home. Anyone care to expound on my likely-hood of finding surviving pods? Is my live rock going to be OK?

 

[fishgate]

Is it possible to find out what was the SG?

 

[SpartaReef]

My hydrometer hadn't been seasoned yet. I will take measurements tonight. I realized I had counted twice the salt-mix needed for half the water I added... But not so much that adding more fresh water will be all I need to get to normal levels.... Just added mix as if I had an extra ten gallons of water, which is how much more I need to add anyway... Actually need 30+ more gallons. So will only need enough mix for 20 more gallons

 

[Rookieofsalt]

What do you mean too much salt? do you have anything to test your Salinity? Since you do not have any live stock in there you are more likely to be OK. Since your tank is cycled, just do a big water change and pull your Salinity to level. Then wait for for a few days check your pars again and go from there.

 

[SpartaReef]

I put about fifty gallons in my tank last night but thought I had sixty gallons. So when I measured out the reef crystals I measured out too much. Now tonight I'm adding water to my sump which will then be part of the overall system. Thus I won't add as much salt mix to the added water and it should all even out. I was mostly worked about the pods and live rock bacteria being effected by the high salinity.

I apologize I thought I was clear but realize I was not.

Thank you

 

[SpartaReef]

OK need to do an early water change as the salinity still hasn't come down, on top of that my plumbing sprung a leak... *sigh on the bright side, it happened now rather than later

 

[fishgate]

Are you adding fresh water or salt water to bring down the salinity? You should be adding fresh water. I'd take out 5 gallons and replace with 5 gallons of fresh and take readings after about an hour of circulating. Do this until you reach your desired level.

 

[SpartaReef]

Are you adding fresh water or salt water to bring down the salinity? You should be adding fresh water. I'd take out 5 gallons and replace with 5 gallons of fresh and take readings after about an hour of circulating. Do this until you reach your desired level.

A bit of both because I thought I'd only over did it by ten gallons and was adding another thirty... However I will be swapping another five gallons of fresh.

 

[MinnFish]

How are you testing salinity. Without the proper tools, you will be chasing and guessing. Pods should be kept at about 35ppt or less. I wouldn't worry about pods right now. Lots of things will keep you occupied in a few weeks. Good luck.

 

[SpartaReef]

Testing with a hydrometer

 

[whiteshark]

IMO those swing arm or floating/bobbing hydrometers are a crap shoot at best. I would recommend a good refractometer calibrated with calibration solution. One of the most important pieces of equipment you can own IMO.

 

[SpartaReef]

Will retest salinity in morning...

 

[SpartaReef]

Salinity was at 1.025 this morning and water is clearing up... Next week I hope to add my sand bed...

 

[SpartaReef]

Was re-reading some of the research I had done before starting this quest... Read that I should keep the tank in the dark during the cycle. To prevent algae buildup. How necessary is this?

 

[dunc101]

Was re-reading some of the research I had done before starting this quest... Read that I should keep the tank in the dark during the cycle. To prevent algae buildup. How necessary is this?

You can if you want as it won't harm anything. About all adding light does while it is cycling is add to your electric bill imo =).
You're going to get an algae bloom once you add lights more than likely anyway for the first year or so.

 

[SpartaReef]

Only light I have right now is in my sump anyway

 

[SpartaReef]

First water change, added carbon sock, heater in sump, power head in display, chaeto, coaxed an aptasia out of hiding and promptly boiled it to death... water is getting clearer.

 

[MinnFish]

Why are u doing a water change? How are u going to determine when the cycle start and end? Are u adding live sand or dry later?

 

[SpartaReef]

Well, I've read pros and come to water changes during the cycle, and actually yesterday was the second water change since initially the salinity was to high... After I performed the water change the aptasia poked out... But that could have been due to the addition of tuned power head too. Right now I have bb... But I plan to add sand soon. The water change was necessary for the smell.

 

[kissman]

If u have aptasia i would acid wash that rock or it will take over the tank later